Proper nutrition is essential for the growth and development of your baby. Make sure you are eating a well balanced diet, choosing foods from all food groups. Please do not diet during pregnancy, your baby needs nutrients to mature properly. It is difficult to get the exact sources of vitamins such as iron, folic acid, calcium and zinc during your pregnancy so make sure you are also taking a supplement prescribed by your health care provider. If you have any questions on your daily intake, please consult with your health care provider.

Food Groups

The food pyramid conveys three essential elements of a healthy diet:

1. Proportion – simply by the shape of the food pyramid at a glance would indicate that fruits, vegetables and grains should make up a majority of your diet.

2. Moderation – meat and dairy products, in moderate amounts, contribute to a healthy diet. The tip of the pyramid consist of fats, which is not omitted from healthy eating but is by far the smallest section on the food pyramid.

3. Variety – choosing different foods from each food group every day will likely guarantee you are consuming a greater variety of foods needed to maintain a healthy diet.

Eating at least three meals a day is important. As this food guide identifies important food groups to include in a normal pregnancy diet, and a minimum daily recommendation is listed for servings, it is not adjusted for calories, and therefore it is not to support a healthy pregnancy. The table only provides a quick screening to see if you are eating the minimum amount of specific nutrient rich foods. Additional calories will need to be added, but meeting these minimum servings will help ensure good nutrient intake. Lean meats, low fat dairy, whole grains, fresh produce and unsaturated fats are suggested to meet other nutritional recommendations for good health.

Vitamins

Pregnant women often wonder about taking vitamin and mineral supplements. Those who eat a well balanced diet do not necessarily need vitamin supplements but multivitamins taken in early pregnancy may help against birth defects. Still, taking individual vitamins in excessive amounts, especially Vitamin A, can actually harm your baby.

Many health care providers will prescribe a prenatal vitamin formulated to provide various essential nutrients. Keep in mind though, eating a healthy, well-balanced diet from all food groups is still the best nutrition for you and your baby. Taking vitamin supplements will not make up for poor eating habits.

There are more than 50 essential nutrients needed for good health while you are pregnant. Here’s a summary of the most critical vitamins and minerals needed for you and your baby:

Meal Planning

Now that you’ve reviewed the facts on food groups and vitamin sources, just how do you translate all that information into a plan of daily meals and snacks? The first step in planning a nutrient rich diet is to find out what you are doing well. Choose a typical day and keep a record of all the foods you eat. List portion sizes and estimate how many servings from a particular food group you consumed. Chances are with a little practice you’ll soon develop a good sense of how to choose foods that ensure a healthy, well-balanced diet.

For most people, infertility conjures up the image of a couple without a child. But what about the couple who has borne a child, and now wants to extend their family but find they are unable to do so?

Secondary infertility, is the inability to conceive after one or more successful pregnancies. The medical causes are similar to those of primary infertility, and include sperm problems, tubal factors, endometriosis, and ovulation difficulties. However, there are differences. For one thing, the couple is older, which is why time is at a premium!

Moreover, there are emotional aspects that are unique. The couple experiencing secondary infertility often finds it difficult to gain understanding or sympathy from family, friends and relatives. Since they have one child, most people assume that the couple will have no problem having another. Even other infertile couples offer little sympathy! Patients with primary infertility often resent couples who have a baby, and believe their own pain would disappear if only they too could bear one child. A common remark is, “You have one child, you should be grateful for that.” These couples are caught between two worlds, fertile and infertile – and are excluded from both!

Guilt and frustration are common emotional responses. The frustration is borne out of surprise because the couple didn’t think it would be difficult to conceive a second time, unless they had difficulty in getting pregnant the first time as well. However, just because they have got pregnant once doesn’t make them immune to all the illnesses which can cause infertility – and tubes can get blocked and sperm counts drop as time goes by!

Secondarily infertile couples who had an elective abortion done for the first pregnancy and cannot conceive a second time around have a very hard time coping with their feelings of guilt. They often feel they are being punished for their sin of rejecting the child when they had it.

Couples with a child at home may also feel guilty. This arises because they catch themselves feeling that their one child isn’t good enough for them; and also for their inability to provide their child with a sibling.

The child of a secondarily infertile couple may also bring unwitting pressure on his parents by asking when he’ll have a baby brother or sister. This is especially difficult when the child is being asked by his friends why he doesn’t have a baby brother or sister and then begs his parents for a baby.

Parents may become very overprotective, fearing that something may happen to the one child they do have. They may also push pin all their hopes on their one child, and may push him to be a high achiever.

Many couples with secondary subfertility choose never to take medical treatment; often, this is because they are unsure about whether they do have a problem – and they keep on trying, hoping to hit the jackpot once again (after all, if they could do it once, why can’t they do it again?)

What are the chances of a couple with secondary subfertility conceiving with medical treatment? While this would depend on the individual’s problem, their chances are really about the same as a couple with primary subfertility. While they have the benefit of having “proven” their fertility once, they usually have the handicap of an increased age against them.

If the couple chooses to seek medical intervention, they also must decide what to tell their child about medical procedures. The presence of a child at home can make coping with the demands of infertility treatment much more difficult!

The financial burden of taking treatment can also add to the emotional burden of the couple and they may wonder if they shouldn’t be spending the money on the child they already have rather than pursuing the hope of expanding their family.

Adoption can be a choice for some of these couples – but it’s often more complicated because they worry about the possibility of “favoritism” ; and may also feel that it is unfair to their biological child to bring an adopted child into the family.

Coming to terms with secondary infertility is no easier than coming to terms with primary infertility – and it’s important that the family of the secondarily infertile couple share their feelings together and maintain a positive attitude.

About the Author:

Copyright © 2000 Dr. A. Malpani, All Rights Reserved Reprinted with Permission

What do you do when you find your son or daughter is getting up after being tucked into bed, screaming, yelling, and running around the house?

What is this? 

A nightmare? 

You try to wake her up but it’s difficult.

She looks awake and she’s agitated and frightened.  Once you wake her up she has no memory of the event but is terrified.

Was it a scary dream?

No, she says, she has no recollection of what she was even dreaming about.

These sleeping events are called Night Terrors.

They are most commonly seen in children who are between 3 and 5 years old.   They are both scary for the parent and the child.  But believe it or not they are harmless.  Most children grow out of them. Two to 3% of all children will experience episodes of night terrors. By the time they reach school age, most of these children will have outgrown these generally harmless events

Night Terrors are Very Different than Nightmares

Night Terrors occur within a couple of hours of falling sleep.  This is the non REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep.  During this phase of sleeping the sleep is not deep but the child is quiet and the body is settling down.  For reasons currently unknown, the child awakens frightened and starts moving around screaming, flailing arms possibly, and her eyes are wide open.  Once she wakes up she has no memory of what scared her.  In fact, there was no real event or item that scared her. The child appears to be awake but she is not. As she is so scared she is also asleep.   Generally these episodes last from 10 minutes to an hour.  Children fall back asleep after the terror has passed.  They do feel real fear even though they can’t put their finger on what caused this extreme reaction.

What Causes Night Terrors?

Night terrors have their roots in a number of causes.  Stress plays a big role in bringing about this sleeping disorder.  Being overtired and not getting sufficient sleep can bring on night terrors.  Night terrors also can run in families, if you or your spouse experienced them during your childhood your child may have them too.   Also children and families who have a history of bed wetting, sleep walking, night mares and/or talking in their sleep may be more predisposed to night terrors.  Other causes of night terrors can be a reaction to medication, food and drink before bedtime, interruption of routine, and developmental challenges like separation anxiety, loss etc.

What can I do to Help My Child?

It’s helpful to know that although these events may be disturbing for you, night terrors themselves are not harmful to your child. But because a child may get out of bed and run around the room, doctors do advise parents to gently restrain a child experiencing night terrors. Otherwise, let the episode run its course. Shouting and shaking your child awake will just agitate her more. Remember to warn babysitters and other family members who may be present overnight so that they will understand what is happening and won’t overreact.

It’s helpful to know that although these events may be disturbing for you, night terrors themselves are not harmful to your child. But because a child may get out of bed and run around the room, doctors do advise parents to gently restrain a child experiencing night terrors. Otherwise, let the episode run its course. Shouting and shaking your child awake will just agitate her more. Remember to warn babysitters and other family members who may be present overnight so that they will understand what is happening and won’t overreact.

Other Signs of a Night Terror are:

 Screaming or talking wildly
 A blank stare
 Mistaking objects or people in the room for dangers
 Episodes that last 10 to 30 minutes (generally longer than typical nightmares)
 Inability to remember the episode in the morning

Prompted Awakenings

Prompted awakenings 15 minutes before night terrors begin, for seven consecutive nights, has been successful in eliminating the episodes in 90 percent of children. The trick is to notice the length of time from when your child first falls asleep to the onset of a night terror, and then awaken your child 15 minutes before the episode typically occurs. Keep her fully awake and out of bed for five minutes.  Keep a sleep journal for your child, noting what she has eaten before bed, any new activities in her life and the potential for them to be stressful TO her, include conversations with your child about how she is feeling and what may be bothering her.

Night Terrors are Generally Harmless

However parents should call their pediatrician if they notice any drooling, jerking or stiffening during the episode. This may be a symptom of a serious health problem.

About the Author:

Angela Kerevarah is a certified nurse midwife, mother of 2 grown children and soon to be grandmother. She is on the All About Moms Ask A Midwife expert panel.

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Copyright © 2001 Angela Kerevarah, All Rights Reserved Reprinted with Permission

Preterm labor is defined as going into labor prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy.  Preterm labor increases the likelihood of medical complications for the baby, particularly breathing problems and the need for resuscitation and/or intensive care. Premature babies may experience problems of varying severity depending on their development. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the signs of premature labor so you can report them to your health care provider if they occur.

Since no one knows why labors begins early in some pregnancies, there are a number of things that can make premature labor more likely.  These things can include a history of previous preterm labors, severe illness, certain pregnancy complications or a stressful living situation.

At this time preterm labor cannot be prevented. Health care providers can only do the next best thing – identify it early and treat it effectively to help prolong the pregnancy. Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of preterm labor can help your health care provider better manage your pregnancy.

You need to understand the  ways to prevent preterm labor. Sometimes a problem can occur that needs medical attention right away so learn what you need to do should an emergency situation arises.

What is Normal?

Occasional uterine contractions (known as Braxton-Hicks)
Backache as your baby grows and causes your posture to change 
Pressure as your growing baby presses on your pubic bone and your legs 
Pulling and stretching of muscles as the uterus grows that may cause pain

What is not Normal?

Regular uterine contractions (ten minutes apart or less)
Rhythmic, lower abdominal cramps or a dull backache
Persistent diarrhea or intestinal cramps
Pressure low down in the abdomen, felt as a heaviness or like the baby is pushing down
A watery discharge or a gush of fluid from the vagina 
A change in color of vaginal discharge

Signs and Symptoms of Preterm Labor

The following are signs and symptoms that are associated with preterm labor. However, these signs can also be a part of a normal healthy pregnancy. What you need to keep in mind is what may represent a change from your normal patterns and experiences:

Uterine Contractions
The uterus (womb) is composed of muscle fibers. A uterine contraction is the tightening of the muscles within the uterus. Using your fingertips to feel your uterus, you should be able to slightly indent your uterus when it is relaxed. During a contraction you can feel your uterus tighten and become hard. Contractions occur normally throughout pregnancy. They are usually painless and they can occur at any time. Certain activities such as changing your position or having a full bladder may cause you to have a contraction.

Menstrual-like Cramps
These are felt low in the abdomen, just above the pubic bone. The cramping may be rhythmic, feeling like waves or fluttering. You may also feel a constant cramp.

Lower, Dull Backache
This backache is located mainly in the lower back and may radiate to the sides or front. It may be rhythmic or constant. And often is not relieved by changing position.

Pelvic Pressure
You may feel pressure or fullness in the pelvic area, in your back or thighs. It may feel as though the baby is going to “fall out.”

Intestinal Cramps
These may occur in the presence or absence of diarrhea. You may have the feeling of “gas pains.”

Increase or Change in Vaginal Discharge
The amount may be more that that which is normal for you. The consistency may change to mucous or watery. The color may become pink or brown-tinged.

Uneasiness
A general feeling that something is not right even without a specific cause.

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Ways to Prevent Preterm Labor from Progressing into Labor

Increase your Rest
Resting on your side is a helpful way to keep your uterus relaxed. Also elevating your bed so that your hips are slightly higher than your head will keep the pressure of the baby off your cervix.

Maintain Adequate Fluid Intake
During your pregnancy, it is important to drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluid per day or as other wise directed.

Bed Rest
You may be asked to take rest periods during the day, or stay in bed all day except for getting up to go to the bathroom and sitting up for meals.

Decrease Strenuous Activity
Refrain from heavy physical activity such as jogging, running, tennis or frequent trips up and down stairs. Limit heavy lifting, cleaning, and long trips.

Sexual Activity
You may be asked to stop or limit your sexual activities.

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Emergency Situations

Sometimes a problem can occur that needs attention right away. If you experience any of the following signs and symptoms, call your health care provider IMMEDIATELY.

Bleeding – If you experience vaginal bleeding, a large gush or steady stream of bright red blood, IT IS AN EMERGENCY. Get help immediately, lie on your side and put your feet higher than your head. Save pads or cloths used to catch the blood. 
Rupture of the bag of water (amniotic sac) – Sometimes the bag of water around the baby will rupture prematurely. If you notice a gush of fluid or a steady trickle of fluid you should call your health care provider. Be sure to note any color or odor that might be present in the fluid. Save pads or cloths and bring with you to the office or hospital. 
Severe stomach pain – If you have constant severe pain that does not go away when you change position, with or without contractions notify your health care provider.

What will Happen if You to go to the Hospital

You may be told to go to the hospital if your health care provider feels you may be experiencing preterm labor. At the hospital a nurse will take your temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. A fetal monitor may be placed on your abdomen to see if you are having contractions and to check your baby’s heart rate. If you are in labor, and it is determined that your pregnancy should be prolonged, treatment may include bed rest, I.V. fluids, medications, and continued monitoring of your contractions and your baby’s heart rate. If it is felt you are not in labor, or having any other problems, you may be allowed to go home.

How do our kids really learn to manage money? Most don’t until they’re adults and then they learn primarily as a result of their own successes and failures.

There’s usually no course at school, no helpful hints on TV and observing parents can be confusing at best. Typically, parent’s money management skills are often either not what we’d like them to be or our finances are so complex that how we handle our money doesn’t mean much to a child.

To make matters worse, kids today have more money to spend and develop financial styles at a younger age than ever. Before you know it, kids can develop bad habits that can last a lifetime.

In fact, most parents don’t deal with their kids’ money management problems until their children are adults. By then, these problems can be both costly and emotionally charged. Young children provide parents the best opportunity to encourage good financial habits and avoid problems that will develop latter in life if this area is neglected.

The only way kids will learn to manage their money is through their own experience and the guidance you, as parents, may give them. In other words, kids learn from trial and error and role models just like the rest of us. And if they can’t learn as children, the price of adult mistakes can be great in terms of money and relationships.

What Do I Do?

The first step, and the subject of this feature, is to Give ‘em an allowance!
Here’s why your kids need an allowance:

Having a regular amount of their own income is the only way kids can learn to manage money.

 They need to be able to make mistakes when the cost is minimal.
 Knowing the limit of available funds forces kids to think about how much things costs, and to make spending choices between the many things that they may want.
 They have more appreciation for the things they buy when they use their own money.

When Do I Start?

Once your child shows both an interest in and an understanding of the concept of money – the fact that it can be exchanged for goods – they are ready to start learning the basics of money management. For many kids, this may be as young as three or four. Their first allowance should be given at a minimum of once a week.

How much should I give?

Some would say a dollar for each year of age. Others would suggest you match the amount their friends get. Neither approach is really much help.

When coming up with the amount, try this:

 Determine how much money you already give them. If your kids don’t get allowances, you are managing their money for them by deciding what they will buy and what they will do. Their role is salesperson and manipulator. Let them learn to manage their own money. Stop doing all the work. Total up the amount you are giving them now. Give that to them as an allowance and let them make their own decisions. You’ll save money and avoid some of life’s major battles.
 Make a list of what they are expected to pay for with their allowance. Once you have the amount, sit down with your child and make a list of everything they are expected to pay for. This solves the conflicts that may come up in stores and as they walk out the door to go to the movies. The total required becomes their allowance. As their needs change, so can the amount. Be open to reviewing it when appropriate.

Keep in mind the fact that kids have three uses for their money – spending, saving and sharing. Consider all three areas when you are coming up with the amount. In addition to setting the allowance, this process puts an end to the constant requests to buy this and that and to give them money to do whatever their hearts desire.

Should I Tie Allowances To Chores?

Do you believe your kids have a certain amount of responsibility around the house just because they are members of the family? If so, those responsibilities have nothing to do with allowances. In fact, if those responsibilities are not fulfilled, the loss of privileges would probably be more appropriate than the loss of allowances.

How can a child manage their money if they don’t know how much they will be getting on a regular basis? On the other hand, if a child does not need their allowance that week, is it acceptable not to do the chores? And finally, do we want your children to ask “How much?” every time you ask them to do something around the house?

Remember, the purpose of an allowance is to give your children the opportunity to learn how to manage money through their own successes and failures and the input of their parents.

About the Author:

David has worked with financial institutions for the last twenty years. His primary focus has been to research and develop innovative products and services. Current projects, in addition to the Kid’s Money Web Site, include the Kids’ Money Journal financial management system for kids, along with a number of books and articles. With five children and three grandchildren, he has been a longtime student of parenting.