Maternity Insurance|Maternity Care|Postpartum Care

Confinement is tradition in several cultures and recommended by doctors for women who have recently given birth. Restrictions are placed on the mother during this period for at least six weeks in the United States and about forty days or more in other countries. Regardless of whether you are in good shape or not, it is important for the body to have adequate time to regenerate so you can resume your normal activities before you were pregnant.

Confinement after birth is one of the main purposes of allowing the uterus to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy state which takes about four to six weeks. Unless requested by the mother that the baby will be formula fed, breastfeeding is encouraged to help the uterus contract faster. Other techniques such as firmly massaging the uterus in a circular motion also helps release any extra bleeding that a woman experiences from giving birth. Since she already loses a lot of blood during childbirth, resting during the confinement period will keep her hemorrhaging or losing too much blood which could land her right back in the hospital. This is also a good time to have family or friends who are able to help because your stomach, torn skin, or stitched areas may be sore and so you will not have to get up unless it's necessary.

Fatigue is another factor that should be taken into account after childbirth. Confinement is absolutely a must because of the trauma that the body goes through during childbirth. Since you should be resting until your six week checkup, then it's a good idea to get sleep and drink plenty of water especially if you are breastfeeding to keep your energy up. A woman can also monitor any overtiredness or sleep deprivation to report to the doctor. Single mothers and mothers with little help with a baby should seek any extra support from trusted people if they have other small children because they may overexert their body to care for their children.

Confinement is beneficial to not only the mother but also the newborn emotionally. It gives both of them time to further bond from the birthing place and for the mother who may suffer from postpartum depression, it may help to build a bond between them. This is another time to monitor any overwhelming feelings or depression like symptoms which you need to immediately relay to your doctor or nurse. Confinement after childbirth does so much for your mental state away from any chaos, people or active lifestyle that may have been physically draining so you can enjoy motherhood in the best state of being.

A client asked me recently, "What do you believe are the most common reasons that mothers are overwhelmed?" I thought about this great question and decided to share with you my response. I'm giving you my top three here. Enjoy!

Mothers are overwhelmed and over scheduled due to the variety of extra-curricular activities that they find themselves in this time of the school year as well as the regular obligations of work, home and volunteer commitments. Today, mothers are no longer multitasking but instead mega tasking.

If we follow the pattern backwards, it often points directly to the fact that moms never learn how to stop the "Mom-Me" rollercoaster. Here are some common mistakes made by mothers and another course of action they could be taking.

1. Mothers accept unrealistic workloads and allow guilt to drive them to create schedules that don't work. They fail to delegate family chores effectively and find themselves exhausted by trying to do it all, and then blame themselves when it doesn't work out.

Action: Mothers need to learn to delegate properly. The reason for delegating work is to get the family to help with the needs of the family. Delegated projects should always be appropriate to the ability of the child to whom it is given. If the mom is washing dishes after dinner, she has to learn to ask her spouse for help with other nighttime tasks such as bath, bed time or planning for the next day.

2. Mothers fail to create a family culture of support. Children often have chores and have no idea of the value their task has on family living. As a result, family members don't come to understand that everyone has a vital role of supporting the family. This teaches children that if one family member forgets their important family role then it impacts the entire family community.

Action: Mothers need to make sure that children understand not only what they are doing but why they are doing it. This builds the esteem of children and teaches them the importance of accountability. Parents need to explain to their children that active families need active family members to lighten the responsibilities to make time for these extra-curricular responsibilities. Often children have no idea of the "cost" of baseball practice on the family's schedule.

3. Mothers can be very picky, and rigid in family expectations, and seem to focus on wanting things done in one specific manner. This makes family members feel unappreciated, that nothing they do is right, that they can never please their mom, and hence, the desire to help dies.

Action: Mothers must be open to having things approached differently if they want help from the family. The process of involving the family to help is a process of give and take. Having a family meeting to discuss weekly task and allowing each family member to share their best alternatives for helping. Mothers must remember to praise those family members who are consistently helping out. Husbands and children love to hear that their contributions are making a difference.

In a nutshell, the happiest mothers are those who learn how to articulate their needs clearly, get help when needed and set realistic boundaries of what they can and can not do.

As a "coached mom ", the "Mother" has a deep understanding of the five essential strategies for personal self-care and these replace the old methods of "Mommy Martyrdom": In my book, Time for mom-Me: 5 Essential Strategies for A Mother's Self-Care, I discuss the following five tenets of self-care for moms. They are:

Finding Time
Creating a personal schedule that honors the mother's values, allowing the mother to set realistic boundaries and allow her to fully enjoy what she commits too.

Finding Meaning
In order for a mother to truly help someone else she must begin by helping herself. In order to truly be a wonderful contributor, you must help yourself first. Mothers who commit to a reduced life load find that they get more enjoyment out of life.

Finding Connection
Motherhood does not completely define us but enhances what already is. This involves understanding that while mothers create the lives of our children they must remember that it is their life too. When mothers establish viable supportive networks to assist them they recognize that they become stronger at parenting.

Finding Solutions
Anytime a mother wants to make a change in your life she must begin by raising her standards. She has to decide that she wants more out of her life. Next, a mother must understand she must change what she believes is possible and be willing to try new strategies. She must be open to learning from non-judgmental sources like "mom-coaches" about techniques, solutions and real strategies on creating ways to incorporate what she wants into her life.

Personal Growth
This strategy is aimed at helping mothers make shifts in their lives that leave them changed for the better. Personal growth is recognizing that mothers have the capacity to be more of who they are.

In short, mothers have to find time for the "Me" in Mom and learn the Five Essential Strategies for a Mother's Self-care.

Live fully,

Mia

Health Insurance - Catastrophic Health Insurance Coverage

There are healthy people who rarely need any medical care whatsoever and to pay high monthly premiums for health insurance does not seem to make sense for these people, for it seems like throwing away money in some ways. These are the cases where catastrophic insurance coverage comes into play. Catastrophic insurance coverage is for those people who are in overall good health and rarely need to see the doctor for any health concerns. This type of health insurance coverage only covers catastrophic events such as hospital stays or surgery.

This type of insurance is only for those who are truly in optimal health, typically young and single people but not always. This type of insurance coverage is a good idea for healthy people because they are able to lower the monthly premium to a very low rate in exchange for quite a high deductible. By simply keeping a savings account with the deductible amount, or close to it, people who choose this type of insurance coverage can be prepared yet save money at the same time.

The things that catastrophic coverage will not cover are things such as:

regular doctor appointments- these must be paid for out of pocket, but this is not often a high price tag as doctors and insurance companies already have agreements about fees in place,

prescription medications- an overall healthy person will rarely need prescriptions

mental health situations- if health changes, physically or mentally, a different plan might be in order if possible

maternity care- if couples plan to have a baby, a different health care plan is called for in order for those medical care costs for both mother and baby to be covered by health insurance.

Pre-existing conditions will often result in the catastrophic insurance application being denied, for this type of insurance is not suitable for people with risks of needing medical care. Conditions such as:

heart disease
diabetes
hiv/aids
cancer
and asthma

While this list is not exhaustive, it does show that in order to purchase a catastrophic insurance plan, the consumer should have no chronic conditions that need frequent doctor visits, regular medical treatment or prescription medications. Catastrophic health insurance coverage is a low cost way of being prepared for any big health events such as surgery or hospitalization, which are the things catastrophic insurance does cover.

In this world of fast food, on demand TV, online instant bill pay and a pill that will take care of just about anything that ails you, does Lisa Olson's Pregnancy Miracle stand up to the hype? Are you going to be truly happy with the information in this book and will the methods perform to keep pace with your life that runs at break neck speed?

I am going to go over some of the highlights of Pregnancy Miracle that may or may not appeal to you including: Lisa Olson's 5 prong approach and why it is different from many others; The 3 months of counseling that you will receive and why this should be so important to you and how effective these methods actually are.

Effectiveness - The overall effectiveness of the methods in Pregnancy Miracle were successful 100% of the time when Lisa Olson first tested them. Of course, she tested them on herself and became pregnant twice after 14 years of trying... and at the age of 43 when most doctors would consider a woman "high risk"... and when most women would have given up.

Lisa Olson's initial testing of her methods that eventually became the book "Pregnancy Miracle" was on a group of 35 women aged 28 to 47 that were suffering from various issues that were keeping them from becoming pregnant including some suffering from what is vaguely referred to as "unexplained infertility" by modern medicine. Her results on her test group found that about 80% of her group of 35 participants became pregnant within three months... some sooner.

5 Prong Approach - The methods in Lisa Olson's Pregnancy Miracle are not simply a dietary regimen for you to follow or a list of foods for you to avoid. The "method" is actually a five pronged approach focused upon helping to correct the underlying issues that have kept you from becoming pregnant so far. It incorporates Traditional Chinese Medicine in a holistic way that has been used and proven extremely effective for centuries leading back through history.

The shear amount of information in this 240 page book should be enough to tell you that Lisa Olson didn't skimp on sharing all of her knowledge and years of extensive research with you. This is no pamphlet or condensed version of a book on how to get pregnant. This is the accumulation of some methods that are almost a lost science these days... methods that have been pushed aside by modern medicine. But are they effective? You bet they are. In fact, many of these same methods are beginning to be accepted once again and used, in part, by infertility clinics and specialists just within the last year or so.

So, if you're looking for a "simple" way to get pregnant easily this might not be for you. This is not a "pop a pill" cure for infertility. This is over 240 pages of information that will help you to become pregnant by actually fixing the underlying issues holistically. Is it effective? Yes. Is it powerful? Yes. Is it quick? In many cases the answer is yes, as you read above. But will it require you to do some things and make some changes? Yes.

3 Months of Counseling - Along with the helpful advice, tips and guidance in Lisa Olson's Pregnancy Miracle you will receive 3 months of counseling from the author herself. This means that if you have any questions, concerns or need any additional specific guidance related to your particular set of circumstances you will have access to Lisa Olson herself.

If you want to know what kind of success rate these methods have shown for couples with your particular problem you can find out directly from the one person who would know for sure. This should help you to move forward with a tremendous amount of confidence in knowing exactly what has worked for couples in your exact circumstances.

Overall, we have to admit that given the amount of information, the testing and found effectiveness of the methods in Lisa Olson's Pregnancy Miracle and the authors offer to give her personal one on one support we feel that this should be considered as a likely avenue that you should check out if you are suffering from infertility. Add to this the fact that many of these methods have been used for centuries and you should agree that Lisa Olson is on to something here with her book Pregnancy Miracle.

Can postpartum depression become so invasive as to cause a mother to kill her children? Since this very rarely happens, many scoff at the prospect. Interestingly enough, postpartum psychosis was first recognized as a disorder as far back as 1850. According to Pregnancy Infonet, (2007), studies on the rates of the disorder have shown that the number of women experiencing postpartum psychosis hasn't changed since the mid 1800s. Expert psychologists, psychiatrists, and behavioral scientists are discovering that postpartum depression can, if not treated promptly and properly over an extended period of time most definitely can escalate to psychosis. Doctor statements and evaluations, insufficient treatment, and failed suicides are things that must be considered in determining Andrea Yates mental defect at the time of her crime.

It has been argued that due to some of Yates' logical and thought out actions that these prove she was sane at the time of the incident. The fact that, on two occasions she refused medication and on another occasion she stopped taking her medication. The fact that she had done a "practice run" of filling up the bathtub and, individually tracked her children down and drug them to their death are all arguments that are being touted as evidence that she had full knowledge of what she was doing.

To understand the concept of Postpartum depression and Postpartum psychosis, one must first realize that the two illnesses are not synonymous. Postpartum depression is described as something that can start at anytime within one year of birth. There is usually sadness, common after such an ordeal as birth, and of course a loss of energy, also a common thing after giving birth. Sometimes there will be a bout with the inability to concentrate, especially for first time mothers and along with that, anxiety about motherhood. All these are symptoms of postpartum depression. Not every woman experiences these and some may experience only a few of them. However, these symptoms are quite different than those of postpartum psychosis. Catherine Roca, (April, 2005)

Dr. Dan Williams, Psy.D., PA-C, "Peace and Healing", (2006), describes post partum psychosis as "very rare". He goes on to say that "It is characterized by homicidal and suicidal impulses, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized and bizarre thinking." Dr. Williams goes on to further describe some of the consistent characteristics of one who suffers postpartum psychosis.

"The dilemma is that these individuals usually refuse treatment. This is a medical emergency situation. If post-partum psychosis is suspected, families need to call 911 as emergency intervention is necessary. Medication most likely will be prescribed. The ultimate goal is to keep the baby and mother safe." "Peace and Healing", (2006)

Yates was first diagnosed July 21, 1999 as having severe major depression by Eileen Starbranch, MD. This diagnoses, came after her attempted suicides. During her week stay at Methodist Hospital Psychiatric Unit, she was diagnosed as having severe major depressive disorder, recurrent with psychotic features. Additional problems diagnosed were social withdrawal and minimal verbal communications. It was during this psychological evaluation that Andrea Yates admitted to having thoughts of hurting herself or someone else.

Eileen Starbranch, MD, Court TV, Psychiatric Evaluation July (1999) On August 5, 1999, Dr. Starbranch along with Dr. Arturo Rics, M.D., had a consultation regarding continued care of Andrea. The findings of this consultation revealed that the onset of her depression began about six week prior along with symptoms of psychosis. Much of the documentation that was reviewed by both physicians indicated that Andrea remained reclusive, guarded and still had a persistent, depressed mood. Eventually Andrea did respond to some degree to her medication but was warned by Dr. Starbranch not to have another child as this could bring on another psychotic episode.

Dr. Arturo Rics, M.D., Dr. Starbranch, MD, Methodist Hospital Psychiatric Center July (1999) Another psychiatrist, Dr. Melissa R. Ferguson, former medical director of psychiatric services at the Harris County Jail, gave testimony that in her opinion, Yates was suffering from psychosis. According to Dr. Ferguson, Yates told her she believed that the cartoon characters on television were telling her how bad she was for giving her children "too much candy and cereal". Ferguson also testified that she believed that Andrea was incapable of understanding the consequences of what she did. Dr. Milissa, Former Director, Harris County Jail.

Andrea Yates had all the classic symptoms of post partum psychosis. Even though medication was administered, there was little supervision to ensure that she followed doctor's orders. Her hospital stays were short and therefore not effective in a medically supervised environment assuring that at best the possibility of her harming herself or others was sufficiently minimized.

There is absolutely do doubt in anyone's mind that Andrea Yates did in fact drown her children in a bathtub. There is no doubt that the "how" was too horrible to fathom. Because of the rarity of this condition and its horrendous results if not treated, many Americans, particular women, will judge women like Andrea Yates without compassion for the suffer or the effort to learn and understand the illness. What those individuals should realize is that by understanding this catastrophic illness, it in no way condones the actions done as a result of that illness.

In conclusion, the state of Texas is to be applauded in its efforts to recognize this rare, yet debilitating and extremely dangerous illness. The Andrea Yates bill became affective September 3, 2003 and it states the following:

"Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious disorder, each year affecting 10% to 15% of women who have delivered children. This disorder, despite its high prevalence, often goes undetected and untreated. In an attempt to address this public health problem, the State of Texas has enacted legislation, House Bill 341 (also known as the "Andrea Yates Bill"), which went into effect on September 1, 2003. This law requires healthcare providers who treat pregnant women to provide them with resource information regarding counseling for postpartum depression and other emotional traumas associated with pregnancy and parenting."
Blue Corss/Blue Shield of TexasPostpartum Depression and House Bill 341

References:

BlueCross BlueShield of Texas; Postpartum Depression and House Bill 341

(2007) Retrieved on September 9, 2007 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.bcbstx.com/provider/postpartum.htm

Ferguson, Dr. Melissa R. Former

Medical Director of Psychiatric Services at the Harris County Jail. Retrieved on September 8, 2007
from the World Wide Web: http://crime.about.com/b/a/257021.htm

Roca, Catherine , Chief, Women's Programs, (2005) Depression During and After Pregnancy

National Institute of Mental Health, (April 2005). Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from the World
Wide Web: [http://www.4woman.gov/faq/postpartum.htm#5]

The Pregnancy-Info Team, Postpartum Psychosis (2007) Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.pregnancy-info.net/postpartum_psychosis.html

Starbranch, Eileen, M.D. Court TV

Retrieved on September 9, 2007 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.courttv.com/trials/yates/docs/gifs/psychiatric6.gif

Williams, Dan Psy.D., PA-C, (2006) Peace and Healing.

Retrieved on September 7, 2007 from the World Wide Web:
http://www.peaceandhealing.com/psychosis/postpartum.asp

We cannot overemphasize the delicate condition that most women experience during pregnancy. In fact, as a pregnant woman, you are encouraged to seek prenatal and postnatal care to make this difficult stage in your life more bearable. Health care providers encourage you to perform regular exercises that are suitable to your condition. These exercises are expected to make you better fit during the entire nine- month period and lessen difficult moments during your labor and childbirth.

Have you ever thought about practicing yoga during pregnancy? Did you know that nowadays, more and more pregnant women resort to yoga to prepare them for the painful moment of childbirth, and even the challenging world of motherhood?

Being pregnant will of course not allow you just to perform the regular routines that require strenuous postures which may pose complications to your delicate condition. You shall not be allowed to do back bending; balancing poses on one leg, camel, handstands and headstands as well as upward bow, to ensure the safety of both you and your baby.

Breathing techniques used during yoga exercises provide oxygen to your whole body. This gives benefit to the fetus because of the pumping in of the charged blood. In addition, the breathing exercises result to the soothing of muscle tension and muscle cramps which are always normally experienced during pregnancy.

In terms of physical fitness, the mild yogic exercises allowed for pregnant women like you will help maintain your muscle tone. These muscle tones are particularly for the back and the pelvis, the body parts that take on the most pressure during the nine-month period of pregnancy and one year thereafter.

On the other hand, yogic sleep calms the mind and body and to some extent prevents the trauma during childbirth. Stretching and gentle toning exercises modified specifically for you can really work wonderfully to prepare your body not only for delivering your baby but for caring as well. Prenatal and postnatal depressions are common problems of would-be mothers like you. But practicing yoga exercises calms and relaxes the mind and allows your worries and fears to vanish. The peace within you descends to your child and this makes childbirth bearable.

Generally speaking, the great benefits you can acquire with the practice of yoga during pregnancy cannot be outweighed by the risks other people may think about. To avoid any risk and enjoy the full benefits of a peaceful and enjoyable journey to motherhood, you have the responsibility of checking it out first with your doctor if you are in the right condition to practice yoga.

Because different people have different strengths and weaknesses, what is usually good to one may not be good for you. You have to carefully check with your yoga teacher which exercises are allowed during each stage of pregnancy. You should also be able to share with him if you have certain conditions that may prevent you from doing certain positions or exercises. But most of all, you should be very conscious about the effects of each activity to you as you go along to ensure that you and your baby are protected from harm.

Pilates is a special method which involves mental and physical exercise for strengthening the abdominal section and the back. It focuses on stretching and breathing with certain principles to follow. Pilates during pregnancy is really beneficial as it tones your abdomen and pelvic floor.

The principles of pregnancy Pilates are Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath and Flow (CCCPBF). The blend of all these principles will improve the balance with such as ease that one would never actually realize it happening. Many pregnancy Pilates DVDs and books are available in the market now. You can learn the techniques by following the live demo by the experts on the DVDs.

Pilates during pregnancy will ensure that pregnancy and labour are comfortable. It will also help you tone your body into shape after pregnancy as well. Pilates are functionally Pre natal and Post natal. Not only will it ensure a comfortable delivery, it will also help you to get back into shape after the pregnancy.

Prenatal pilates will help a woman to relax and stay fit and calm during pregnancy. It also prepares the women towards motherhood. It is always advisable to start the prenatal Pilates once you become 14 weeks pregnant.

Before you start Pregnancy Pilates, there are few things which you might need to closely follow.

You can consider these as the Do's and Don'ts of Pilates:

· Consult a doctor and get an approval for practising Pilates.
· Pilates should be practiced under an instructor/expert and not alone or in seclusion.
· Do not strain yourself by overdoing it.
· Do not stretch too much, move within a limited range as ligaments tend too loosen during pregnancy.
· Avoid lying on your back during second and third semester.

You may join Pilates classes or get yourself a copy of pregnancy Pilates DVD for your Pilates home equipment collection. One thing which you'll always need to keep in mind is to follow the principles of Pilates and practice it within you range and not to stretch too much.

There are several sites which offer pregnancy Pilates DVD where you can see the live demo performed by various Pilates experts. These DVD's come with workouts for each phases of your pregnancy. The exercise performed in these pregnancy Pilates DVDs are performed by the experts themselves and some of the experts where pregnant while they filmed the exercise videos.

Pilates, as already mentioned earlier, focuses on breathing which helps in relaxation and also prove healthier to your baby as there is more intake of oxygen. It is believed to be a good form of exercise which helps in fitness even during the pregnancy. The nature of this exercise is very gentle and also there is no much need to stretch beyond your reach.

There are several types of stretch and toning exercise under Pilates. Some of them which prove to be beneficial during pregnancy are The Saw, Leg front pull, Spine twist, Side kick, Back strength etc. These exercises involve simple and slow stretching movements.

If you were practicing Pilates before pregnancy, you can modify your movements according to your existing needs and condition. Remember, do not rush or advance your level once you are pregnant. Do not overdo the movements which strain your abdomen as this might not be favorable to your unborn baby.

How long can you pay your bills on $170 per week - before taxes? The New York area has the nation's highest cost of living, and some of the highest incomes to help pay those bills. While the New York State Short Term Disability Insurance is good to have should you miss work, it does not replace a significant percentage of most New Yorker's income.

New York Disability Benefits May Fall Short

Who feels this the most? New York women preparing for maternity leave. They are expecting to be out of work for six to eight weeks for normal delivery, and may be shocked to discover how little income replacement they will get.

For example, a woman earning $52,000 per year earns about $1,000 per week. Her New York State Short Term Disability payout equates to only 17% of her normal income. That's equivalent to an 87% pay cut!

Many women can't afford an 87% pay cut for eight weeks, much less if she is disabled longer. What will happen if she is also out of work prior to delivery because of pregnancy complications? Or if she experiences complications during delivery and needs additional time to heal before returning to work? Or if she has an accident or illness that prevents her from working?

Increase your Level of Disability Coverage

Women can increase their maternity leave pay by applying for supplemental short term disability before conception. An individual short term disability insurance policy can replace up to 2/3 of income, and will be paid in addition to the NY State Disability benefit. The benefit can be paid free of any tax consequences, bringing take-home-income replacement very close to 100%.

Supplemental Short Term Disability can create maternity leave income, while also protecting your family in case of pregnancy complications, delivery complications, premature birth, accidents, and illnesses. It covers your maternity leave for normal delivery, plus pays benefits for the unexpected medical events that cause you to miss work.

Other Possible Gaps In Coverage

Short Term Disability in New York has other limitations and gaps that women with a growing family should know.

• The benefits end after 26 weeks - What if you are disabled for a year? Can you continue to pay your bills?


• The benefits are taxable - Depending upon your state, federal, and FICA tax rates, your take home pay could be considerably less.


• Government workers are exempt - If you work for a state, county, city, township, or boro entity you may not have coverage.


• Teachers are Government workers - You may not have coverage if your union did not request this benefit.

Get the right amount of coverage for your pregnancy and maternity leave by applying for short term disability insurance before getting pregnant.

The eyes and ears with which we see and hear life are not the same from when we are born to when we grow older. Human perception plays a large part in our personalities and behavior. Because this perception is constantly changing, our psychological and emotional lives are always in flux. The study of developmental psychology is the scientific study that deals with these changes over the course of our lives.

Developmental psychology is often thought of in terms of having the greatest impact within three spheres of influence: social context, cultural context, and socioeconomic context. This is in contrast to the theory that most psychological and behavioral patterns in humans are innate, and that we are born with them. It is the classic nature versus nurture approach, and while one hundred per cent of emphasis should never go each way, it has been a major breakthrough in how we understand ourselves since developmental psychology has become more common place, not only in theory, but also in practical applications as well.

Many career training programs these days incorporate developmental psychology as part of their coursework. Faculties dealing with community studies are one example, with programs preparing students for careers in childcare, human resources, social services and educational assistants. Healthcare faculties also have many programs that teach developmental psychology. For example, someone attending a school of nursing will attend classes focusing on the theories of personality growth through developmental psychology.

What are some ways an aspiring nurse can actually take advantage of developmental psychology theory?

- Working in pre-natal maternity care, a nurse can assist a soon-to-be mother in preparing the right kind of household environment that will not only be healthy and safe, but will foster a positive and happy environment.

- Neo-natal care, where nurses may have to treat the baby for physical illness and injury, and where knowing the root cause of the problem may involve more than a physical mishap, but be related to the baby's attempting to grasp their reality in their environments.

- Early childhood and youth care, it is important for a nurse to be aware of influences outside the direct sphere of the parents and household, for this is a time when the cause of problems may not be fully understood by the patient or their caregivers. This actually becomes even more the case in adolescents and teenagers as well.

- Old age, here nurses are often working with patients who will constantly need assistance for the rest of their lives. Dealing with the psychological impact of palliative care and death can have major consequences on the health and comfort of the patient in these years.

Nursing is an extremely complicated and multi-faceted profession that works with every aspect of the individual's mental and physical life, and in every stage from birth to death. Getting a strong knowledge of developmental psychology from a nursing school can round off any technical and medical expertise to make a good practitioner also an intelligent and caring person.

Pregnancy is arguably the biggest accomplishment that a woman can achieve in her lifetime. Women, want to get pregnant because this is heralds the start of a new chapter in their lives. Getting pregnant paves a way for having children and starting a family of your own. Pregnancy is indeed a celebration of womanhood. While some women get pregnant easily, others have a more difficult time. Thus, it is very important that regular check-ups with your doctor are done to help you identify if there is a problem.

With today's technology, you might think that pregnancy problems can be sorted easily. However, it can be a very complicated process. Some couples have looked after their health and lifestyle and have just the perfect timing. For some other couples, however, health and stress-related issues get in the way of the woman conceiving. While doctors can be very helpful with some of the ways related to a successful conception, there are ways and certain times that can increase your likelihood of becoming pregnant. Below are some tips that you may find useful or you will want to share with a friend:

• Break bad habits. Having a healthier lifestyle is crucial to getting pregnant. Smoking and drinking alcohol can cause serious reproductive health hazards thus decreasing your chances of conceiving. If you want to get pregnant easily, it is better to choose a healthier lifestyle. Stay away from your vices.

• Keep your mind and body healthy. Engage in various activities that can help your body become fitter and healthier. Also, eating healthy foods can help you achieve your plans of getting pregnant. Learning to do meditation can be helpful with any stress and keeping positive as well. Having a sound mind helps you relax from all the stress that you encounter in your social circles. Stress is a very big hindrance to becoming pregnant. Learn to give yourself much deserved breaks and time to relax by yourself, to relieve any anxiety and stress. A stress-free life will definitely help increase your chances.

• Foreplay is better than synthetic lubricants. Engage in foreplay with your partner as this allows your sexual act be more sensual and more invigorating. Your vagina has natural lubricants that can help the sperm perform more efficiently.

• Engage in sexual acts when you are at your most fertile. Knowing your menstrual cycle by heart is an important factor, because you will know when conception is most likely to be successful. You can calculate your most fertile time by knowing your average monthly period cycle and your ovulation time to determine this.

• Douching your vagina can have detrimental effects. The natural environment of your vagina is an excellent environment for your husband's or partner's sperm. Douching also affects your vagina's normal lubrication. Douching decreases your chances of getting pregnant.

If you follow the tips that are specific for your needs, together with your doctor's expert advice, you will increase your chances of conceiving. It is very important to have a healthy mind and body all the time, so that your reproductive system will not be affected negatively. Technology may have some other options to having a baby, but you can achieve it on your own. The result will be far more rewarding, and there will be less chance of complications or unexpected happenings, such as twins, etc. Both of you need to stay positive and clean up you act to have a healthy diet and lifestyle, then pregnancy will happen when the time is right. When the day comes you will look back and say it was all worth it.