For some women, missing a period is a welcome joy, and they start figuring out her baby’s due date For others, missing a period brings worry and panic. If a woman is trying to get pregnant, then this could be one of the first signs that she has succeeded, leaving her feeling excited and happy. However, if a woman is not trying to conceive, or does not feel that she is ready to take on the responsibilities of motherhood, missing her period can bring on a whole other attitude of sadness and dread.

A woman’s period is caused by her uterus shedding the lining it builds every month in which a fertilized egg can attach itself and a pregnancy can develop. When a woman does not get pregnant, the lining is not needed and the uterine wall is shed, causing the bleeding and clots that a woman experiences approximately once a month. When a woman gets pregnant, and the fertilized egg is implanted into the uterine wall, the uterus does not shed, and there is no monthly period.

When a woman gets pregnant she should immediately start missing her periods, although this isn’t always the case. Sometimes women will have a period that is much lighter than normal, or rarely have a normal period for the first month. There are even a few recorded situations where a woman has continued to have a period throughout her pregnancy. Sometimes there might be a little spotting when the period should have come, making a woman believe that she had her period when she is in fact pregnant. This spotting is called implantation bleeding.

Just because a woman misses her period doesn’t automatically mean that she is pregnant. There are other reasons why her period might not have come that month. Stress and life changes can have a big effect on the regularity of a woman’s period on track. Also, if a woman has recently lost or gained a lot of weight, her menstrual cycle could be affected. Starting, stopping or changing her birth control during a cycle could also cause a missed period. Breastfeeding can also delay the return of a normal period cycle by up to a few months.

There are many ways to discover if your missed period means that you are pregnant, but the most common and easiest is to purchase a home pregnancy test. Most of these are close to 99% accurate and can tell a woman if she is expecting a baby, or if she is just “late”. When in doubt, be sure to call your doctor immediately.

by Kate Hufstetler

Vacations are fun! Weekends with the family are nice. But, Late Night Adventures are “simply marvelous”. If you really want to shine in your child’s eyes on a more regular basis– try some late night adventures with them.

By late night I am talking about adventures that start from 10pm on.

Shouldn’t kids be in bed at that time? — yes

Shouldn’t parents keep structure? — yes

Don’t parents need to set an example? — yes

Aren’t kids only young once? — YES and that is the point.

Take time to be magical in your child’s eyes. I applaud organized, structured family systems. I think it can be quite difficult for many families today that are over worked, tapped out, and stretched as far as time will allow for cramming in activities. Yet, since your kids are only young once– why not give it a shot and build a couple memories as the coolest parent on the block.

Here are a couple ideas that won’t take up much time or money but go a long way with kids:

• Wake up and watch a lightening / thunder storm at 11pm
• Grab a skateboard and hit the pavement at 1am
• During a snow freeze on the driveway and street out front– ice skate in athletic shoes at 2 am
• Go to bed early and make a run for Denny’s at 3 am
• Watch the sun rise together while eating Krispy Kreme donuts and drinking milk at 6 am (or even add homemade fortune cookies so you both have something cool to open up with a positive outlook pronounced on your day ahead)

The difference with about late night adventures with your children vs. weekends or vacations is simply that late night adventures are novelty, costing less money and more quality attention. Your kid will be the envy of the other kids– because what other parent do you know that does these things?! Believe me, the kids in our neighborhood still can’t get over some of the things my son tells them we do. In fact, they want to come along.

Every now and then, go on and forget about the adult in you and join your child in being a kid. Regain your sense of wonder and enchantment. Throw rules to the wind and have some innocent fun. If you do, I promise you will shine in their eyes and fill both your hearts with rich memories that will last your life time.

Until next time— all the best,

Kate

About The Author
Kate Hufstetler is a well established business, personal, and relationship coach. Her clients come from both the United States and overseas. She offers coaching services via email and phone consultations at flexible timing and financing to meet your every need. Through personal, business, spiritual mentorship, she could help you too! Please visit for available packages within your range: www.comedreamwithme.com/start_today.html.  Kate@comedreamwithme.com