Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Types of Births By Gidig Having a child can be a frightening experience. Doctors, needles, babies, procedures, and lists of things to remember loom over your head. You’re going to be a mom, bringing a baby into the world. It’s best to be informed about the types of births, where you can deliver, and who can and should be there with you to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

Wanting to be a teenage mum By Hester (Peppermint Tea.♥) It is very common for a teenager to want a child. You see a new mother pushing her tiny one in a pushchair and you get that overwhelming desire to have one of your own. Teenage parenthood is all the rage at the moment. With programmes like Teen Mom being aired with massive ratings, it’s no wonder that the Internet is full of teenagers with aspirations to become young parents. If you look on any teen help forum you’ll likely find...

Finding out that you are going to be a father By Lyndsee (Heartlines.) You just found out you're going to be a father. Your emotions are all over the place; you might be shocked, happy, anxious, or upset. You have a lot of questions: "How are we going to afford this child?" "Do we keep it?" "Is it mine?" These are all natural emotions to feel and questions to have. The way in which one reacts or feels can depend on the person, the relationship with the mother, things going on in one's...

How to train a child By Robin (PSY) How many times have you been out in public and witnessed a child throwing a temper tantrum or sobbing uncontrollably because they didn't get what they wanted? How have you felt in those situations? Did you feel the parent or caretaker could have done a better job at handling the situation? What would you have done differently? Working with children can be very challenging, whether you are the parent, sibling, extended family member, a friend, or...

Am I pregnant? By Nicole (eumoirous) Fearing that you may become pregnant is very common, especially when you first become sexually active. Most barriers or hormones to prevent pregnancy are up to 99% effective, which means that although the chances of becoming pregnant are extremely low, it is still possible. If you suspect that you might be having symptoms of pregnancy, the first thing you should do is to remain calm. Symptoms and signs Among the most common signs, the one that...

Free Contraception: The Answer To Overpopulation Or The Cause Of Promiscuity? By Mollie Jose (guest author) Free birth control pills were made possible in the USA by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) way back 2012. This mandate has promoted women empowerment. In another positive perspective, the cost-free contraception has given women the chance to choose when to get pregnant. This freedom, furthermore, will help slow down the population growth. Although the intention of this...

What to do if you become pregnant By Nicole (eumoirous) Discovering that you are pregnant can be a very scary and overwhelming experience. Many questions may arise and it can be difficult to know which ones to deal with right away. Who do you tell first? What are your options? What will your parents think? The best thing to do is break this up into steps and tackle one thing at a time. Most importantly, remember that no matter what you decide, there are always avenues of support and you...

3 Things You Can Do Right Now to Get Kids to Listen By James Lehman This piece was written by one of TeenHelp's partners - Empowering Parents - who help to support parents struggling with their children. While this was written from and for the perspective of parents, building mutual trust and respect is a two way street, so we hope you will find this helpful in improving the relationship you have with your parents. Getting kids to listen is one of the most frustrating and difficult...

Peanut Butter and Newborns By Brittany (.Brittany.) History For many years, mothers have been wondering if it's safe for babies to eat peanut butter while breastfeeding or to be around peanut butter, as it was unknown whether or not the newborns may have an allergy to it. A lot of babies don't develop an allergy until they have tried the food, and most of the time it's when they're at an older age; but sometimes they do develop allergies when they are still young. In the United...

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) By Brittany (.Brittany.) What is it? Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, also known as NAS, is a group of withdrawal symptoms that a baby is born with when the mom has taken certain types of drugs while pregnant. These drugs can include Heroin, Oxycodone, and Meth. The reason that the baby is born with withdrawal symptoms is because the umbilical cord is attached from the baby to the mom's placenta, which means when the mom smokes or does drugs, it makes...

Myelomeningocele Brittany (.Brittany.) Myelomeningocele is the most serious and common form of Spina Bifida, which occurs in 3-4 out of every 10,000 live births. Myelomeningocele is caused when the fetus’ spine isn’t fully formed during the first 28 days of gestation; this is usually before a mom finds out that she’s pregnant. Some research suggests that Spina Bifida may occur if the fetus doesn’t get enough Folic Acid during the first six weeks of pregnancy. Doctors...

Activities to do with children By Jenna (.:Bibliophile:.) There are times when finding activities to do with children can be difficult. A lot of activities cost money or they can be hard to organize. This article will give some ideas of fun and inexpensive activities that can be done with children. Whether there's one child or more, there's fun for everyone. If you are able to, you could consider planting a garden or go and explore nature. Take the kids for a walk...