This pillow works just as well for those that may be suffering from neck stiffness, indigestion, back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia and leg swelling. So if you suffer from any of these ailments or if you are pregnant this pillow can literally save your life and ensure a good nights sleep. Sweet dreams will no longer be a dream; they will be your reality. In turn your health and well being will improve which is very important.
Most people do not know that Leachco Snoogle pillow was originally created for mom’s to be by a nurse. However, many people have found that the pillow has helped them overcome certain ailments and they have found that they can get a good nights rest once again. The Snoogle pillow has received numerous positive reviews as clearly evidenced on numerous websites. Many people, even without ailments are rushing to purchase this life changing pillow. Even non pregnant women are enjoying the secret benefits of this pillow.
The Leachco Snoogle pillow will have you snuggling up for a great night of sleep in no time, due to its patented design. It is designed in the shape of the letter “C.” It provides support for the full length of your back and can be tucked between your legs to keep your spine aligned correctly when sleeping. It also has support for the belly. It is made of firm polyester to provide the utmost in support. The removable, washable cover makes it easy to keep clean.
The unique shape of the pillow allows pregnant women to prevent lower back problems and relieve heartburn all of which are associated with pregnancy. Once your pregnancy is over, then the Leachco Snoogle pillow can be used as support while nursing, after your baby is born. The nice thing about this pillow is that you only need one pillow to use, instead of a bunch of different pillows placed in strategic positions to make you more comfortable when pregnant. There is no doubt that you have experienced trying to put those pillows in just the right spot to provide support. You will no longer have to do that with the Snoogle pillow.
Most people tend to agree that the Snoogle pillow is easy to use, is comfortable, soft, and provides great support. However as with most products there are a few cons. Some people have complained that it is bulky and heavy. A few people have even said it’s difficult to use. Though far more people are absolutely thrilled with their Leacho Snoogle Pillow. There are even reports that men enjoy using the pillow as well.
If you are looking to alleviate your sleep problems or have specific illnesses then you can’t go wrong with this Leacho Snoogle pillow. If you are pregnant and suffering from lower back problems and heartburn then this pillow will be a godsend. Or maybe you have already had your baby, and are looking for additional support while nursing, then this pillow would also be ideal for you as well.
Towards the end of the 2nd trimester, pregnancy week 22 sees the foetus reach a length of around 25 to 28 cms and weigh in the region of 700 to 750 grams. The eye takes the form of a normal eye, with eyebrows and eyelashes. air sacs form in the lungs and finger nails, fingerprints as well as footprints develop quite clearly. A normal hand, without webbing can be seen and it exhibits reflex motion. The digestive and reproductive system continues to develop and teeth as well as lips can be seen on the foetus.
The mother during pregnancy week 22 would see her uterus nearing the belly button, being just a couple of cms. away. The belly button itself may ‘pop out’ and start protruding at this point, though it is a reversible process and will return to normal after delivery. The centre of gravity would have shifted, ever so slightly and stretch marks may start developing around the abdomen. This situation actually differs from person to person as some see these marks only during the 3rd trimester and some never even face this concern at all! Stretch marks usually form around the thighs, waist, abdomen and breasts and can be of different hues, but this is dependant on the skin colour.
Use of lotions to reduce or eliminate stretch marks has not proved very successful but it does help to keep the skin soft and supple. These marks are usually passed on genetically from mother to daughter, but the good news is that most of them become much lighter after delivery and some may even completely disappear.
Around pregnancy week 22, a ‘glowing’ complexion becomes evident in the mother’s features, caused by increased blood flow that results in flushed cheeks and a more rounded face. On the other hand, some women may be troubled by acne on their faces, arms and back, as a result of increased levels of different hormones in the body, but this normally subsides and disappears during the 3rd trimester.
Another common affliction during this period is low back pain, caused by changes in the body’s centre of gravity and posture as well as the expanding uterus. weight as well as hormonal distribution also impacts this type of pain. Avoiding slouching, using lumbar cushions, exercising properly, especially with recommended positions known to benefit pregnant women are ways to alleviate this kind of suffering. Since this pain affects most pregnant women, doctors also advice the use of a low bolster while sleeping on the side, and a maternity belt can also prove helpful. Chiropractic care is another option to reduce low back pain during pregnancy.
A good, nutritious diet, including the additional 300 to 500 calories required for the foetus during the 2nd and 3rd trimester, must be maintained for it to grow properly during pregnancy week 22. Fruit as well as dark green leafy vegetables, along with lean meats in the form of fish and chicken should be taken in small quantities spread over 5 or 6 meals throughout the day.
About the Author
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C Section Recovery – Benefits of Belly Binding, Massage & Dry Skin Brushing
“love is many things: the protective love of a mother for her child, the passion of a couple newly in love, the deep love of long-term companions and the divine love of God, to name just a few. Some cultures have 10 or more words for different forms of love, and poets and songwriters always find myriad aspects of love to celebrate. Is there anything universal behind all this diversity? As Pope Benedict recently asked in his first encyclical letter: Are all forms of love basically, in its many and varied manifestations, ultimately a single reality?” (New Scientist – 29 April 2006)
There are many kinds of love which are induced by a varied collection of motives. Romantic love is probably the most intricate of them all, and there are many reasons for that. First, romantic love does not seem to follow many of our decision-making rules: you can fall in love with anyone, at anytime, and without any precedents. Second, the concept of romantic love has been developed, propagated and nurtured, becoming to some extent intrinsically related to the very meaning of human life. Third, and maybe most important of all, love generates an astounding rush of adrenaline – a rapturous sensation of being out of control, like endeavouring in a great and unique experience.
Love seems to derive from a blend of environmental and genetic factors. Before the scientific study of love originated around the 70s, much of our perspective on the concept was based in the work of poets, artists and philosophers. Albeit love remains a complex matter, there are some cues as to why it is such an appealing one.
Romantic Love and the Western Civilisation
Human societies have idealised love for a long time. The historical development of the concept of love in western societies has followed some kind of periodical fashion throughout the centuries. Greeks and Romans perceived love as some kind of interesting force which had no connection with marriage. Courtly love, in the pre-renaissance period, promoted the idea of romance and it included particular concepts which were unique to a man/woman relationship. Such love was considered as a challenge and virtue by knights, but still there was no relationship with marriage. With the development of the church, romantic love was restricted and lust viewed as a transgression for the society.
With the Renaissance period, the idealisation of a woman as the object of love was the starting point for a shift of perspective, and the first concepts of love in marriage developed. Classic literature played its role in finding a reciprocal meaning in the relationship (Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was written in this period). In the age of reason, around mid-18th century, emotional love fell out of fashion among the upper classes and intellectuals – a new approach based on reason, objectivity and productivity was formed. Later on, seduction and flirting took place through mythical characters such as Don Juan de Marco and real characters such as Giovanni Jacopo Casanova.
Modern romantic love developed through the balance of couple relationships, the concepts of free marriage and equal rights, and the idea that romantic love could be possible in any relationship. dating started around the 1920s as an innovative approach to partner selection and premarital relationships became more open, intimate and practical. Romantic love was vastly promoted through books, novels, movies and the television. From the 1980s, love hit the internet – whilst dating and flirting became part of social dynamics in almost every instance. Nowadays, romantic love is practically a part of anyone’s life goals.
Scientists have devoted some time in investigating the neurochemical pathways that regulate social attachments, particularly the study of hormones and neurotransmissors which could be involved in the expression of love. The prairie vole – a small rodent that is perceived to be part of nature’s exclusive list of mammals which are fond of monogamous relationships – became an object of study for this matter, and it produced some impressive results. These animals not only spend their whole lives with the same partner, but they also seem to enjoy spending time with them: observation showed that prairie voles’ couples groom and protect each other, nest together, and become affectionate and attentive parents.
“The details of what is going on – the vole story, as it were – is a fascinating one. When prairie voles have sex, two hormones called oxytocin and vasopressin are released. If the release of these hormones is blocked, prairie-voles’ sex becomes a fleeting affair, like that normally enjoyed by their rakish montane cousins. Conversely, if prairie voles are given an injection of the hormones, but prevented from having sex, they will still form a preference for their chosen partner. In other words, researchers can make prairie voles fall in love – or whatever the vole equivalent of this is – with an injection.” (1)
But the secret of the prairie voles is not in producing these hormones, but in having the appropriate receptors for them – and that explains why they are part of the same selected group of mammals that we are. Oxytocin levels rise during orgasms in both man and women, and they also seem to be directly related to the affection which mothers have for their offspring – late in pregnancy, raised levels of oestrogen increase the amount of oxytocin receptors in sections of the mother’s brain.
But there is more to it. Whilst higher levels of oxytocin and vasopressin (and their receptors) play a major role in bonding relationships, neural circuits associated with rewards are responsible for the addictive feeling that love produces. When in love, couples experience euphoric states which seem to originate from the same pathways which are activated during consumption of stimulating drugs such as cocaine (high levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine). We seem to be literally addicted to love.
Fisher and the Love Stages
Helen Fisher, a researcher at Rutgers University, suggests that love can be divided into three overlapping but separate stages: lust, romantic love and long-term attachment.
Lust would constitute the sexual craving highly induced by hormones and neurochemical reactions in the brain – a cocktail of oxytocin, vasopressin and endogenous opioids. Romantic love derives from the attraction and sharing of feelings between couples. Affection, idealisation, change in behavioural patterns and reciprocal responses in this stage derived from a mix of neurochemical influence and social needs.
Fisher argues that romantic love is unstable – but the final stage known as attachment is the basis for long-term relationships and the process of building a family. Such stage invokes feelings of social comfort, security and emotional union. Because all these stages are perceived to be independent, they can occur simultaneously and with different intensity in men and women.
Delis and the Passion Paradox
Dean Delis offers an interesting insight on love in his book “Passion Paradox”. According to Delis, one partner is more in love – or emotionally invested in the relationship – than the other. The more love the loving partner wants from the other, the less the other feels like giving.
“The more in love partner is in the one-down position, whilst the less in love partner occupies the one-up position. Men and women can occupy both positions at various times.”
The author affirms that virtually everyone experiences love’s two sides in the same way (pleasure and pain). It does not matter whether your past experiences moulded you to be a particular person – no one, even the emotionally healthy person, is exempted from the pain of love when it tips out of balance. In this context, love relationships would produce a paradox: ‘one-downs’ try harder as they feel insecure and want to get back in control. They attempt to enhance their attraction power. The goal of such effort is to gain emotional control over the relationship as to avoid the nightmare of rejection (that means winning his or her love). But the catch is: if you prove too appealing to the one you want – to the point where the other person is clearly more in love with you – the relationship will fall out of balance.
When such an event occurs, you have become the ‘one-up’ or, if you are frightened by your partner’s distance, you have become the ‘one-down’. It would seem that the very urge to attract someone, to bring another person under emotional control, contains the potential for upsetting the balance of the relationship. This is due to the fact that the feeling of being in love is biochemically linked to the feeling of being out of control. Once you feel completely in control or sure of another person’s love, your feelings of passion begin to fade: vanishing the challenge or excitement of the relationship.
“The passion paradox is one of the most familiar experiences in working with couples. One person wants more sex, more time talking, more commitment than the other. A study of male-female relationships done at Yale University found that in 19% of relationships both partners were “equally involved” in the relationship in general.
In 36% of partnerships the woman was “less involved” and in 45% of partnerships the man was “less involved”. This imbalance is partially due to a personality difference between people who enjoy connecting and people who enjoy being separate. The research shows that there are slightly more men who enjoy being more separate, but the difference is not huge. Whichever way the paradox runs, the result is often quite painful for both partners.”(2)
No Pain, No Gain
Pleasure and pain are part of love. Can you recall a single love history which did not have a touch of suffering? It is hard to find one. Love and pain are interrelated concepts in many aspects. When you love someone, you become emotionally vulnerable to that person (that is the reason people say that you have “fallen in love”). Such vulnerability varies between different people and relationship, but it is always there to some extent.
What are the main causes of pain in love? Delis’ passion paradox plays a role: when a partner recognises being in the ‘one-down’ position of the relationship, he or she is likely to face emotional struggles which will primarily affect self-confidence and the individual’s general emotional balance. When reaching this state of mind, a lover tends to believe that the world is against them, that naturally there is some kind of plot against the relationship. In his book “A Lover’s Discourse: Fragments”, Roland Barthes mentions the term Tutti Sistemati, which in his words occurs when “the amorous subject sees everyone around him as “pigeonholed”, each appearing to be granted a little practical and affective system of contractual liaisons from which he feels himself to be excluded; this inspires him with an ambiguous sentiment of envy and mockery.”(3)
Such sentiment is a result of social rejection. People commonly have great difficulty in emotionally dealing with social rejection. This issue was recently studied by a group of American mental health professionals(4), which suggested in their research that there is a direct relationship between the cognitive mechanisms which cause physical pain and the emotional pain originated from social rejection. In other words, being socially rejected literally hurts.
So, with so much pain involved, why do we still search for love? Because we can get a great deal out of it. From the lover’s perspective, love is a powerful self-learning experience. Love allows us to better understand our emotional and behavioural patterns, and at the same time, it provides a load of emotional rewards. Like previously stated, it makes us feel good. At the same time, love is also a constant goal in terms of human nature: we look for love because it fulfils many of our natural emotional needs. Carl Rogers illustrated this idea in his concept of Unconditional Positive Regard.
According to Rogers, mental illness is often caused by the absence of love or by a defective kind of love the individual received as a child. In other words: love is a pill for our emotional pain, but it comes with its own side effects. Are we willing to risk it?
References
1. The Economist – Love is all about chemistry (Feb 12th 2004, print edition).
Taking Bipolar quiz Online – What Are The Benefits?
In order to become successful in life, it is quite essential to be healthy and wise. While any sort of physical restrictions of the body can be fought with and dealt with, the central processing unit of our body that is our brain needs to be absolutely perfect in order to live a happy & successful life. For all our errands what we primarily need is a sharp brain so as to understand our environment and act promptly & make well evaluated decisions.
Along with a perfectly working brain, what we need is a control over our emotions. Being over excited or unduly angry all the time would not help us in any way. Quoting in the right terminology all our psychological factors must be balanced enough.
And what if you discover that you yourself have or some of you known to has a brain disorder? One such common brain disorder is bipolar disorder. This disease not only effects our emotions and decisions on daily errands, in extreme cases it can lead to suicides as well.
Here are some facts that you must know about this brain disorder:
1. As the name is withdrawn rightly, the disorder has two key phases – mania and depression. All the symptoms, ailments and effects of this disorder primarily belong to these two aspects.
2. This disorder is found equally among men and women.
3. Out of the world’s total population, around 1% suffers with the bipolar disorder.
4. Mania is found in two main divisions: hypo mania & full-blown mania.
5. Hypomania is a state where the individual possesses quite intense energy & is able to yield unusually high productivity. Ones who remain until this stage turn out to be great salesmen and high powered businessmen. Yet, the danger remains as many of the hypo-maniacs are just of the verge of being full blown maniacs.
6. The full-blown maniacs’ actions are rather devastating. Individuals suffering with bipolar disorder often become subject to the full-blown mania where they start making unnecessary moves in their business. Their actions yield far more losses than benefits, they themselves are never able to note this.
7. Patients of bipolar disorder almost never consider the results of their actions. They would spend money just like anything unconsciously. The money that they might have saved for some basic necessity for home or business, they might land up pending it in something just not required. They would sign the cheques irrespective of the fact that there is money in the account or not.
8. Such patients often become too generous and gift away their treasured items or things that they just can not afford to give away. Though, later they also regret their actions.
9. In an acute manic state the bipolar disorder can be characterized by overly gregariousness of the individual. They become extra ordinarily outgoing and do not realize whether their company is good or bad. This could be quite dangerous as getting in tough with some unwanted and unethical people can also land up in several irreversible problems such as sexual exploits, henceforth pregnancy, sexual diseases, or hampered relationships.
10. In extreme cases the disease suffering with bipolar disorder lands up in a phase of psychosis. This is the time when the patient has bizarre thoughts, like delusions and hallucinations. At this time the patient looses the senses of his/her immediate environment and is not able to make out the difference between realism & hallucinations. So he /she become so vulnerable that they can not even save themselves from natural calamities.
11. Often the mania cases land up to a phase of depression. Such individuals seclude themselves from their loved ones & acquaintances and many a times become bed-ridden for days together. Their sleep, appetite, energy level, etc. everything gets deeply effected.
12. One of the major dangers in bipolar disorder when the person goes in to depression is that they become suicidal. Hence, when the patient is in the phase of depression he/she must be guarded thoroughly.
13. Many adults & teenagers try to cope up with their bipolar disorder with other prolonged diseases like alcohol and drugs. Such cases are medically termed as – dual diagnosis. Such addictions complicate the patients’ condition and make thee treatment rather more difficult. However, with the changing scenario of our society this has almost become a common factor.
14. While individuals dealing with bipolar disorder have a lot many problems to handle, they can be optimistic due to the fact that several ways have been worked out for them to get cured and get a hold on themselves, like medications, therapies, routines, etc.
15. Well, in case you are now worried about some your relative or friend that they won’t be cured of the bipolar disorder, don’t be, because there have been several cases where such patients have been cured and now they are leading very happy and successful life.
16. However, you must understand that this disease can be controlled but not cured for life. First of all such patients and their families must understand that bipolar disorder is a long term disease that requires life long treatment. With medication & psychiatric therapy, these patients can lead a happy and controlled productive life for sure.
17. In case you suspect any of your family members or friends to have any mental disorder, you can help them by taking them to a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Wasting more time could lead to the disease becoming incurable.
18. Bipolar disorder often develops in the adolescence or early adulthood. In some cases, individuals also show early symptoms of this disorder during their childhood. While there are some who develop the bipolar disorder later in their life.
19. When the patient of bipolar disorder becomes suicidal, you should immediately take him/her to the doctor and go ahead with some urgent remedies.
20. Make sure that you do not leave any such stuff near the patient with which they can harm themselves like, the medications that they can take over doze of, or elements like knife, scissors, weapons, etc.
Many people shy away from accepting their mental illness. You must understand that having some mental illness does not mean that you are insane. Get rid of this misconception and do not feel scared in case you are detected to have bipolar disorder, neither it is something to be ashamed of.
Many a times people have this disorder they are never able to understand their ailment. With out the right professional attention, bipolar patients would be deprived of the right treatment and/or medication and their symptoms would henceforth grow more. Bipolar disorder is incurable; yet controllable and can be stabilized.
Bipolar disorder is quite less known among the general public. In fact, the surveys have proved that many people do not even want to think of the mood disorders. Among every 5 respondents, 80% didn’t even address bipolar disorder as an ailment. Most of the college students & people in the 40′s were aware of this disorder, but the other age groups have little or no knowledge about the bipolar & mood disorders.
The World Wide web or the internet is rich source of knowledge to seek help. Try observing the symptoms you exhibit, and in case you think that might have this disorder, search the online quizzes. Many sites these days feature bipolar quizzes. You can use the search engines such as Google & Yahoo to help yourself.
Various online depression quizzes would help you find out the differences in symptoms associated with the bipolar disorder. Once you have tried some of the quizzes, you would get the result easily.
The bipolar online quizzes generally focus on the following questions:
- Do you suffer extreme changes in the mood?
- Does some of your family member have bipolar disorder?
- Do you experience the symptoms in some intervals?
While quizzes cannot give an absolutely clear picture of the ailment, mild mood fluctuations are a part of life that are just normal to have. Yet even after this self-evaluation, you believe that you are suffering with bipolar disorder, then consult a doctor, therapist, or psychiatrist before it gets too late.
You must understand that bipolar disorder become uncontrollable in case it is detected very late. It is always advisable to go for a professional diagnosis before you jump to any conclusions.
About the Author
Abhishek has got some great Bipolar Disorder Treatment Secrets up his sleeve! Download his free 97 Pages Ebook, “Understanding And Treating Bipolar Disorders!” from his website http://www.health-Whiz.com/69/index.htm . Only limited free Copies available.
First Trimester These are the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy. During this time, the mother‘s body goes through many changes since a baby is growing in her. Most women complain of nausea, backaches and morning sickness. At this point, the mother is supposed to book her first prenatal appointment where she gets a comprehensive medical checkup. The doctor performs an ultrasound to confirm the viability of the pregnancy. On the 12th week of the week by week pregnancy, you will be able to hear the heart beat of the baby.
Second Trimester This is the 3rd to 6th month of the pregnancy that is roughly between weeks 13 to 28. At this time, the body is used to the pregnancy and this reduces the pregnancy symptoms. Most mothers start thinking of their baby’s needs by buyingclothes and furniture. You are supposed to continue visiting your health provider every 4 weeks to check on your progress. Women experience physical changes at this stage where they can start putting on maternity clothes to show off their bumps proudly. When following the week by week pregnancy guide you will notice that the baby grows rapidly during this period. The baby starts moving in the belly at around 18th to the 22nd week. The sex of the baby is determined at the second trimester through an ultrasound. To get more energy during this period, the mother should exercise regularly.
Third Trimester This is the final stage of the pregnancy journey. This is between weeks 29 to 40. At this point the baby grows rapidly both in weight and height. The baby’s lungs and respiratory systems develop at this stage. Between weeks, 37 and 42 the baby if fully mature and ready for birth. When the time is almost up the mother will experience Braxton Hicks contractions that eventually lead to strong labor pains and finally lead to the delivery of the baby. On delivery, the baby weighs around 7.5 pounds and is about 18 to 21 inches. The week by week pregnancy guide shows that mothers begin to experience some of the discomforts that they experienced during the first trimester.
It is very important to follow the week by week pregnancy guide to know the condition of your pregnancy. This helps the pregnancy to be more fun as you will be following all the steps before you deliver your beautiful baby. Ensure you visit your health provider regularly to keep everything in check. Mothers should eat proper diets and do away with unhealthy habits like drinking and smoking which can cause harm to the unborn baby.