Often, those expecting still have to care for children and the household while feeling unwell. It’s difficult to prepare meals for the rest of the family when the scent of cooking is unbearable. Sometimes, even the smell of clean laundry can be overpowering! Throw in juggling work responsibilities on top of home life and even the most upbeat of women can become discouraged. It’s important to take care of your emotional health while battling nausea—and below, we are sharing some coping methods....

Don’t take it personally. Think of your stepteen as somebody who is hormonally impaired (he is!). Try to be tolerant, and give it time. Don’t try to compare or compete with the other bioparent. Be more yourself than you’ve ever been in your life. Spend time alone with your stepteen doing activities that interest you both. Be neutral about your partner’s ex. If provoked by the stepteen about him or her, take five deep breaths and take the high road....

Defining your family rules can be helpful, especially if you’re having disciplinary problems. It’s not required. Some families don’t believe in having specific family rules. Done right, the family value statement (no matter how short) should cover the territory. If a behavior doesn’t fit into your family’s value statement, it is against the rules, and that’s that. Other families rely on clearly defined family rules. It’s a matter of your family’s approach to life....

By age three, your child should have a full set of 20 “baby teeth.” Now that your child’s mouth is full of teeth, food particles easily get stuck between them. Your child (with your supervision and help) should brush with a soft-bristled toothbrush at least twice a day: after breakfast and before bedtime. An up-and-down motion will dislodge most food particles. Choose a fluoride toothpaste that your child enjoys. Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel, which will reduce decay....

Learn more about what exactly the hCG levels monitored with this blood test mean, and what it means if serial measurements are falling or if they fail to double. What Is HCG? Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy, and an hCG blood test measures the level of this hormone in your bloodstream. There are two different types of hCG blood tests: Qualitative: This type returns a yes/no answer about whether there is hCG in the blood....

More: Pooping and Pregnancy: a Step-by-Step Guide Constipation Most of the digestive problems of pregnancy begin with constipation. This condition is universally common in pregnant women for many reasons: The high level of certain hormones during pregnancy relaxes the muscles of the bowels and makes it hard for them to work efficiently. The growing uterus presses on the bowel and disrupts normal function. The iron in your vitamin supplement is known to make stools dry and difficult to pass....

The ease of takeout fare and restaurant dining is what attracts busy families, especially when both parents work. According to the National Restaurant Association, Americans over the age of eight eat away from the home more than four times a week, or nearly two hundred times a year. It’s probably safe to say that many individuals and families don’t dine out as much as statistics suggest, however. In fact, a survey by Restaurants and Institutions found that couples without children dine out about 30 percent more often than couples with kids....

Disadvantages of Breastfeeding Breastfeeding has many benefits, but there are some downsides too. Following are some of the disadvantages of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can be painful.Breastfeeding can be stressful if you are modest.It can be difficult at the beginning.It requires healthy lifestyle choices.You have less freedom. Your partner can’t feed the baby. Benefits of Breastfeeding There are many benefits to breastfeeding for both mother and child. Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby....

Time-outs are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and they’re used by up to 85% of parents. And yet, opinions abound about when time-outs are appropriate and how they should be carried out. The Right Age for Time-Outs Experts recommend not using the time-out discipline method until your child is around age 2 or 3. This is about the time when children will begin to recognize cause and effect and understand consequences....

To take advantage of discounts and freebies, be prepared with multiple copies the birth certificates and hospital discharge papers of your twins. Here are some of the offerings, which can change without notice. To maximize your discounts, be sure to investigate and take advantage of each company’s reward programs and follow them on social media. For example, buybuyBaby offers a 10% discount when buying two identical items. A company representative said: “Yes, we do offer a discount for twins, but it is only in-store at a buybuyBaby (store locator)....

These findings reassure parents that even when children’s social experiences are limited, as they have been during COVID-19, that they still have an opportunity to practice and develop social skills when playing alone. What the Study Shows The research, published in October 2020 in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, studied 33 children, aged 4 years to 8 years, during episodes of play. Researchers from Cardiff University observed as children alternated between playing alone with dolls, playing with another person (a researcher) with the dolls, playing alone on a tablet, and playing with another person (a researcher) using the tablet together....

The dilemma: I love having a decorated Christmas tree in the house, but I hate to toss the tree in the landfill when the holiday is over. The solution: Recycle it. Pass it down the food chain by making a tree for your friendly, neighborhood birds. Make sure the tree is completely free of ornaments, lights, and especially tinsel. Then take it out to your yard, a school playground, or a park....

1. Don’t Buy Anything in the First Trimester During your first trimester, you are only supposed to gain an average of two to four pounds. While there will be some bloating, you can make your regular clothes work during these initial three months. Save your money and wait to buy maternity wear until you actually need it. Hide Your Belly Well with Optical Illusions For those looking to keep their blessed news a secret during this time, use your non-maternity clothing to your advantage....

Pros & Cons E-Therapy Cafe markets itself as a solution for busy individuals or couples who are looking for a convenient, simple platform through which they can e-chat or video chat confidentially with a therapist. The company is focused on providing professional, ethical, and affordable mental health support and offers a wide range of professionals to work with, including board-certified licensed clinical counselors, master’s-level counselors, registered dietitian nutritionists, and certified expert-level life coaches....

The following eight “techniques” (tortures?) are not on the path to a well-behaved child: guilt humiliation hurtful talk physical abuse punitive and retaliatory action threats traps withholding affection Guilty of Imposing Guilt? “What are you trying to do, kill me?” While there is a positive aspect to guilt (learning to feel guilty when you are doing something wrong is an important aspect of learning self-control), imposing guilt on your child makes her feel resentful, and too self-judgmental....

How Popular Is the Name Elijah? Though an ancient, biblical name, Elijah has skyrocketed in popularity in recent decades. It first joined the top 100 boy names in the U.S. in 1995, and has kept climbing, reaching the top 50 in 2001, and the top 20 in 2010. Elijah has been a top-10 name for boys in the U.S. since 2016, and the 2020 statistics ranked it as the #4 boy name in America....

Ella also can be used as a suffix , such as affectionately referring to a girl named Marina as Marinella. It can also make a masculine name feminine when used as a suffix, such as with the names Gabriel and Gabriella. In Spanish, the word ella means “she” or “her” so the name Ella can be considered to mean “girl” or “feminine” as well. How Popular Is the Name Ella?...