Blog 4

 List the top 5 questions a woman might have who recently found out she was pregnant. Provide the answers to each of these questions in your own words and list the source of information. 

   5  Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy

1. What should I do before I get pregnant to ensure a healthy pregnancy for me and my baby?

    According to the information recommended on WedMD, you should consider planning before getting pregnant to receive prepregnancy checkups with your doctor. This should include addressing any questions about family medical history, genetic conditions, chronic diseases etc. A healthy diet is very important as it is recommended that you eat lots of leafy greens, fiber and lean proteins. A prenatal vitamin that includes folic acid should be included in your daily regimen to prevent Spina Bifida.  If you are a smoker, it is advised that you quit.

2. What should and shouldn't I eat while I'm pregnant?

  

 For a healthy start, it is important to eat lean meats, such as chicken and turkey, calcium rich foods, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.  It is recommended that you also continue to take prenatal vitamins before, during and after pregnancy.  Foods to avoid are those with high levels of Mercury such as certain kinds of fish. Raw foods and unpasteurized cheeses such as sushi and brie should also be avoided due to the risk of bacterial infections. Alcohol should be avoided during the entire pregnancy as it is not exactly known what levels are safe.

3. Are there other activities I should steer clear of while pregnant?

   Certain activities should not be performed such as lying flat on your back during the later stages of pregnancy, changing a litter box,  using hot tubs and saunas, riding roller coasters and x-rays.

4. How can I safely exercise while pregnant?

   Light to moderate exercise is actually recommended. Back and abdominal strengthening are beneficial as this will assist you in post delivery recovery. As a rule of thumb, do not begin another exercise regimen without consulting your doctor. It is safe to continue performing the same exercise program that you had been performing before pregnancy.
 

5. How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

    If you are within a normal weight, 25 to 35 pounds is the recommended total weight gain. For women who are overweight 15 to 25 pounds are recommended. Consultation with your doctor is important if you are expecting more than one child.

References

Frequently Asked Questions about Pregnancy. 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2011.     http://www.webmd.com/baby/frequently-asked-questions-about-pregnancy

Blog 3

        As the world continues to evolve, we make many changes to accomodate people of all different backgrounds of life. Public schools are now leaning towards uniforms as the dress code for students as well as have banned prayer in efforts to remain true to the public. There are some things that I feel should not be abandoned in accomodation, the topic of sex education is one very important to me.
       Many children are not receiving the "talk" about sex and pregnancy from their parents as they may not feel comfortable speaking about it. Other parents may choose not to mention it due to moral standards etc. What is true is that young people should be knowledgeable about what their body is capable of doing. I believe that sex education should be a part of public school curriculum and should recommend abstinence, however should include methods of contraception and STD prevention education.  Young people have been having sex through human existence and if that is the choice, they should have the knowledge of how to decrease the detrimental effects that come with this choice.
     An anecdote I heard was from a young woman's experience with her initial menarche. Her name is Jessica Hernandez and is a first generation american from mexican descendence. Sex education was very taboo for her family as it was deemed shameful for young people to know about sex, therefore she never received information about her menstrual cycle and what would happen to her body as she reached puberty. However, she had an older cousin who she would visit and who was just experiencing her first menstrual cycle. Horrified, she asked her cousin why she had blood stained pads in the trash can. Her cousin calmly told her that it was due to her menstrual cycle and that she would eventually go through the same thing as she aged. Jessica understood and didn't mention anything to her mother anymore. A month after she turned ten years old, she suddenly felt the urge to use the restrooom and noticed her stained panties. She recognized what this was due to her cousin's information and calmly went to ask her mother if she had a sanitary napkin. Her mother was surprised and quickly gave her a napkin and walked to the restroom with her. Her mother's response was "pobrecita", which is the equivalent of "poor child" in english. Jessica was fine with what happened to her body.
     In conclusion to this story, that is why we as parents have to speak to our children about sex and their bodies. It goes along with teachings as important as manners, college and morals in my opinion.  The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy website give tips to what to tell our child when we have the "talk". This includes a series of steps and recommendation as follows:

• First and foremost, you matter more than you think.
• Remember, it matters what you do, not just what you say.
• The success sequence.
• Who's in charge.
• Am I ready for a relationship?
• Am I in love?
• The older partner thing.
• How to deal with pressure.
• Be respectful and talk honestly about relationships.
• Remember, it's not just what's safe, it's what's right.
• Let them know that you are on call 24/7

       I encourage you to read more information about this campaign in the resource posted below.
   
       The perfect scenario would include both parents calmly sitting at home with no distractions and all ears open to what their child can tell them about their life. A calm and open perspective is necessary as children are being exposed to various subjects from a very young age and becoming defensive will not assist in learning.

    The Talk, It's More than just Sex. 2011. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen        and Unplanned Pregnancy. Retreived June 23, 2011. http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/parents/relationships.aspx

Blog #2

How can we encourage adolescents to follow healthy behaviors?  Any ideas for parents, healthcare providers, health educators, media, society, etc?

     The adolesent years are marked and highlighted by the challenges of growing into one's own autonomy and at the same time, not having the cognitive capacity to think through every experience that comes our way.  There was once a story I heard about a child who took his father's vehicle out for a ride without permission and ended up in a collision, needless to say the vehicle was totaled. When confronted by the father, he asked "What were you thinking?", the child responded, "I wasn't thinking!" This is a prime scenario and example of the teenage years. Adolescent brains are marked by impulse and temporary desire due to their brains not being developed enough.
     This is why it is most challenging to confront topics such as healthy behaviors and lifestyles. The link attached is a link to the CDC and states statistics from the Dallas, TX region on risky adolescent behavior. Topics such as condom use, alcohol consumption and safety range from the unsafest behaviors by adolescents.
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=DA
      I personally believe that prevention  can best be created by means of education. If you educate this population on the first hand effects of healthy lifestyles versus the unhealthy through interview or visual aids, they are most likely to be impacted. If faced with a diabetic amputee who is having to modify his or her entire life due to this disease that could have been prevented or managed, I believe adolescents will think twice.  The same goes for smokers, introduce the child to an oxygen dependent individual and see what effect this will cause. This approach can be applied to a wide range of preventable diseases.
    Communication and education seem to remain the best way for adolescents to begin to modify their choices of action.  Adolescents do not know it all, they need their parents and loved ones to continue to grow and thrive.

Dallas, TX High School Youth Risk Behavioral Survey. 2009. Retrieved on June 15, 2011.  
    http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/youthonline/App/Results.aspx?LID=DA

Blog 1

  What health issues you are most concerned about? Why? Interview 2-3 women (different    ages, ethnicities and/or cultures if possible) and ask them the same question. Are your concerns similar or different? Explain.

      As I began gathering ideas on what kinds of subjects to perform interviews on and how to approach them, I caught myself wondering if most of us as women tend to worry about similar things? Do we as women of very different lifestyles all worry about house maintenance, laundry, our weight, feeling sexy, our sex lives and keeping our children and husbands happy? Do we worry about ourselves and whether or not we are keepig ourselves healthy?
     I interviewed two women of different socioeconomic backgrounds for this blog. The first woman was a middle aged woman of about 50 years of age who is a Physical Therapist of caucasian race, makes great money as a Department Director and has three lovely adolescent to young adult children and also married to a Doctor. The second woman is a woman of the poverty level, hispanic with five children and a modest home with a husband who owns a small mechanic shop.
     When the first subject was asked the question about what health issues are most concerning to her, she mentioned the fact that stress takes a toll on her as she finds herself trying to keep a competent and competitive professional life as well as keeping her children on the right track and keeping her husband and her relationship happy.
      Now the second subject had a very comparable answer as she mentioned that her day is never ending as she is always on the run with her childrens' events as well as keeps her household and husband as happy as possible.
     Clearly, without going into an in depth past medical history of these two woman, we see that there is a direct similarity. Stress is a key factor in these two very different lives. These two woman are of very different background and means, but both battle stress and at times have trouble managing it appropriately. Stress is a very ignored symptom that can lead to very alarming diseases such as but surely not limited to Acid Peptic Disease, Alcoholism, Asthma, Fatigue, Tension Headache, Hypertension, Insomnia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ischemic Heart Disease, Psychoneuroses, Sexual Dysfunction, Skin diseases like Psoriasis ,Lichen planus ,Urticaria, Pruritus, Neurodermatitis etc (Babu, 2007).
     The similarity between these two interviews highlights the importance on stress management and how we should cope with the demands of our lives. We are constantly pressured on perfection that it can take very severe effects on our health. Hopefully as we cope with stress in a more effective manner, our overall health and concerns will improve greatly. 

      Babu, Hanish. (2007). Diseases caused by stress. Retrieved June 9, 2011. http://www.lesstress.net/diseases-caused-by-stress.htm