Babies Born Premature

Once you pass the halfway point of your pregnancy, you may breathe a sigh of relief because your baby has passed the danger point of miscarriage. However, this does not mean that all is well. There are many babies born premature for various reasons. You should not overly stress yourself about this possibility, but you do have to still continue to take care of yourself and to make sure your doctors are watching for warning signs and problems that could mean an early delivery. Every day in the womb is a gift, so keep them there as long as you possibly can.

Babies born premature can have huge problems throughout life. Thankfully, many babies thrive with the right care and some born as early as three months early show no signs of any complications of being born early. These babies were strong from the start, and were lucky enough to have the right care. Babies have have complications may still have great care, but they have bigger hurdles to overcome than others. Each baby is going to have his or her own unique journey. Each day is a question, and each complication makes time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit a roller coaster ride.

You are more likely to have babies born prematurely if you are having your own complications during pregnancy. Some women have what is called incomplete cervix. This means the cervix does not close properly, and premature birth is more likely. There are ways to fix this problem, as long as it is caught on time. Infection in the mother, or conditions like pre-eclampsia mean a baby may have to be born early in order for them and their mother to survive. This is just one of the many reasons why good prenatal care for the mother is so essential.

If your doctor warns you to stay in bed because you are at risk for giving birth early, you have to do it. You do not want your child to have the same challenges that many babies born prematurely face in some cases. There are a few different types of bed rest. Some have modified bed rest where they are down for some of the day, but can get up to take short walks and do light chores. Others are in the hospital and can not get up for much more than going to the bathroom. It can be hard to be on bed rest, but it is even harder to see your baby fight for life in the NICU.

If you want to help babies born premature, or to help reduce the numbers born early, you can give your time or your money to the March of Dimes for research. Though there are known reasons why some babies are born prematurely, sometimes there is no known reason. It just happens. The March of Dimes helps fund research for prevention of prematurity as well as research on how to better care for these precious babies so they too can have normal lives. You can also donate time or money to your local NICU as well.

Teaching Kids the Truth

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

It's true that we all make concessions in our hectic lives, and we don't always make time to read God's Word with our children. Reading the Bible daily with your children is a great goal to aim for. It will help your children learn to love the teachings in the Bible from an early age.

If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, start with one or two nights a week and go from there. For kids that haven't been exposed to the Bible or think that it is boring stuff, you may get some protests at first. Meet the groans with a variety of study methods that will keep everyone interested and engaged.

Start off telling a familiar Bible story. If you have younger children, keep it short and simple. You can use hand puppets or act the story out to keep the kids' attention. Have them retell parts of the story. Always follow up by talking about what you want you kids to learn from the story. For example, after telling the story of Jonah and the whale, talk about how we should follow God's plan instead of our own; after reading (or telling) the story of David and Goliath, talk about how God helps us do amazing things if we trust him.

If you have older children, help them see connections to real problems or issues they may face in their lives. Teach them to trust God. Teach them what God's love feels like. Remind them that God can hear and answer their prayers.

Whatever their age, your children will benefit from learning God's Word.

Family Vacation Ideas

If you have a family that likes their vacation a little on the wild side, then consider a chartered whitewater rafting trip. Sure you could pack up the SUV for a hellacious trip to Disney World or the Grand Canyon where throngs of other families will be sitting in traffic too waiting for an opening.

But rather than force your kids to wait in endless lines and deal with monotonous theme park music and food take the family out into the wilderness of Oregon for a whitewater rafting trip that will make your summer vacation one they will never forget.

The allure of Oregon, one of the most protected land areas in North America, is the abundance of terrific whitewater rafting rivers that can satisfy seasoned rafting experts and beginners. The Rogue, Klamath, Owhyee and Cal-Salmon rivers all feature breathtaking scenery, amazing river runs and pristine campgrounds for taking a leisurely break or staying the night.

Plenty of seasoned rafting experts are available to act as tour guides for chartered rafts and will lead your family on a river rafting experience that will feature roaring rapids, water soaker battles and a chance to see amazing wildlife, including eagles, black bears and elks in their natural habitat.

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This website will display a variety of information. Its main purpose is for a personal blog, yet it will still contain work from my family as well as my opinions on latest goings on in the family and home related, and anything else which may tickle my fancy.