3 Ways To Survive Stress In Pregnancy

Anxiety can actually have very notable and adverse effects on physical health.

This is especially considerable when you're pregnant. For your health, and the health of your developing child, it's absolutely integral that you find ways of reducing stress wherever possible.

Following, several strategies that may help reduce stress will be considered.

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1. Ensure You Have Firm Financial Foundations

As soon as you know you're pregnant, you and your spouse need to line out a financial strategy. This will be the quickest way of getting ahead of future stress, and alleviating that which you're dealing with in the present. It’s important to know that financial stress can be overcome.

There are programs available for expectant couples or single mothers—don't give up before you at least go looking. There are options for wherever you happen to be in life, and wherever your finances are. Also, future tax breaks will become available, so consider that as you budget.

When a couple gets pregnant, the time for easy days where a person comes or goes as they please ends. The man needs to have a stable job, and put his wife and child-to-be ahead of himself. If you're a single mom, this is going to be difficult. You can work until the last month or so of your pregnancy, but that's not good for you in terms of stress.

A better option would be for you to find relief options through local charities and religious organizations. Don't worry if you don't necessarily see eye to eye with those providing assistance. What's important is the end result. No, the ends don't always justify the means. But sometimes it's best to take a gift and not ask questions. You'll need discretion here, and making the right decision is best done as the fledgling family unit you are, rather than individually. This is the time to trust a spouse.

2. Surround Yourself With Family And Those You Can Trust

A pregnant mother needs a support network. She needs her spouse or partner readily available. If they aren't there, her mother should be available at a moment's notice. If there is no available future grandmother, it's integral to have some other family member that can be relied on, or friends at hand who are trustworthy.

Again, if you don't have friends or family, don't be afraid of the support option available through a Catholic charity, or something similar. There are boundless support options just waiting for mothers in need to find them.

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3. Keep Yourself Centered, And Understand The Road Ahead

Do a little looking around online. Your pregnancy will change the hormonal balance of your body. Such changes will lead to mood swings, and how you feel may not be an accurate gauge of how things are.

You have to keep yourself centered, and make sure everything is in perspective as much as it can be. Have the father nearby as much as you can; or at least available at a moment's notice should you need him.

If you have any mentors, you want to talk with them and keep them close to you as your child develops inside. There are ups and downs you'll have to deal with regardless of how well you prepare.

Avoiding Unnecessary Stress

A natural, healthy pregnancy will have its own levels of stress. You need to have support networks in terms of family, friends, and finances beforehand. This will help ensure the safety and health of you, as well as your developing child. The bad news is, there will be stress. The good news is, you can avoid the worst of it, and the joy before you is greater than the stress you'll leave behind.

About our Guest Blogger

Stephanie Bates

Stephanie is the founder of Military Travel Mama; she is the wife of a military professional and mother to two children. Follow her blog for more about military life, military discounts, family trips, healthy eating, and parenthood.

Sleep Apnea and Children

Sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by temporary loss of breath during sleep. As frightening as this sounds, the loss of breath is almost always non-life-threatening. However, sleep apnea often leads to sleep disruption, which can take a major toll on your mind and body. Sleep apnea is also considered a predictor for more serious conditions, including cancer, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

Sleep apnea is relatively rare in children. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, 1% to 4% of children live with sleep apnea, the majority of which fall between the ages of two and eight years. However, these percentages represent between 742,000 and 2.97 million children in the U.S. alone. This post will discuss symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options for children with sleep apnea. First, let's look at how sleep apnea is currently defined.

Types of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is classified as a type of 'sleep-disordered breathing'. Two primary types of sleep apnea have been identified, as well as a syndrome that is essentially a hybrid of the two others.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea diagnosed in children and adults today. OSA is characterized by physical blockage to the upper airway that leads to episodes of shallow breathing or loss of breath during sleep; each episode lasts roughly 20 to 40 seconds in length ― though more than 100 episodes may occur in the span of just one hour.

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is not caused by obstruction, but rather poor communication between the brain and the breathing muscles. CSA is quite rare in children and healthy adults, and most commonly diagnosed in patients 65 and older who have experienced a stroke, heart disorders, and other conditions that impair the brain's ability to send signals to other areas of the body.

Complex sleep apnea syndrome (CSAS) is diagnosed in patients who experience both OSA and CSA symptoms. Like CSA, CSAS is primarily found in older adults; this condition affects roughly 15% of men and 5% of women.

Risk Factors and Symptoms of Sleep Apnea in Children

Obesity is considered one of the major risk factors for childhood sleep apnea. Family history of apnea and sleep-disordered breathing is another important consideration. Other factors may include oral or facial defects that restrict the amount of airflow, or unusually large tongues that move around inside the mouth. Back-sleeping has also been linked to higher incidences of sleep apnea; side-sleeping is considered a better alternative for people with this condition.

For most children (and adults) with sleep apnea, the most common symptom is severe snoring. This symptom is also one of the most overlooked, due to the widespread misconception that snoring is innocuous (if not a little annoying).

Other sleep apnea symptoms shared by children and adults include heavy or shallow breathing while sleeping, fitful sleep, and nighttime waking. Additionally, children with sleep apnea often experience enuresis, or bedwetting. Daytime sleepiness and behavioral problems in school have also been noted in children with apnea; in many cases, apnea symptoms are mistaken for attention deficit-disorder (ADD) and other learning disabilities.

Diagnosing and Treating Children with Apnea

If you suspect your child is experiencing sleep apnea, the first step should be to consult a pediatrician that specializes in sleep disorders. The ASA notes that polysomnography testing is the "only tool for definitive diagnosis and assessment" of sleep apnea in children. Polysomnography involves an overnight stay in a sleep research laboratory, during which the child's sleep patterns will be monitored and evaluated. Be sure to prepare children for this experience, as it can be somewhat unsettling, particularly for young kids.

Due to the rarity of sleep apnea diagnoses in children, formal treatment is typically reserved for patients who exhibit moderate to severe symptoms. Children are rated using two scales: the apnea index (AI); and the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), which measures both apnea symptoms and hypopnea events, such as shallow breathing or low respiration. An AI index score of 5 or higher usually warrants treatment, as does an AHI index score of 5 to 10; both of these scores indicate moderate to severe apnea in children 12 and younger.

For a large segment of children with sleep apnea, the best treatment will be a simple adenotonsillectomy, since overgrown tonsils and/or adenoids can cause OSA through airway obstruction. These procedures eliminate all symptoms in roughly 70% to 90% children with sleep apnea.

If surgical procedures don't work, then a good alternative may be continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. This form of therapy requires a machine that increases air pressure in the nose and throat. CPAP machines are designed for nightly use. This form of therapy does not eliminate apnea symptoms, but will reduce them on a nightly basis for as long as they are present. Your child should be tested to determine proper air pressure levels prior to using a CPAP machine.

An oral appliance may also help alleviate apnea symptoms in children as young as six. The appliance should cover the entire hard palate. Improvements have been noted in most users after continuous daily use for six months to one year.

Tips for Pediatric Sleep Apnea Management

In addition to medical treatments and positive airway pressure therapy, parents can help their children manage sleep apnea symptoms in the following ways:

• If your child is overweight and experiencing apnea symptoms, then try restricting their diet and encouraging them to get more exercise in order to lower their body mass.
• Limit the amount of sugar and caffeine (found in soft drinks and chocolate) your child consumes before bedtime. These substances increase alertness, which can exacerbate their sleep disruption and nighttime waking.
• Since back-sleeping is considered a risk factor for sleep apnea, you can help your children learn to sleep on their sides. Another alternative is buying them an adjustable bed that allows them to elevate their upper body while sleeping.  

Ben Murray is a writer and researcher for sleep science hub Tuck.com. He can usually be found running, hiking, biking or kayaking around the Pacific Northwest ― though he enjoys a good nap as much as the next person.

Leptospirosis: What you need to know

It's been raining cats and dogs (or elephants and dinosaurs, as one friend would say) for the past 3 days . Here we are again, Manila, in the middle of a crazy monsoon accompanied by a mad storm called Maring. Flood is everywhere. And if we know a disease that is synonymous to flood water exposure, it would be leptospirosis. I found this helpful infographic on leptospirosis that can help you recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease early. If you identify these signs and symptoms, do consult a doctor immediately to prevent  severe complications.  I had seen patients with leptospirosis and the complications can be pretty scary.

(Source: ABS-CBNNews.com)

I hope this little heath advisory helps. Stay safe, everyone.

World Pneunomia Day: It's not "just a cough"

November 12 is World Pneumonia Day. And while it may already be the 13th in our country, the rest of the world is still celebrating this day to promote awareness to fight the world's leading cause of death in children less than 5 years old. 

 Watch this video by WorldPneumoniaDay.org to learn the facts about child pneumonia. 

It's starts with "just a cough".

Pneumonia is very easy to prevent and cure, yet children have been dying around the world because of it. 

Get involved! Please help us raise awareness.

Eat Right & Feel Good During Pregnancy

Today, I welcome, a guest blogger, Katie Moore of Moore from Katie whos hares with us tips on how to eat right and feel good during pregnancy. 

Eating right and exercising regularly are things all women should do on a regular basis. However, many of us look at eating right and exercising as something we want to do to look good and stay fit. When we get pregnant, some of us don’t think we have to exercise or eat right because it’s a time in our lives when we get to get fat without being unhappy and when we can eat whatever we want because we get a free pass for the next nine months. For me, this wasn’t the case. During my pregnancy I had plenty of cravings, but I didn’t give into temptation and instead used pregnancy as the perfect catalyst to jump into the best lifestyle I could manage—a healthy one! 

Feeling Great
I learned during my healthy transition that I feel more energized, happier, less tired, and better when I eat right. I decided that I would take that with me into my pregnancy because I didn’t want to give up feeling good at a time my body was working extra hard to keep my baby healthy. As a result, I spent my entire pregnancy feeling as good as I do when I wasn’t pregnant. I hardly felt sick, I slept well at night, I didn’t experience many mood swings, and I was full of energy. I felt better than ever, and I credit it to a healthy lifestyle change. 

Balancing Cravings
There are healthy ways to manage cravings. When I wanted something sweet, I ate chocolate covered strawberries. When I wanted something salty, I ate chicken sausage, red, green, and yellow bell pepper, onions, and pasta. When I felt like I needed more energy, I ate fruit. Whole grains and protein are also good to eat when you are expecting. Since the thought of milk makes me sick to my stomach on a regular basis, I had to figure out another way to get the extra calcium I needed to make my daughter healthy. I ate yogurt. I filled it with fruit sometimes. Other times I sautéed broccoli and spinach, both very high in calcium. All the alternatives I came up with were healthy, made me feel good, and made my baby healthy. 

Exercising ALOT

Furthermore, I exercised. I took plenty of naps and rested when I felt the need throughout, but I found that I slept better, longer, and deeper on the evenings I walked for a half hour with my husband. When I woke up in the morning I found that prenatal yoga gave me energy and calmed me. I was happier, healthier, and fitter. Additionally, all that exercise prepared my body for labor, which meant that I was more comfortable, labor was shorter, delivery was easy, and I felt good sooner. I also lost my baby weight very fast after both pregnancies. 

Before changing your diet and health routines too drastically, be sure to speak to your doctor. Pregnancy is a delicate time in your body so making too many changes too fast can be harmful to your health. Your doctor should help you figure out the best course of action to take. Your doctor can also educate you on other aspects of your pregnancy like preparing for labor, educating you on birthing styles, and educating you on delivery and post-delivery methods, like pain management medications and cord blood banking. With so much information on ways to improve your health, you can expect an easier labor and a smooth transition into motherhood.

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Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.