Maternity Health Insurance Is Really Important

Maternity health insurance is really important. Keeping track of your pregnancy month after month is very important and can be done by a doctor or a midwife. Whether or not personally follow your pregnancy, your doctor is there to ensure you get the best possible monitoring. He will, given your personal situation and will advise you, inform you, accompany you. The midwife can ensure, independently, monitor your pregnancy if it poses no risks, you give birth, and monitor your child after birth. Under the coordination of care with the physician, the midwife informed with your agreement, changes in your health. This information will be useful to your doctor for follow-up after childbirth. Depending on your needs, for medical, psychological or social, your doctor or midwife can refer you to other professionals: medical specialist, nurse, pediatric nurse, dietitian, psychologist, social worker, technician, social intervention and family. All these charges are covered by the maternity health insurance.

Monitoring your pregnancy during the first months is important. To ensure the smooth progress of your pregnancy and prepare for better delivery, you have the support the monitoring throughout your pregnancy with seven physician visits before the birth and further systematic reviews. First to fifth month, your medical expenses are reimbursed at the usual rates using the health insurance. Only your compulsory medical examinations (follow-up consultations, preparatory meetings at birth) are supported 100% within the basic rates of health insurance. For these exams, you are exempt from the flat fee of 1 euro and the medical deductible on drugs, paramedical acts and transports.

First follow-up consultation with your doctor or midwife care is to 100% by the health insurance. This consultation must take place before the end of the third month of pregnancy. It is during this review that the health professional will give you the document "First prenatal checkup" that used to declare your pregnancy, and a brochure containing the main addresses you may need during your pregnancy (Health Insurance Fund, credit union family allowance, PMI, etc).

The health professional then prescribes a first scan support to 70%. An ultrasound is scheduled quarterly to monitor the growth and health of your child; first blood tests taken over 100% (blood group, screening for rubella, toxoplasmosis, hepatitis B, etc). It may also offer depending on your situation: Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer of the uterus. This smear is assumed at 70%; fetal karyotype and amniocentesis for the detection of some genetic diseases supported 100%, subject to the fetal karyotype, the prior approval of the medical service of your Health Insurance Fund.

Discount Health Plans Benefits - How Discount Health Plans Work for Individual and Families

Health insurance is very hot topic currently debated in American politics. Even American politicians are paying attention to consumer difficulties about getting a decent health insurance for individuals, families and businesses. Important thing to note is not spend most of your earning on getting health plan for yourself and your family. Look for discounted health plans for individuals and families.

One of the advantages of applying online for discounted health insurance is to compare health insurance quotes and benefits before you actually buy one for your self. There are available discounted plans with low and high deductibles based on individual's health, age and previous health history. Some of these plans have low premium and low deductible and co-payment when visiting doctor's office. The key to get a discounted insurance plan is to minimize risk for insurance carrier. Once Insurance carrier recognizes your low risk in return it rewards with you low premium on health insurance and with low deductibles.

What to watch in your Discount health insurance plan

• Doctor's visit and Co-payments


• Lab Charges


• Hospital Care


• What drugs are covered under your plan, especially if you have medical conditions?


• Maternity Care


• Vision Care


• Dental Care


• Annual Deductibles


• Prescription Drugs


• Chiropractor and therapist visits

The discounted health plans are designed for individuals, families, groups and businesses to save on money on medical, dental and hospital facility bills. Some of these plans restrict you to certain medical facility in exchange of lower premium and deductibles. The key is working with insurance carrier to minimize their cost and in return consumer is benefited with lower rates. These discounted plans can save on average from 10 percent to 30 percent in medical cost and in some cases more than 30 percent.

"Applying online for an insurance plans has its own benefits. First your online application is in your control you can check instantly on web to track status on your application. You can compare plans by benefits, fees, deductibles and co-payments. Most of the discounted insurance plans cover annual exam, routine check-ups, prescription drugs, emergency services, laboratory services, acupuncture. Chiropractor and hospital visits. "

While applying one should keep personal need in view. People with health issues should check on benefits and the things they need for their medical care are covered under insurance and how much will be deductibles and co-payments for doctors and hospital visits. Young adults with no medical history can opt for semi coverage which covers basic and essential benefits and this will bring down their insurance premium.

At the end needs for individuals and families differ based on their medical needs. Applying online for discounted health plans gives you leverage to compare on premium, coverage, benefits and insurance carrier's rating etc.

Benefits of Wearing Maternity Trousers and Nursing Dresses

Every pregnant woman has to deal with that feeling of unattractiveness, which comes with the hormonal changes that go on during pregnancy. The good news is that pregnant women today no longer have to deal with drab maternity clothes, which can really make things harder as far as matters of looking good are concerned. With a great number of options, pregnant women can enjoy considerable freedom in choosing clothes, from dresses to trousers, that make them look and feel good as well.

If you're pregnant, then you know that it's important to do some walking to help keep you and your baby pregnant - and the delivery easier. To allow you greater comfort when you're at work, doing errands, or just getting some fresh air, wear a reliable pair of maternity trousers. These trousers can help you move around without difficulty since there's more room in the leg area and you won't have to take as much care as you would when you're wearing a skirt.

If you're expecting, then you also know that nursing dresses are very important. They can make things easier for you once the baby arrives. As you know, breastfeeding is still the most recommended means of feeding infants; you'd definitely want to try that out so your precious bundle of joy can have the benefits that breastfeeding offers. But to be able to pull that off wherever you are, whether you're enjoying family life at home or out in a public place like a mall or a restaurant, you'd need to have maternity dresses for nursing purposes. They can provide convenience, protection, and a little privacy.

Preventing the Baby Blues

The saying is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and this is very true when it comes to the baby blues. It's very normal for new mothers to have some ups and downs in the early weeks after a baby is born. In fact, these ups and downs are pretty normal throughout your baby's first year of life. There are specific steps you can take to make it less likely that these normal feelings will develop into a lasting case of mild depression, or the baby blues, however.

Get Enough Sleep

I know this one is hard. In fact, I'm a mother of five. I really understand that getting enough sleep is hard. But as a mother of five I know the wisdom of the advice "sleep when the baby sleeps." You want to get as much sleep as you can. At the very least you should try and take one nap a day with your baby. You can do this throughout your child's early years (toddlers are pretty tiring too!).

If you have older children, keep them occupied while you have a short nap period. You can put a toddler safely into a playpen or crib with some toys, then lie down with the baby. You can nap while an older child is in school or preschool, or if you homeschool, schedule a quiet work period for your child while you nap.

It can be hard to fit this time in if you return to work after your baby is born. Try to make sure you're getting this nap while you're on maternity leave. If your baby is very wakeful at night after you return to work, you may want to try and take a few minutes to relax at your desk each day. Listen to a guided relaxation on headphones to relax your muscles and get some rest.

Eat Really Well

You need to eat well to take care of a baby. Pregnancy is a time of nutritional stress - your baby needed a lot from your body and your body changed a lot for him or her. After pregnancy you need to build back up your nutrient stores while taking care of a needy baby. If you're breast feeding your baby you will need good nutrition to keep your milk supply strong for your little one.

Eating well means trying to eat simpler, homemade foods. Get plenty of protein. Did you know that your body needs healthy fats for energy and fuel? Your brain and your baby's brain need a lot of fat. It's believed that one of the reasons mothers feel the baby blues or experience stronger postpartum depression is because of deficiency in essential fats. You may have heard a lot of joking about "mommy brain" -- where suddenly your brain is always foggy and you can't quite think clearly. These are also signs of a need for more fats. Get good fats like coconut oil, olive oil, animal fats, and full-fat dairy. Industrial fats like corn oil, margarine, and soybean oil are bad for your health. Fatty fish and pastured beef (cows raised eating grass) have lots of Omega-3 fatty acids, which you need a lot of.

Also get plenty of vegetables and eat fruits in season. These will give you vitamins and minerals you need (again, you need fat to make sure your body absorbs them).

It's OK to Let Thing Go

Remember that being a mom is a big job. It's okay to take a break from things. Don't feel obligated to make it to all six mommy groups every week. If you need to use paper plates and plastic utensils in the early weeks, do it without guilt! Keep the bathroom and kitchen clean, but really, you don't need your house to look like company is coming all the time. Scale back volunteering and other things until your baby is a few months old and you've adjusted to life as a new mom. Keeping a low-key, predictable routine will go a long way towards enhancing your sense of well-being.

How to Easily Get Pregnant? Fertility Boosting Foods

So many people ask me how to easily get pregnant. The fact is that it often isn't as easy to conceive as we wish it was. But, eating properly can help boost your fertility and some foods have certain energetic properties that may be just what you need to make your conception easier. The famous Nurses' Health Study from Harvard University's School of Medicine revealed that foods rich in trans-fats and refined sugar can make it difficult to get pregnant. Trans-fats aggravate ovulation-related fertility problems whereas refined sugar can cause your insulin levels to spike, which also affects ovulation. On the other hand, the same study also indicated that fertility-boosting foods like plant proteins, full-fat milk and dairy, and whole grains can do wonders for your fertility. Naturopathic, alternative, holistic and Eastern medicine also advise that certain foods have special qualities that help make the body ready to reproduce. Here are three foods that may help you do just that.

Pineapple for implantation

In the book "The Infertility Cure," author Randine Lewis suggests that women eat pineapple during the luteal phase because of its bromelain content. Bromelain is an enzyme that has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help pave the way for successful embryo implantation. Most of the bromelain is concentrated in the core of the pineapple, but you might want to stick to the flesh; too much bromelain is thought to bring on uterine contractions, which can trigger a miscarriage. The tart fruit is good enough to eat on its own, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy pineapple. You can make it into a cold shake for hot summer afternoons, or you can use pineapple chunks as an ingredient for a refreshing salad. Don't eat too much pineapple before the luteal phase though - the acidity of the fruit might affect your cervical mucus, which needs to be alkaline for sperm to survive.

Black strap molasses to treat fibroids

Uterine fibroids may be non-cancerous tumors in the uterus, but their very presence can be detrimental to fertility. Depending on their size and location, fibroids can prevent the sperm from reaching the egg and increase the risk of miscarriage. While most fibroids eventually shrink by themselves, it may help to try to speed up this process using natural methods when you want to get pregnant. One thing you can try is to increase your consumption of black strap molasses, the kind that you put on gingerbread. Black strap molasses contains iron and trace minerals that help alkalinize your body. This process discourages fibroid growth and may help existing ones shrink faster. Apple cider vinegar or baking soda can amplify its effects. If you don't like eating plain black strap molasses, use it as a substitute for sugar when baking.

Black sesame seeds to nurture fertility

According to experts of traditional Chinese medicine, the reproductive system is governed by the liver. When the liver has enough energy or "essence", your fertility is in top shape and you will not encounter any difficulties conceiving. But if your liver is deficient in essence, your reproductive functions become impaired. You can enhance your liver essence by eating foods like black sesame seeds, which you can find at many health related supermarkets and health food stores. Black sesame seeds can be eaten alone, mixed with salad greens for added texture, or used as an ingredient in baking. Try combining black sesame seeds with bread spread and using a little to top a whole wheat toast. Do not eat them to excess as too much of any food may not be helpful in easing your way to conception.

Easing Postpartum Depression Naturally

Giving birth is one of the most beautiful processes of life and evolution, yet for some new mothers there is a catch. Feelings of sadness or anger after childbirth create a true struggle in the lives of many women, and may occur within 2 days of birth as pregnancy hormones suddenly drop and the new mother comes to the realization that there is now a new baby in need of constant attention. Following delivery, approximately 80% of first time mothers experience a decrease in mood sometimes referred to as the "postpartum blues," while 13% of new mothers experience a major depressive episode within a few weeks after childbirth known as postpartum depression (Wisner et al., 2002). For some women the understanding that hormones and fatigue are the driving factors in this process is important, but many mothers feel guilty about having these symptoms, thinking they are not good mothers or not "cut out" for motherhood. If you are a new mother, remember you are not alone as hundreds of thousands of women in the United States each year experience postpartum depression. Women with a previous history of depression are at a particularly high risk for depression (Wisner et al., 2002). Additional risk factors include conflict with the baby's father, stressful life events and child care stresses. As more women seek drug-free treatment for pregnancy related conditions, the ancient Chinese healing art of acupuncture can support, nurture and ease the transition into motherhood while supporting the overall lifestyle of the new mother.

Postpartum is one of the most critical times for a woman to receive regular preventative care from a Chinese medical practitioner. Acupuncturists can often offset years of "suboptimal" lifestyle and stress in the first few weeks postpartum, as well as intercept abnormalities in lochial flow to rectify years of menstrual irregularities and prevent them from occurring. Acupuncture works on the normal recuperative cycle of a woman to counteract the effects of postpartum depression. In addition to restoring a mother's energy levels after the stress of birth and alleviating depression and anxiety, acupuncturecan be used postpartum to relieve backache, perineal or other kinds of pain.

It is important to lay out some solutions for new mothers to consider as we move into this phase of life that can greatly improve symptoms related to postpartum.

Nutrition
Once a baby is born it is common for the new mother to focus so much on the health of the newborn that she forgets how important it is to nourish herself. Remember, the nutrients the mother gets are translated to the baby through breast milk. Therefore it is extremely important for the mother to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and caffeine. Some babies will not like the taste of breast milk or may have
changes in their digestion after the mother eats certain foods which are important to be aware of. Even if a new mother is not breast feeding, her diet can greatly reduce mood swings as the physical body is strong and full of nutrients.

Exercise
Who has time to exercise? We hear this so frequently in our clinic, but exercise for a new mother can be as simple as taking a daily walk with your newborn in a stroller. Fresh air and movement are unparalleled in their ability to regulate mood. Other ways of exercising with a newborn are home exercises such as yoga poses, push ups and stomach crunches. These can be done throughout the day in 30 second intervals which will keep a new mother from having to carve out time to do them. Holding a pose, 20 push ups or 25 stomach crunches 15 times in a day is a total of 7 minutes and 30 seconds of exercise which can have incredible benefits to postpartum depression.

Supplements/Herbal Therapy
Taking supplements or herbal therapies is an all natural way to gently support mood and calm the mind. While some herbal therapies will affect the taste of a woman's breast milk, an experienced herbalist should be able to create a formula which will benefit both the mother and the baby. Important supplements to consider include:
- Multivitamin: a good quality vitamin is essential
- B-Complex: B vitamins are essential for boosting mood, but they are assimilated by the body as a complex, so taking one specific B vitamin is not very effective.
- Flax Seed Oil: most babies dislike the taste of their mother's breast milk if they are taking fish oil pills so substituting flax or borage oil can be a simple solution.
- 5-HTP: commonly used supplement for depression that is converted to serotonin with the help of B vitamins

Acupuncture/Massage
These therapies are extremely supportive and nurturing to a new mother's overall lifestyle. It is very important for new parents to make time for supportive lifestyle activities that can bridge the gap through difficult periods. Acupuncture balances out Heart and Liver deficiencies which become prevalent after childbirth along with balancing the constitutional pattern of the individual mother.

Rest/Time with your partner
New mothers need sleep for physical and mental recovery. This is easier said than done with a newborn that needs to feed every 2 hours, but consider your support group and don't be afraid to leave your baby for periods of time. Family members, doulas and friends may be able to help offering a new mother time with her partner, times to nap uninterrupted or time to rejuvenate for a few hours.

Webster Technique and Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy

Many women choose safe and effective chiropractic care during their pregnancy. Aches and pains during pregnancy are very common as there are many changes to the woman's body. Some such changes include weight gain, fluid retention, hormonal changes and postural changes which can all contribute to muscle soreness and joint irritation responsible for pain. Chiropractic care during pregnancy helps to restore balance, soothe the irritation to involved muscles, joints and nerves and helps the body heal from the inside out.

What is Webster Technique?

Webster Technique is a special chiropractic technique that addresses alignment and mobility of the pelvis in a pregnant woman. Ideally, there should be balance between the right and left sides of the pelvis. When there is pelvic balance, there is less muscle and joint irritation and also more even pressure on the uterus allowing the baby more freedom to move and turn. When there is a misalignment at the pelvis however, the twisted position puts adverse tension on the round ligament of the uterus which puts uneven pressure on the uterus. It may also cause discomfort for mom.

Chiropractors trained in Webster Technique can assess for pelvic balance then gently adjust the side that is abnormal to help restore optimal position and joint function. Webster Technique is just one aspect of care for the pregnant woman. Additional techniques may be applied as indicated based on the physical examination findings.

Does Webster Technique Hurt?

Most women find Webster Technique very comfortable. The adjustment itself involves a gentle, downward thrust to the involved side of the pelvis - thus, there is no rotation to the low back and usually no cracking sounds. In the second part of the technique, gentle pressure is applied to release tension in the affected round ligament. Special pregnancy pillows are used to ensure comfort.

Does Webster Technique Turn a Breech Baby?

Some may have heard that Webster Technique turns babies. The goal of Webster Technique is not to turn babies but to correct faulty alignment and/or motion of the woman's pelvic joints. That being said, a normal vertex down position is often the outcome. When pelvic balance is restored, the pelvis is more round, and the pressures are more even allowing the baby more freedom to turn.

Who Should Seek Chiropractic Care During Pregnancy?

Any woman with a healthy pregnancy can have a chiropractic assessment. The physical examination involves assessing the woman's posture, mobility and alignment and function of the spine, pelvis and related joints. Pain is often the primary motivator for people seeking chiropractic care. That being said, one does not need to have pain to have a problem.