HowToDoThings.com Building a Family

How To Dry Up Breast Milk Supply

Laura98 — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 12:44:00 -0600

Your baby has been the lucky recipient of nature's best possible nutrition for newborns, a mother's breast milk. But all good things eventually come to an end. Breastfeeding experiences may last from one feeding to one year or longer. There are many reasons for choosing to stop breastfeeding and many mothers are torn when the time comes. Perhaps your baby wouldn't latch on and it is difficult for you to express enough milk to keep up with your baby's needs, or you may be returning to a work environment where pumping is not acceptable. Whatever the reason, your body needs to slowly wean itself from breast milk production.

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How To Find Grants for Single Mothers

Kaye305 — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:22:00 -0600

Single mothers often carry a financial burden that can be overwhelming. Not only do many single mothers carry the responsibility of raising children without the help of a companion; they also carry the responsibility of caring for their children financially. Being a single mother can also put a damper on a woman's plans to go back to school to get that degree she needs to improve her financial situation.

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How To Induce Labor

Theresa157 — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 08:13:00 -0500

As your due date approaches, you may be wondering about inducing labor. Induction of labor should never be attempted (unless there is a medical reason) before 38 weeks. You should also make sure your care provider approves your attempts.
Your care provider has medical induction techniques if your baby needs to be born for medical reasons. Medical reasons include going post-dates, gestational diabetes, preecclampsia and other complications. The four common medical induction techniques are pitocin, cervical ripening agents, inserting a foley catheter into the cervix and amniotomy or artificially rupturing the membranes. All of these techniques carry risks you should go over with your care provider.

How To Use "Baby Making" Positions During Intercourse

Theresa157 — Tue, 09 May 2006 08:13:00 -0500

While there has been little research done on the actual sexual positions that aid conception, there are some recommended positions for conceiving. Basically, positions that allow deep penetration and don't force the semen to work against gravity are best. In addition, according to old wives' tales, some positions are better than others for conceiving a specific gender.

How To Explain Menstruation During Pregnancy

Theresa157 — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 13:21:00 -0500

Some women do menstruate during the early part of pregnancy. Other women spot during pregnancy and mistake this with an unusual menstrual cycle. There are many reasons for spotting and bleeding during pregnancy, some serious, some not. If you suspect you are pregnant, yet have menstrual-like bleeding, contact your care provider to rule out a serious complication.

How To Treat Cramping in Early Pregnancy

Theresa157 — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 07:11:00 -0500

Pregnancy cramping in early pregnancy is common, and often nothing to worry about. However, due to the risk of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, if you have cramping combined with spotting or bleeding, you should contact your care provider.

The big reason for cramping in early pregnancy is due to uterine expansion and perhaps ligament pain, also referred to as round ligament pain. The round ligament is one of several ligaments that support your uterus and keep it in place as it expands in your body. Most of the time, ligament pain occurs in the second trimester as your uterus grows, though there have been some reports of it in early pregnancy. For more information, see the links provided.

How To Predict Gender with the Chinese Pregnancy Calendar

Theresa157 — Wed, 03 May 2006 08:42:00 -0500

The Chinese pregnancy calendar is used to predict the gender of your child. It is based on inputting the mother's age and the month your baby was conceived. Some consider it to be 99 percent accurate, though most reports say it yields correct results only half of the time. Basically it's a fun game to play, especially if you are waiting until birth to discover your baby's gender.

The Chinese pregnancy calendar was found in a tomb near Beijing and is currently at the Institute of Science in Beijing. There is a catch to the Chinese pregnancy calendar though; the numbers you enter must subscribe to the ancient Chinese calendar, based on lunar and solar cycles (making it a lunisolar calendar). The western calendar is based on solar cycles.

The following will help you use a Chinese pregnancy calendar.

How To Calculate HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy

Theresa157 — Mon, 01 May 2006 06:08:00 -0500

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or hCG is also called the pregnancy hormone. It is the hormone that blood and urine pregnancy tests look for. This hormone starts being produced by a rudimentary placenta when the fertilized egg implants into the uterus. Implantation occurs about six to twelve days after conception. To get a positive reading on a pregnancy test, your body must be producing hCG.

The tricky thing about predicting hCG levels is that you may be pregnant, but if implantation has not happened, hCG is not produced. In addition, home pregnancy tests may not be able to measure hCG levels in your urine until hCG has a chance to build up in your body. This can take a couple of days to a week. This is why some 'early' pregnancy tests have a high false negative rate.

How To Manage Belly Button Rings During Pregnancy

Theresa157 — Wed, 03 May 2006 08:36:00 -0500

Many women resist removing their belly button rings during pregnancy, especially if they are younger and this is their first birth. Piercings can sometimes bring comfort to a pregnant woman as reminders of her non-pregnant physical appearance. You may be wondering if there is anything you can do to manage your belly button ring.

Take it out. Most care providers recommend removing your belly button ring. Even women who don't remove their rings report that belly button rings itch and pull as the belly stretches around the fifth or sixth month. There is also the risk of infection if the belly button ring scratches you or opens a small wound. If you do take out your belly button ring, the piercing hole will probably close, requiring you to re-pierce your belly button after having your baby.

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How To Use a Chinese Conceiving Calendar

Susie254 — Thu, 25 May 2006 05:32:00 -0500

Sometime in the middle of your pregnancy, usually after the twentieth week, your obstetrician will probably do an ultrasound to try and determine the sex of your baby. If baby cooperates and turns just right, you and your doctor should be able to see if your baby is a boy or a girl. While this is one of the most accurate ways to determine the gender of a fetus, many couples become impatient as they wait for that twentieth week of development to arrive. There are lots of fun ways to try to guess your baby's gender, but one of the most well-known is the Chinese conceiving calendar. Some couples also use the Chinese conceiving calendar as they plan their pregnancy to try and choose a specific gender.