Category: Children and adolescent development and health

Having a baby A to Z for mom and dad- some books to consider

In a previous post I shared  books about pregnancy and childbirth aimed at women. Now I offer one that addresses the challenges of fatherhood,

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In a previous post I shared  books about pregnancy and childbirth aimed at women. Now I offer one that addresses the challenges of fatherhood, appropriately called The Expectant Father. If that’s you, congratulations; maybe this book will answer questions or confirm what you already know.

 

If you know someone else who is expecting, consider this as a gift.  I’m including the links to the previous books. Happy reading.

 

The links are affiliates from which this blog can earn a commission; thank you for using.

     The Expectant Father                                                   The Expectant Father 

By Armin Brott and Jennifer Ash 

 

“This information-packed, month-by-month guide incorporates the expertise of top practitioners in their fields, from obstetricians and birth-class instructors to psychologists and sociologists. It also draws from Brott’s own experience as a father of three and from the real-world experiences of the thousands of dads he’s interviewed.

With the humor of New Yorker cartoons and Brott’s gentle approach, The Expectant Father serves as a friendly and readable companion for dads-to-be seeking confidence, guidance, and joy!”

 

 

Taking Charge of your Fertility

The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health

by Toni Weschler

Taking Charge of your Fertility
 

This new edition for the twentieth anniversary of the groundbreaking national bestseller provides all the information you need to monitor your menstrual cycle–along with updated information on the latest reproductive technologies.

Are you unhappy with your current method of birth control? Or demoralized by your quest to have a baby? Do you experience confusing signs and symptoms at various times in your cycle?

This invaluable resource provides the answers to your questions while giving you amazing insights into your body. Taking Charge of Your Fertility has helped literally hundreds of thousands of women avoid pregnancy naturally, maximize their chances of getting pregnant, or simply gain better control of their gynecological and sexual health.

Toni Weschler thoroughly explains the empowering Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), which in only a couple of minutes a day allows you to:

Enjoy highly effective and scientifically proven birth control without chemicals or devices

Maximize your chances of conception before you see a doctor or resort to invasive high-tech options

Expedite your fertility treatment by quickly identifying impediments to pregnancy achievement

Gain control and a true understanding of your gynecological and sexual health

 

Common Sense Pregnancy

Navigating A Healthy Pregnancy & Birth for Mother & Baby

by Jeanne Faulkner

 
Common Sense Pregnancy
 

“JEANNE FAULKNER has worked in women’s health for 30 years, first in doctor’s offices, free clinics, and classrooms and then as a registered nurse, specializing in obstetrics, labor and delivery, and neonatal care. She began her career as a journalist in 2002 and currently writes the weekly column Ask the Labor Nurse for FitPregnancy.com.

She contributes articles about health, medicine, food, parenting, travel, and lifestyle issues to such publications as Fit Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Shape, Better Homes & Gardens, and the Huffington Post and Oregonian newspapers. She’s also the senior writer/editor for Every Mother Counts, a global maternal health advocacy organization founded by Christy Turlington Burns”–

 

Free Babsy Board Books!

Dr. Aletha

When to call the doctor when your child is sick

Telemedicine companies now offer online access to physicians through a video visit, and some insurance companies reimburse for it.

Calling a doctor or doctor’s office with a medical question is something people take for granted, at least here in the U.S.

It’s a privilege that some treat as a right.

This may be driven by the medical insurance industry. To be on an insurance company’s provider panel, doctors must be available or have a substitute available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

But when is it medically appropriate to call a doctor’s office? Certainly to schedule a routine appointment. What if you just want to ask a question?

With smart phones and computers, physicians are accessible to their patients almost anywhere.

If a problem is serious enough that you need a physician’s opinion, then both you and your doctor deserve a face-to-face encounter.

It isn’t fair to you or your doctor, or good medical practice, to expect the doctor to make a medical decision based solely on the information gathered in a phone call or email.

Now there is a third option-virtual medicine. Telemedicine companies now offer online access to physicians through a video visit, and some insurance companies reimburse for it.

When to call your doctor?

For strictly procedural questions, a phone call or email may suffice; these can be answered by a nurse or a non-clinical staff per physician instruction. These questions might include

  • Clarification of medication instructions
  • Reporting normal test results
  • Scheduling follow-up office visits or diagnostic procedures
  • Billing, insurance, and payment issues
You might call your doctor for test results- or access them on line in a patient portal.
You might call your doctor for test results- or access the reports online in a patient portal.

When to see your doctor?

If you call your doctor with a medical question, expect to schedule an appointment.

MD Mama blogger, Dr. Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician and medical communications editor at Boston Children’s Hospital gives this advice about symptoms in children that should prompt a call to the doctor, and usually a visit to the doctor.

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Although the article is directed to parents, the advice applies to adult illness as well. Symptoms for which evaluation should not be delayed if severe, persistent, or worsening include

  • Difficulty breathing
  • Fainting, passing out
  • Hives, swelling, rash (due to an allergic reaction) 
  • Lethargy or unexplained sleepiness
  • Severe pain
  • Vomiting and/or diarrhea if persistent or profuse 
  • Burns
  • Bleeding, uncontrolled 
  • Fever

And what is a true emergency? I cover that at this link.

exploring the HEART of children’s health

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Dr. Aletha