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A few days after conception , the embryo implants in your uterine wall and sends chemical messages to alert your body that it is pregnant. Your menstrual cycle stops, your cervix develops a mucus plug, the wall of your uterus softens, and the protective cocoon around the embryo develops. In order to insure proper development during these first crucial weeks (when you probably are not aware that you are pregnant), you must have adequate amounts of folic acid in your body to prevent neural tube defects in the embryo. In the fifth week of pregnancy the primitive S-shaped heart begins to beat. At six weeks of pregnancy, the embryo’s spinal cord and major organs are starting to form, as are the head, facial structure, arms and legs. Light hair is also beginning to grow.

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Like the non-stress test, the mother is attached to a Doppler ultrasound machine that monitors contractions and fetal heart rate, but the stress test includes giving the mother a small amount of oxytocin, a hormonal drug that stimulates uterine contractions. A variation of this test substitutes nipple stimulation for oxytocin; stimulating the mother’s nipples with hot towels or by hand can also bring on contractions.

Natural Fertility Medications
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Is it feasible for you or your spouse to stay home with your new baby? According to Andy Dappen, author of Shattering the Two-Income Myth, families can live well on one income if both partners are committed to the goals and in agreement about how the family will benefit. Dappen suggests couples start exploring the one-income prospect by tallying the time and money it takes to earn each spouse’s income. Oftentimes, couples will find they spend a large portion of time and money actually earning that income – through time spent preparing for work and commuting as well as money spent on commuting, work clothes, dining out, taxes and hiring others to maintain their home. It clearly takes money to make money. Read more »

Tofu? The food of the “radical” vegetarians? Science tells us that it is good for us, even better than the garden burgers, but how do you use it? Read on…
Until 5-10 years ago, tofu was not mainstream–it wasn’t even in the general supermarkets until just a few years ago. Tofu’s stereotype was that associated with Oriental cuisine, and food for the strict vegetarian. Though it is true that meat still reigns as the major entree for most people, more people are beginning to realize the benefits of eating tofu, even just for a few meals a week.
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Regardless of whether they come from our environment, food or the household products we use daily, all of us deal with many toxins everyday and some toxins pile up in our bodies gradually, resulting in health issues in the future. Something to be careful about are endocrine disruptor toxins.  These man-made substances are put into many things, including plastic Tupperware, processed foods and body lotion. As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible to get away from them. Read more »

When I was pregnant with each of my children, I suffered from severe Charlie horses. Charlie horses are also known as muscle cramps or spasms.
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