ParentWonder

Helping Parents Succeed

Fertility Calculator: Can it Help You in Getting Pregnant?

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Anyone who knows the fundamentals of conception will know that it is more likely to occur during the ovulation part of a woman’s cycle when the egg is released from the ovaries.  In fact, just before and just after are the optimum times.  But how do you work out when you’re ovulating?

Some women can actually tell they’re ovulating by the cramps they feel – slightly different sensations to period pain cramps – and also by food cravings, slight flushes in temperature, lower back pain and a range of other symptoms, some common, and some peculiar to a handful of women.

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How Hiking Trips Help My Daughter Grow

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I can see the enormous improvement in my daughter, J, during our monthly hiking trip last weekend.

J is shy and introvert by nature. But in this trip, she opened up like I never see before.

A Great Weekend Getaway – Christmas Run

Since this was a Christmas run, the hiking club invited a clown to entertain the kids. They danced, they played and they watched magic show.

The highlight was Santa Claus presenting gifts to all the kids there. In actual fact, this was pre-arranged. Parents had bought gifts before coming to the trip. The gifts were given to Santa and he distributed the gifts as though the presents were from him.

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US warns about bed-wetting drug after two deaths

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U.S. health officials alerted the public on Tuesday about the deaths of two patients who were treated with a prescription drug to control bed-wetting.

The Food and Drug Administration said it was unclear whether the drug, desmopressin, had contributed to the deaths. But the agency said nasal versions were no longer approved for treating bed-wetting and doctors should consider other options.

Desmopressin is sold under the names DDAVP Nasal Spray, DDAVP Rhinal Tube, DDVP, Minirin and Stimate Nasal Spray. Makers include Sanofi-Aventis and several generic companies.

Other forms of the drug "should be used cautiously" in patients at risk of sodium imbalances that can be caused by over-hydration, the FDA said.

The agency reviewed 61 reports of patients treated with desmopressin who developed seizures related to hyponatremia, when sodium is too low. Two of the patients died.

Full report: US warns about bed-wetting drug after two deaths

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Try Honey for Children’s Coughs

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A teaspoon of honey before bed seems to calm children's coughs and help them sleep better, according to a new study that relied on parents' reports of their children's symptoms.

The folk remedy did better than cough medicine or no treatment in a three-way comparison. Honey may work by coating and soothing an irritated throat, the study authors said.

"Many families are going to relate to these findings and say that grandma was right," said lead author Dr. Ian Paul of Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine.

The research appears in December's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

Federal health advisers have recently warned that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines shouldn't be used in children younger than 6, and manufacturers are taking some products for babies off the market.

Three pediatricians who read the study said they would tell parents seeking alternative remedies to try honey. They noted that honey should not be given to children under age 1 because of a rare but serious risk of botulism.

Full report: Try Honey for Children's Coughs

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Unique Christmas Gift Ideas for Men (and Husbands)

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These are not your conventional men’s Christmas gifts. No, we are not talking about iPods, golf equipment and not even about wine club memberships.

It’s something your man or husband will love to receive. And yet it’s so unique that he never thinks of it.

Be different this year. Give something unusual and unique for this year’s Christmas to your husband or boyfriend and this will surely leave a lasting impression on him.

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