Every woman dreads stretch marks, and most women have them on some part of their body, whether they have ever been pregnant or not. A woman’s thighs, hips, buttocks, and breasts are all common places that they can be found. But what are they, what causes them, and is there anything to be done to avoid them?

Stretch marks first show up during puberty, and both girls and boys get them. They are caused by rapid gain weight or growth in an area of your body. Collagen, a protein that is partly responsible for skin strength and elasticity is stretched quickly and often leaves scars that are called stretch marks. People who are obese and weight lifters often have stretch marks as well.

Pregnancy is a very common time for a woman to get stretch marks. If she doesn’t have them already on her breasts, they can often pop up because of the rapid increase of growth and fatty tissue that develops as a woman’s breasts prepare to breastfeed her baby. However, a woman’s stomach is the most common place for stretch marks to appear during pregnancy.

Stretch marks generally show up during the third trimester when a woman’s belly begins to rapidly get bigger. During the third trimester the baby is gaining most of his weight, and it is then that he grows at the fastest rate during the pregnancy.

There are several products on the market for pregnant women to use to help avoid getting stretch marks, and to help them go away after your pregnancy is over. Some women swear by them, while others claim that they don’t work. In reality, whether or not you get stretch marks is determined by how much elasticity you have in your skin. If you have a lot of elasticity, you probably will not get stretch marks, or they will at least not be severe.

Stretch marks cannot be remedied gotten rid of by a simple cream. While they may start out a pink or purplish color, they will eventually fade to match the color of your skin, like other scars do. Some people will use artificial tanning sprays and lotions to help make them less noticeable. If your stretch marks really bother you, visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon to see what options they can make available to you.

If you are lucky you will never get a stretch mark. However, if you do, remember that you are not alone and that most women in the world are just like you and have stretch marks too.

When you first get pregnant you think of all the things that you will want to do during your pregnancy. Have a baby shower (or maybe more than one!), set up a baby registry and decorate your baby’s nursery. Have you thought about how you can keep track of the physical aspects of your pregnancy?

Taking pictures of your growing belly is a great way to keep track of your pregnancy. It will also be a great beginning to your baby’s scrapbook or photo album. Before you start however there are several things to think of.

1. Pick the perfect outfit.
If you want to showcase your growing belly and how it makes a certain shirt or skirt change shape on your body, wear that outfit for the first picture you take and for all the pictures following. Be sure to get an outfit that will still fit your belly when you are nine months along.

2. Bikini’s.
Some women will chose to wear their bikini or a bra and panties in order to take pictures of their belly. Side by side the naked belly pictures will show every inch, as well as every stretch mark you might get.

3. Decide how much you want to remember.
Because belly pics will show every aspect of your belly, decide how much you want to remember ahead of time. Do you want to see all the stretch marks in 10 years, or would you rather your belly be covered by clothes? Early on the blemishes won’t be there, but by the end the blemishes may be more than noticeable.

4. How much of your body do you want to show?
Remember that as your pregnancy progresses and you gain weight, most of the time you don’t only gain it in your belly. Many times you will gain it in your face, your behind, your legs and your thighs. Some people will want to see the full change, others will want to forget. Whatever you decide, go with it for your first picture and follow through with it for the rest.

5. Use props.
Maybe you go out immediately and buy the baby’s first stuffed animal or you want to detail your progress with a tape measure. Knowing that some of your baby’s first pictures will be with that stuffed animal, you can take pictures of yourself holding the animal, or as your belly gets bigger you can have the animal “holding” the belly. You can also get a picture of the tape measure around your belly so that you can record the inches you grow not only on paper but on film.

Use your imagination when it comes to photographing your pregnancy and your belly growth! The sky is the limit and nothing is out of line. After all, you will only be pregnant THIS time once, and all pregnancies are different so you will never be able to get these exact shots again. And with all the FREE print offers these days that include free shipping and free online storage, be sure to take as many shots as you can.

by Elizabeth Pantley, author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution

The lack of adequate, restful sleep can affect your child’s mood, behavior, health, memory and growth. If there is anything standing in the way of a good night’s sleep it’s important to address the issue and solve the problem. Following is a list of typical sleep disrupters and possible solutions.

Nightmares
Children spend more time dreaming than adults do, so they have more dreams—both good and bad. After a nightmare saying “It was just a dream” doesn’t explain what they experienced – after all, most kids believe that the tooth fairy and Big Bird are real, too. After a nightmare, offer comfort just as you would for a tangible fear. If your child wakes with a nightmare

• Stay with your child until she feels relaxed and ready to sleep.
• Be calm and convey that what’s happening is normal and that all is well.
• Reassure your child that he’s safe and that it’s OK to go back to sleep.

Night Terrors
During a night terror your child will wake suddenly and may scream or cry. Her eyes will be open, but she won’t be seeing. She may hyperventilate, thrash around or talk incoherently. She may be sweating and flushed. She may seem scared, but your child is not really frightened, not awake, and not dreaming. She’s asleep, and in a zone between sleep cycles. A child having a night terror is unaware of what’s happening, and won’t remember the episode in the morning.

During a night terror you may try to hold your child, but often this will result in his pushing you away or fighting you off. The best response is a gentle pat, along with comforting words or Shhh Shhh sounds. If your child gets out of bed, lead him back. If he’s sitting up, guide him to lie back down. Keep an eye on him until he settles back to sleep.

Nighttime Fears
It’s normal for a child to imagine monsters that generate a fear of the dark. Even if you explain, and even if you assure him that he’s safe, he may still be scared. You can reduce his fears when you:

• Teach your child the difference between real and fantasy through discussion and book-reading.
• Find ways to help your child confront and overcome his fears. If dark shadows create suspicious shapes, provide a flashlight to keep at his bedside.
• Leave soothing lullabies playing, or white noise sounds running to fill the quiet.
• Give your child one, two, or a zoo of stuffed animals to sleep with.
• Put a small pet, like a turtle or fish, in your child’s room for company.
• Take a stargazing walk, build a campfire, or have a candlelight dinner to make the dark more friendly.

Preventing Sleep Disrupters
Some things have been found to reduce the number or severity of sleep-disturbing episodes. They are all based on good sleep practices and worth a try:

• Follow a calm, peaceful routine the hour before bedtime.
• Maintain the same bed time seven days a week.
• Avoid books and movies that frighten your child.
• Have your child take a daily nap.
• Provide your child with a light snack an hour before bedtime, avoiding spicy food, sugar or caffeine.
• Have your child use the potty just before she gets in to bed.

Is there a time to call a professional?
Always call a professional if you have concerns about your child’s sleep.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

By Lily Carter

Growth charts are tools your pediatrician can use to keep track of your child’s physical growth. During each checkup, the doctor will measure your baby’s length, weight, and head circumference. The doctor can then compare the measurements for your baby to a chart of national averages for infants of the same age and sex.

The result is that the doctor will be able to tell you what percentile your baby is in when compared to average baby growth around the nation. For example, if your doctor tells you your 4-month-old is in the 86th percentile for weight, that means 86 percent of the two-month-olds in your country weigh less, and that 14 percent weigh more. A baby that is at the 50th percentile in either height or weight is right at the national average.

Typically, parents seem to worry quite a bit about these percentages, and that worrying is usually needlessly blown out of proportion. There are many factors that come into play when determining where your baby’s statistics will fall in the percentile chart.

It is very important to remember that no two babies are the same and that every child, due to body chemistry, heredity, diet, and many other factors will grow at their own pace.

Some babies will have growth spurts right from the start and others will take a bit longer to begin major growth periods. These measurements, charts, and percentile points are merely guides for a doctor to help in assessing your baby’s growth.

In addition to the measurements that your pediatrician will take during regularly scheduled doctor visits, you may also want to track your baby’s growth at home.

Keep in mind that the measurements you take at home may or may not be as accurate as the measurements your doctor takes, but they can provide a certain degree of insight into the growth of your baby and many new parents have found it to be a fascinating way to participate in the parenting process.

Here are some tips that can help you, as inquisitive parents, track your baby’s growth at home using commercially available scales and other measuring devices.

If baby is too small to stand upright on the scale, you can try using this procedure: