Surrogacy is a method by which a baby is delivered by a woman on behalf of another woman who is not fit to carry the baby through the pregnancy. It was artificial insemination that gave rise to surrogate motherhood. A traditional surrogate is a woman who is inseminated with sperm from the biological father. She carries the baby, delivers it and the parents raise the child. She is the biological mother of the child as it is her egg that is used for fertilization. Gestational surrogates are those who bear the baby brought out of in-vitro fertilization, which makes it possible to harvest the eggs from the mother, and then fertilize it with the father’s sperms. This surrogate motherhood involves the mother to carry the baby till birth. She does not have any genetic links with the child, as it  [...]

An unforeseen miscarriage could occur for many reasons and the cause is not always the same. When a miscarriage happens in the first three months of pregnancy it is due to some problem with the fetus. Usually most of the miscarriages occur during the first three months of the pregnancy. When the miscarriage occurs during the second half of the pregnancy then it could be because the mother is not in good health. At times miscarriages could be due to an infection around the baby within which causes the bag of waters to break. This could occur with a lot of bleeding and pain and is usually caused because the womb opens faster than it should. When there is a problem with the chromosome of the fetus then there could be a miscarriage. Chromosome is usually blocks of DNA and has particular set  [...]

The stressful yet gratifying feeling of starting a family Giving birth in a foreign country is by far the most excruciating and stressful thing I’ve ever experienced in my whole 34-year existence in this beautiful planet. To say that the nine-month process of monthly doctor appointments, a ton of sleepless nights, and the constant craving for Irish cuisine has a lot of ups and downs, is definitely a huge understatement. Truthfully, I was exhausted, and felt like Kristen Rasmussen after a triple overtime basketball game. But as I wrapped my arms around my little bundle of joy for the first time, all the pain and agony were replaced with the feeling of touching a real life angel. According to Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency 52% of all babies born in the country were in  [...]

Pregnancy after the age 50 today occurs quite frequently in the present time. Fecundity in a woman usually ends with menopause. Normally a woman who has 12 consecutive months without period. Normally perimenopause begins between the ages of 40 and 51. This is the time when the periods are irregular and at times totally stop. Thus women above 50 usually do have lesser fertility as compared to women lesser than 50. Men usually remain fertile through their life. The risk of genetical discrepancy could lead to some problems of fertility. As the mothers age increases the risk of complications in pregnancy in women increases. There are many risks that are linked with the fertility, as a woman grows older. Hypertension, gestational diabetes, miscarriage, placenta previa are all conditions that are  [...]

Healthy eating is not about sticking to particular nutrition patterns. Instead, it is about eating right and staying fit. Do not deprive yourself of eating the foods that you love most. Healthy eating is about feeling great, balancing your mood, and keeping yourself as fit as possible. All this is achieved by learning some basic facts about nutrition and using them in a manner that works best for you. You can not only choose the kind of food you wish to eat but also manage to maintain a tasty and a healthy diet. Simplify your diet and do not be very concerned about the calories or the measuring sizes. Think of the variety of food you could have and the freshness factor. This is the best way you could get around to making choices. Go for the easier foods and make a note of the cooking recipes,  [...]

Nutrition for kids is entirely based on the fact that it has to be regular and proper. Nutrients like minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrates, and fat are essential but have to be taken in the right quantity. Children get their protein content from lean meat, seafood, poultry, beans, eggs, soy products, beans and unsalted nuts and seeds. It is important that your child also have a lot of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are best had fresh but you can also have canned and frozen or dried fruits too. If your child likes to drink juice then it has to be 100 percent pure juice. Vegetables include the dark green variety and also the orange, red, and yellow ones along with peas and beans. Grains are another important ingredient for the child so choose the whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, popcorn,  [...]

A recent brain research has established a base for many of the small difficulties, not only cognitive, but also physical, social and emotional. These have been exhibited by children who have faced a lot of maltreatment when they are young. When an infant is maltreated during early childhood and infancy it affects development of brain and has long lasting repercussions in adulthood and adolescence. These experiences dominate child development and provide the basic organizational framework for the way children express their emotions and develop personalities. When children have negative experiences, they might develop emotional, learning, and behavioral problems. If a child is ill treated during infancy then it could negatively affect child development. This also includes the overall cognitive,  [...]

While taking care of children, the biting habits are difficult to handle. Usually such children are said to be negative and this is a challenge faced by most child care settings.  Whether it is in a day care, at home, in a playgroup or plainly among siblings, this behavior in children is something that has to be considered. When the child is dealt with a spank, then the child reacts with howls and sulks and at times, they throw a temper tantrum. What should be done about these biting habits is something that is a point of contention. There is lot of concern about a biting child and it has been seen that it happens either due to frustration or due to biting in defense. The best way is to handle the child firmly and when you see that the child is about to bite, there is a lot of aggression  [...]

The body needs time to recoup after the labor and the birth process. Wait till the postnatal follow up so that you can understand about child birth and weight loss. Usually this check up is in the sixth or the eight week after child birth. If you are breastfeeding, you should ensure that you wait till you but and baby have got used to the idea of breastfeeding so that you can lose weight. Once you deliver the baby, you will need lot of energy to get back to life. If you start too early after child birth, you may delay the recovery process and this could tire you. Once you have reached a stage where you could lose weight safely, focus on eating healthy food which should include lot of vegetables and fruits along with the regular snacks and meals. This will speed up your recovery process and  [...]

Child behavior is a very important part of growing up and it is the job of the parents to ensure that the child behaves well. Bad behavior does not stop with diaper training or bottle feeding. Teenage years are the time the parent faces the toughest challenges and any parent who is able to cope up with this with grace has achieved the stars. Sulking, lying, arguing, and rebelling are common patterns of child behavior in teenage. There is in fact an explanation for such behavior. The teens become independent during these years and they do not have the emotional maturity to take their own decisions. The brain has not completely developed by this time. The absolute blend of immature thoughts and autonomous decisions is what makes a teen get rebellious. So they resort to smoking, drinking, and  [...]

There is a lot of connection between children suffering abuse and parents drinking alcohol. Alcohol is a major factor in cases of child abuse and two out of five such parents are alcoholics. Parental alcohol abuse is linked with either sexual or physical abuse of the children. This abuse is thus a difficult thing to handle if the parents are alcoholic. Physical abuse results in bruises, cuts, fractures, and burns. Sexual abuse includes all actions from touching without permission to rape. Children find it traumatic to live with a parent who is alcoholic, which often leads to neglect. Alcoholic parents generally have impaired judgment. Usually parents have a tendency to take out their frustration on their children when they are addicted to alcohol. The child is physically abused and such children  [...]

 All the babies differ in their feeding pattern, but there are many baby feeding schedules that you could use to make a unique one for your baby. A toddler falls in the age range of 1 to 3 years. Sleep needs also change during these years. When a one year sleeps 12 hours at night, and around two to three hours in day, the three year old would not nap at all in the afternoon and would sleep through the night. Around the time when the baby is two years old, the sleep time comes down to around 12 hours to 13 hours during night and this includes a nap in the afternoon. The average age for any toddler to transit from a single nap to no nap is around the time it is 15 months to a year and half old. If the toddler happens to be a cranky one, he could face with disaster when he is in the transit  [...]

Adoption is a condition, which the entire family has to get adjusted to. The adoption travel is truly a defining moment for the near and dear ones and is an event that not only brings the parents but also the children together. Most of the adoptive parents go to meet their new addition to the family to a city nearby or to a totally different country. This trip makes a big difference in the life of the parents. The meeting is usually in unfamiliar surroundings, which makes the entire trip and experience a unique and memorable one. Normally, adoptive families take the advice of experienced adoptive parents who have made such travels and who guide them well through their initial impressions. If you are a first time adoptive parent then you should be aware that it is quite difficult to carry  [...]