Category: Remedies

 

“You didn’t sound Black over the phone.”  He was bold in his assumption, but I wasn’t surprised. I’d experienced similar reactions before. I was slightly amused by his bewilderment. He looked let down, like a man set up on a blind date with an ugly girl.

As familiar as his reaction was, I was unsure of how to respond. True, our communication to that point had been via phone. He’d obviously made presumptions, which were proving to be untrue.

He loosely motioned toward a chair. I sat down. He began a soft interrogation.

“Where are you from? Where did you go to school?” Then he blurted out his real dilemma: Why do you sound white?

I should’ve been angry as he went on to explain he didn’t detect any of the colloquialisms he found common in Black people’s speech in our phone conversations. I wasn’t angry because it wasn’t my struggle. I know who I am.

What he meant was, “You’re not who you’re supposed to be.” But I was exactly who I was supposed to be. He couldn’t fit me within the boundaries of his narrow assumptions. My black skin coupled with my “white” voice hijacked his preconceived conclusion. I wasn’t what he’d expected.

Have you ever made an assumption about someone based on the color of their skin or culture and your assumption turned out to be false?

I have. We’re human. Many of us make assumptions based on race. Thankfully, I don’t have to respond according to what other people assume about me. I don’t find my worth in how other people see me or expect me to act based on my skin color.

Sadly, we live in a world where some people don’t get past the color of my skin to find out who I really am. I can’t be summed up based on skin color alone. I’m not that simple. I’ve been molded by experiences, thoughts, and beliefs, which have shaped how I choose to interpret life.

He wanted to place me in a box. When we place people in boxes we miss out. We don’t experience the fullness of who they are because we’re closed off to seeing anything outside our assumptions. Drawing conclusions about people based on race or ethnicity is a form of racism. An ugly, inflammatory word that’s associated with hatred. No one wants to be called a racist. And I don’t believe most people are racist.

But racism covers a broad spectrum. We’ve narrowed it to the extreme. You don’t have to be a card-carrying member of the KKK or drive a car into a crowd of protestors to be guilty of thinking prejudicial thoughts, i.e. assumptions.

We can’t move get to the root of racism without challenging our assumptions.

Look at other people the way you want them to look at you. Ask the hard questions, even if you think it makes you look like a racist. Can it be any more prejudicial than asking me if:

•  all five of my children biologically belong to my husband and me?
•  I’ve tried one of the Black churches across town?
• “colored” babies look white when they’re born?

Or admitting:

• you couldn’t tell I was Black over the phone.
• you grew up in the ghetto just like I did.

Or telling me:

• you sometimes forget I’m Black.
• I’m not like other Black people.
• my house looks just like a white person’s on the inside.
• you’re not racist because one of your best friends in high school was Black.

Or assuming:

• my kid qualifies for a need-based scholarship before collecting any financial information.

Does making one of these assumptions or asking one of these questions make you a racist? My hunch is, no, it doesn’t. I shouldn’t anymore assume someone is racist on the basis of a question combined with their skin color than others should assume how I should speak, worship, or decorate my house on the basis of my skin color.

My skin–like how I talk, where I go to church, and how I raise my kids–is just one aspect of who I am. It doesn’t determine my values or perspective. It doesn’t define me. I do. My being is rooted in something much deeper than the tint of my skin.

Asking questions and seeking answers do not make you a racist. What I hope is it makes us less likely to generalize and assume.

Racism isn’t unique to black and white. It’s been around since the beginning of time and is present in all cultures. When we reduce people to nothing more than skin color, it’s to our detriment. We miss out. We don’t allow ourselves to appreciate the richness which goes beyond skin.  I’m still amused when I meet someone, and I can sense they’re trying to find a place for me within the boundaries of their assumptions.

But I still smile and hope our encounter will force them to challenge their assumptions and look beyond skin and perhaps discover something more.

Which of your preconceived notions about someone based on skin color or culture has been disproved?

Sheila Qualls is a former civilian journalist and editor for the U.S. Army’s award-winning newspaper, The Cannoneer. Sheila is now a stay-at-home mom, speaker and writer. Sheila writes from the experience of 30 years of marriage, five kids, homeschooling, 10 corporate moves, two dogs and a ferret. (May they rest in peace.) She inspires women by giving them a view into her world through a window of humor and transparency, one awkward moment at a time. She helps women navigate life’s emotional twists and turns so they can be the authentic women God called them to be. You can follow her on Facebook or on her blog at http://www.sheilaqualls.com.

Growing up I never participated in sports, never.

When I gave birth to my first child I thought about beginning a workout routine to lose the 35lb of baby weight. But, the utter chaos of learning how to be a mom put an end to that crazy talk! Instead, I buckled our son up in the stroller and hit the local park and walked.

When my second baby was born I gained 40 pounds and moved to the middle of nowhere Wyoming. Walking off the weight was no longer an option so, I invested in some workout DVD’s and lost the weight.

Two years later it was time to drop the weight from baby three. My like-minded mom friends and I began to meet up weekly for a mama boot camp…and for the first time ever I ran. It was only for short distances but with experienced athletic girlfriends cheering me on I began to run/walk for longer distances and eventually just ran.

My bestie (TallGirlJ) and I signed up for a 5K, trained together for months, and upon completion I was hooked.
I began to add more and more miles and signed up for longer races to help motivate me to keep pushing.

As I added the miles and had two more children (for a total of 5) finding time to run became harder. But, I began to realize that running for me had become about so much more than losing weight.

It was my time to be by myself and run away from all the things that are constantly pulling at me all day long. It’s my time alone with my thoughts and an opportunity to process what has been going on in my life with no interruptions.

I realized taking a break and running away, allowed me to run back to my life, feeling stronger and ready to take on whatever came my way.  As I pondered how to write about running, and how it’s impacted my life, I recalled a few pivotal moments that occurred when running.

Between baby three and four I had two miscarriages in a row. I was feeling scared, weary, angry and hopeless. I distinctly remember parking at a local park, getting out of the car and running as hard as I physically could. I wanted to beat my body up, I wanted to punish it for failing me yet again. With each jarring step on the pavement I let myself think every terrible thought that I had been pushing down for months. As my body begged me to stop I listened, and slowed down to my normal pace…only to realize that as my breathing slowed, I was filled with a sense of calm that had been missing for months.

I became pregnant a month later.   As I ran through my first trimester, I visualized pushing my strength into my baby. Encouraging him to thrive and grow strong.

After my daughter was born (baby 5) I was struggling in every way. I couldn’t lose the last 20 pounds and I was overwhelmed in my daily life. As I ran up the hill on my dirt road, I felt every extra pound jiggle and even though I had crested that hill 100’s of times before, all I wanted to do was lay down in the ditch and cry. It took every ounce of my strength to keep moving and the fear I felt led me to realize that I was suffering from postpartum depression. When I got home I walked in the door, into my husband’s arms, began to cry, and asked him for help.

4 months later I completed a 15k race. I was alone when I started it, scared to death and intimidated beyond belief by the thousands of other experienced racers that surrounded me. As I approached the finish line, I heard my name and saw my husband and children cheering me on. The love I felt when my family hugged me at the finish, my husband with tears of pride in his eyes, still makes me cry tears of joy as I write this.

Last year I underwent a preventive mastectomy. As I set out to run for what I knew would be last time for months, I cried. I was afraid, I was full of doubt, and I was exhausted at the thought of what lay ahead of me. Questions and what ifs filled my brain but, as my body kept me moving forward down the sidewalk, I was reminded of my strength. As I climbed into my car I made a promise to myself that if I made it through the next year of surgeries I would train for a half marathon.

It’s coming up in two weeks, and as I struggle to find balance with family and friends and make time to run I am reminded yet again…

Sometimes running away is the best way to learn how to run back.

Simple Tips to Boost Your Child‘s Health Now

A mother’s job is to keep her children as safe and as healthy as possible. There are those parents who define “healthy” as their child simply being alive, breathing and moving. More health conscious parents know there is more to a child’s health than simply existing. Teaching children how to live healthfully is something that they will keep with them for the rest of their lives. Many children learn from the examples that mothers and fathers set, so practicing what we preach is essential to passing on healthy habits. Following are tips that you can engage in to start improving your child’s overall health.

Exercise Daily

Most people will read this section as a recommendation to take your child to the weight room every day. This could not be further from the truth, as unsupervised children and teens with no experience lifting weights can be dangerous. Take your child to the gym if you’d like, but be aware that you must provide supervision when inviting them to participate in your workouts, like a spinning or yoga class. Outside of the gym, sports are a great way to get kids active and boost their enjoyment of physical activity. Simply exercising can be boring for them, but playing a game like basketball is fun. Even taking a few bike rides as a family each week can improve the fitness levels of everyone in the home. This can also be a great way to bond without phones or other technology distracting you.

Reduce Fast Food

A family on the go sometimes cannot help but stop at a fast food restaurant after soccer practice or a late theater performance. However, reducing fast food should be the goal to boost your family’s nutrition and health. Rather than having it on a weekly basis, fast food should be considered a treat in a developing child’s diet. To help reduce fast food intake, plan and prep your weekly family meals over the weekend. Fast food can be the result of poor planning, but committing to thinking ahead about your meals can prevent over-consumption of processed fast food options. Feeding your child McDonald’s after a tough workout or game can actually do more harm than good, so commit to planning healthy meals ahead of time.

Eliminate Dust and Mold

The amount of contaminants in the home is staggering, and many families do not realize how they are being impacted on a daily basis. The presence of mold may not be detected with the naked eye, but it can produce a myriad of consequences for the family, including respiratory problems and headaches. Eliminating dust is also important for a family with allergies. Dust collection systems used at manufacturing companies might be a bit overzealous for a home, but they are a great example of keeping your living space as clean as possible. There are smaller systems for homes that can help with keeping your family’s air dust-free. A hands-free vacuum can also help reduce dust.

Stay Consistent With Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene habits need to be taught at an early age. A great smile can boost morale and support professional and personal endeavors later in life. Educate your child on healthy flossing, brushing and mouthwash use. For younger children, an toothpaste with a special flavor can boost their motivation to stick to dental hygiene habits. Make sure to use nonalcoholic mouthwash for young children, as they often swallow the mouthwash. Not only will dental hygiene support your children’s healthy teeth, but it will also save you money by reducing cavities and avoiding other dental procedures later one.

As you can see, there are clear and simple ways that you can improve your children’s health. Routine is the most important thing that you can stress with each of these tips, as developing routine early in life can help your children establish healthy habits and prevent health issues later.

Tips And Tricks To Make Sure You Find A Dentist That’s Being Authentic

According to the American Dental Association, 52.3% of adults reported that they had visited the dentist every six months the last few year, 15.4% reported once per year, and 11.0% reported once every two to three years. More than one in five (21.3%) said that they had not visited the dentist in the last few years. The majority of the reason that people don’t do so is due to price. What people fail to recognize is that a dentist’s role is not cosmetic, but an essential component of a proper health regimen. Equally important is finding the proper fit for a dentist. Why this can vary, authenticity is one component to a dentist that you can’t miss. Wondering why? Read on.

What Makes An Authentic Dentist?

Finding an authentic dentist is not as simple a question as “bad” vs “good.” The vast majority of dentists out there are perfectly competent, and what the main issue is finding the proper fit. The reason that authenticity is so important is that it will guide the information presented to you that helps you make an informed decision.

Perhaps the easy way to find whether your prospective dentist is a good match is to check their reputation. The good news is that thanks to platforms like Yelp, Angie’s List, and more, it’s easier than ever to find real opinions on people who have worked with the dentist you are thinking about. Sometimes, you need to filter valid complaints from other concerns, but other than that, these are a great option if you don’t know someone who’s seen the dentist in question firsthand.

Another thing to keep in mind is the style of dentistry you are looking for, which may vary depending on your own lifestyle. Some people generally have healthy teeth and practice good oral hygiene, but are also very busy. They may be best suited for a dentist that does a lot of volume but also has a lot of resources. Sometimes you just need to get in, make sure that everything is good, and get out. Other people, especially those with oral health issues already, may feel more comfortable with a smaller practice that gives off a vibe of being like family. There is no right or wrong choice, but what you need to be sure is that each dentist is representing themselves properly. No one wants a business that is trying to advertise themselves as something they are not, even if they are perfectly competent otherwise.

Finding The Right Dentist

As we mentioned before, online reviews along with friends and family are going to be the best initial way to get a proper impression on a potential dentist. However, sometimes, you need to go further.

The first option, in this case, is likely to be the dentist website’s itself. A site showing photos of dentists along with important information is always going to be a valuable resource, but there are plenty of other visual aspects you may want to look at. Are there any shots of the office? How about the staff? Are there a lot of stock images or actual images on the site? To be fair, for budgetary reasons, every dentist may not put forward a top-of-the-line website (whether or not this is a good decision is a topic for another article). With this said, like if you were seeking out any services, you’re going to want to read between the lines of certain things as well as what is presented directly to you. Remember, it’s not often as simple a question of a “good” or “bad” dentist, but one that fits your need and is authentic in doing so.

If you want to go a bit further, you can do an interview of sorts with the dentist over the phone or in person. In this case, you will need to think of appropriate questions beforehand, such as the services they offer, hours, price, and other things that will impact your decision. This can be a nice way to fill in the blanks after some of the other steps mentioned here.

A dentist’s role is more than just making your teeth clean. As the people in charge of handling your oral health, they play a major role in your quality of life, not to mention the fact that oral health issues can also be related to or indicators for other health conditions. However, especially if you are bringing special needs to the table, you will need to find the right fit. One of the most important qualities across the board, though, is being authentic. Always keep this in the back of your head during your search.

We all know that in most households (don’t bite my head off, I said “most”) Mom is responsible for scheduling the day-to-day events, driving the kids to and from various activities, housework, cooking, doctoring, planning and the list goes on and on. When mom is a little under the weather, Mom still performs all the usual mommy functions but have you ever thought about what happens when she is seriously under the weather? Surgery? Serious Illness? Hospitalization? Hopefully, you won’t have to ever think about things like this but for some families they have been or will be a reality.

I have had 5 surgeries since 2014 so for my family, this has become a reality. I have had to take time out of “family” when it is time to rest and recover. With proper planning, we have managed to get through these times and you can too! Here are 5 tips that will help you if you have an upcoming surgery or serious illness and need some help when it comes to managing the family.

Tip 1- It Takes a Village

We have all heard this expression but it is so true. You have to ask for help if you need it! My family is so blessed to have friends, neighbors and family who bring over meals and help with the kids during the times when I am recovering the first few days after surgery and truly can’t do these things. If you don’t ask or let people know what is going on with you, they won’t know what you need. I am very proud and don’t like to ask and usually don’t but since I am active in helping others, it comes back around when I am in need. Get involved if you are new to town or don’t have family in your local church or Mom groups in your town. There are plenty of ladies who would love to become friends with awesome YOU and be a part of your VILLAGE! It does take a Village, especially when something like this happens.

 

Tip 2- Be active in helping others

I brought up this point above! Be apart of your village. Get involved in your friends, neighbors and families lives. We all need help from time to time! I promise someone right now that you know needs something, they might not be asking, but they do! It really feels good, like soul good, when you help someone in need. Taking someone dinner, or even just asking what they need, offering to take their kids for an hour or two and the list goes on and on are all ways we can help out someone. It comes back around to you in your time of need, I promise!

Tip 3- Be a Planner

One thing that helps me when I know I am about to have surgery and be down for a bit is plan! I make a few dinners and freeze them so my family will have something to eat, plan out activities for the kids a week or two in advance so they are not going stir crazy and my husband isn’t banging his head into the wall wondering what to do with them and stock up on items at the store that I know my family will need in advance so we don’t run out of anything while I am down. Basically take care of everything in advance that I can think of so for my recovery time (whatever that is for you) I can truly rest and relax. Especially if you will be on pain meds and not 100% coherent some of the time you might want to think of writing down some of your routine out as well so your husband or whoever will be spending the days with the kids will know what the routine will be in your absence.  If you don’t have the Cozi App, you should seriously look into getting it!  You can input your schedules into the app and sync it with your husband, one and done!  Read about it here!  Get all the medications you will need filled and ready and the times you will need to take them wrote out and ready.

Tip 4- Rest and Recover

With a couple of my surgeries, I made the mistake of going back to work too fast, not resting, not taking care of myself and it cost me big time. I had a seizure and ended up in ICU for 5 days because of it, not good! One of the most important bits of advice I can offer you is take the time you need to rest and recover! Don’t overdo it! You might think you feel better, you might think you need to get up and clean or get up and play with the kids but you need to follow the doctors orders and you need to listen to your body! If you feel tired, you are. If you feel weak, you are! Listen to your body! Listen to your doctor! If you followed tip 1 then there should be plenty of people helping you clean the house or make dinner and if you followed tip 3 and planned ahead then there is nothing that you really need to do anyway besides relax! Catch up on your favorite shows, besides when else can you lay around in bed and watch TV?? NEVER! ?

Tip 5- Be prepared and informed!

This is so important as well! You are your own health advocate. Read up on what is going on with you. Is it a surgery? Health issue? Hospitalization? Whatever the case, be informed! Ask questions! Let your family know. Do you need a 2nd opinion? In one of my cases, I did and it was the best decision I ever made to change doctors and hospitals at one point the difference between having a suggested craniotomy  to a more simpler procedure! Your health is so important!  Information is power!  You will feel 100% better about what is going on with your body if you truly understand it and so will your family!

Have you ever heard the old saying, “If Mama ain’t well, no one is!” It’s true!

Stay well Mom! Until next time, keep up the juggle because it’s real!

Striving for a healthy family?  Check out our tips here!

Blessings,
The MAK Team

Got a nosebleed? Here’s what you need to know.

For those who have never suffered from a nosebleed before, the first time you get one can be rather stressful and confusing. There seems to be a never-ending flow of contradicting information about what you should do. Do you pinch your nose to try and stop the bleeding, throw your head back or tilt your head forward? The questions just go on and on.

Because a nosebleed can be such a scary experience, even for those who suffer from them regularly, you may also find yourself questioning if medical help is needed. Here we’ll take a look at just how concerned you should be about a nosebleed, and what you need to know in order to effectively respond and stop the bleeding.

Know Your Nosebleed Type

While you may think that a nosebleed is a nosebleed, there are actually two different types. The most common are anterior nosebleeds, which accounts for roughly 90% of nosebleeds. With this type, the blood is coming from the front vessels of your nose. An anterior nosebleed is also typically easy to control.

The other type of nosebleed is posterior, and this type is much less common. It is more serious than the anterior type, and it may require medical attention (and sometimes a hospital stay). With this type of nosebleed, the blood is originiating from the artery at the back of your nose.

If you are experiencing this type of nosebleed, it’s best to seek immediate medical attention. All urgent care clinics are prepared to properly handle nosebleeds. In fact, urgent care clinics often treat nosebleeds more regularly than other ailments. For example, the urgent care Minnesota clinic is a facility where nosebleeds are listed as one of the most common things they treat.

How to Treat a Nosebleed at Home

When a nosebleed first occurs, there are a few things you can do. First, it’s important not to panic. First, blow your nose gently before using a decongestant nasal spray. This spray can shrink the blood vessels in your nose to stop the bleeding. Next, you will want to pinch the end of your nose for about 10 minutes. You are pinching it closed. You can also use an ice pack on the bridge of your nose and apply cotton to the nostrils.

When Do You Seek Help?

Yes, nosebleeds are common, but when should you be concerned? What should you look for to determine if your nosebleed needs further care? Experts state that if a nosebleed lasts more than 20 minutes and is still very heavy after that time (despite firm pressure being applied), see a doctor at an urgent care clinic immediately. A visit to an urgent care clinic is especially important if you take blood thinners or have a blood clotting disorder.

Always Be Alert

While nosebleeds aren’t usually something to be overly concerned about, pay attention to the frequency and duration of your nosebleeds and seek medical attention right away if they last more than 20 minutes.

 

Your heart never stops working for you. It’s always there, working as hard as it can, beating tirelessly and keeping your blood pumping, circulating oxygen and nutrients throughout your body. But sometimes the unthinkable happens, and heart disease prevents your most important muscle from doing its job. As unpleasant as it is to think about, heart disease is one of the top causes of death for men and women, and pretending it doesn’t exist isn’t going to reduce the risk of it affecting you or the people you love. The best way to deal with the risk of heart disease is to face it head on proactively and take whatever steps you need to lower your risk factors, maintain awareness of your heart health and stop incipient heart disease in its tracks. Whether you’re sure you’re fit and healthy or are already at risk of developing cardiovascular problems, it’s never too late to start making the health of your heart a priority. Choose now to develop habits that will keep your heart beating strong for a long time to come.

1. Eat Heart-Healthy Foods

We have to eat every day, so being careful about the food you’re putting into your body is one of the first and most important things you should do to manage your heart health and overall fitness. Being overweight is linked to the plaque buildup in arteries that can cause heart disease and other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol. Avoiding (or at least lessening your consumption of) red meat, alcohol, high-sodium foods, saturated fats and trans fats can go a long way toward improving your heart health in the long term, and eating a balanced diet consisting of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, low-fat dairy products and fish containing omega-3 fatty acids can help you maintain a healthy body weight.

2. Get More Exercise

Study after study has shown that being physically active and getting daily exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your health in a number of other ways. It can lower your “bad” cholesterol and blood pressure and support your efforts to lose weight. Even just twenty minutes of brisk walking per day can be a good start, and your doctor can help you make an exercise plan that’s safe and beneficial for your lifestyle and capabilities. If you know you’re overweight or obese, there’s no better time than right now to start working on safely losing weight. Even a difference of a few pounds can produce measurable health benefits.

3. Try Not to Stress Out

Heart attacks can be triggered by stressful, upsetting or painful events. Such experiences can’t always be avoided, but managing your overall stress levels on a day-to-day basis can help keep your heart in good shape to handle all of life’s ups and downs. If you feel like you’re stressed out all the time, try to look into cultivating habits that will take the edge off and help you relax, whether it’s spending more time with your hobbies, talking to family and friends, meditating, seeking therapy or engaging in healthful physical activities.

4. Quit Smoking

Smoking is linked to many heart disease risk factors. If you’re a smoker, the best thing you can do for your heart health (not to mention your lungs) is quit–right away. If you don’t think you can kick the habit cold turkey, look into local support groups or smoking cessation programs to help you out.

5. Get Necessary Medical Help

Regular checkups and physical exams are vital to staying on top of changes to your health, and if you find out that cardiovascular disease has already started to set in, you should talk to your doctor about treatment options to help you manage it. This might include daily statins to lower your cholesterol or medications that keep your blood pressure down. In more severe cases of coronary heart disease, such as narrowed or blocked arteries, your doctor may recommend interventional cardiology procedures like angioplasty. If heart disease is caught early, the right medical care can save and prolong your life, so don’t procrastinate when it comes to seeing your doctor and getting yourself checked out.

Many factors can affect your risk of developing heart disease, including genetics. There’s no way to completely safeguard against heart problems, but there are many things you can do for yourself and your family to practice heart-healthy habits and minimize that risk. Your heart does so much to keep you alive and active, so show it some love and take care of it as best you can!

Not everyone is fortunate to make it through life with healthy teeth. When your dentist broke the news that your teeth had to go, the decision was to invest in dental implants. Now that they are in place, you are happy about the decision. Here are four aspects of your day that are made possible because you chose this solution.

Brushing in the Morning

Getting ready for the morning remains uncomplicated. You use your favorite toothpaste and brush the implants just as you used to do with your natural teeth. Before you leave for work, you also use a little mouthwash to freshen your breath.

If you had opted for dentures, the routine would involve removing them from the solution they soaked in overnight, rinsing them thoroughly, and then checking to see if any remaining residue needed to be scrubbed away. Being careful to not drop the plate on the hard tile floor, you would then pat them dry and apply a layer of adhesive. Finally, you would slip them in position on each gum. Before completing the routine, you would test to make sure the adhesive is holding.

Which morning routine do you prefer? If you are like most people, cleaning the implants would be much easier and certainly faster.

No Slippage During an Important Meeting

A reality that denture wearers deal with is the potential for slippage. The denture plates may slop out of position during a conversation, while eating, or even while talking on the phone. Even when the highest quality dental adhesive is used, one or both plates can slip a little at the worst possible time, like when you are making a presentation during an important meeting.

Your dental implants will not slip out of place. They are embedded in the gums rather than resting on top of them. There is no adhesive to fail and the amount of pressure needed to move an implant is similar to what it takes to dislodge a tooth. In other words, you don’t have to worry about slippage.

Smiling During Lunch

Concerns about slippage can interfere with the way you act around other people. Instead of flashing a brilliant smile or laughing out loud when you are having lunch with co-workers, you tend to smile with your lips closed. If you do feel a big laugh coming on, that means grabbing a napkin and hiding behind it, just in case.

Thanks to your implants, these concerns are not there to hamper your life. Smile all you want and laugh to your heart’s content. All anyone will see is what appears to be a set of healthy and straight teeth.

Brushing Before Bed

Before you retire in the evening, brush again and perhaps use a little mouthwash. There is no need to take out the denture plates, remove the adhesive, and then soak the plates in a solution overnight. Your implants will be fine all night long.

If you are facing a choice between implants and dentures, now is the time to have a serious discussion with the team at Newmarket dentists. You will find that choosing implants will be one of the most practical decisions you have ever made.

Pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience for an expectant mother. Especially for first-time moms, it’s easy to get lost in all the things you need to do. However, the most important thing to note is how essential it is to regularly monitor your pregnancy. Doing so allows the early detection and treatment of potential health problems, increasing your chances of developing a normal pregnancy and delivering a healthy baby.

Now that we know the importance of regular pregnancy monitoring, the next thing to do is to get started. Here are some of the routine procedures that you may need to keep tabs on your pregnancy.

First trip to the doctor

Your initial consultation with your doctor could be the most comprehensive one, as your healthcare provider will collect as much medical information about you and your extended family as possible. Doing so will help determine which examinations and treatments you might need throughout the course of your pregnancy. When meeting your doctor for the first time, it is best to have your partner accompany you in case the physician requires additional information.

Undergoing blood tests

Blood tests may be offered immediately after your first visit to detect any risk of a particular infection or hereditary condition. These blood tests will determine a lot of factors: your blood group, your Rhesus factor, and whether or not you have certain conditions like anemia and infections such as hepatitis B, HIV, syphilis, or rubella.
A blood test will also determine whether you have gestational diabetes, which is a type of diabetes that occurs in some women during their third trimester of pregnancy and disappears after the baby is delivered.

Getting an ultrasound

During the first trimester of your pregnancy, an ultrasound is usually requested to confirm pregnancy, determine the age of gestation and estimate a due date, check the fetal heartbeat, check for multiple pregnancies, and examine the placenta and uterus. It will also detect any abnormal growth in the baby.

Your doctor can also request an ultrasound during the second or third trimester depending on the purpose. Normally, this is done for the purposes of determining the baby’s sex and monitoring his or her growth and position. However, it can also be recommended for pregnant mothers who are at risk of developing certain conditions, such as Down syndrome, low amniotic fluid, and other birth defects.

Doing a kick count

Beginning in the 28th week of your pregnancy, your doctor may advise you to count your baby’s kicks and keep a record of them. Doing so is one way of monitoring your baby’s well-being. Plus, it has been linked to a decrease in stillbirth cases.

To do a count kick, first pick a time of day when your child is most active. You can lie on your side or sit with your feet up when counting your baby’s movements, which include twists, turns, rolls, jabs, and swishes. Take note of the number of minutes it takes until 10 kicks are counted. The length of the procedure may take 10 to 15 minutes, or even up to two hours in some women. Don’t forget to bring your record on your next doctor’s appointment.

Getting a non-stress test

If it takes longer than two hours to record 10 kicks, refer to your doctor right away. He or she may recommend a fetal non-stress test, which will check the baby’s heart rate in response to his or her movements, indicating your baby’s oxygen supply inside the womb. During the procedure, two belts with monitors will be strapped across your abdomen: one transducer will record your baby’s heart rate while  a toco transducer will record any contractions you may have. A nonreactive result, which occurs when the baby’s heart rate does not accelerate at a certain level upon movement, may require further testing or immediate intervention.

There are different procedures involved throughout pregnancy and it’s normal to feel dazed. But by being in constant collaboration with your doctor and by regularly monitoring your health, you will find out how pregnancy can simply go by like a breeze.

For many years, she has put down her health at the bottom of her priority list. We always find moms all the time complaining about her motherhood in the grocery store, on “mommy blogs,” and in the gym. At this time of year especially, when your kids are heading to the school, life is very hectic, but among all these always remember one thing that motherhood is awesome.

Being a mom gives you an excuse to read fairy tales, dig in the dirt, be loud, and have lots of fun with kids. Your motherhood gives you an opportunity to crawl, squat, jump, run after the kids on a regular basis. Motherhood has been an endless well of potential for improvement, but only when you don’t think it as a burden.

Nevertheless being a mom is a challenge and it’s easy to fall into bad habits. But, when we find ourselves thinking this way, it high time to take a step back and think. Our children do have needs, they need us to be healthy and strong, so they can learn from the example we set for them. Obviously, a junk food might quiet the children for a bit, but it’s not the good way.

And what about the gym? Another excuse. You don’t need to head to the gym regularly to stay in shape. As a mom, it is also not feasible for you to keep it in your daily routine. The secret to staying fit is not the treadmills, Bosu balls or any other fitness equipment. It is not even the common phrase for you let’s make fitness fun. Although, the actual manta for mom’s fitness is “keep it simple.”

Pushups, squats, mountain climbers, pull-ups, crawling, jumping, running, climbing- these exercises are not beneath us. It’s very easy to do all things with your children while they are playing and you all are in the crazy mood. Instead of mourning the fact that you cant join a gym as your child needs your presence at home, you can do all these things and keep yourself in shape.

Along with this, three simple pieces of gym equipment including a pull-up bar, a kettlebell and a jumping rope combined with exercises will surely work. You might even find that you enjoy these simple exercises at home more instead of a regular gym trip. When you’re feeling stressed, bored, or overwhelmed, just ten minutes for each of these exercises is all you need.

Motherhood is a great chance to bring out your creative side. All it requires flexibility and dedication from you, for the wellness of both you and your child.