My daughter is five tomorrow! It is hard to imagine that five years have passed from the time that I began wondering whether this was really labor, or just Braxton Hicks contractions. It would have been hard to imagine for me, back then, that the squishy newborn with her nose pushed slightly to the left from being in utero and making it out, would be such a wonderful, curious, vocal, and unique being. Happy birthday, daughter!

Five years ago…

I was talking on the telephone with a friend, who was timing my contractions for me. Once they were four minutes apart, I called the midwife, who arrived a few hours later. I was in labor from the early morning through the evening, when my daughter was born after a short pushing phase.

She was tiny (though quite big for a newborn!), yet quite vocal about her needs. Because I read that cosleeping was dangerous, I “dutifully” placed her in the crib beside the big bed. When she started actually stretching her arms out toward me, and making discontent noises that were not quite crying, I picked her up and lifted her into bed with me. I never looked back! Oh, and she’s still there most nights.

And now…

My baby is a Big Girl! Five years old already! I can hardly believe how fast she grew, and how much she learned. She loves snuggling, debating, math, and playing educational games on her computer. She started first grade last month, and is thriving. She is caring but quick to stand up for herself, and I am so very proud of her.

Daughter turned from a tiny baby into a feisty toddler, and now a “big kid” seemingly overnight. Where has the time gone? Although the baby stage was sweet, and the toddler years were fascinating, I feel that I am only now really getting to know my daughter and who she really is. I feel truly grateful to have the privilege of raising her.

Tonight, she is excited and she she can’t sleep because tomorrow is her birthday. I’ll come back with some pictures of the family celebration of her birthday tomorrow, and she’ll also be having a party once all her friends come back from their holidays.

I am very fortunate to be able to go out with my significant other after having a baby. Although it did take me a while to be able to visit the cinema and enjoy a movie it was even harder  to enjoy a night out with drinks among my boyfriend and friends. Honestly I felt so much gilt leaving her behind. Not in the sense of taking her along of course!; but of simple not being for her while she slept. I knew that in order to maintain a healthy relationship, I should not let being a mother compromise with being a good partner. In order for your relationship to continue to bloom–new mothers should find balance between being a mother, working and being a lover. I’ll stop there and not even go into being a homemaker!

To be honest; I couldn’t do it. I had to get some help. Luckily, I didn’t need it for long. My help was two weeks worth of anti depressants. One day, I forgot to take them; the next day I didn’t take it either until I figured out that I didn’t need them anymore and was able to actually enjoy the date. Of course I still think about Isabella but  none of the gilt is there. It help if you know your child is being taken care by someone you  trust.

Now, I am able to actually crack a laugh when my guy friends try to “pick up girls”. It’s very neat and interesting. I wonder if anyone uses helpful services such as, how to text a girl you like in their hunt. I mean they are really good at it! The mayoralty of my friends are in their early twenties as I am– so being able to do this is very important. We all know texting has become our second language.

Since combating post-par tum depression and beating it–my social life and love life is back. I feel so blessed; having a child has been such a wonderful, challenging, experience filled with so many emotions. It’s the best!

There are different shampoo types for all hair types; fine, thick, chemically treated, thinning, natural, damaged and coloured hair. Everyone has a favourite shampoo which is mainly determined by how the shampoo works on your hair. Hair shampoos tend to work differently for different people. Nioxin shampoo is one of the most popular shampoos in the market today.

Nioxin Shampoo

Nioxin Shampoo is a shampoo that was formulated to be used by people who have thin or fine hair. The shampoo is meant to improve the health of your scalp and improve the appearance of your hair. This shampoo has been many people’s favourite product since it was introduced back in 1987.

Claims and Misconceptions

Many people who have used Nioxin shampoo claim that the shampoo aids in hair growth. The company has however not made any claims of the shampoo leading to hair growth. On the company’s website, it is stated that the product is meant for hair and scalp treatment and it is not a hair loss shampoo.

Benefits

Nioxin shampoo might not be promoted as a product for hair loss but it is very effective for hair growth. This is because when used, it helps in removing sebum from the scalp. Sebum has a high content of dihydrotestosterone and testosterone which are believed to cause hair loss in men. The removal of sebum from the scalp therefore aids in hair growth for men suffering from male pattern loss of hair.

Other benefits you get from Nioxin shampoo include: it is easy to use; it is safe and natural and can be used by both genders.

Disadvantages

There are several disadvantages you get when you choose Nioxin shampoo for your hair. First and foremost, you will have to use the shampoo for an extended period of time before you start seeing positive results. The fact that you are not allowed to use this shampoo when using minoxidil might be a disadvantage for some as well. Last but not least, you are required to keep using this product if you want to continue seeing the same results.

Types of Nioxin Shampoo

There are a number of shampoos to choose from in the Nioxin shampoo collection. The choice of shampoo will depend on your hair type; natural, relaxed, coloured, thick or thin. You have an option of getting the shampoo alone or a three piece that includes the shampoo, a rinse out conditioner and a leave in supplement. The company describes the three piece package as the systems. They have different and unique systems for all types of hair.ConclusionIn conclusion, there are many claims surrounding Nioxin shampoo. The hair growth claims are true even though the company does not say anything in regards to them. It is a great shampoo which not only clarifies your scalp but also improves the health and appearance of your hair. Many people are discouraged by the fact that they have to use the product for a while to see results but the product is worth it. It is natural, effective and great for your hair.

The natural posture of a person is to have a ‘straight’ spine. If your spine is perfectly straight, and you are able to keep it like that, then you are said to have ‘perfect posture’. The problem is, the lives that we lead nowadays can have a drastic impact on our posture. For example, if you are sitting in your chair reading this right now, it is unlikely that your back is completely straight. You may be slouched over. If you watch TV, you may have a small amount of slouch. This will not have an impact right away, but eventually, your spine will start to develop a curve. Other issues may also cause a curvature in your spine, this includes certain diseases and physical injuries. This can cause all manner of issues in your day to day life.

A posture corrector brace is designed to offer support for the back muscles and your spine. By doing this, it will guide your body towards a natural posture. This can have all manner of different benefits in your life. We will be discussing those soon. Over time, you will find that the weaker muscles of your back have less pressure placed upon them, and your spine will start to straighten out. It is worth nothing that this is not a quick process at all. It does take a while, although this will be dependent on what is causing your posture issues to begin with. Thankfully, wearing a posture corrector brace is too much hassle. The vast majority of them can be worn under your clothes, and you can wear them throughout the day.
Pretty quickly, you will start to notice a significant boost in your appearance. You will be surprised at just how beneficial having a decent posture is when it comes to the way that you look. You will appear far more confident. and people are going to absolutely love that. It may not be the greatest benefit of having a posture corrector brace, but you will be surprised at just how many people opt for one for this reason alone.
If you have chronic back or neck pain, you may find significant benefit from using a posture corrector brace. It is no secret that people who work in computers for long periods of time can experience pain in the back area. If this is not correctly quickly, it may lead to lifelong pain. This is where a corrector brace comes in handy. You can wear it at work, or even at home if you are using your computer recreational. It will force your body to adopt a perfect posture, resulting in far less back pain. In fact, in some cases, it may be eradicated completely. You can read more on thehealthinfosite.com.

\If you have an injury in your back, particularly in the muscles, then the brace may help to promote healing. No matter what you are doing, you are going to be putting a lot of pressure on your back muscles throughout the day. If the muscles have to work hard, then they are not going to heal as efficiently. A brace of this nature will take a lot of pressure off of those muscles. This will speed up in healing. In addition to that, it can also drastically reduce the chances of further injury occurring.
Finally, a posture corrector brace is recommended to be used when a person is suffering from certain medical conditions, including injuries such as whiplash. This can include osteoarthritis and degeneration of the spine. read more on wikipedia.

Those who wear their brace regularly may find that back and neck pain is severely reduced. In fact, if you catch your posture issues early, you may be able to eliminate the pain permanently. In addition to that, any chronic headaches related to bad posture, which are actually far more common than you may think, may also be eliminated. To cap it off, you may end up with a far better range of motion in your back. This can, in some cases, lead to increased strength. It certainly will make it a touch easier to live your life.
Why not look into a posture corrector brace today?

Blackheads are dark bumps that appear on the skin as a result of clogged hair follicles. They form when dead skin cells and excess sebum oxidize to create blackheads. Medical practitioners refer to them as the first phase or a mild type of acne. Most people rid of blackheads by scrubbing their face excessively in the belief that blackheads form as result of dirt. Such practices dry out the skin and lead to the creation of more oil thus more blackheads. Both medical practitioners and beauty experts recommend myriads of ways to get rid of blackheads; here are five natural remedies:

1. Applying an egg white mask

It is the easiest natural remedy that can cure blackheads. Egg white has a deep cleansing effect that tightens the pores on the face temporarily and reduces the chances of developing blackheads in future. Egg whites are also rich in proteins that absorb excess oil without drying out the skin.

Procedure

· Beat an egg in a bowl and separate the yolk from the egg white.

· Wash and dry your face.

· Apply the egg white to the skin using a facial tissue and allow it to dry for fifteen minutes (you may use 2-3 layers). The face tightens.

· Rinse off the mask with cold water.

· Pat dry using a soft washcloth and moisturize to keep the skin soft.

2. Using cinnamon and honey scrub

A mixture of cinnamon and honey make the best facial scrub to get rid of blackheads. Cinnamon enhances blood circulation while honey has anti-bacterial and adhesive properties that remove particles that clog the skin pores.

Procedure

· Take a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and a teaspoon of raw honey and mix till you obtain enough paste to treat the affected areas.

· Apply a thin layer on the blackheads and press a strip of cotton on the area.

· Leave it for five minutes. Remove and rinse your face. Follow it up with a moisturizer. For excellent results repeat the procedure for a week.

3. A mixture of baking soda and water

Baking soda has fine granules that make a naturally inexpensive way of clearing clogged pores. However, the method should be used in moderation to prevent the skin from drying out.

Procedure

· Add water to baking soda to form a thick paste.

· Massage the paste into the skin in a circular motion and leave it for 2-3 minutes.

· Rinse it off with cold water.

4. Green tea solution

Green tea has anti-oxidizing properties that reduce oils on the skin and eliminate skin irritation. The remedy is also ideal for people with severe acne problems.

Procedure

· Fill a saucepan with a cup of water and bring it to boil.

· Place two green tea bags in the water and stir.

· Take the green tea mixture and put it in a cooler for an hour.

· Take a cotton ball and apply the cold green tea on the pores. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and rinse it off.

· Wash your face with cold water, pat dry using a soft cloth and apply a moisturizer. Green tea is also great solution for hemorrhoids

5. The regular water blackhead treatment 

While great deals of natural remedies rid of blackheads, they have to be used in moderation to prevent the skin from drying out. Folks looking for a daily remedy may use the regular water blackhead treatment. It involves a daily rinse with water 1-2 times a day to rid of excess sebum and dead cells while keeping the skin pores clear.

Procedure

· Wash your face with clean water.

· Pat dry with a soft cloth (towel).

· Apply a light moisturizer.

An inversion chair is a therapeutic solution to dorsopathy, in layman’s language known as back pain. This may be caused by muscles strains as a result of acute compression of the body mass on the back muscles over a long period of time, carrying or lifting heavy materials by a person such as dead lifts, exercises that may strain some ligaments and sometimes just long seats. These calls for an inverse solution thus an inversion chair, which is a unique seat that involves one sitting upside down: legs up. The inverse chair has safety straps that holds one in position. This upside position causes the gravity to actively pull ones body mass distressing the back muscles and vertebrae discs. Recently there have been a modification on office executive chair that can be converted into inversion chairs in seconds,a space saving design innovation. For more information about inversion table visit http://inversiontabledoctor.com/inversion-chair/
There are many types of inversion chairs and different manufacturer have invented different modifications. The simplest one is the yoga fitness inversion chair which is a typical cushion padded stool with an opening at the middle for head fitment and hand support on the sides. A yogi get to a head stand yoga position with his or her shoulders resting on the cushion pad, head suspending in the space between with hands supporting on the side handles for balance, this gravity actively acting on the neck all throw the back vertebrae. Evolutionhealth, SISYAMA and Heath Mark seem to be popular manufacturers with their products common in the market. For instance, the latter’s Yogacise 2 in 1 exercise bench seem to offer weight lifting as an added advantage to normal yoga.

The next type of inversion chair is the modified inversion table. In this chair, one gets into a sitting position, traps her or himself in position, the slowly adjusts the chair into a complete inversion position. This is most common in the market with manufacturers offering variety of models at competitive prices. Examples of these manufacturers are; Ironman, with its highly reviewed Ironman Fitness Gravity 400 Highest Weight Capacity inversion table, Innova Health and Fitness highly rated Innova Fitness IT×9600 and Hang Up’s Teeter EP-950 Hangup Inversion table dominating the market industry.

Then, there is the aerial inversion yoga swings, formally known as yoga hammocks. These swings can only be used by experienced persons as one needs to suspend him or herself in a way that deep stretches are achieved. However, buyers should be keen on getting these hammocks, as material used should be able to support one’s body mass effectively. UPCIRCLESEVEN, YOGABODY Naturals, Yoga Studio in UK are one of the trusted sellers of quality hammocks.

Lastly the latest model in the market is the transform inversion chair; as the name suggests it transforms from a normal office chair to a rocking chair, to a recliner and finally an inversion table, otherwise saving space. Primaloutfitters seem to be the only sellers on eBay selling the World First 4 in 1 Transform Inversion Therapy Tables having high bids in eBay of over one million US dollars.

Rowing machines are very common and powerful machines to add to your workout routine. They are small and cheap enough to add to your personal gym, requiring very little investment for a huge return in health improvement. Their low-impact exercise is great for working out your heart and entire body, while avoiding some negative aspects of high-impact training such as joint pain and damage. Costing as low as $200 USD at times, compared to upwards of $500 for most other devices, rowing machines are a great choice for anyone looking to improve their health.

Rowing machines are great increasing your endurance. While more high-impact exercise machines may give you greater muscle mass in specific spots, rowing machines work your entire body out. When you first start using rowing machines it will likely exhaust you. However, with daily use, the entire-body workout will cause your endurance (and general energy levels) to skyrocket.

Being such a low-impact exercise, it is great for cardio as well, further increasing heart health and endurance. Rowing machines are less weight-bearing than almost any other form of exercise, even less than running which can put extreme strain on knees. The low-impact, low-weight, high-repition of rowing machines allow for great cardio and endurance increase without the weight-bearing of most other exercises.
The main reason why I suggest rowing machines to be your only personal-gym investment if need be, is that they will work out your entire body. Gripping the oars works your hands and wrists. Rowing itself develops your shoulders, upper back, lower back, biceps, pecs, and abs. Your lower half works as well, using your quads, calves, and glutes in the rowing motions.

Returning to the aforementioned low weight bearing of rowing machines, they are a great way to exercise without causing harm to your body. Many forms of exercise have hidden costs in the form of joint and muscle damage, ligament tearing and more when greater weight is involved. Rowing machines have very low weight bearing and impact, allowing countless repetitions that will work you entire body without destroying it.
Yet another benefit of this low-impact form of exercise is the effect rowing has on weight loss. The nature of the high repetitions you will be capable of doing with the machine will burn calories and absolutely melt fat away. Again, rowing avoids most of the negatives associated with other weight-loss activities. Even running may cause more health problems (such as joint pain) than rowing would.

Rowing machines also provide great reward and motivation for this exercise. They often track the “distance” you have rowed (simulating if you were rowing a boat on the water), displaying it in front of you. This is great feedback that will let you know exactly how you are doing and give you goals to achieve in each session, granting benchmarks in your progress without any effort in tracking on your end.

From the whole body and heart muscle development, to the avoidance of body damage that is often caused during exercising, hopefully you have been able to decide that the benefits from rowing machines are, indeed, right for you.

source:www.wholelifehealth.ca

I just completed a paper on Episiotomy and specifically its routine use however with a topic like this it’s easy to get lost down the rabbit hole. I found out all kinds of interesting things and I know if I don’t share them right this minute, I never will. So here I want to share some of my findings as well as my entire paper below, it’s not the cleanest thing (specifically in the intro to the discussion) but if you would like to see my analysis of the studies, it’s all there.

Here, in point form:

• An episiotomy is an incision made into the vagina to widen it during childbirth
• This procedure was invited (by a man, surprise surprise) 300 years ago for “difficult births” whereby it served to speed up 2nd stage of labour
• Normally, during second stage of labour, some time is required to allow the vagina to dilate and the tissues of the perineum to stretch to accomodate the head. This requires TIME. Thus if you just cut the vagina to be larger instead, less TIME is required.
• Women who push too hard too fast and don’t allow for the TIME for the vagina to dilate (the cervix dilates first, then the vagina) end up with spontaneous tears to the vagina
• The key variable here is TIME. Hope I established that so far.
• Spontaneous (natural) tears are often 1st or 2nd degree, and rarely 3rd or 4th degree. One study found 3rd degree natural tears to occur at a rate of 2.5%, and 4th degree natural tears at a rate of 0%
• Here is what the grading scale entails:

Natural tearing is classified on a 4-degree scale (Carroli & Mignini 2009):

• First degree involves the fourchette, perineal skin and vaginal mucus membrane
• Second degree involves the perineal muscles and skin
• Third degree involves injury to the anal sphincter complex. Hudelist et al note that these tears result in major complications and are often the result of operative vaginal delivery (2008).
• And fourth degree involves injury to the perineum involving the anal sphincter complex and anal epithelium

There is a previous shepherd’s pie recipe on here by Sarah which you can check out, so I’m naming this “take two.”

I love Shepherd’s Pie because it’s filling, hearty, warming, and delicious. I trade the nightshade potato for sweet potatos, the GMO corn for peas, and spice up the meat with Mexican seasonings and salsa. Warning! This makes a LOT of Sheppard’s Pie! It feeds 6-8 people, so if you’re just one or two, have some awesome leftovers or freeze it for a day you can’t cook.

Ingredients:

• One ___ baking tray or pyrex dish
• Coconut or olive oil
• 1kg lean or extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 jar salsa sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 small onions finely chopped (I like sweet)
• 2-4 cloves garlic crushed
• Bag of frozen peas
• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Can of coconut milk
• Mexican Spice blend:
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1/4 TSP garlic powder
• 1/4 TSP onion powder
• 1/4 TSP crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 TSP dried oregano
• 1/2 TSP paprika
• 1 1/2 TSP ground cumin
• 1 TSP salt
• 1 TSP black pepper

How-To:

1. Preheat oven to 350 celsius
2. Put sweet potatoes in pot with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, let boil for 15 minutes, remove
3. Mash sweet potatoes with enough coconut milk to blend smoothly. Set aside.
4. Saute onions and garlic in oil on medium heat until translucent
5. Add in beef, cook throughout, drain excess fat
6. Add tomato paste, salsa, and Mexican spice blend, cook for another few minutes, mixing well
7. Remove from heat, pack ground beef mixture into pan or pyrex dish.
8. Add a layer of frozen peas on top, sprinkling until the beef is covered
9. Finally, take large dollops of the sweet potato mash and dollop onto the pea layer. Do this until the entire mash mix is in the pan, then using a spoon, spread it out smoothly. If you try to smooth it out in the beginning, it will take the pea and beef mixture with it. Don’t go there.
10. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes, then 10 minutes on broil if you want to make the top crispy.

Serve!

Snoring is a very common problem and is common to the entire population, whether it is men, women, or even babies. Usually a man tends to snore more than snoring snakes apart from the fact that they are very noisy phenomenon are also a health problem worth treating. It is very important for maintaining a healthy life and good sleep quality

Why do we snore?

Snoring has several factors, mainly physical but also mental
• The first is a variety of diseases such as influenza and a variety of diseases that directly or indirectly connect to the ear and throat
• Many people suffer from defects born in the oral cavity for people with serious defects and must consult a doctor
• Overweight is one of the main reasons for snoring. Overweight and short neck is an increased risk of snoring. Weight loss is often the best patron, as some pressure from the oral cavity decreases and sleep improves.

Great solutions for those suffering from snoring

There are several effective solutions for those with snoring. There are 3 simple products that have proven to be very effective for snoring

Snoring mouthpiece

This is actually a device that is placed inside the mouth and adapts itself to the mouth. In the first use, dip it in boiling water so that it adjusts properly to the mouth and then just put it on every night. The appliance works so that it keeps the airways open and is ideal for daily use and of course take you for vacations or anywhere else

Snore stopper Watch

A revolutionary device that looks like a wristwatch. This “clock” does not show the time but sends very fine electrical pulses that make you stop snoring every time you start snoring. The device detects the snoring by sensitive sound sensors. And of course it has a very high success rate among users

Snore chin belt

This is a head strap that works on a simple principle and keeps the gums not falling down. This device is extremely inexpensive and efficient because it keeps airways open. It is also non-invasive and should not insert anything into the mouth. There are people who think that he is very comfortable and those who are not enthusiastic.

Conclusion Snoring is not something you need to put up with if you snore can be treated in a quick and easy way. Keep in mind that snoring harms your sleep quality and you are very tired the next day. In addition, not only do you suffer from snoring but also your partners and those who share your bed. Therefore it is advisable and even better to treat the problem good night to everyone.