Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

When I think of electricity and pain, a scene from "Return of the Jedi" tends to pop into my head, the one in which the evil Emperor is zapping Luke with lightning bolts from his finger tips. Having experienced the unpleasantness of an electrical shock more than once in my life, I can sympathize with poor Luke Skywalker as he writhes around on the ground as electrical bolts play up and down his body. It is not like he is merely feeling the tingle that results from sticking the tip of your tongue on a nine volt battery. Still, while electricity can be dangerous (especially in the hands of someone who has joined the dark side) that mild tingling sensation that you get when you touch your tongue to a nine volt battery can actually help alleviate pain.

By blocking pain signals from reaching your brain, low intensity electrical pulses can actually help with cases of chronic pain. Physicians have known about this since the time of the Ancient Greeks. While the Greeks did not have nine volt batteries, they did have electric eels. It was discovered that placing a painful part of the body in a bucket with an electric eel helped alleviate the pain. While no one was really sure how it worked, the eel bucket trick was used for centuries to help alleviate the pain from gout.

Today, scientists have a much better idea why this phenomenon occurs. Pain, it turns out, is actually "all in your head" just like your high school coach told you it was. Pain is actually a useful thing in most cases, triggering your brain that something is causing damage to you, triggering action such as removing your hand from a hot surface or doing your best to get out of Emperor Palpatine's line of fire. These pain impulses are actually electrical signals that are sent up the spinal column and then to the brain triggering a response in the nerves. While these pain signals can be seen as a beneficial way to keep us from getting our fingers burned off, they can also become the problem in the case of chronic pain.

In the case of chronic pain, such as lower back pain, these pain messages become constant to the point of are detrimental. Even though we already know all about the problem, our bodies continue to shoot us pain signals making life rather miserable. This is where electricity can come in handy. Since there are only a select number of messages that your brain can receive at any given time, it is possible to override the chronic pain signals by replacing it with some other sensation, in this case the tingling sensation of low pulse electricity. By applying electrodes to the area of chronic pain and then pulsing electricity through it, you can actually temporarily block out the chronic pain and find some relief.

Since the bucket of eels is not longer politically correct, medical researchers have come up with other devices which can help deliver these electrical signals. One such device is the TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator) device. This device is a portable battery operated device that a person can use to find temporary relief from chronic pain. One such device called the AuraWave has even been recently cleared by the FDA for non prescription use. If you cannot get your hands on some eels, or if you do not think you can convince the Emperor to use his powers for the good of pain relief, this TENS Device is certainly something that is worth checking out.

Puggles as a hybrid dog has already earned much fame because of its loving nature. Taking a puggle home will surely be nice idea. But how do you catch the most charming and healthy puppy? Puggles belong to the class of Designer Dogs and are often very expensive when bought from a pet shop. But buying puppy from a pet shop might involve problems since there are many mixed breed dogs available in such stores.

A very common problem noticed in puggle breeding is the inadequate level of knowledge among the breeders. Such breeders try to mate a pug and a beagle to produce a puggle without having much know-how about the breeding techniques and information. The result of this ignorance often produces puggles with genetic disorders. Another major problem seen in unskilled pug breeding is, the overlook of temperament testing and finding the correct mix. Thus one should be pretty meticulous while buying a puppy from a pet shop. The buyer of a puggle is advised to check the papers, specific breeder and must also be well aware of the genetic history.

Now once a puppy enters your home it will surely bring with it loads of warmth and joy. And the puggle owners are often confronted with the problem of putting such an adorable puppy into control. Patience is the only key to this problem. There are various factors that affect the training program of a puppy. These factors are namely the age of the puppy, the learning ability of the puppy and the sort of treatment being provided to it by its master. All these factors are responsible in creating a well-disciplined puggle.

Understanding the commands vary along with the age of the puggle. A puppy will take a few weeks to take the toilet training whereas the same dog might take a longer amount of time to understand if it is a little older. Along with the age the learning ability of the puppies varies significantly. This is the reason why a puggle owner must be consistent is imparting the training. Next is the type of tone a master uses while training his/her puggle. It is always advisable to use firm tones while giving a command. Such tones are more legible for your puppy.

This new breed of adorable dogs is not only famous as a family pet but also much famed among the breeders. Incase of breeding puggles a breeder must make himself/herself aware of the breeding obligations involved. An upcoming breeder must be ready to take the responsibilities of prenatal and postnatal care of the puggles. At the same time a breeder must have sufficient education regarding the research of the pedigrees of the dogs as well. However while selling the puppies a dedicated breeder should be aware of the prospective buyer through the interview process. This will lead to a puggle to find the best home to stay in.

Maternity Insurance In The US

When we discuss finding maternity coverage, we know that we are probably attracting two groups of people. One group is planning ahead for the time when they would like to have a baby. In this case, no family member is actually pregnant yet. This is, of course, a much better time to find maternity coverage. The other group of people who are reading this article already has a pregnant family member. In this case, they are probably scrambling to find some help covering all of the bills associated with having a healthy baby. This will be a little tougher, but there are still some options.

If You Are Planning Ahead For Pregnancy.

If nobody in the family is pregnant yet, but you plan on having a baby in the future, here are some common ways to find maternity health insurance. Some of these options, like payment plans or group health, may still work if you are already pregnant too.

Group Health Insurance - A work related health plan usually covers pregnancy. This is probably the easiest and most common way to find maternity coverage. If your current employer does not offer this, it may be time look for for one who does.

A pregnant woman may still be covered on her parent's insurance if she is young enough. There could be other qualifications like she must be unmarried or a student too. A wife should be covered by her husband's policy if they opted into that coverage. And of course, she would be covered by her own employer's plan if it covers maternity.

Individual Health Insurance - I am not an expert on the private health plan market in every state. In my own state, I can tell you that most family or individual plans do not cover normal maternity costs, or they cover them with a very high deductible. The basic health plan should cover complications of pregnancy. So a C section should be covered. However a basic private health plan probably does not cover office visits, tests, or a normal delivery.

The only health insurance company that I know of that offers a maternity rider (option) is Time. This will vary by state, and it is an extra option with an extra premium. It also has a waiting period before it will pay benefits. If you think that you need this benefit, you must take it well before anybody gets pregnant!

HSA Health Insurance - In some states, there is an individual HSA (health savings account) major medical plan with a maternity rider (option). The health savings account part of the plan is a tax deductible account you must contribute to before you need it. The major medical has a maternity option you can choose. Keep in mind that this option will have a waiting period before it will pay any benefits so this will only work if you plan ahead. But if you do plan ahead, your HSA balance should help you defray the costs of the higher deductible.

Your HSA, on its own, can be helpful even if the major medical plan does not cover maternity. You could use your cash balance, for instance, to pay for prenatal care.

Supplemental Insurance - Some disability policies may cover time lost from work because of a pregnancy. I have also seen some supplemental hospital or illness policies that will pay in case of maternity. These plans are unlikely to accept anybody who is already pregnant though, and I have never seen one that would cover the whole cost of maternity.

Save Money - If you can afford it, and you have no maternity coverage, or you do not have much maternity coverage, you can save for it like you save for a down payment on a house or new car.

If You Are Already Pregnant Without Maternity Insurance

Public Health Insurance - CHIPS is the federal and state children's health insurance plan. It also covers pregnant women. Your income must be less than the guidelines, but it is a good option for people with moderate incomes. You will be restricted to using the doctors on hospitals that participate, but you should be able to find medical care in your area. Very low income people with few assets may qualify for Medicaid.

You may also be able to find low cost clinics and hospital systems in your area. Visit PPARX.org because they have a search by zip code.

Your local Department of Health and Human Services is another public resource. Again, these options are probably going to work the best for people with limited incomes.

Payment Plans - Some OB-Gyns and hospitals have payment plans for the normal cost of maternity. You may need this if you lack coverage, or if your own health insurance will not cover the bulk of the cost. It would actually be better to check this option out before you are pregant, but if you are pregnant, it is an option to research. Try asking your current doctor or a nearby hospital. You might also search online for maternity payment plans in your area.

Private Loans - Many maternity doctors will give you a fee schedule for normal deliveries. Even if they have a payment plan, you may do better with your own financing. I hesitate to advise anybody to go into debt, but when you are safeguarding the health of a mother and baby, this may be something to consider.

Are You Pregnant or Planning To Get Pregnant?

Keep in mind that a normal US delivery costs $5,000 - $10,000. This cost will be multiplied if there are any major complications. In a perfect world, this would all be planned for before conception. I am not writing this to preach because I am aware that this does not always happen because we are humans living in an imperfect world. The most important thing is to make sure that the mother and baby have the best possible health care.

Panic attacks during pregnancy are normal. There are times when you cannot control your emotions especially when sudden bumps or pains occur during your pregnancy, and since you don't easily understand what caused them, you get worried. You also exert extra amount of concern as it's not only your health that's at stake-but your baby's as well.

But panic attacks can be controlled and prevented. You can then keep yourself or your pregnant loved one from getting into a panic situation by practicing these three helpful tips:

1. Water Therapy - drinking water, regardless of being pregnant or not, keeps the veins and nerves relaxed and at ease. You are also kept fresh and cool because of the hydration, thus you don't easily get worried. Whenever a potential panic situation arises, it takes a lot of time before the stimulus reaches your brain, and before it does, you have already responded to the situation properly. No need to worry then!

2. Exercise - panic attacks during pregnancy are also caused by restless muscles that have already grown tired of the usual routine of being pregnant. Restlessness usually builds up into anxiety, causing you to panic eventually. Thus, to keep the panic attacks from coming, get some exercise. Do some slight walking, at least to give your body some sweat. Your muscles are then stretched and satisfied, thus preventing you from getting restless and worrisome during your pregnancy.

3. Breathing - finally, you must learn how to breathe. The success of labor and childbirth depends on how you breathe, as your exhale will bring out the child you carried for nine months. By learning how to breathe properly, not only will you be able to bring out a healthy, happy child in this world, but also bring him out without the slightest risk of panic.

It's very exciting to discover you are going to have a baby. It's easy to want to buy outfits and look at a crib. Some immediately start planning the nursery. However, one of the first steps is to make sure your insurance plan has maternity coverage. If it doesn't, there are other ways to make sure health insurance maternity coverage is included. Some families will purchase extra coverage, others qualify for state help, or some hospitals offer prepaid maternity packages.

If you want to save yourself from a lot of worries, make sure maternity coverage is included from the start. This is necessary if you fall in the appropriate age group, because pregnancy can occur at any time. When you're first looking, the best way to compare different rates is to go online. You can see the different levels of coverage, as some will take care of all bills, while others only cover complications. Obviously, the fuller the coverage, the more money out of the pocket prior to the event. However, the bills will be lower after the baby is born.

There are a lot of things to consider when a baby is coming. There are nine long months of prenatal care, lab work, doctor checkups, and ultrasounds even before you enter the hospital. The doctor and hospital have to be paid after the baby is born. For those who need a c-section, there will also be a higher anesthesiologist bill and surgeon bill. If you don't have sufficient health insurance maternity coverage, the expenses will add up very quickly.

If you don't have health insurance maternity coverage, there are several things to look into. There are ways to get extra insurance online. Some families will qualify for state help, while others buy a prepaid maternity package from their hospital.

Something I frequently discover working in the insurance world is other insurance brokers trying to convince all of their term life insurance clients to add on the return of premium rider. However, while the prospect of getting every penny of your cash back seems wonderful, is adding the return of premium rider suitable for you? This rider, or additional policy benefit, raises the policy holder's price, although at the completion of the term, if the insured has not died, the policy owner receives back every dime he has paid in premiums. This extra benefit can elevate the premium anywhere from 30% to 200% of the level term with no rider added. There are two schools of thought here: Some figure, "Why should I mind paying double the premium, since it will all end up in my pocket one day?" Other folks, however, want to pencil out the details and tally whether or not adding the extra benefit is a wise financial decision for them. The answer, of course, is that it depends on some variables, which we'll discuss.

But first, let's address life insurance with the ROP benefit acting like an investment. Specifically, it's not, to be exact, but here's how some investment-savvy folks see it. To appraise what sort of dollar benefit, or return on investment, you'll derive from return of premium, begin by taking note of what the cost of the rider is. Now, if I were to invest that amount in a traditional investment, how much would I have to gain to end up being equivalent to the total premium I'll have returned to me at the termination of my policy?

For example, if your return of premium policy costs $500 more per year than your regular term policy, and 20 years down the line, your return of premium policy will pay you back $25,000, then you can do some quick math on a financial calculator and find that if you were to take that $500 and invest it elsewhere, you'd have to earn about 9% in that investment for it to grow to $25,000. Well that's a slam dunk in my book. I'll settle for 8 or 9 percent any day of the week, especially knowing it's guaranteed money.

It won't be so clear-cut for everyone, though. Health and age are the primary factors that will affect how attractive your internal rate of return is, with the length of term and amount of face value being factors as well. If you're between the age of eighteen and thirty-five, in super condition, you'll most likely get an internal rate of return approaching double-digits. You might only get a 5-7% internal rate of return, however, if you're in your 40's or 50's. Again, health plays a factor too. Next, you'll want to go with a twenty or thirty year term, as those have the best return on investment.

One excellent feature of Return of Premium Life Insurance is that currently, the taxes you'll pay on your return of premium are 0! Uncle Sam can't tax it because you don't get back a dime more than you put in, meaning you didn't actually "earn" any interest. So even if your internal rate of return is just 6%, that's still a terrific net rate.

One more thing before we wrap this up: Don't buy ROP unless you're committed for the long haul. Let your policy lapse half way through the term, and you might get back 20% of your premiums in surrender value. Hold it until the end of the term, and get back 100%. Be smart and plan to hold on to this policy. Last, even if you're not the perfect candidate to purchase term life insurance with return of premium, I'm not condemning its purchase. No matter how expensive it is, it actually costs nothing more than the time value of money, since you it's all reimbursed, and that's one insurance payment we can all feel comfortable paying.

Postnatal depression (PND) is a mood disorder. The individual affected is not to be blamed, this is a disease. Women who suffer from Postnatal Depression may or may not have a history of depression. The disease can strike without warning anytime after pregnancy, though if you have no experienced any symptoms by the first 3 months chances are you are not part of the one in five women who do.

Postnatal Depression is not something to be overlooked or ignored. Some women have such severe reactions to the disease that they may cause harm to themselves or their new born. It is important to seek immediate medical attention if you have these severe symptoms.

For those women who do not have severe symptoms but are suffering there are many treatments available. Most doctors will prescribe any number of anti-depressants in an attempt to control your feelings. Many mothers do not like the idea of being "hopped up on drugs" when caring for their newborns.

For these women there are natural remedies available including St. Johns Wort which is safe for new mothers but should not be taken in conjunction with prescription anti-depressants. A vital part of treatment is building a strong support system around you and being educated upon your disease.

There are several online message groups that women from all across the world have joined to share experiences and stories. These can be an amazingly helpful tool in combating your own depression. There are also several books available that can explain breathing exercises and other natural remedies for postnatal depression.

For decades women have struggled with the roles we juggle. We are moms, we are friends, we are co-workers and employees, we are daughters and sisters and we are partners/spouse. Somewhere along the line we were told or more importantly we believed that we needed to be perfect and succeed in all of these roles. Perhaps as it relates to our role of mother our angst to get it "right" goes back to the assertions made by psychiatry at its onset well over a century ago, that all troubles sprouting in a person can be traced back to Mother. If this isn't enough to make us fear every decision we make, we as women have even fallen to the absurdity of the "mommy wars" battling between breast and bottle, staying home or career, PTA or homeschooling, organic or whatever is on sale. In the end, we must admit to our self and each other that ultimately we all want the same things. We want a family with some type of cohesion, we want healthy kids, and we want to be able to enjoy our lives and continue to experience the good of life versus wondering if we are doing enough. Here are five strategies to help quell the anxiety that we might feel trying to be that Super Mom because she doesn't exist and she will be glad to hear that she is off the hook!

1. Decide what is important to you and to your family and use that as your barometer. There are a hundred and ten million different ways to raise a healthy and well adjusted child and run a home, not every way is right for you. Don't stress that your 7 year old isn't taking violin just because the neighbor kid who reads a level above your child is. Your child has mentioned an interest in art and,drawing; sign him/her up for that! Trying to plug your family or child into a square peg to attempt to obtain a possibly unrelated result is not going to make anyone happy.

2. Don't sweat the day to day, beds don't have to be made every day, floors are going to be muddy when it has been raining, and dishes can sit. You know your kids and spouse will be fine with tuna sandwiches and some chips for dinner. Why don't you throw in some raw baby carrots or slice up whatever fruit is in the house and have done with it! Just because dinner isn't gourmet and perfectly, perfect, doesn't mean that it didn't provide for your family.

3. Set limits and boundaries. Don't feel you have to explain why your grade school child gets to bed at 7:30 on a school night to a mother who allows her same aged child to stay up till 10:00. You know your child and you know that they need those hours of sleep. In the same breath, don't judge that family for having a more lax bedtime routine, again, that may work for their household.

4. Build on what you are good at naturally. Maybe you are not the person with nerves of steel to be a field trip chaperone on a bus with 60 loud and enthusiastic kids, but perhaps you are more comfortable collating worksheet handouts for your child's teacher from home. Teachers are immensely grateful for any additional help. Offer what is convenient for you. You will feel good about being involved and glad you didn't volunteer for something you dread!

5. Find like thinking friends/moms and use them as your sounding board. Nothing beats validation. When we are surrounded by people who can empathize, listen and offer healthy and solicited advice we feel that we are not alone in our trials as a mother. Find moms who have similar values, similar goals and seek them out when you feel you need the outlet.

Over all know that you are a work in progress. You have the luxury of learning from mistakes remember life does not come with an instruction manual. Learn to write your own manual making sure those instructions need to involve keeping your expectations realistic.

You are thrilled to learn that you will have another child. The happiness that your first child brought into your life is immeasurable and you are certain that the second child will bring as much happiness. But preparing for a second child is slightly different. There are extra responsibilities and things to consider when preparing for the birth of a second child. A large part is to help your older child understand that a sibling is on the way. This can lessen the anxiety for the entire family. Being aware of the changes involved with having a second child is the best way to prepare.

Having two children can be overwhelming to the most capable of parents. Although it may be a challenge, it is best to get organized prior to the birth of the second child. This can pose much more of a challenge that it was the first time around. Most parents with one child have time restrictions. Adding a newborn into the scenario will probably stretch your organized scheduled to the limit. Both meal and sleeping schedules will fluctuate, at least for the first eight weeks while you are trying to get your infant on a feeding and sleeping schedule.

A pleasant aspect of a second child is the parents increased knowledge and confidence in their abilities and knowledge of child rearing. The first time around, things such as breast feeding, changing diapers and handling illness seemed so hard and scary. Now things such as these will be like second nature to the seasoned parent.

Having and bringing home a newborn will affect a mother in several ways, both emotionally and physically. Increased exhaustion and anxiety is normal after having a child. These symptoms are typically called the "baby blues". Be sure to talk to your family and your medical doctor about this. Your doctor will make sure you have the "baby blues" and not postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a serious condition that requires medical intervention.

Bringing home a newborn will cause you to be physically sore and quite tired. This is particularly true if you had a cesarean delivery or a difficult birth. If you breast feed your child, the feeding sessions during the night can be especially tough. Some people hire a "doula" to help during the day so the mom can rest. A doula is specially trained to care for an infant and mother during the first few weeks of an infant's life.

It will seem as if you have no time for yourself the first months after a child is born. The seemingly endless, sleepless nights and tensions of the day can be overwhelming. Try to make "alone time" a priority. It is important to spend time alone with your partner. Be sure to have an occasional "date night" once things settle down.

As a parent, you will try to help your first child adjust to the role of a sibling. Your older child may experience many emotions, from excitement to jealousy to resentment. Younger toddlers may regress when the infant comes home. They may forget their potty training, suck their thumb, or want to drink from a bottle. Older toddlers and children may misbehave, throw tantrums, or just generally try to test your patience. Time has shown that these problems go away and a little preparation will help the older child adjust to his new life. A great way of doing this is to play up the role of the older child. This time is not a good time to introduce other major changes in the life of the older child. Try to include the child in the decision making. Letting him participate in the activities of the new baby will help with the adjustment period.

There are so many positive aspects of having two children in a family. Once the chaos of having a newborn has settled down, you and your family will start to enjoy the benefits of having two children to love.

When women become pregnant they are advised to keep away from oily fish. The reason for this is because oily fish such as salmon and tuna are often caught from areas which are heavily fished and this causes the fish to be high in pollutants, especially mercury. So you would have thought fish oil for pregnant women would be a bad idea too, but you could in fact be wrong.

Pregnant women should of course consult with their doctor before starting on any kind of supplement, let alone fish oil, but if you get fish oil that has been processed in a particular way then there can be huge benefits for both the fetus and the mother. The process that the oil has to go through is molecular distillation. Basically this is a process of purifying the fish oil which means it should be perfectly safe to take. You do have to check that it has gone through this process though, as not all manufacturers do it.

Once you have found a fish oil that has undergone this treatment then the benefits that you get are all from the DHA fat to be found in it. Most supplements are higher in the other essential fat EPA but you really want one higher in DHA for the following reasons:-

• Fetal Brain Development - The human brain is made up of about 60% fats and of that amount half again is DHA fats. Once developed the body does not make it any more and it has to come from an outside source. By taking a supplement the mother will be helping the baby because while its brain is being developed, it will be getting the best nourishment possible for it. It is believed that children born to mothers who have taken DHA during pregnancy have children that are less likely to have learning and attention disorders too.
• Eye Development - As well as the brain having high levels of DHA so do the eyes. Again it is about 60% of the eye is made up of this essential fat; and although by taking it it will not stop a child having long or short sight if that is the way they are genetically made up, but it will help make sure that the retina is developed properly.
• Asthma & Allergies - It has been reported that children whose mothers took DHA fats during pregnancy had very low numbers of children that suffered from asthma or allergies. Researchers are not 100% sure what causes these conditions but they think it is inflammation. Inflammation can overstimulate the immune system in the developing fetus causing the conditions but DHA which is well known for its anti inflammatory properties can stop this from happening.

One final thing about fish for pregnant women is that because of they way it feeds the brain it is known to help reduce the possibility of post natal depression too. So not only is it good for the baby but it helps out the mother as well.