Pregnancy for Dad, Help and Tips

One of the things that happens when you find out you are expecting is that you jump ahead and think about when the baby is born. The cries, the poop, the feeding and the expenses. It's natural and normal to think about what will happen when the baby arrives. What people don't realize at first is there is quite a while until that day comes and it's going to be just as challenging, stressful, and exciting and rewarding if you are able to enjoy it.

You never appreciate a woman until you have a baby with them and that is the truth. Pregnancy is hard and that's me speaking as a man. It's unbelievable what women go through and though some women love being pregnant, while others may not be too fond in all cases is definitely exhausting and wearisome. These are some helpful things to not only pass the time until that fateful day, but allows you to enjoy what you have now before it is changed forever.

You are going to constantly hear people joking to get your rest but in reality a nap now isn't going to affect you in months or even weeks when the baby arrives. It's important to do the things you want to do now because once that baby comes it may be a while before you are able, or even want to do it again.

Be practical and take mom's health and feelings into consideration but go to a concert or sports event. Go out for a nice relaxing dinner, or a movie. So instead of snoozing now before the baby comes, do the things you won't be able to with the new addition.

Months 4, 5, 6 are the best time to do everything. It's also the most recommended time to fly if you want to take a vacation. Plan ahead and try to keep things on the calendar to look forward to that takes the focus off just counting til the baby comes which may make time drag.

I know the baby shower is her thing, we're supposed to get lost until the end to pick up the gifts. A suggestion to make is to try to do it early because sometimes mom is on bed rest, sometimes babies come early. She doesn't want to have the baby before the shower and you want to have enough time to sort it all out and put it all together. She may wonder why you care when the shower is, but suggest it early and you may be her hero later on.

Try to take the classes that are offered. Whether it be Lamaze, a breast feeding class, or a general pregnancy class they are helpful and informative. It's not the answers to the questions you have going into the class, but the questions that you have when you leave and never thought of that make the class worth while. These classes are great because they get you and your partner talking about things you may have never even thought of. Be excited about the birth, take interest, ask questions and show her that what she is going through is important to you.

Again the best time to do this is months 4, 5, and 6 because they can be very uncomfortable for her as pregnancy goes on. Also try to visit the place you will deliver. It's helpful to take away some of the anxiety when you can picture where it's going to happen.

Inevitably you will be part of the daddy club when the baby arrives. What I mean is to start reading about being a dad, getting past the pregnancy and hear the first hand accounts of what's in store. Though some of the stories may be scary it's also unbelievably exciting about the things to come. Write down or talk about some of the things you did as a kid that you want to share with the new addition when the time is right.

Pregnancy can be taxing both on you and her. It's important that you know how she feels, and what she is going through. It's also crucial that she know you appreciate everything she is doing and that you are excited about the baby and will do whatever you can to help her.

Some of the ways to do this are to be creative and get her gifts. It doesn't have to be too luxurious or expensive because you do have a baby on the way, but rather special and sentimental.

For instance, at the 20 week date buy her a birthday cake, cut it in half and give it to her signifying she's half way there. Write a special note like "Thanks Mom" or "I'll see you soon". Maybe save the other half for when the baby is born.

Buy a ribbon and measure her belly every week so after the baby is here you can recall how big she was. She may not be too excited about it at the time but it's important that you embrace her look and weight gain. She may be self conscious about her increased weight but she needs to know you find her sexy, welcome her growth because it's good for the baby and that you don't see her any differently. If you're like me you may even grow a bigger belly yourself just so she isn't so self conscious.

Get cards every now and then, both from you as well as the baby thanking her for everything she is doing. It's just a few bucks but it will definitely show her you realize what she is going through. Give her a massage, do the extra work around the house so she can rest and feel better.

It's very important to be flexible and understanding because she may be all excited to go to dinner one minute and feeling sick as you pull into the restaurant. Arguing with a pregnant woman isn't a good idea because you won't win but by being understanding you will both be happier going home with takeout or something delivered.

Try to be knowledgeable and read about what's happening and also about what's next. Be prepared for what's to come in the next few weeks and starts to develop symptoms that she didn't have before. It will make both of you feel better if you can explain to her what's going on, why and how to deal with it. She will feel more secure and you will feel better about being active and having a clue.

Do things as soon as you can because you never know what the future holds or what you may be doing in a week. Get the carseat in, pack the hospital bag, hers and yours and prep the nursery. All these things are like having your generator ready during a storm. It's better to have it ready and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Luxurious Hair After Pregnancy

During pregnancy period, especially on late terms, hairs often make a woman glad. They become strong and shining. You just cannot believe that, while looking at comb, you can see no hairs on it. This happens due to your organism's satiation with vitamins, nutritive substances and favorable hormonal background. However, 3-4 months later you can see a reverse process: hairs fall out sometimes, suffer from fragility and look lifeless. Don't panic! Your hairs soon will gain beauty again, but you definitely should help them.
"Delicate" life of a hair

One loses about 60-80 hairs per day. At the same time new ones come to take their place. On average, a hair grows 1-1,5 cm per month. When a new hair is formed in a bulb, old one falls out.

What do we know about our hair?

- Female hairs live up to 10 years, while male ones only ... 3 years

- Blondes have most thick hair - about 140 thousands of hairs. Brunettes - 102 thousands, brown-haired women - 109, red - 88 thousands.

- Nationality, place of living influence thickness of hair. It is known, that natives of South have richer scalp, than natives of North.

- During day time hairs grow quicker, than during night.

- In spring-summer time hairs grow significantly more actively, than in autumn and winter.

- Speed of hair growth depends on age. The most active growth takes place between 15 and 30 years, any by 40 years speed of hair growth begins slowing down significantly.

Business-ladies are in danger!

Unfortunately, not all women can boast of wonderful chevelure in modern conditions of life. According to statistics, by 2010 year alopecia threatens to 70% of men and 10% of women in Europe.

First of all, business-ladies are in risk group. The matter is, that in strong women's blood there's an excess of male hormone testosterone, and it contributes to "business" pelade.

Why do hairs fall out?

When conditions of head skin and blood circulation are normal, there is no excessive falling out of hairs.

Sudden falling out can start because of:

- significant decrease of quantity of estrogens (female sexual hormones) after pregnancy, childbirth;

- taking of some contraceptive preparations, containing substances, increasing level of androgens in blood;

- bad blood circulation;

- lack of nutrition for hair roots;

- operations with usage of general anaesthetic, inflectional diseases of head skin;

- excessive greasiness;

- poor nutrition (lack of vitamins and microelements);

- stresses;

- chronic not getting enough sleep.

Young mother may have several reasons for hair loss: from hormonal ones to problems with sleep, you know, not every baby will sleep 5-6 hours per night since first months, especially if he is on free feeding and is put to breast upon request.

Recipes to keep your hair

In fact, you will not find such advices, like "you need to sleep at least 8 hours per day", or "forget about stresses and be always calm" here. We have to repeat again, that full-value sleep and soul balance are almost unique events for a young mother.

Another obstacle: constant lack of time for yourself. So try not to refuse from your relatives' help: it will be good, if someone of them takes care of a baby during 15-20 minutes, while you will take care of yourself.

One of our readers writes:

- Hairs started fall our strongly 4 months after childbirth. And during following 3 months I lost, probably, 30% of my hairs, they definitely became thin. If I had enough time for myself, I would not lose so much hair. However, when I got tired, during first time I always chose an opportunity to take a nap for another 30 minutes, than doing something useful. When I sounded alarm, I started using tried remedies for hair treatment, and process of falling out slowed down, I saw fewer hairs on my comb. And 2 months later I noticed that my hairs were back to normal again. Sometimes my husband helped me to steal moments for myself, sometimes it was my mother, and I'm very grateful to them for this.

It is important to note, that anyway, you should not panic, as falling out of hair stops on average in 4-6 months simultaneously with hormonal reconstruction of organism. But the question is about how much hair you can lose. While correct care you can prevent excessive hair loss, and renew damaged hair and head skin.

So, try one of following effective methods of struggle against hair loss:

1. Apply steamed out rye-bread on wet hair, rub in skin slightly and wrap up your head with a warm towel. 30 minutes later, massaging head skin and wiping hair, wash out bread and rinse with one of herbal extracts, for example, nettle or rosemary extract.

2. Rub egg yolk in moistened hair, massaging head skin, wrap up head warmly and in 30 minutes wash your hair the way you wash them with shampoo.

3. You can wash you hair with warm buttermilk, rubbing it carefully in head skin.

Wrap up head for 30 minutes, and then rinse with warm herbal extract or decoction carefully, according to following receipts:

- Prepare a decoction of honeysuckle stalks (6 table spoons for 1liter of water, boil 10 minutes, draw for 30 minutes, filter) and use for washing your hair, if you suffer from shedding, during 3 weeks every other day.

- In German folk-medicine they use extract of nasturtium leaves and small nettle for rubbing in head skin while hair shedding.

- If you suffer from itch while dandruff and hair shedding, then you should wash your hair with a strong decoction of equal parts of willow rind and burdock roots.

- Take 20 roots of calamus, 20 g of burdock root, 25 g of great nettle, 10 g of calendula flowers, boil everything in 1 liter of boiling water on slow fire during 5 minutes. Decoction should draw in warm place for 2 hours. After you filter it, use it for smearing your hair and slight massage, after washing your hair. Repeat the procedure 5-6 times during month.

- One of effective remedies against hair shedding is washing hair with calamus and burdock roots 3 times per week during month. To prepare it take 2 table spoons of both roots, add a couple of handfuls of hop cones, pour with 1 liter of boiling water, boil during 5 minutes, draw.

- Take 3 table spoons of nettle leaves and 3 table spoons of coltsfoot leaves, brew in 1 liter of boiling water and 1 hour later filter, wash your hair 3 times per week during month, massaging head skin.

- If you can stand garlic smell well, try to rub garlic juice, mixed with honey in proportion 1 : 2, in your head skin. Carry out this procedure every other day during month. With this procedure completed, rinse hair carefully with one of herbal decoctions with deodorant qualities, for example rosemary.

Here are some other receipts from our readers:

- Carry out a course of hair treatment, consisting of 10 procedures: once a week you need to do masks, containing: egg yolk, 6 drops of appropriate for you oils and 1 mL of vegetable oil. Jojoba or avocado oils are better. Camomile, rosemary, sage, lemon, ylang-ylang, clary, lavender - these are essential oils, most popular while hair shedding treatment. Jojoba oils are used while dandruff. If you have no jojoba oil, then you can replace it by some other one. You should spread this mixture on your hair evenly, cover head with a cap, leave for 40-90 minutes, and then you need to wash your hair.

- If you have no allergy on onion, then you can mix onion juice and honey in equal parts and rub in hair 30 minutes before you wash your head. Use hair conditioners for sure and comb hair very cautiously. You also can cut your hair shorter, so that to renew an intensive growth of stronger hair.

- Another "onion" receipt: add onion peel to an oak rind decoction. Boil during 5 minutes. This receipt is especially useful for greasy hair.

- Massage salt in head skin during 2-3 minutes, then wash hair with shampoo.

What are other ways to help to your hair?

- During post-natal period take polyvitamins for nursing mothers.

- Eat less salty, smoked and pickled food. It is easier to observe this recommendation for nursing mothers: this is one of the conditions of a diet for nursing women, to avoid baby's allergic reaction.

- Use hair-dryer seldom - hot air deprives hair of moisture and makes them fragile. You should better create a turban of a towel, and then allow your hair dry naturally.

- Change combs more often, micro-cracks on them - are niches for reproduction of microbes that damage head skin.

Health Care Bill Raises Cost of Infertility Treatments in 2013

Buried in the 2,000 page health care reform bill is tax language that will raise the cost of infertility treatments beginning in 2013. Many infertility treatments are self paid: most insurance plans provide no coverage, so couples trying to conceive must pay out of pocket. These expenses are tax deductible, but the bill raises the threshold for itemized deductions beginning in 2013, thereby raising costs.

Most insurance plans provide little or no coverage for infertility treatments. Only fourteen states mandate some level of infertility coverage, and these laws contain many exceptions and loopholes. Couples trying to conceive must often pay expenses for infertility treatment out of pocket.

Couples do get some relief for un-reimbursed medical expenses through the tax code. Most of the non-covered infertility treatment options are considered tax deductible. This list includes diagnostic testing, fertility drugs, IVF and other assisted reproductive techniques, as well as travel costs.

However the IRS limits these deductions to the amount over 7.5% of adjusted gross income. Adjusted gross income is the total income earned by a couple. Take for example a couple undergoing one IVF cycle. The average cost of IVF is about $12,000. If the couple has a $100,000 adjusted gross income (AGI), their threshold is $7,500. This means the couple can deduct $4,500 of their IVF costs, saving about $1,125 in taxes if they are in the 25% tax bracket.

Beginning in 2013 the Health Care Reform Bill stipulates that the threshold for itemized deduction for un-reimbursed medical expenses will be increased from7.5% of adjusted gross income to 10.0%. In the example above this lowers the eligible deduction to $2,000 and the tax savings to $500.

More than ever before, couples trying to conceive need to understand infertility insurance mandates, the tax code, and how to leverage supplemental insurance.

Buying Ovulation Predictor Tests? Include This Insurance Purchase Too

If you are buying ovulation predictor tests, you are embarking on an exciting new journey. A journey filled with hope and joy, but also uncertainty. Getting pregnant, and having a baby provides great rewards, but it comes at a cost along with some risks as well. Make some smart choices now, before getting pregnant, so you can enjoy the wonderful experience without some of the stress and worry. Never buy an ovulation test alone. Purchase short term disability insurance before buying your ovulation predictor. It may be the smartest move you ever made.

Ovulation Predictor Tests

Ovulation predictor tests looks for luteinizing hormone. Just prior to ovulation, women experience a short surge where the luteinizing hormone level spikes. Ovulation predictor kits will help you pinpoint this surge and help you predict when you will ovulate. This information can help couples improve their odds of conception.

Before moving down the path of buying an ovulation predictor and getting pregnant, it would be wise to consider the financial consequences of your pregnancy. There is much more to think about beyond the extra mouth to feed and clothe. Mom will be missing at least six weeks of work for her maternity leave. In addition, 25% of pregnancies involve one or more complications that may require mom to miss work prior to her delivery. Plus, delivery complications may mean an extended time away from the job after delivery. And mom could get sick or hurt at any time.

Leverage your Plans to Get Pregnant

If you are researching ovulation predictors, you have an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy insurance that covers a planned event: your normal labor and delivery. Bought before getting pregnant, short term disability insurance will pay a six week benefit when mom experiences a health safe pregnancy, and a happy healthy baby. Use your plans to get pregnant to your best advantage. Buy an insurance policy that pays a direct benefit to you when you plans to get pregnant come true. Your benefit for normal delivery may greatly exceed the premium you pay.

Get Security at No Additional Cost

But this is not the real value of buying short term disability coverage before purchasing your ovulation test. You also will be covered in case pregnancy complications cause you to miss work. In addition, there is an eight week benefit for a c-section delivery, and if delivery complications cause you to miss additional time, your short term disability policy may cover this additional time as well.

Plus you just never know when you might become sick or suffer an injury and miss work. Most people who purchase disability coverage do so for this reason alone Buy combing a disability purchase with your ovulation test, you simply have three additional compelling reasons: you create maternity leave income, and get additional coverage for pregnancy and delivery complications - all at no additional cost.

Before buying your ovulation kit, do some research into short term disability coverage. Consider your benefit for normal delivery - an event you plan to have happen sometime very soon. Compare that benefit to the premium cost, and then consider all the other ways a policy helps you sleep well at night.

Depression During and After Pregnancy

Depression during and afer pregnancy is common but often goes undetected since many of the symptoms of depression are similar to many general symptoms of pregnancy such as disturbances in sleep and appetite and low energy. However any woman that notices a link between pregnancy and depression should see their health care provider and discuss symptoms and treatment options.

Depression during pregnancy impacts both mother and child and requires immediate treatment since depression during pregnancy can result in a woman taking less care of herself, can result in a reduction in appetite and depressed women are more inclined to smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol or take illegal drugs all of which can result in health problems for an unborn baby.

Treatment for depression during pregnancy includes antidepressant medication and short term psychiatric therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT). Antidepressant drugs are however generally prescribed with caution since they can have an adverse effect on an unborn baby.

Postnatal Depression

The "baby blues" are common after pregnancy and result from changes in hormone levels following childbirth but usually pass within a few day, however many women experience a severe depressive episode after childbirth which goes way beyond the baby blues and often requires some form of treatment.

There are a number of causes for postnatal depression which include having suffered from depression during pregnancy, having a stressful pregnancy, complications during labour and problems with a new born baby's health.

Symptoms of postnatal depression can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and of being an inadequate mother, difficulties in caring and providing for a newborn baby and an overall lack of bonding with a baby which can have an adverse effect on the baby.

Advice for women with postnatal depression

• Seek treatment from a qualified health care professional. The sooner you receive adequate treatment the sooner you can enjoy the experience of motherhood


• Develop a support system of friends and family and allow them to occasionally look after the baby allowing you time to yourself.


• Eat a balanced diet, exercise and develop good sleeping patterns in a baby as soon as possible. Also get plenty of rest yourself and take naps whilst the baby is asleep or when family or friends are looking after the baby.


• Take things one step at a time and be gentle on yourself. Adjusting to parenthood takes time so acknowledge any small achievement and those things you do well.


• Finally if things get to tough call a postnatal depression support service or mental health crisis line for advice and support.

What Affects The Costs Of Health Insurance Premiums?

If you are in the market to purchase a health insurance policy, you may be baffled at the array of prices of similar policies. There are a number of factors that determine the premiums on your health insurance policy. Each health insurance company will have their own actuarial team that determines the prices and classes of risks for each applicant. The applicants risk is a large part in what determines their risk class, but there are other aspects which causes fluctuation in premium prices.

One of the major factors that can raise health insurance premiums is the use of tobacco. Tobacco has been known to cause a number of health ailments that includes cancer. This factor can significantly increase the cost of health insurance. Knowing that cancer and smoking will decrease the average lifespan of a person, insurance premiums will rise. In some cases, health insurers will provide an incentive to help the insured quit smoking and cover smoking cessation products including nicotine gum, the patch, etc.

To qualify for health insurance, the applicant must be in reasonable health as well. This includes a proper height, weight and body mass index. People seeking coverage with a high body mass index, will have elevated premiums compared to those with an average BMI. Some insurance companies will not insure an obese person as it is not considered an insurable risk. Applicants looking to have the lower end of the premiums should be in the best health possible prior to applying for coverage.

An applicants age can have an ample impact on the price of coverage. The majority of younger people have minor issues with health issues. These may include common colds, a flu, ear infections, small accidents, etc. As a person ages, the likelihood of that person going to the doctor, needing critical care or becoming diagnosed with a chronic disease increases. The cost of major health issues becomes riskier for the company to insure. This is a direct result of increasing premiums as the person ages.

Pre-existing conditions for applicants will also raise the premiums on health insurance costs. Pre-existing conditions require more visits to a practitioner and greater risks for the insurance company to cover related claims to the pre-existing condition. Some insurance companies will only cover certain aspects of the pre-existing condition or won't cover anything at all.

Another factor that may increase an applicant for health insurance premiums would be their gender. Unlike life insurance, women usually pay higher premiums than men for coverage. The reasoning behind this is due to the fact that women go to the doctor more often, need an OB/GYN specialist, take more prescription drugs, have maternity costs and are subjected to certain chronic diseases. The average cost to deliver a baby range anywhere between $10k-$15K of which doesn't include the prenatal and postnatal medical care.

Other risks that the insurance companies factor in when determining premiums for the applicant are their lifestyle choices. These can range from a number of different topics including their profession, marital status, where they live and more. Insurance companies will take in all factors when determining a reasonable cost for insurance. For obvious reasons, a race car driver will be a much higher risk than an accountant. Insurance companies also are aware that married couples will live longer than single people. Other factors including the area code in which the applicant lives will be represented in the premiums. People that live in the same areas, tend to have similar eating, exercise and living habits.

Insurance premiums can be expensive, but insurance companies must manage risk properly and set a proper premium on applicants. Higher risk applicants will have higher premiums. Some variable that an applicant can control is eliminate tobacco use, exercise regularly and eat right for a healthy body mass index and have a safe occupation. Other factors including pre-existing conditions, family health history, gender, etc. the proposed insured won't have control over. If an applicant was to choose higher deductibles, then the premiums would decline. However health insurance can be costly, but if the right coverage isn't in place, a person could be exposed to a substantial risk.

How IVF Twins Can Help Fund Your In Vitro Fertilization Treatment Costs

IVF procedures can be expensive, and many couples have insurance plans that will not cover the cost of treatments for In Vitro Fertilization. IVF doctors will often transfer more than one embryo per cycle to increase the odds of conception. This also increases the chances of multiple births: twins, triplets, etc. Multiple pregnancies come with a greater chance of high risk pregnancy, and premature birth. Hospital Indemnity Insurance can mitigate some of the financial risks, and pay an extra bonus for your IVF multiples.

IVF Costs

In Vitro Fertilization costs can range from $10,000 to $15,000 per cycle. Fifteen states mandate some form of coverage. For those lucky couples with IVF coverage, financial concerns remain: what happens if mom misses extensive time from work, and what happens if the health coverage has hospital deductibles and co pays?

Most couples considering this procedure have no health insurance coverage that specifically covers IVF State mandates have loopholes, and 35 states have no mandate at all. So many couples must fund the treatment costs out of their own pocket. They face the added risk of: what happens to our finances if we experience a complicated pregnancy after paying all this money out of pocket for our IVF?

IVF and Twins, Triplets

IVF embryos are created in a Petri dish. A woman and her doctor determine the number of embryos to be transferred back to her uterus. The more embryos transferred, the greater the chance of pregnancy. The more embryos transferred, the greater the chance of a multiple birth.

The average single pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, but a twin pregnancy often lasts between 35 to 37 weeks. Nearly half of all twins are born prematurely (before 37 weeks), and the risk of having a premature delivery increases with triplets, quads, etc.

Premature babies can have numerous health concerns. Because the needs of premature babies are so acute, preemies are often placed in a Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after delivery.

Hospital Indemnity Insurance Funds IVF

Hospital Indemnity Insurance is worth considering before beginning IVF treatments. It pays benefits directly to the insured, not to the doctors or hospitals as with traditional insurance. It pays a benefit for your normal labor and delivery. And the benefit may greatly exceed the premium you pay. Use the excess to offset a portion of your IVF costs.

Bonus for IVF Multiple Birth

Here is an important secret about certain Hospital Indemnity Insurance policies: your newborn(s) will automatically be covered for the first 30 days; even when you purchase coverage just for mom. The policy will pay an additional benefit should your newborn(s) be injured or sick.

Put the above all together for your IVF twins bonus: IVF is more likely to result in multiple pregnancies, multiple pregnancies are more likely to result in premature delivery, and premature birth is likely to result in sickness for the newborn(s). Therefore, Hospital Indemnity Insurance is likely to pay an additional benefit for each of your twins, triplets, etc.

For example, a policy with a $3,000 admission benefit would pay $3,000 for mom's confinement, plus an additional $6,000 for twins confined to the NICU, and $9,000 for triplets confined to the NICU. When you see what the coverage costs you will be amazed.