Parenting clips:
Published in Parenting, on Parenting.com and CNN.com
6 Things to Know About Childhood Depression
My daughter Rachel is sitting silently ten feet away from me, stroking our cat. It's a hot summer day and nearby her siblings are all splashing in our new pool. Why isn't my 11-year-old with them? Because she suffers from clinical
depression, and she isn't having one of her better days.
I first noticed Rachel's symptoms when she was 6. She started clinging to me more than usual, crying at the smallest provocation, eating less, and having nightmares. She seemed anxious. After several weeks, the situation seemed to
resolve on its own, but, having been through depression several times myself, I was on the watch for other signs.
For the rest of the story, click here.
6 Things to Know About Childhood Depression
My daughter Rachel is sitting silently ten feet away from me, stroking our cat. It's a hot summer day and nearby her siblings are all splashing in our new pool. Why isn't my 11-year-old with them? Because she suffers from clinical
depression, and she isn't having one of her better days.
I first noticed Rachel's symptoms when she was 6. She started clinging to me more than usual, crying at the smallest provocation, eating less, and having nightmares. She seemed anxious. After several weeks, the situation seemed to
resolve on its own, but, having been through depression several times myself, I was on the watch for other signs.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, September 2009
Labour of Love
You may be wondering whether or not you should consider using some sort of pain medication while you're in labour. Whether it's your first baby or your fourth, the question is in the back of most mums' minds. With so many pain relief options these days, it's hard to know what to choose, if anything.
According to Dr. Chua Yang, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at A Clinic for Women, the use of pain relievers is a very individual decision. "The method of choice depends on the mother-to-be's past medical and aenesthetic history,
any spinal deformity, allergies to drugs, order of birth, and, of course, pain threshold," she says.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Labour of Love
You may be wondering whether or not you should consider using some sort of pain medication while you're in labour. Whether it's your first baby or your fourth, the question is in the back of most mums' minds. With so many pain relief options these days, it's hard to know what to choose, if anything.
According to Dr. Chua Yang, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at A Clinic for Women, the use of pain relievers is a very individual decision. "The method of choice depends on the mother-to-be's past medical and aenesthetic history,
any spinal deformity, allergies to drugs, order of birth, and, of course, pain threshold," she says.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, September 2009
Feed Your Foetus
There has been much speculation over whether or not nutrition has any influence on the quality of human gametes (mature sperm and eggs), so can eating well enhance gamete quality enough to give you a higher chance of conceiving? Recent research says it’s likely.
For example, a new study from Spain shows evidence that men who eat more fruits and vegetables have better quality semen than those who consume more meats (protein) and full-fat dairy. Researchers believe it’s the antioxidants found in fruits and veggies that increase semen health, mobility and concentration. The study also showed that not getting enough antioxidants leads to lower reproduction rates in men.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Feed Your Foetus
There has been much speculation over whether or not nutrition has any influence on the quality of human gametes (mature sperm and eggs), so can eating well enhance gamete quality enough to give you a higher chance of conceiving? Recent research says it’s likely.
For example, a new study from Spain shows evidence that men who eat more fruits and vegetables have better quality semen than those who consume more meats (protein) and full-fat dairy. Researchers believe it’s the antioxidants found in fruits and veggies that increase semen health, mobility and concentration. The study also showed that not getting enough antioxidants leads to lower reproduction rates in men.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, December 2008
Your Baby's First Christmas
I remember my twin girls' first Christmas well. At six months, they were old enough to appreciate tearing the wrapping paper off their gifts piece by piece, but still too young to care about what was inside said boxes. Being the only grandchildren on both sides of the family meant spoiling of the worst kind. Thank goodness the girls were too young to notice how many toys, clothes and other items they accumulated. The only remembrance they still have from that overstimulating Christmas is a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament that my sister gave each of them.
My older son's first Christmas was a lot more relaxed. Only four months old, he charmed everyone in his red and green Christmas pajamas with his curly blond hair and big, observant blue eyes. We managed to stick pretty close to his schedule and the event was a great deal calmer than the twins' first Christmas had been.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Your Baby's First Christmas
I remember my twin girls' first Christmas well. At six months, they were old enough to appreciate tearing the wrapping paper off their gifts piece by piece, but still too young to care about what was inside said boxes. Being the only grandchildren on both sides of the family meant spoiling of the worst kind. Thank goodness the girls were too young to notice how many toys, clothes and other items they accumulated. The only remembrance they still have from that overstimulating Christmas is a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament that my sister gave each of them.
My older son's first Christmas was a lot more relaxed. Only four months old, he charmed everyone in his red and green Christmas pajamas with his curly blond hair and big, observant blue eyes. We managed to stick pretty close to his schedule and the event was a great deal calmer than the twins' first Christmas had been.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, October 2008
It's in the Genes!
It's so much fun before a baby is born to guess what he will look like (will he sport dad's long legs or mum's freckles?) and how his personality will turn out. But despite the entertainment this thinking can generate, particularly when done in conjunction with your partner, no amount of guessing can possibly prepare you for how your child will actually turn out.
The gene pool is a mystifying concept -- there is just no way of knowing what will come out of it. Will your child have curly hair like his brother? Will she wrinkle up her nose the same way her grandfather does or have a temper that's easily sparked? Maybe he'll inherit a predisposition to ear infections or allergies, all thanks to you. All the different possible combinations, both physical and personality-wise, are mind-boggling. was a great deal calmer than the twins' first Christmas had been.
For the rest of the story, click here.
It's in the Genes!
It's so much fun before a baby is born to guess what he will look like (will he sport dad's long legs or mum's freckles?) and how his personality will turn out. But despite the entertainment this thinking can generate, particularly when done in conjunction with your partner, no amount of guessing can possibly prepare you for how your child will actually turn out.
The gene pool is a mystifying concept -- there is just no way of knowing what will come out of it. Will your child have curly hair like his brother? Will she wrinkle up her nose the same way her grandfather does or have a temper that's easily sparked? Maybe he'll inherit a predisposition to ear infections or allergies, all thanks to you. All the different possible combinations, both physical and personality-wise, are mind-boggling. was a great deal calmer than the twins' first Christmas had been.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, April 2008
10 Reasons Why NOW is the BEST Time to Have a Baby!
We give you our top 10 reasons why NOW is really the best time to have a baby...
1. Pain relief. Need we say more? Our choices are better than ever before. In the not so distant past, labouring mothers were injected with a combination of morphine and scopolamine, keeping them in a semi-conscious state and leaving them with no memory of the birth. Often, restraints had to be used with this method, called "twilight sleep," since the drugs could cause women to thrash around. Not only are we now able to participate in our babies' births and create our own birth plans, we have pain control options ranging from sitting in the hot tub to massage to low-dose painkillers to epidurals. Plus we're allowed to change our minds about going through labour with no pain relief, as the going gets harder.
For the rest of the story, click here.
10 Reasons Why NOW is the BEST Time to Have a Baby!
We give you our top 10 reasons why NOW is really the best time to have a baby...
1. Pain relief. Need we say more? Our choices are better than ever before. In the not so distant past, labouring mothers were injected with a combination of morphine and scopolamine, keeping them in a semi-conscious state and leaving them with no memory of the birth. Often, restraints had to be used with this method, called "twilight sleep," since the drugs could cause women to thrash around. Not only are we now able to participate in our babies' births and create our own birth plans, we have pain control options ranging from sitting in the hot tub to massage to low-dose painkillers to epidurals. Plus we're allowed to change our minds about going through labour with no pain relief, as the going gets harder.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in Motherhood, February 2008
Boy or Girl?
Pregnant with my third baby after having twin girls three years earlier, I was consumed with finding out the gender. I already had an ultrasound scan early in my pregnancy, somy doctor wouldn't schedule another one. I'm not a patient person under the best of circumstances, but being half-crazed with hormones on top of my inclination to impatience, I defiantly called the obstetrician and scheduled my own ultrasound.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Boy or Girl?
Pregnant with my third baby after having twin girls three years earlier, I was consumed with finding out the gender. I already had an ultrasound scan early in my pregnancy, somy doctor wouldn't schedule another one. I'm not a patient person under the best of circumstances, but being half-crazed with hormones on top of my inclination to impatience, I defiantly called the obstetrician and scheduled my own ultrasound.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Published in TWINS Magazine, September/October 2006
One-Pound Miracles!
When Ann Lee of Aberdeen, S.D., went for her 24-week prenatal check-up, her obstetrician described different signs of labor. The birth of her twins seemed somewhere off in the hazy future. The babies were due in February, long months away.
The following afternoon, Lee lost her cervical plug. Suddenly, the twins' imminent birth was nightmarishly close.
For the rest of the story, click here.
One-Pound Miracles!
When Ann Lee of Aberdeen, S.D., went for her 24-week prenatal check-up, her obstetrician described different signs of labor. The birth of her twins seemed somewhere off in the hazy future. The babies were due in February, long months away.
The following afternoon, Lee lost her cervical plug. Suddenly, the twins' imminent birth was nightmarishly close.
For the rest of the story, click here.
© 2006-2013 sarah e. ludwig. All rights reserved. Material may not be reprinted in any form without permission from the author.
