And She Writes too

For me getting pregnant was easy, it was staying pregnant that was hard. In October 1995, just over a month after having my third miscarriage, I found out I was pregnant. Finding out I was pregnant at age 31 after years of trying and three miscarriages, I was thrilled but scared.

Standing in the bathroom, looking at the plus sign on the stick I just peed on, I ran through the house looking for someone to tell. It was in the middle of the day and my husband was in California on business. I began jumping up and down chanting, "I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant." I must have looked like a crazy woman because my cat ran under the bed. Suddenly, the phone rang, I answered, "I'm Pregnant." Thankfully the person on the other end was my sister and not some solicitor. My sister was so excited to hear the news that she hung up on me.

Now that I was pregnant, I was determined to stay that way. I quit working out, I was no longer running 2 miles a day. I changed my diet; ate more fruits and vegetables and cut out caffeine completely. There was no way I was going to loose this baby.

At each prenatal check up I prayed that the baby's heartbeat would be heard. As the baby grew in my womb, I memorized it's movements. And on Valentine's Day 1996, I found out I was having a healthy baby boy. Knowing that my baby was healthy helped me relax and enjoy every minute of being pregnant.

Toward the end of April, the baby appeared to have stopped moving. For two days, I pushed on my belly hoping to get the baby to move. After the third day of no movement from the baby, I went to the doctors. Fearing that my precious boy had died, I cried as the doctor hooked me up to the fetal monitor.

There was a faint heartbeat, I stopped crying to hear better. "There," the doctor said, "do you hear it?" "Yes, I hear it," I said. As I began nudging my belly and talking to the baby, the heartbeat grew stronger and became louder.

My son was born a month and half later weighing 11 pounds and 22 inches long. The rest of the pregnancy was uneventful but the delivery was painful. Today he is an older brother, a star pitcher on his baseball team and a straight A student.

You are a few weeks past your due date and you can't remember the last time you saw your feet. Your belly has grown to the size of a beach ball and if you gain anymore weight the beach ball will burst. People tell you often that you look like you are ready to pop. You want your body back now, which means the beach ball...I mean...the baby needs to come out now. How do you induce labor? Let me count the ways.

1. Walk - Walking long distances may help the baby drop further into the birthing canal. Be careful while you walk, bring your cell phone with you in case you start contracting while on your walk. You don't want deliver the baby in the middle of the sidewalk.

2. Spicy Foods - Some people swear that eating spicy foods such as spicy chili or spicy Mexican foods induce labor. You can try the spicy food technique although you might deliver the foods you just ate rather than a baby.

3. Tea- Drinking specific teas may induce labor. Teas such as Raspberry Leaf Tea and Cinnamon Stick Tea are believed to relax the uterus if not the new mom.

4. Acupuncture - Some pressure points such as the roof of your mouth, between your finger and your thumb and about 4 finger spaces above the ankle help induce labor. If you aren't afraid of needles this might work at inducing your labor. If anything else it will help prepare you for the breathing process as you breathe through the needle sticks.

5.Blue and Black cohosh - These natural herbs can often help induce labor. Black Cohosh regulates contractions while Blue cohosh makes uterine contractions stronger. You can find these herbs in your local organic food market. However, before you try this natural remedy consult your physician.

6. Nipple Stimulation - Massaging your nipples may also induce labor. Massaging your nipples releases oxytcin which is a natural form of pitocin. And pitocin is used by doctors to induce labor. Of course massaging your nipples may be fun for your significant other.

7. Intercourse - Having intercourse while pregnant is often uncomfortable but if the female has an orgasm it can bring on contractions. Also, the male semen can ripen and soften the cervix. Who says being pregnant means no sex?

Many of these factors may be successful in inducing labor only if you are having contractions or in the early stages of labor. However, don't worry if they don't work for you because eventually you will give birth to a beautiful baby.

Hey you, move your eyes slowly from the screen take your hands off the keyboard and back away from the computer with your hands on top of your head. If being on the computer more than eight hours a day were against the law; then I am guilty.

I bought my first computer in 1996 and since then my life has been filled with never ending emails, instant messaging, chat rooms and Google. At work, I am on the computer four hours a day. After work, I am on the computer for another 4 to 6 hours. You can say that I am obsessed.

My computer obsession at first was just a hobby, learning graphic design, web design and dabbling in digital scrap booking. Then after my daughter was born in 1998, my computer has become my lifeline. Without my computer, I would have never learned that children with my daughter's disease do live. Without my computer, I would have never met my network of friends who have helped me understand my daughter's disease and how to take care of her. Without my computer, I would not be able to research the medications my daughter takes so that I can better understand what they are doing to her body. Without my computer, I would not be able to communicate effectively with my daughter's doctors because they are located in two different cities, two hours apart. Without my computer, I would be alone in a world of pediatric liver disease.

However, I am not just using the computer as a research tool. Today, I have turned my love for my computer into a money making venture. Currently, I am writing articles for Helium.com. My love for web design has encouraged me to start my own small web design business and I am making a little bit of money doing some graphic design. There are so many ways to make extra money online that your computer doesn't have to be just a place to send and receive emails. Your computer can make money for you.

As you can see my computer for me is more than just a way to communicate, it's helps me earn a living. The computer to me is more than just a bunch of hardware and software, the computer is my peace of mind. With my computer, people will learn about my daughter's disease and have hope. With my computer, I can make money while staying home with my children. With my computer, I am not alone.

Stepping away from my computer for even 24 hours is not an option. My computer is extension of me, it keeps me sane and it takes me away from my sometimes very stressful life. The only way you can pull me away from the computer is by handcuffing me and putting me in jail. The charge, mishandling the computer and computer overuse; guilty as charged. Go ahead throw the book at me but first give me my laptop so I can Google a good lawyer.

Taking a child to the doctors can be frightening experience for everyone involved. It doesn't matter what age the child is, a visit to the doctors can be a very traumatic event. You can make visits to the doctors easier for you and your child by following a few simple suggestions.

Prior to the doctor's visit, be honest with your child about the reason for the visit. If the visit to the doctor is for immunizations, tell your child exactly what to expect. Immunizations require shots and sometimes multiple shots. Tell your child that it will hurt a little but only for a brief moment. Tell your child why it's necessary for them to get immunizations.

If the visit to the doctor is for an illness, again tell the child what might happen during the appointment. However, reassure your child that you will be with them throughout the entire appointment. The worst thing a parent can do is not prepare the child for the doctor's visit in advance. Tell your child that the doctor will use special tools to look in the ears, the nose and in the mouth. Make sure you also explain the use of a stethoscope.

Don't forget to tell your child about the blood pressure cuff. The cuff is tight and can hurt as it tightens around your child's arm. Explain to your child that the tightness is only temporary and the cuff will release its grip as soon as it gets a proper reading. Having your child watch the numbers on the blood pressure machine can keep their mind off the procedure.

If your child is afraid of shots you can ask the doctor to provide a prescription for EMLA cream prior to the appointment. EMLA cream is a topical anesthetic that numbs the skin thus decreasing the pain. To use EMLA cream, just rub the cream in the area where the shot will be administered, your child will not feel any pain. The EMLA cream is also good for IV's and lab draws.

Sometimes it is necessary for your child to undergo specialized tests such as ultrasound's, CT scans, x-rays, or other medical tests. Explaining to your child why the specialized test is needed will prepare your child for what might otherwise be scary. You don't have to be exact in your explanation but let them know these tests are needed to get more answers.

Today's pediatric doctors, whether it's specialist in a certain pediatric area or regular pediatric doctor, are very aware of the fear surrounding doctor's visits. Many doctors today no longer wear the white lab coats because of the fear that the lab coats create. If your doctor still dresses like a doctor, you might suggest prior to the visit that the doctor remove their lab coat. Explaining to your doctor the fears your child has will make the doctor more comfortable in treating your child and in turn creating a much more likable relationship between doctor and child.

The most important thing to remember is that your child will show fear and frustration, if you show fear and frustration. Putting yourself in your child's shoes will help you better understand their feelings. Acknowledging your child's feelings is an important part of successful parenting. Telling your child it's okay to be scared and mad is acceptable, that you are scare and mad too. However, make sure you tell them that together you both will get through the doctors visit