An early sign of pregnancy that can sometimes last through the third trimester is nosebleeds. Nosebleeds are more common during pregnancy than many people realize. What causes them?

While minor nosebleeds are harmless, they can be embarrassing and often happen at the most inconvenient times. When pregnant, a woman has an increased amount of blood running through her body. Her blood vessels are more sensitive and the vessels in the nose expand. When the air is dry and the nostrils dry out, the veins are vulnerable and often a nose bleed occurs.

How to Stop One
If you get a nose bleed while pregnant, you should first attempt to stop it in the same way you would a normal nosebleed. Apply pressure to the nostril for at least 10 minutes with your head tilted back and above your heart. You can also try putting ice in the area to help the veins close up. If after 10 minutes your nose bleed does not stop, talk to your doctor to see if there is something else you can do.

How to Prevent a Nose Bleed

• Drink plenty of fluids. Keeping your body hydrated will also help keep your nose from drying out – dehydration can cause the veins to break and a nose bleed to begin.
• Blow gently. If you must blow your nose, blow it easily. Blowing too hard can put extra pressure on the veins and cause them to burst.�
   
• Use a humidifier. If the air is dry around you, try getting a humidifier to run in your home and bedroom. Keeping the air moist will prevent nosebleeds.�
   
• Lubricate your nose. You can use a nasal lubricant to help keep your nostrils moist, but stay away from nasal sprays and decongestants as they can further dry out your nose.

By David Chandler

Potty training, toilet training, toilet teaching or toilet learning are names frequently used to describe how kids learn to use the bathroom independently.

Children who are potty training or ready to potty train will:

By Janice Caller

Starting new things for your child sometime difficult, but you still have to do it. Potty training is one phase that your child has to go through. So, find out when is your child ready for potty training. Here are those five ready signs:

1. Takes Off Own Clothes
Let’s face it. The first step to becoming dry begins with your toddler’s ability to recognize he has to go to the bathroom. The second step is his ability to pull down his pants, or lift up her dress. The third step is actually going to use the potty. If your child begins insisting on taking off his clothes then he probably is ready to begin training for the potty.

2. Talks about Using the Potty
He may say, “I want to use the potty.” Or, he may just point to it and sit down. Either case he is showing an extreme interest in the little chair. Well, what do you do if he’s interested in sitting; maybe he’ll be interested in using it. You never know unless you try. Hey diapers are expensive why spend more on them if you don’t have to.

3. Does a Potty Dance?
There are some children doing potty dance? Does your little one have a routine? Does he stomp, turn, twist, and grab his groin like Michael Jackson? If he does, then that’s his potty dance. He’s ready, ready, and ready if he has his own version and he dances it whether there’s music on or not.

4. Shows an Interest in the Bathroom or Toilet
This is the big koruna of all ready signs. The big earthquake so to speak. If your child is curious about the bathroom or toilet, then he’s ready to learn how to use it. Is he curious about how it flushes? Well, that’s because he wants to know how that giant white chair works. Why does it make that sound? It’s a noise like no other. He’s not being bad when you have to drag him out of the toilet. He wants to know what the toilet is. He wants to know how it works. He is ready, ready, and ready for potty training.

5. Stays Dry Overnight & During Naps
This is a hard readiness sign to understand. If you child staying dry overnights and at naptime that is the sign that he is ready for potty training. In any event, your child is ready if he displays this sign.

Now, does your child exhibit any two of these ready signs? If so, then get ready to do your potty training. You will never know those signs if you are not pay attention to their reaction.

About The Author
Janice Caller, author of “A Parent’s Guide to Toddling, From Diapers to the Pot.” She successfully potty trained her four children. Visit her Website PottyTrainingGuide.com at http://www.pottytrainingguide.com.

By Michael Russell

Teaching your child to use the potty takes time and patience. One of the most important things to remember is not to rush them. There is no set age for potty training to begin. There are signs to look for to see if your toddler is ready. It is between the ages of 18 to 24 months that you child may start showing the signs of being ready to start toilet training. But keep in mind some children are not ready until 30 months. The child must also be emotionally ready. They will also need to be willing, not fighting or showing signs of fear. If there is a lot of resistance it is best to wait a while. Children at the toilet training age are becoming more aware of their individuality and will test their limits such as holding their bowel movements and urine. This is one of the signs that they are ready. Other signs are that your child will stay dry for two hours at a time. They are dry after naps or when they wake up in the morning. You are able to predict when they have regular bowel movements. Watch their face, facial expressions are a big clue to revealing that the child is ready to urinate or have a bowel movement. Also your child is ready if they can follow simple instructions. Other signs are that your child is uncomfortable in soiled diapers and asks you to change them and if they request to sit on the potty and wear underwear.

When you and your child decide that potty training is the next step then it is time to pick out a potty chair. A potty chair is easier for the child to use because they don’t have to climb on the toilet and their feet can touch the ground. Then you need to pick out words that you will use to describe body parts, urine and bowel movements. Keep in mind that friends, teachers and caregivers will hear these words so picks words that won’t embarrass your child or other people. Avoid using words that are negative, you do not want your child feeling ashamed. Treat bowel movements as matter of fact.

Children are often interested in what is going on in the bathroom. It sometimes can be helpful for the child to watch a parent go to the bathroom. The mothers can show the daughters and the fathers can show the sons. Sometimes even older siblings can help. By observing they can learn the correct skills needed for potty training. You should encourage your child to tell you when they are about to urinate or have a bowel movement. A lot of the times your child will tell you after the fact. Just gently remind them to tell you before so you can help them get to the potty. This is a good sign that your child recognizes their bodily functions. Praise your child if they tell you before hand. It will often take your child longer to recognize that they need to urinate than the need for a bowel movement. Sometimes children do not gain bladder control too well after they master bowel movements. Don’t get discouraged. Have patience because they will get it.

About The Author
Michael Russell – Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.

By Mikael Rieck

Whether you are expecting your first child or you are a veteran parent with years of experience raising kids you have probably asked yourself the question “how will I go about keeping my baby as happy and smiling as possible?”

Well, I can’t give you a definite answer to that question because there are probably as many different answers as there are babies in the world. Every single human is unique but we do still have some things in common that you can benefit from. 

Firstly, you will have to provide your baby with the basic human needs. This includes the right amount and the right type of food, enough sleep, shelter etc. Without these basics you will have a hard time keeping your baby happy and you will probably experience more crying and screaming than you will see smiles and hear giggles.

Secondly, you will have to spend your time. Time is unfortunately on of the things that most people will never have enough of and the one thing that every human will certainly run out of at some point.

By “time” I mean that you will have to spend your time with your baby. After all you are the parent and I trust that this is in your own interest as well. One thing that is extremely important is that you do not you spend time because you “need to” but that you actually “want to”.

A baby or a child is a very sensitive being and they will see right through you if you don’t want to be with them. They are extremely good at reading “between the lines” because they still have their intuition.

When you provide you baby or child with genuine love and care you can be sure that it will come back to you ten-fold. If it doesn’t then you might want to take a look in the mirror and ask yourself the question “have I really given my unconditional love and care to my baby”?

If you feel that you have then you are on the right path. Surely there can be situations where other aspects kick in. The child can become sick, have slept poorly, have had to little to eat etc. Some of these things are just “life” and we all have to live with them.

The point is that love and care goes a long way and if you haven’t already tried it then I suggest that you give it a try. You might be surprised.

About the Author
Dr. Caron B. Goode is the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents International, a training and certification program for parent coaches. In addition to duties with the academy, Goode is the founder of the website InspiredParenting.net, and the author of ten books, the most recent of which is Nurture Your Child’s Gift: Inspired Parenting and Help Kids Cope with Stress & Trauma. For more information on The Academy for Coaching Parents International or to sign up for academy announcements, visit www.acpi.biz.

Once the umbilical cord has come off your baby you can start giving him baths! Some babies love baths, other babies detest them; if you are lucky yours will love his bath. What do you need to know before you start however and how can you make it easier?

Checklist:
What items do you need to have prepared before you put your baby in the bath in order to make your job go smoother?

____ A sparkling clean baby bath (or sink) with soft insert (towel or sponge, also clean)
____ Running water
____ Baby soap
____ A warm room
____ Wash cloth and small face washing cloth
____ Clean baby towel
____ Clean outfit
____ Two clean diapers (just in case)
____ A baby!

Tips:

• Have everything ready before you start the bathing process.
• Make sure the room is warm – if necessary, use a space heater to help warm it up.
• In a small bowl, mix a little baby soap with warm water. Use this solution for washing so you won’t have to worry about getting too much soap on an already slippery baby.
• Want to remember these early days? Get someone else to take a picture or two of your little one in the bath.

Step-by-step:
1. Choose a clean place to bathe your baby. The kitchen sink, since it’s higher it won’t strain your back as much, is a popular place for a baby to take their first bath. You can also use a baby bath. You will want to use a foam bath mat or washcloth at the bottom of your “tub” so that your baby doesn’t slip.

2. Make sure that the room is warm and draft-free and have everything – from soap to towel – ready.

3. Don’t plan on answering the phone or the door or using the facilities. Babies can drown quickly in as little as two inches of water so stay within arms reach of your baby at all times.

4. Fill the bath a few inches deep with warm water. Some babies don’t like the water running while they are in the bath. If this is your baby turn it off before you put him in.

5. Slowly get the baby undressed. Tell your baby what is going to be happening and make it sound like fun. Babies will learn what bath time is and get excited, often kicking and squealing if they know it is something you are excited about as well.

6. Slowly put your baby in the tub, supporting her neck and body the whole way as she gets used to it.

7. Start washing her face. Use a very small amount of soap. (We cut a soft towel into little strips for washing the baby’s face.) They really don’t like having their whole face covered, so just wash one small area at a time.

8. Some people will start with the head next and work their way down, but if your baby isn’t really dirty you may want to do the body first. Heat is lost through babies head so often if you wash their hair first and then wash their body they may get chilled. Don’t forget to get behind the ears, her neck and under the arms – all places where stuff can accumulate.

9. Wash your baby’s arms and legs. It’s amazing the lint that collects in their little fingers and toes, so make sure to rinse those areas well.

10. Clean around the belly button, and finally, the diaper zone. Remember to rinse this area thoroughly so that there isn’t soap left there that will irritate your baby’s sensitive skin.

11. Once you’ve washed the front of baby, it’s time to clean the back. Cup your hand around the baby’s neck and hold your little one up so that with the other hand, you can clean her back and rear.

12. Almost done! Lean your baby back and hold on tight, they are slippery! Place a hand under each arm, lean her slowly forward and pick her up out of the bath. Gently lay her down on the towel.

13. Dry off your baby thoroughly. Some babies like hooded towels (they are cute) and it’s comforting to them and keeps their wet heads warm. (Make sure the hood doesn’t descend into their eyes). Hood or no hood, make sure that you keep your little one’s head warm while you dry her.

14. Your baby’s clean! Time for a new diaper and a clean outfit.