One way that some women cope with the stress and anxiety of pregnancy after loss is to rent or buy a Doppler-based fetal heart rate monitor (also known as a baby doppler). Some doctors feel that using baby dopplers at home is a good way for women to reassure themselves that everything is OK and reduce anxiety. Others are skeptical or outright opposed to the practice, as they fear the devices will either increase anxiety or provide false reassurances....

Have your kids add a little love and creativity to these valentine card holders, and then make a few cards for friends and family. Two paper platesRed or pink ribbon or yarnHole punchDecorative materials (stickers, buttons…)Paints, markers, or crayonsCraft glue Now that you’ve made some room for your Valentine’s cards, why not make a special valentine for your friends and family? Pick out one of our printable cards, add your own personal touch, and make someone’s Valentine’s Day special!...

Assorted objects Tray Tea towel Small sack Paper and pencil

Materials Scissors Darning needle Solid-colored fabric Yarn or heavy thread Iron Tempera or acrylic paint Two 2-foot-long wooden dowels Paintbrushes 2-foot length of string Directions

Henna is a small flowering shrub. Henna leaves are dried and turned into a fine powder. That powder can be used to dye hair or stain the skin temporarily. Henna body art has been used to adorn women’s bodies in a variety of ceremonies for thousands of years. It’s still used in religious ceremonies or worn by brides in weddings in some parts of the world. While it may seem like a temporary tattoo is harmless fun—after all, henna is often advertised as natural—there are some potential risks involved....

In fact, medical experts advise against lotus birth, citing the potential for infection. Additionally, other drawbacks of this practice include the potential for a foul smell as the placenta and cord decay, the care needed to dry out the placenta (including regularly salting it), and the cumbersome nature of caring for a baby with the placenta still attached. While some people cite the lotus flower and its symbolism of unity and rebirth for the name of this practice, it actually comes from events in 1974, when a pregnant California woman named Clair Lotus Day learned about the behavior in chimpanzees and began to question why humans don’t do it....

Engel was open about his family’s journey with Rett syndrome, documenting the highs and lows publicly. While it is rare, it’s natural for parents to want to know more after seeing the news. What Causes Rett Syndrome? Rett syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation in a gene called MECP2, which is found on the X chromosome. How the mutation happens can vary. “The mutation that causes Rett syndrome occurs sporadically; these random mutations are not inherited from the parents,” said Huda Zoghbi, MD, director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital....

In fact, there are more than 50,000 posts under the hashtag #JUUL on Instagram alone not to mention the countless YouTube videos and tweets. Plus, JUULs have a sleek, USB-like design, which not only makes them attractive to young users but also easier to hide from adults, while discreetly taking puffs whenever they want. Clearly, JUUL has taken on a life of its own with people now referring to using one as “JUULing” (pronounced “jewel-ing”) rather than vaping....

Materials Various household objects or small toys Directions

During your pregnancy, you will likely have at least one or two routine ultrasounds. You may have more if your doctor thinks they are indicated. Except in certain circumstances, prenatal ultrasounds are not done specifically just to check on the fetal sex. Remember, a healthy baby is your ultimate goal and the real reason for prenatal ultrasound is to help make sure you achieve that goal. Here is what that ultrasound may look like at different stages when you’re carrying a boy....

But many first-time parents find that after the first month of parenthood, it can actually get more difficult. This surprising truth is one reason many experts refer to a baby’s first three months of life as the “fourth trimester.” If months two, three, and beyond are tougher than you expected, you’re not alone. From going back to work to changing sleep schedules, there are many reasons you may feel parenting becomes increasingly difficult after an initial honeymoon period....

There is almost nothing as stressful as dealing with a sick or feverish child. It’s a parental instinct to worry and, sometimes, assume the worst. But the fact is, most kids get fevers from time to time throughout childhood, and not all are causes for alarm. “A fever is not always a bad thing because it shows your child’s body is fighting an infection,” says Preeti Parikh, MD, a New York City pediatrician, and Executive Medical Director at GoodRx....

For most toddlers, the process begins some time between the second and third birthday. But a rare few start even earlier and many more don’t start until they are three. In general, girls tend to gain control over bladder and bowel movements sooner than boys. But regardless of when they start using the potty, few children master this skill until close to their third birthday. Even early starters tend to have at least occasional accidents until age three....

When you’re pregnant, all sorts of things start happening to your body—some of which you may have expected. For instance, you likely anticipated morning sickness, intense cravings, and a growing belly. You might even have expected mood swings, swollen feet, and changing breasts. But dry skin and lips are some of pregnancy’s less expected side effects and may have caught you completely off guard. Those cracked, parched lips or itchy dry skin can start as early as the first trimester and for some women, last throughout the pregnancy....

Origins of the R-Word The verb “retard” means to hinder or to make something slow. “Mental retardation” was introduced as a medical term for people with intellectual impairments, replacing terms that were considered to be more offensive. It was introduced as a neutral term by the American Association on Mental Retardation in 1961 and was adopted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM)....

Common Pregnancy Guilt Trips Woman are commonly held to incredibly high standards, and arguably even more so when there is a little baby’s life involved. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be the perfect woman, wife, and mother all the time. Don’t beat yourself up about it these guilt trips. What You Did Before You Knew You Were Pregnant Since fewer than 50% of pregnancies are planned, it is common for many women to engage in activities that they otherwise wouldn’t have had they known they were pregnant....

In addition, as of December 2022, the FDA has authorized updated bivalent boosters from Pfizer and Moderna for everyone ages 6 months and older. These boosters provide protection against both the Omicron variant and the original strain of the virus. From birth until the age of 18, the majority of kids in the U.S. follow a standard vaccination schedule that protects against a host of debilitating and potentially deadly diseases, including polio, meningitis, and measles....

Over the past few decades, our environment has changed dramatically. We now have labor-saving devices that do much of the work we used to do ourselves. Many people also have sedentary jobs, and then go home at night and sit in front of a television or a computer. To make matters worse, the vast majority of Americans do not engage in regular exercise. The bottom line is that people just don’t burn as many calories as they used to....