Fun Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy

Whether you just found out you’re pregnant or you’ve known for a few months, announcing your pregnancy to family and friends can be a lot of fun. Some may want to wait until a certain time during their pregnancy, while others want to call everyone immediately after finding out themselves.

Telling The Father

Have a romantic dinner for two with candle lights. It may be your last time for a while, between morning sickness and raising your little one. Serve up baby carrots, baby back ribs and anything else you can think as baby. At the end, pour apple juice instead of wine and hand him a present. Inside you can have a tiny baby bib that says, “My heart, My Daddy” or a pair of baby booties.

If you can’t tell the father right away because he’s away on business, or deployed try sending him a care package. Inside the box place a few baby items, everything in blue and pink and a baby naming book in the centre. Place a note on top of the book with, “I need a name soon, I’ll be here by June” or whenever the baby is due.

You can also see how long it takes him to figure it out. Go to the store and pick up a bunch of small baby items, a bib, rattle, bottle, booties, etc. For a week, leave an item laying around the house where he is bound to find them. At the end of the week if he hasn’t figured it out yet, prepare the big gift. Have a large teddy bear sitting at the dinner table in the seat beside him. Make sure there is a bib wrapped around him and maybe a sign that says, “Hi Daddy”. 

Telling Family and Friends

Show up to a family gathering wearing a shirt that announces your state. These days there are a ton of shirts out there with clever sayings, “Baby on Board,” “A Bun in the Oven,” or something related to the pregnancy. The moment you walk in or take off your jacket everyone will figure it out without you ever having to say a word. Now, get ready for the tears and excitement. You’ll be answering a ton of questions.

If you already have children you may want to call the grandparents up and tell them that the next Christmas they may want to add one more to the list.

If this is the first grandchild, you may want to get a bracelet link for your mom that reads, “#1 Grandma” or grandparent t-shirts. This will not only be a great present for them but something they will cherish and love forever.

No matter when you spread the news it can be a lot of fun. Just think creatively and let the pieces fall. You may even want to try catching all of it on video. So think ahead and prepare for the BIG moment, and I’m not meaning the birth.

The Effect of Hormones on A Woman’s Sexual Capability

Hormones play an important role in regulating sexual function in women. With the decrease in the female hormone estrogen that is related to aging and menopause, many women experience some changes in sexual function as they age, including poor vaginal lubrication and decreased genital sensation. 

Further, research suggests that low levels of the male hormone testosterone also contribute to a decline in sexual arousal, genital sensation, and orgasm. 

Researchers still are investigating the benefits of hormones and other medications, including drugs like Viagra, to treat sexual problems in women. 

What Effect Does a Hysterectomy Have on Sexual Function?

Many women experience changes in sexual function after a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). These changes may include a loss of desire as well as decreased vaginal lubrication and genital sensation.

These problems may be associated with the hormonal changes that occur with the loss of the uterus. Furthermore, nerves and blood vessels critical to sexual function can be damaged during the surgery. 

How Does Menopause Affect a Woman's Sexual Function?

The loss of estrogen following menopause can lead to changes in a woman's sexual functioning. Emotional changes that often accompany menopause can add to a woman's loss of interest in sex and/or ability to become aroused.

Hormone replacement therapy -- HRT -- may improve certain conditions, such as loss of vaginal lubrication and genital sensation, which can create problems with sexual function.

It should be noted that some postmenopausal women report an increase in sexual satisfaction. This may be due to decreased anxiety over getting pregnant. 

In addition, postmenopausal woman often have fewer child-rearing responsibilities, allowing them to relax and enjoy intimacy with their partners. 

Many women experience a problem with sexual function from time to time. However, when the problems are persistent, they can cause distress for the women and her partner, and can have a negative impact on their relationship. If you consistently experience these problems, see your doctor for evaluation and treatment. 

Common Wrong Uses of Baby Pacifiers

 

Crying babies usually pose a challenge to many career couples, especially when the child cries at night when everyone ought to be asleep. For many mothers and fathers, the easiest way around the crying baby fuss is to give the child a pacifier. But is this the best way to go?

Experts have voiced valid concerns regarding the use (and abuse) of pacifiers. Not only can pacifiers cause ‘nipple confusion’ in an infant, it is also associated with premature weaning.

A newborn infant is driven to suck on anything placed in their mouths, including a finger or artificial nipple. In fact, for the small or easygoing baby, this drive to suck may become a substitute for feedings, since the urge to suck is being satisfied.  

Some babies might be satisfied with the simple act of sucking, and if a weary mom or dad decides to try the pacifier in an attempt to get baby to sleep for a longer period of time or go further between feedings, it can result in such problems as poor weight gain, and in the nursing mom, mastitis, engorgement, a decrease in milk supply, or plugged lactation ducts.

Pacifiers and artificial nipples are specially designed so they automatically stimulate the spot in the back of the baby’s mouth, between the hard palate and soft palate that stimulates the sucking reflex. This might create a ‘lazy baby’ who will have trouble drawing mom’s nipple into his mouth far enough back to that same sucking reflex is stimulated during feeding time.

The pacifier’s shape can even cause changes in the arch of the soft bony roof of the mouth, molding it high and narrow around the shape of the pacifier. 

It is very important to avoid two common, yet very harmful, practices when using pacifiers.  

1.         Do not tie the pacifier to a string so that it’s readily available within baby’s reach should the urge strike. This is especially dangerous once baby becomes mobile and learning to crawl and roll, and could pose a strangulation hazard.

2.         Secondly, do not dip the pacifier tip in honey or something equally sweet, as this could introduce cavities in baby’s teeth. 

Generally speaking, infants and toddlers do not receive regular dental checkups like older children and adults, so therefore if a cavity should develop as a result of such a practice, it could result in severe harm and pain in baby’s mouth and teeth. 

And finally, be cautious of the overuse or misuse of a pacifier.  If your baby isn’t fussy or upset, a pacifier is obviously not needed. And when you offer the pacifier to your baby, is it really to pacify baby or is it more to pacify you?

How Are Female Sexual Problems Treated?

The ideal approach to treating sexual problems in women involves a team effort between the woman, doctors, and trained therapists. Most types of sexual problems can be corrected by treating the underlying physical or psychological problems. Other treatment strategies focus on the following:

• Providing education. Education about human anatomy, sexual function, and the normal changes associated with aging, as well as sexual behaviors and responses, may help a woman overcome her anxieties about sexual function and performance.
• Enhancing stimulation. This may include the use of erotic materials (videos or books), masturbation, and changes to sexual routines.
• Providing distraction techniques. Erotic or non-erotic fantasies, exercises with intercourse, music, videos, or television can be used to increase relaxation and eliminate anxiety.
• Encouraging non-coital behaviors. Non-coital behaviors (physically stimulating activity that does not include intercourse), such as sensual massage, can be used to promote comfort and increase communication between partners.
• Minimizing pain. Using sexual positions that allow the woman to control the depth of penetration may help relieve some pain. The use of vaginal lubricants can help reduce pain caused by friction, and a warm bath before intercourse can help increase relaxation.

Can Female Sexual Problems Be Cured?

The success of treatment for female sexual dysfunction depends on the underlying cause of the problem. 

The outlook is good for sexual problems related to a treatable or reversible physical condition. Mild dysfunction that is related to stress, fear, or anxiety often can be successfully treated with counseling, education, and improved communication between partners.

The Effect of Sexual Problems in A Women

A sexual problem or sexual dysfunction is a problem during any phase of the sexual response cycle that prevents a woman from experiencing satisfaction from the sexual activity. This essentially disturbs or distorts sexual response.

The most common problems related to sexual dysfunction in women include:

1.         Inhibited sexual desire:

This involves a lack of sexual desire or interest in sex. Many factors can contribute to a lack of desire, including hormonal changes, medical conditions and treatments (for example cancer and chemotherapy), depression, pregnancy, stress, and fatigue.

Boredom with regular sexual routines also may contribute to a lack of enthusiasm for sex, as can lifestyle factors, such as careers and the care of children. 

2.         Inability to become aroused:

For women, the inability to become physically aroused during sexual activity often involves insufficient vaginal lubrication. The inability to become aroused also may be related to anxiety or inadequate stimulation. In addition, researchers are investigating how blood flow problems affecting the vagina and clitoris may contribute to arousal problems.

3.         Lack of orgasm (anorgasmia):

This is the absence of sexual climax (orgasm). It can be caused by sexual inhibition, inexperience, lack of knowledge, and psychological factors such as guilt, anxiety, or a past sexual trauma or abuse.

Other factors contributing to anorgasmia include insufficient stimulation, certain medications, and chronic diseases. 

4.         Painful intercourse:

Pain during intercourse can be caused by a number of problems, including endometriosis, a pelvic mass, ovarian cysts, vaginitis, poor lubrication, the presence of scar tissue from surgery or a sexually transmitted disease. 

A condition called vaginismus is a painful, involuntary spasm of the muscles that surround the vaginal entrance. It may occur in women who fear that penetration will be painful and also may stem from a sexual phobia or from a previous traumatic or painful experience.