Captive Mommies

by Tabatha Jones

Women, this is a must read for your spouse. Pass it on for your sake, and even more, his. Don’t let fear keep your partner from experiencing this life-changing event.

Sadly many women would prefer that dads stay out of the delivery room. In a survey taken by The Royal College of Midwives, 38% of women said they would rather have someone else in the delivery room with them. One in six mothers claimed men got in the way, while four in ten fathers admitted they felt “fairly useless” during the birth.

Many men wouldn’t dream of not being there but find that when they are actually in the room, they’re redundant. Some men are scared but consider how she feels. It isn’t much to ask for you to stand by her side. You can do that literally, just stay by her head if you get grossed out easily and are worried about fainting.

Men, prove to us women you aren’t just useless in the delivery room. Your spouse will be grateful and it will bring you closer together than anything else you have ever done. Most important is to pay attention to what she wants. Some women want to be left alone during labor. If that is the case then leave her alone. Communicate with her and let her know you are there for her if she needs anything.

What you can do to stay busy and to help her:

* For some women the most important thing is to hold her hand so she knows she’s not alone.
* Give her words of encouragement and support. Ex. “You’re amazing,” “You’re doing a great job,” and “I never knew you were so strong.”
* Show her love. Tell her “I love you,” “You’re so beautiful.”
* Remind her why she is in this pain. “We are going to be parents soon,” “You’re going to be a great mom.”
* Get her a cold rag and wipe her forehead.
* Feed her ice chips.
* Message her feet or hands.
* Bring a CD player and be her DJ. Making her a CD of her favorites would be cute.
* Be the photographer.
* Get her a gift before she goes into labor and give it to her. It will distract the pain and make her really happy. A mom necklace would be nice.

What NOT to do:

* Never, and I mean NEVER tell her “Don’t Yell”. Leave that to the nurses. Let her hate them for it.
* Absolutely no TV. If a TV is in the room don’t think about it unless she ask.
* Don’t get in the way of the nurses or doctor.
* Don’t bring food in the room. She won’t be able to eat so don’t tease her.

The decision about whether or not to attend the birth of your child is a personal one that should be made prior to labor pains. Men should discuss their feelings with their partner and both should select the option that will best suit them as a couple.

If you absolutely CANNOT see yourself being present for the delivery of the baby, consider a couple of alternatives. You can arrange to have another labor partner present so that if it all gets to be too much, you can leave the room either for a short time or until after the baby is born. You can choose to be present just for the labor or conversely just for the birth. You can also come in directly after the baby is born to celebrate the new life.

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Maternity Clothes, News, and Articles by Mommy Appelseed
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Article Source: http://www.thewahmshack.com/articledirectory

by Pascale Vandenbroucke

If you’re a mom, you know there is nothing more rewarding than that look of adoration in your little one’s face. As a mom, you’ve made it your business to love, protect, and care for your children, better than anyone else. Because life can get so hectic, personal fitness, for busy moms like yourself, is often sacrificed to spending quality time with your kids. However, what many women don’t realize is that they can get an effective workout and enjoy one-on-one activities with their children at the same time.

Fitness for Busy Moms with Babies

When your child is an infant, workouts for two can be as simple as finding a gentle workout video that uses a baby carrier as part of the program. The carrier should, of course, be placed on your front. If your baby is young and can’t support his or her head, the carrier must allow you to have your child facing you. It should also provide the proper support to safely hold your little one’s neck and head.

Strength-training fitness for busy moms is possible as well. A great place to start is “peak-a-boo crunches”. Placing your baby facing you on your lap while you do standard crunches allows you to play peak-a-boo with every upward, tummy-tightening motion. If you want to strengthen you arms, chest, and back, try some “playful push-ups with baby,” by placing your baby between your arms, so his or her face is directly under yours. As you do your push-ups, each time your face moves towards your little one’s, share kisses, blow raspberries on his or her cheeks, or make a funny face. Start with three sets of 8 – 10 repetitions for each activity, at least 3 times a week. Work up to 15 repetitions.

Fitness for Busy Moms with Toddlers

If you have a toddler, carriers and simple strength training exercises likely won’t engage your little one. Luckily, there are other fun activities you can do together, and fitness for busy moms with one- to three- year- olds can take a number of forms. If your toddler is younger, pushing him or her in a stroller while you go for a brisk walk or jog is a simple way for both of you to get fresh air and enjoy the out-of-doors. To further involve their children in the activity, some moms have them kick their legs along the way.
While stroller activities are an effective method of fitness for busy moms, they are not quite as helpful for the kids. A more interactive choice of exercise is to engage daily in activity songs together. Songs that involve actions, like clapping, galloping, waving arms, and spinning around are endlessly fun. Some favourites are “ring-around-the-rosie”, “I’m a little tea-pot”, and “The Hokie Pokie”.

Fitness for Busy Moms with Preschoolers

Once your child is four and is gaining stronger motor skills, it’s quite possible that your preschooler will enjoy dancing along with your own fitness routine. Online workout programs provide you with a number of fun activities, brought right to your home. Some online workout programs allow you to choose shorter programs, especially well-suited to parents whose children’s attention spans are still developing. Choose a program that appeals to you, but one with high energy. While the majority of online workout programs aren’t designed for children, your child may enjoy mimicking your motions or simply moving along to the music.

Aside from online workout programs, you and your preschooler can also go for walks together, chase each other, and, of course, play active games and sing action songs. A trip to the local zoo, a stroll through the park, and a kite-flying excursion are all every-day things that you can do to add fun and fitness to your time with your child. Whether you choose indoor games, outdoor activities, or online workout programs, physical fitness for busy moms with preschoolers can be both fun and effective.

Whatever you choose to do, getting active with your children will ultimately benefit both of you in the long run. By keeping your body healthy, you are ensuring you will be in the best state to care for your kids, and, at the same time, you are providing them with a positive role model for life-long, physical fitness. You are also giving your children opportunity to be active while spending time with their mom! Fitness for busy moms like you may be difficult, but, when done deliberately with your children in mind, it can be a valuable addition to any weekly routine.

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Pascale Vandenbroucke is the Creative Director for Workouts On Demand. The website offers over 90 full-length online workout videos with everything from Toning and Kickboxing, to Yoga and Pilates, to Step Aerobics and Cardio Hip Hop and much more. Watch the workouts on your computer or download workout videos to your hard drive. And with new exercise videos added every week, there is always a new workout available so you can get the results you have wanted.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

by Denise Willms

I always knew I wanted to homeschool our children. When I was in high school, I babysat for a homeschooling family, and they had such exciting projects going on. Later, when I was student teaching in university, I discovered a more important reason to homeschool. It simply wasn’t possible to meet every child’s needs in a classroom setting.

My husband, however, took some convincing. He hadn’t had any exposure to homeschooling families, and thought homeschooling our two kids would put too much responsibility on me.

We ended up putting our eldest child in a public school, but three years later, he was so unhappy, we were ready to try anything. We took him and his younger sister out of public school and tried homeschooling. It’s made such a positive difference in our lives, we plan to homeschool both our children all the way through high school.

After homeschooling for five years, my husband has become one of the strongest homeschooling advocates I know. In fact, when I feel frustrated and suggest that we consider public school again, he completely shuts me down. He sees what a difference homeschooling has made in the lives of our children and our family.

Now, none of this is to say that I believe public education is not as good as homeschooling. Homeschooling is not the answer for everyone. However, homeschooling is the right choice for my family.

If you believe homeschooling is the right choice for your family, but your husband doesn’t agree, there is no magic pill that can make him change his mind. I do, though, have some suggestions that may help.

1. Pray. One of my favorite Christian authors, Stormie Omartian, says in her book, Power of a Praying Wife, that before talking to your husband about anything, you should talk to God about your husband.

If you believe that God wants you to homeschool, spend time with God and ask Him to reveal that to your husband as well.

2. Get involved in your child’s school right now. I had always been involved in our children’s education, but when our son’s problems became more serious, I volunteered in his classroom every week. I got along well with his teacher, and she was concerned about him too, so this arrangement worked very well.

I was able to see the classroom environment first-hand, and see how my son’s behavior compared to the other students. Because I was in the classroom so frequently, I was able to explain to my husband what was happening, and where the problems lay. This helped him understand my desire to homeschool our children, and why I believed our son would do better in a homeschool environment.

Volunteering in a classroom isn’t always possible, but if you can, I recommend it. If you’re thinking of homeschooling, seeing how your child functions in a classroom can help prepare you for what’s ahead. And, if you’re ultimately not able to homeschool, you’re building important relationships with your children’s teachers and showing your children how much you value their education.

3. Explain to your husband why you want to homeschool. Does your husband know why you want to homeschool? Or does he think your desire to homeschool is a passing whim? Present your reasons and see if you can explain what’s on your mind.

This is where I found volunteering in my son’s classroom so helpful. I could explain to my husband what I observed in the classroom, and how homeschooling could make a difference in our son’s learning.

4. Explore other educational options. No matter how much you want to omeschool, it’s important to remember that homeschooling is not for everyone. I’ve met several moms who insisted on homeschooling their children, and a year later, realized it was the wrong choice for their family.

Homeschooling is hard. Being unhappy with your current schooling arrangement is not a good enough reason to homeschool. Explore your other options as well before deciding homeschooling is the only alternative that will work for you.

Consider private schools, online schools, or maybe even an afterschool tutoring program. If your husband doesn’t agree to homeschool, perhaps he’ll be more open to one of these options.

5. Find current research about homeschooling. Gather facts about homeschooling to show your husband. Not to shove in his face and prove your point, but so you can be prepared when he does ask questions about homeschooling.

Find out how local homeschoolers perform on standardized tests; learn if homeschoolers are admitted to your city’s university (usually they are); look for homeschool groups you can join to meet other homeschooling families, and for your children to meet homeschooling friends. Then, when your husband does ask questions about homeschooling, you’ll have all the answers you need at hand.

None of these suggestions will guarantee your husband will change his mind about homeschooling. But they will help you communicate with your husband about both your desires for your children’s education, and help you make educational choices that will work for your entire family.

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Would you like to learn more about homeschooling? Visit http://www.WAHM-Articles.com to read articles written by real homeschooling parents about their own homeschool experiences.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

(CBS) Keeping cool during the summer months can be a daunting task, especially if you’re pregnant. Tricia O’Brien of American Baby Magazine has some tips for beating the heat.

When you’re pregnant, staying cool in the summer isn’t just a matter of comfort - it’s a matter of health. Heat stroke can affect anyone, and it’s especially dangerous in pregnant women. If symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, a bad headache, fever and confusion refuse to subside, seek medical attention immediately.

In the mean time, though, you can minimize the effects of the sun by doing your best to avoid it. If you are outside, try not to get sunburned. “You have more surface area, so you really have to apply more [sun]block,” says O’Brien. She suggests SPF 30 or higher; now is not the time to worry about getting a deep, dark tan.

Sun exposure can also increase the look of melasma, or the “mask of pregnancy”. “Estrogen combined with the sun brings out more pigmentation,” says O’Brien. While many women experience the dark spots of melasma throughout their pregnancy, they can be especially pronounced in the summer time. Try wearing a wide brimmed hat to shield your face and apply sunscreen liberally.

Many women also experience heat rash during the summer months. More commonly known as prickly heat, this rash can develop anywhere on your body that experiences friction, such as your arms, neck or between your breasts. To minimize your risk, O’Brien suggests wearing breathable fabrics and keeping your skin as dry as possible. If the rash gets severe, talk with your doctor or dermatologist; they may be able to prescribe a hydrocortisone cream to minimize the discomfort.

Most importantly, drink lots of fluids! Many heat related ailments are tied to dehydration, so drink plenty of water. Carbonated beverages are okay, too, but avoid sugary things like soda. Try seltzer water instead. Also, avoid caffeine. Caffeine actually acts as a diuretic which can lead to dehydration.

However, many women often experience fluid retention in the summer months as well. This is usually characterized by bloating and swollen ankles or calf muscles. “Your body isn’t as efficient at moving those fluids around,” says O’Brien. Try elevating your legs or submerging yourself in a pool or cool bath to help ease pressure. If your shoes seem tight, try buying a pair of two in a slightly larger size to accommodate your swollen feet. Think of it as an excuse to go shoe shopping!

If swelling becomes a major problem, though, be sure to meet with your doctor. While some swelling is normal, excessive swelling can indicate preeclampsia, a blood pressure condition found in pregnant women. Only your doctor can diagnose it, though, so if you have any concerns, but sure to schedule an appointment.

For more information on staying cool, as well as additional parenting advice, click here to visit www.AmericanBaby.com.

By Erin Petrun © MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

by Jill Hart

Work-at-home moms face many different challenges. From learning to accept help when needed, to building confidence in ourselves, to remembering the reasons why we chose to work from home. Below is the first in a series of tips to help work-at-home moms in the simplest of ways – the ABC’s.

A = Adjustments. A work at home mom must expect the unexpected. She must be prepared to adjust her schedule at any given moment for any number of reasons - a sick child, a backed up drain, or an upset client. A mom who learns to welcome these moments as a chance to show love to her family and concern for her clients will be ahead of the game in the end. Approach these “interruptions” with a great attitude and see what a difference it makes.

B = Better. Works at Home Moms have to be on top of their game. To run a business as well as manage a household takes determination and scheduling. You may not feel like you have a schedule, but take a look at your day/week and see how you are spending your time. Next, think about what you can do better, what you can delegate and what would be better off removed from your schedule to allow you to spend your time in a better manner.

C = Confidence. You wouldn’t be a work at home mom without it. Take time to celebrate each success no matter how minute it may seem. Each success will help grow your confidence and turn you into a savvier businesswoman.

D = Dry - Don’t let things dry up. Keep content fresh, offer new products and services whenever possible. This will keep you motivated and keep customer returning.

E = Effort - Don’t kid yourself. It takes a TON of effort to make a home-based business successful. Don’t give up with thing get rough. Keep plugging away - it will pay off

F = Feisty - Every work at home mom has to be at least a tad bit feisty. Stand up for your business when need be - don’t be afraid to say no when necessary.

G = Generosity - When I fist began my business I sought advice from many successful work-at-home moms. One of the best pieces of advice I received was that what I gave to others would come back tenfold. I’ve found that to be very true. Helping others is as much a blessing to me as it is to others.

H = Help - There will come a time that you’ll need help. You must be willing to accept it, to allow others to do for you what you cannot. In turn, try to be a help to other when they are in need.

I = If - If you don’t do it, who will? Mothering is such an important role that gets overlooked so often these days. Always remember that being there for your children is the BEST gift you can ever give them.

J = “Just for you” - Take a little time to do something just for you each day. Even 5 minutes of doing something you enjoy can revive a tired mommy.

K = Keep - Keep your chin up. It will get better. Don’t let a lag in business growth get you down. Find some creative ways to get the ball rolling again.

L = Laugh - Take time to laugh with you kids each day. And don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself when need be.

M = Mommy - Remember, the reason you do all that you do is for those little ones who call you “Mommy.”

N = No - Work at Home Moms need to be able to say “No” when the situation calls for it. Don’t be afraid to stand up for your business or to choose NOT to work with a customer who is more trouble than it’s worth.

O = Office - As Work at Home Moms, we usually put ourselves last on the list. However, when we’re in business it’s important to have some room (even a corner) that is set aside strictly for business.

P = Priorities - It’s hard to keep your priorities straight when raising a family and building a business. Take some time each week/month to sit down and evaluate your priorities and cut out things in your schedule that don’t fit in.

Q = Quiet Time - It may seem impossible to find a time to sit, relax and be quiet when you have so many demands on your time. However, it’s more important than ever that you take a little time for yourself to rejuvenate and renew when you grow weary.

R = Respect - Like the golden rule says, it’s important to treat others as we’d like to be treated. This is so true for work at home moms - we must show the utmost in professionalism and treat even the most difficult clients with respect.

S = Significant Other - As work at home moms it’s easy to get wrapped up with our business, our kids, ourselves. Don’t forget to take the time to appreciate your husbands!

T = Time - As work-home-moms time is the ultimate enemy. Learn to prioritize and delegate whenever possible. Take time out for your kids each day - you’ll be glad you did!

U = Unique - Your business needs to be unique to stand out from the crowd. Even if your product isn’t unique you can always find a unique way to approach marketing, customer service, etc. Get creative and stand out from the rest!

V = Vision - It’s so important to have a clear vision of where you want your business to go. Sit down and make a list of where you’d like to be in 5 years, in 10 years, etc. Without goals you won’t get anywhere.

W = Wisdom - It’s important to seek wisdom when running your own business. You won’t always know the answer, so you need to find others that you trust that you can turn to when these things arise.

X = eXcitement - Celebrate each success! Keep yourself motivated and excited about your business. Try to share your business with someone new each day. Just telling someone about what you do can bring back that “spark” of excitement about your career!

Y = Yes - Yes! You CAN do it! Each of us started with a dream, a vision and the faith that we could make it happen. It takes hard work, determination and a “Yes!” attitude, but it CAN be done!

Z = Zoo - Yes, life as a work at home mom really is a zoo, but it’s worth it! Being at home to see your child’s first step, hear their first word - it just doesn’t get better than that.

Working from home can be difficult, but it is well worth the effort. By keeping things in perspective we can reduce the stress that we put on ourselves. Remember these ABC’s and you’ll go far in your work-at-home career.

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Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, CWAHM.com. Hart is also the co-author of the upcoming book, Home Based Blessings, due out in November 2006 for Christian moms who want to work at home. Hart and her husband, Allen of CWAHD.com (Christian Work at Home Dads) reside in Nebraska with their two children.
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Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com