We are lucky to have a choice about our birth control options. Some people, world-wide, have not been given that choice. Forced sterilizations have been performed in the United States and Canada as well as globally. Find out why these atrocities were committed, and learn about your contraceptive rights.
Pregnancy and Childbirth are the Gateway to Parenthood
This gateway is recognised in absolutely all cultures as being a significant transition in a persons life just as reaching puberty. When we reach puberty, we move from being a child to an adult. When we get pregnant and give birth, we move from being a woman and man to being a mother and father. These are huge changes. Puberty for a woman occurs at one time menses starts. For young boys this is not as clear a time.
Pregnancy And What To Expect
There are no two pregnancies that are alike so, while it is difficult to say exactly how each will progress, there are certain factors that are common among all women going through pregnancy. Quite often, early symptoms of pregnancy will appear and prompt the soon-to-be mom to purchase a home pregnancy test.
Childbirth and the Athletic Woman
Athletic women come in all sizes and enjoy different sports or fitness programs. Athletic women enjoy being toned and fit. Through personal fitness, many women have developed determination, commitment to their task, and an ability to hit the wall and go beyond. Often they consider themselves tough and rigorous. Women who enjoy fitness as a way of Life rather than being athletic also admire their shape, sense of being in tone, flexibility and strength. So why would an athletic woman (including women who just stay fit) need to know anything about childbirth? Isnt the goal of preparing for childbirth about getting in shape?
Diagnostic Ultrasound In Pregnancy – Is It Necessary?
The journal, Obstetrics and Gynecology, estimated that over half of all pregnant women in 1990 had undergone diagnostic ultrasound, yet research published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that 80 percent of all pregnant women are very low risk and do not need ultrasounds. The unnecessary ultrasounds cost about $1 Billion per year.
Any woman who is told she needs an ultrasound should ask about the potential benefits of the test and the risks of the procedure. …
Different Types Of Pregnancy Tests
If you believe yourself to be pregnant and are interested in using a test to determine the results factually, know that the tests sold over the counter that use urine to detect the pregnancy hormone are incredibly effective. Unlike in days gone by when the only reliable way to determine whether you are indeed pregnant was to visit your primary health care providers office, these home tests allow you to determine whether or not you need to see a provider. Keep in mind that if…
How To Use A Pregnancy Test
The question of whether or not you are pregnant is often one of the most exciting, anxious, and stressful queries that affect not only your health, but your life. There are different types of pregnancy tests on the market or available through your primary health care provider. Typically, the actual steps for using a pregnancy test are quite easy and can be performed in the comfort of your own home. However, the results of a home pregnancy test should always be confirmed with …
Is Pregnancy Ultrasound Risky?
No one knows the long-term effects of ultrasound use. Many practitioners feel that the technology is perfectly safe since studies of babies and their mothers have not determined any effects. Other practitioners are not so convinced of ultrasound safety and feel that judicious use is advised.
It should be remembered that x-rays were in use for 50 years before the public became aware of detrimental effects. DES and thalidomide alsso were deemed safe and were later found to b…
Nows the time to reclaim our childbirth skills
Consider this. In the US, 3,680,000 women give birth each year, in the UK 700,000 do, Melbourne, Australia 58,000 and the same in New Zealand. Where Common Knowledge Trust is located 1,000 women give birth. New Zealand is unique. In 1995 midwives became autonomous, lead maternity carers. Direct entry 3 year educational programs were set up, they are paid by Government to provide antenatal, delivery and post-natal care within the concept of continuity of care. Women can choose to give birth at home or in hospital with the same midwife. There is no shared care. Over 85% of all pregnant New Zealand women have a continuity of care midwife. Women choosing to birth in hospital, even when referred to a specialist, will have team midwifery care. Ideal isnt it? Since 1995, the caesarean rate has doubled to over 27% nationally. Whats wrong with the picture?
Giving A Foal A Good Start
Having only been a horse owner for 10 months, to suddenly find myself with a foal to care for was quite a shock.
My horse is a traditional coloured cob, prone to be a bit on the large side anyway, so she hid the foal very well. So well in fact that it was not until we found her early one morning with a foal at her side that we realised!
A call to the vet advised me that as long as the foal was suckling and the mare was calm, everything was ok, but to keep an eye on th…
The Truth About Birth Trauma Every Mother Should Know
Most people take birth trauma for granted, thinking it means the unavoidably compressive, difficult journey through the birth canal that we all wish could be easier. What is not generally known is that the pressures of birth and the interactions required of mother and child for delivery are fundamental to health. The development of the babys cranium is supported by the effort required for birth, and the newborn arrives with knowledge of what it means to partner with mom to w…
Should the Dad Attend the Birth of His Baby?
Would most moms rather have the dad at the birth of their baby or would they rather have another woman with her? Sorry dads!