If your child is being a bully at school, you have a responsibility to teach him or her that the bad behavior that will not be tolerated. Your child has to understand that other people are her hurt by his or her actions, and that it is very wrong to hurt other children’s feelings in an attempt to feel better about him or herself. Try to figure out why your child has turned to bullying in social situations. Chances are, your child is not a bad person. Good people make bad choices. The important thing is that you inform your child about more appropriate ways of dealing with his or her peers and social situations in the future.

First of all, if you have discovered that your child is being a bully, ask your child why. Listen carefully to the explanation. You always want to be on your child’s side first. While it is possible that your child is in the wrong, you are still his or her number one supporter, and you have to listen to what your child has to say in defense of his or her actions. Listening leads to understanding and understanding can lead to change. Your child may have felt that in order to distract children from making fun of him or her that he or she would have to bully someone else instead. You may not have known that your child had been picked on, but often bullies are the result of bullying. Your child might get defensive and say that their bullying someone simply because that person is annoying or they don’t like that person, but that excuse is usually just the surface answer for the underlying reason. Try hard to get to the root of your child’s anger and upset.
If your child is physically violent towards other children, try to figure out where your child learned that this type of behavior was acceptable. Is there violence in your home? Does this child have an older sibling who is physically violent towards this child? Does your child spend a lot of time watching violent television programs or movies or playing violent video games? Does your child listen to music that has violent messages and song lyrics? You have to stay on top of what is going on in your kid’s life so that you can keep violent images out of it. If there’s violence in your home, then that is a major problem that you have to deal with as a family unit. Violence is completely unacceptable behavior, and it is not something that you want to pass down from generation to generation. If you were formerly in the domestic violence situation, and your child was witness to it, then you should seek professional counseling for your child so that he or she can learn to express anger without physical violence. Explain to your child that hitting, kicking, punching, fighting, and name-calling are intolerable behaviors, and make it clear that you do not support any type of violence.

Tell your child to reflect on his or her actions. Ask your child how he or she believes they would feel if someone were to beat up on or make fun of them on a regular basis? Tell your child to put him or herself in the shoes of the people that he or she is bullying. Explain that it is very wrong to intentionally hurt someone physically or emotionally. Ask your child to recall a time when he or she has felt bullied. Demand that your child apologize to the children that he or she has bullied. If your child has gotten in trouble with his teacher or the school administration as a result of being a bully, he or she should also be required to apologize to those people. Tell your child that if there is something that they want to talk about with you, you are available at any time for discussion. Oftentimes, a child who is a bully is a child with very low self-esteem and self-confidence. They feel that their only way to gain control in peer situations is by being a bully. Help your child to develop social skills by getting him or her involved in youth groups in the community or sporting activities. Try to nurture your child’s talents and dreams so that he or she does not feel the need to rebel through bullying, fighting, or making fun of others.

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase of a woman’s life wherein she feels proud of the fact that she is nurturing a life inside her. Many women take this fact quite seriously and start eating for two adults; this results in excessive weight gain. Experts believe that to provide nourishment to the growing foetus, women need just about 300 calories extra during pregnancy. This can easily be sufficed through extra nutritional food. You don’t need to eat for two adults. While little indulgence on chocolates and ice creams can be fine occasionally, excessive calories should be avoided.

Extra weight gain during pregnancy can be risky for both mother and her child. Obese pregnant women are at a risk of developing complications like child birth defects, miscarriage and other life threatening complications like pre-eclampsia. Obesity during pregnancy also increases the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. Women who are obese during pregnancy are more likely to have gestational diabetes and problems with labour and delivery. They are also at higher risk of Cesarean deliveries.

Tips to prevent obesity during pregnancy

Discussed below are a few tips to help prevent obesity during pregnancy.

• Eat a well balanced diet, rich in nutrients and vitamins
• Satisfy your urge for snacks with dry fruits and a bowl of fresh fruits instead of going for junk food
• Don’t take pregnancy as an excuse to turn into a couch potato; being physically active is important to avoid obesity during pregnancy
• Go for daily walks
• Many experts recommend yoga for pregnant women as it helps them stay fit and also experience a deep sense of calm and relaxation
• If you enjoy swimming, go jump in the pool; it will help to strengthen muscles in your upper and lower body and keep your weight in check
• Before doing any exercise consult your doctor and instructor. Avoid exercises that involve twisting or inversions. Also avoid lying on your back for long periods of time
• While some exercise is important, don’t strain yourself to lose weight. Some weight gain is inevitable and necessary during pregnancy

How to prevent obesity after pregnancy

Soon after delivery, don’t expect to get yourself into the pre-pregnancy stage instantly. It will take about 6 months to get back into shape. Many women often feel anxious when they see themselves in the mirror and feel that they still look a few months pregnant. Experts believe that there is no reason to fret. It takes about four weeks for your uterus to contract to its normal size. During this period, you lose about 8 to 20 pounds as the body gets rid of all that extra fluid. Mentioned below are a few steps that you should take to prevent obesity after pregnancy and help yourself get back to your normal weight and shape.

• Go for breast-feeding. Contrary to what many women feel, breast feeding does help you lose weight and get back in shape. It consumes 500 calories from you a day, helping you to reduce some of the fat you gained during pregnancy. In addition to being the most comprehensive nutrition for your baby, breast-feeding also accelerates your metabolism, consumes redundant fat, reduces fat accumulation under the skin and prevents obesity after delivery.
• Even while you are breast feeding you can exercise. Consult your doctor and instructor before starting with any exercise routine. Suitable exercises after delivery will help boost your metabolism and avoid caloric accumulation.
• Take appropriate balanced diet avoiding high-fat and sugar laden diets. While you are breast-feeding, ensure that you include dairy products, vitamins, fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet.
• Ask your doctor if you can use the belly belt. It will help you lose several inches, eliminate gestation lines as well as prevent bowel droop and loosening of the skin.
• Do not take slimming pills while you are breast feeding.

When your child is young, he or she will require a car seat to travel safely in an automobile. Depending on your child’s age and size, he or she may need a certain type. Determining which type to buy can be tough if you do not know the differences.

With children’s car seats, there are three main types: rear-facing, front-facing, and booster. Each of these may better protect a child in a car than a regular seat and seatbelt.

Rear-facing seats, as the name implies, do not face the front of the car. Rather, it is positioned so that the child faces the rear of the car rather than the front. This type is most common for infants.

Many safety Web sites recommend using rear-facing seats for children at least until they are a year old and weigh 20 pounds. Most sources recommend using this type until a child outgrows it though, as it provides the best protection.

When you child does outgrow the rear-facing seat, it is time to invest in a front-facing car seat. These are much like their rear-facing counterparts, but they face the front of the car rather than the back. These seats are usually for toddlers and preschoolers.

Most front-facing seats are designed for children between 40 and 80 pounds, so your child should use this type until he or she outgrows it. This is usually around age 4, but your child may outgrow it sooner or later than that.

If your child is too big to fit in a front-facing seat, he or she may require a booster seat. Booster seats are for older children, usually anywhere up to age 8 to 12. These also face forward.

A child should use a booster seat until he or she is big enough to use a standard seat and seatbelt. Most safety sources recommend using this type for your child until he or she grows to 4’9″ in height. This is the minimum height requirement for most seatbelts to properly function.

No matter what car seat you use or how old your child is, he or she should ride in the backseat to avoid airbag injuries in the event of an auto accident. Unfortunately, putting your child in the backseat and using the proper car seat may not be enough to shield your children from reckless drivers.

Recent studies have suggested that antenatal depression is in fact more common than postnatal depression; indeed some research has suggested that as many as 1 in 10 women will experience antenatal depression. This is a fact that’s hardly surprising when you take into account all the hormones flying around your body when you’re expecting!

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience and therefore quite a lot to contend with, as you face both physical and emotional changes. Although it’s quite normal to experience mood swings and emotional highs and lows during pregnancy, if these symptoms are prolonged or if you suffer from any of the following symptoms, you could be suffering from antenatal depression.

What are the symptoms?

There are certain symptoms to look out for which might indicate antenatal depression. These include:

*an inability to concentrate
*feelings of irritability and/or anxiety
*feeling particularly low or sad and crying excessively
*a general lack of interest in anything
*sleeping problems: either a desire to sleep all the time or difficulties in sleeping
*compulsions, such as constantly washing your hands or cleaning things
*issues with food – either a loss of appetite or a tendency to comfort eat
*low self-esteem
*feeling isolated and not wanting to mix with others
*low energy levels
*feelings of guilt and/or panic
*agoraphobia – finding it difficult to leave the house or developing a fear of open spaces
*pessimistic feelings. If these develop into thoughts of a suicidal nature you must talk to your GP immediately

What are the causes?

Pregnancy, for many, is an incredibly exciting time and mums-to-be with antenatal depression may wonder why they’re suffering from this condition, when having a baby is meant to be such a joyous experience. There is no way to predict who will or won’t experience antenatal depression, but there are some contributing factors which are attributed as causes:

* If you’ve decided to take on another major challenge, such as moving house or a new job, then this is likely to add to your stress levels.
* Financial difficulties can also add to your worries, as you may have concerns about how you will provide for your child.
* If you’ve suffered from depression in the past or have a family history of depression, you might be more likely to experience this condition during pregnancy.
* The more complicated your pregnancy, the more prone you might be to antenatal depression; if you’ve been suffering from extreme bouts of morning sickness.
* You might have an increased likelihood of suffering from antenatal depression if you have recently experienced a bereavement.
* Pregnancy can be a stressful and worrying time, especially for first-time mums, as you don’t know what to expect. You may find yourself particularly anxious if it’s taken you a long time to conceive or if you’ve previously experienced a miscarriage.
* It’s important to have a good support network during pregnancy; it’s a time when you really need your friends and family around you, as you will be experiencing a range of physical and emotional changes. If you don’t have this support, it can lead to feelings of isolation which can contribute towards depression.
* You are also more likely to suffer from antenatal depression if your pregnancy was unplanned, as it may take you some time to adjust to the idea of being pregnant – especially if you’re going it alone.
* If you have ever been the victim of abuse you are also more likely to suffer from depression.

Is antenatal depression linked to postnatal depression?

There is no direct link between antenatal and postnatal depression; just because you feel depressed during pregnancy it doesn’t mean these feelings will continue once your baby is born.

What can I do to help?

The best course of action to take if you think you might be suffering from antenatal depression is to consult your GP or midwife immediately. You will be given a proper diagnosis and you may be referred to a counselor. Your doctor might prescribe anti-depressants, depending on the severity of your case.

Eating a healthy diet and taking gentle forms of exercise can also help to boost your self-esteem and mental well-being during pregnancy. Read our feature on Diet for a healthy pregnancy and Exercises recommended through pregnancy to learn more.

It may sound silly, but opening up to your friends and family members can help. This is often easier said than done when you’re feeling depressed, as all you want to do is cut yourself off from the rest of the world, but it’s never a good idea to bottle things up. It doesn’t matter whom you talk to; it could be anyone from a best friend to a neighbor. It’s the very act of talking; the other person is there to listen and help to relieve your burden. You might also find it helpful to chat to other pregnant mums – some of whom may be feeling the same way as you. Joining a pregnancy yoga group and attending antenatal classes are both great ways to meet other mums-to-be; your midwife should be able to recommend groups and classes in your local area.

Most importantly, you should never feel guilty for feeling depressed or low; this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. The earlier you seek the help of a professional, the better, as the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you will be on the road to recovery;you can then begin to enjoy your pregnancy and start to look forward with excitement and anticipation to the birth of your baby.

Munich – Sexual intercourse during pregnancy is normally harmless to the health of the foetus right up to delivery, according to Germany’s association of gynaecologists.

“Parents-to-be can do everything they enjoy in bed,” said Christian Albring, president of the Munich-based association. The child is lying well-protected in the water of the amniotic sac. As long as the cervix is still tightly closed and no amniotic fluid leaks out, there is no need to reduce lovemaking.

Sexual activity shortly before the estimated due date can, however, have birth-inducing effects, said Albring. Couples therefore are cautioned if there is a tendency toward premature birth or miscarriage, if the mother has had early labour pains or if the placenta is lying directly over the cervix. Doctors advise against sexual intercourse in these cases.

Experts also say that genital hygiene is especially important during pregnancy. Before intercourse men should wash their penis with soap, pulling back the foreskin if they are uncircumcised. Women, however, shouldn’t use soap or lotion in the vaginal area during pregnancy. Couples should also remember that condoms protect the mother and unborn child from infection.