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If you have had a miscarriage, your doctor may offer you several choices of miscarriage treatment, each of which entails the eventual removal of the nonviable pregnancy tissue (products of conception) from the uterus. These options include waiting for a natural (or expectant) miscarriage, having a dilation and curettage surgical procedure (D&C), or using medication (or medical management) to induce bleeding. If your pregnancy loss involves a medical emergency such as a ruptured ectopic pregnancy or a hemorrhage, you will most likely need to have surgery....

Depression chat rooms can help if you are feeling depressed and need to talk to someone who understands just what it is that you are going through. You can find a safe place to express yourself and get support from others who are also experiencing depression. If You Are Suicidal However, if you are feeling suicidal and in danger of hurting yourself, rather than going to a non-crisis chat room, you should seek assistance from your doctor, therapist, or a suicide hotline....

Epidural anesthesia is the most common form of pain relief used in labor and birth today. It is also the most effective at removing the pain during birth. It works so well it can even be used for cesarean birth, allowing the mother to be awake and alert during the birth of her baby, even in the event of surgery. There are a growing number of women who are opting out of using epidurals and choosing to go through labor without them....

Spring cleaning is not something most people look forward to, but if you involve the entire family, everyone wins. You get help decluttering and reorganizing your home just in time for warmer weather to begin, which studies show can reduce anxiety and boost mood. And your children pick up some key life skills along with the great feeling that comes from helping out others. “Spring cleaning is important because it designates a specific time for a fresh start,” says Julia M....

While it might seem like you bear the brunt of the weight when it comes to losing your job, a parent must remember that it’s a situation that affects the whole family. Therefore, the entire family needs to be involved in supporting one another—and to do that you must talk to kids about job loss. Although it’s tempting to keep the news under wraps to spare your children worry and stress, kids can sense when something’s wrong....

It’s not uncommon for people in relationships to spend all of their time together, especially in the honeymoon stage. However, too much time spent with any one person can become unhealthy and can potentially lead to codependency. So, it’s important that you don’t neglect other loved ones such as friends and family members after you’ve entered a romantic relationship. This article discusses what makes relationships feel secure and why it’s important to maintain friendships outside of your romantic relationship....

In social psychology, the reflected appraisal process is considered one of the influences on the development of self-concept. The term refers to a process where we imagine how other people see us. In many instances, the way we believe others perceive us is the way we perceive ourselves. We all make judgments about the people, objects, and events in the world around us. We are also aware that other people make judgments about us....

Positive psychology is a newer and increasingly popular branch of psychology that seeks to focus not on pathology, but on what contributes to human happiness and emotional health. It focuses on strengths, virtues, and factors that help people thrive and achieve a sense of fulfillment, as well as more effectively manage stress. History The positive psychology movement has its roots in the work of humanistic psychologists such as Abraham Maslow, who tried to focus more on the healthy human development and less on pathology, but really came into being as we know it around 1998....

Emotions are reactions that human beings experience in response to events or situations. The type of emotion a person experiences is determined by the circumstance that triggers the emotion. For instance, a person experiences joy when they receive good news. A person experiences fear when they are threatened. Emotions have a strong influence on our daily lives. We make decisions based on whether we are happy, angry, sad, bored, or frustrated....

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy: your vagina, abdomen, breasts, skin, and hair can all look and feel different during and after pregnancy and birth. Some changes are clearly visible, like that dark line that can show up on your stomach, which is known as the linea negra. Others may not be as visible, such as changes to your vagina after birth. Many pregnant people wonder how pregnancy will affect their vagina, and if delivering a baby will permanently stretch it out or cause incontinence....

Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more fully aware of the present moment—non-judgmentally and completely—rather than dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. It generally involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli (noticing your breathing, feeling the sensations of your body, etc.) and being “in the now.” If you are experiencing thoughts that cause great discomfort or unease, it might be time to begin a mindfulness practice to support coming back to the here and now, which can significantly reduce your level of stress....

You swear you just bought those pants a week ago, but they’re definitely too short for your toddler now. Toddlers don’t grow as fast as they did when they were babies, but it can still seem like you’re always needing to buy new clothes. If you’re shopping online or trying to grab a few outfits while your little one is at daycare, you might find yourself wondering what size to buy....

It’s the second week of your second trimester. At 15 weeks pregnant, your baby is growing and maturing, and you likely have more energy and a lot less nausea. Your Baby’s Development at 15 Weeks At 15 weeks, your baby measures a little under 4 1/2 inches (11.2 centimeters) from the top of their head to the bottom of the buttocks (your healthcare provider might call this measurement the crown-rump length)....

Breastfeeding discomfort is a significant problem for many women, especially nipple pain. Many women cite nipple pain as the main reason they stop breastfeeding. If you are dealing with nipple pain or cracked or bleeding nipples, you may be wondering what products you can use to help make nursing more comfortable. Lanolin cream is a nipple cream often used to help cope with this breastfeeding problem. Read on to find out if lanolin is safe for mothers and babies while breastfeeding, how to use it to reduce pain while breastfeeding, and when it’s time to see a professional....

If you’re pregnant or planning to be, you might have heard the advice to avoid hot tubs for fear of inducing a miscarriage. Learn why taking a hot bath might be the better option with this overview. Why Doctors Warn Pregnant Women to Avoid Hot Tubs The reason behind the recommendation against hot tubs has to do with body temperature. Researchers have found that having an elevated body temperature in early pregnancy increases the risk of neural tube defects; the same finding applies to fevers during pregnancy....

Scientists have long struggled with finding the root cause of most forms of cancer. The development of many cancers has been linked to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol excessively, stress, and lack of physical activity. A link that is often overlooked is the link between stress and cancer. When you are stressed, your body goes through a series of physiological changes that are typically temporary. Once the stressor passes, it all goes back to normal....

If you’ve recently experienced a miscarriage, you’re likely still grieving the loss of your unborn child. So what do you do when baby shower invitations for other moms-to-be land in your mailbox or inbox? Following the loss of a baby, the idea of celebrating another’s pregnancy may seem like the last thing you feel like doing. But that’s OK. It’s normal to grieve after any kind of loss, and your expectant friends or family members should hopefully be able to respect that....

Dark chocolate has been connected with some positive physical health benefits. This sweet treat has been linked with better cardiovascular health, for instance, thanks to the way it improves blood pressure and helps protect blood vessels. Yet, there is additional good news for chocolate lovers everywhere, as dark chocolate has also been found to help relieve stress. One of the ways in which it works to lower our stress levels is by affecting our body’s release of cortisol....

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States. And just how commonly used is it? Prevalence of Alcohol Use Among Teens The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that, among high school students, 29 percent drank some amount of alcohol, 14 percent binge drank, 5 percent drove after drinking alcohol, and 17 percent rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol....

Many people are not aware that certain prescription drugs that have been associated with the emergence or worsening of depression symptoms as a side effect, even in people who might not ordinarily be prone to depression. A 2018 study published in JAMA found that more than a third of U.S. adults are currently taking a prescription medication that could potentially cause depression or increase suicide risk. Given that depression is so common in patients with medical illness, it is often difficult to establish with certainty if these medications are to blame for the mood symptoms....