Tina

I have a 26 month old step-daughter who I think is ready to start potty training...think being the key word. We have custody of her so she's with me the majority of the time. She's not that verbal yet so it's hard to tell her to tell me when she has to go. But, she will go get another diaper/pull up and bring it to us to change her when she's wet. She's a very smart child, just not verbal enough to tell me when she thinks she needs to go like my son was when he was potty training. It was fairly easy to potty train my son b/c of the fact that he was so verbal and it was easy for him to learn when he had to go.

What can I do to start the process with her? I"m at a loss as to how to even go about trying to teach her.....

Thanks!

Hi all! Ok, so I'm 19 weeks and have finally began feeling the little one move daily, not all day, but at least a few times a day. I keep getting "kicks" at the top of my tummy if my hand is resting there. Is that normal? I thought the baby was still pretty low, and I'm feeling these about 3-4 inches above my bellybutton. Is this the baby that I'm feeling or gas??? I swear you would think I've never been pregnant before!!

Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone! I'm just looking for some un-biased opinions.

I have a 6 year old son, 2 step daughters, and I'm 18 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy has been really hard so far, from staying weak/lethargic, to low blood sugar, to severe back pain (I had bad back/hip problems with my first also). I work part-time, 6 hours a day at a job I despise!!! My husband has full custody of the girls and they will come live with us this week full time. Paying daycare for all 3 is out of the question...

My husband works full time making enough money to support us. The only issue is that he doesn't have a great history of job stability. It's been a day-to-day challenge finding someone to care for them while I'm at work. I'm scared to death to leave my job, even though I couldn't support us on what I make.

Would you go ahead and leave to stay home with the kids and be home for the pregnancy or stick it out??? This is such a hard decision for me!

I am 17w 3d. I started feeling the baby a few weeks ago...on and off. Not really kicking but that pressure. I know that you're only supposed to worry if you don't feel the baby move after 24 weeks. weeks? I'll feel what seems to be him/her moving, but not certain....then other times it will be 2-3 days with no feeling, and I can't help but to worry a little. Is it normal to go days without feeling movement at 17 weeks?

Thanks!

My 5 year old son was diagnosed severe ADHD in the beginning of Kindergarten. I do believe this is a true diagnosis. However, I was completely unsatisfied with the medication that the doctor put him on. It completely took his personality away. He did not smile, laugh, talk, barely ate. He was just a completely different child and it broke my heart to see him so subdued. Also, it made him extremely aggresive. He's aggressive to the point of jumping on your or running into you, but he would want to hurt people and break things. When I voiced my concerns to his doctor she suggested upping the dosage. I am currently trying to find him a new pediatrician due to my feelings of her lack of concern for my son's well being. I want him to be able to slow down and focus in school, not be a little zombie! We took him off of the medication. His behavior and hyperactivity have skyrocketed!!! School is a wreck (just his behavior

Hi all! I had an early u/s 4 weeks ago due to some severe pain I was having in my left side. I was told all was normal and the baby was healthy, that it was more than likely a cyst that ruptured and was dissolving. I took that explanation and was pretty confident about it. After having a miscarriage last year, everything scares me in this pregnancy so far!!!!

Now, this afternoon I've been having shart shooting pains in my lower left side. They're not the same pains as I had before, and are shooting from my side down through my pelvic area. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow afternoon but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. Is it normal to have this type of pain at only 14 weeks?

Ok. I was changing a light switch cover, and grabbed the wrong side-now I know which part to never grab. Anyway it shocked me. Nothing major, just that small shock. It didn't hurt at all, just made me jump back. I'm 10 1/2 weeks pregnant. Any chance that could have caused any harm to the baby???? It may be a ridiculous question, but after a miscarriage 6 months ago, everything scares me.

Thanks!!!

Ok...another question!

Going by my LMP I am 10 weeks 4 days pregnant. I have my doctor appt on the 16th to verify that. The last cycle I had lasted 2 weeks--which was way off for me!

I know with my first son I didn't feel him until around 15-17 weeks. I have been having alot of the gas bubbles and all that, but for the past 2 days I've had fluttering at different times, in the same spot. I don't feel like it's gas but I'm really confused b/c I know I shouldn't be feeling the baby this early. Could I be further along than what I'm calculating? I don't think I conceived until after my last cycle...especially since it was so long. I know my doctor will be able to tell me exactlly, just wondering if anyone else has this experience with their second pregnancy. I've read that everything is supposed to happen earlier with the 2nd but I didn't think you should be able to feel the flutters at only 10 weeks!

Hi all! So I'm 10 weeks pregnant and I've lost a pound while I've been pregnant. At first I did have horrible nausea where I wouldn't be able to eat much. That has subsided, but I just don't feel hungry all the time like I did with my first pregnancy. I mean, I get hundry frequently...but I get full very easily. I never finish meals anymore. Kinda like when I start eating it I just can't finish it.

I'm about 20lb overweight to begin with, so I know it's great that I'm not gaining yet but I don't want to lose either! I don't have my OB appt until the 16th. Is it normal to have a small weight loss during the first trimester, that has nothing to do with morning sickness?

I swear since I've been pregnant I stay so exhausted that it feels like I can't pick my feet up to walk. Then when I go to lay down....I can't sleep!!!! I've been lying in bed for 2 1/2 hours now and still cannot seem to get comfy or even close my eyes.

I'm 9 weeks now. A few weeks ago I was so tired I would fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Now I feel just as exhausted but cannot for the life of me get to sleep for hours after I lay down!!! Please tell me this goes away! I didn't have this with my first pregnancy....is it even pregnancy related?

Any advice how to wind down and finally get some rest? I've been like this for the last week.

Thanks!!!

I am 9 weeks pregnant and I work at a newspaper. I work up front as a receptionist. The shop is connected to our building and you can really smell the chemical smell up here also. When they're printing it's so strong it will give me a headache. I have no clue what type of chemicals go into printing a newspaper so I'm not even sure if it's safe to breathe. I stay nauseated all day up here...but I stay nauseated all day wherever I am. Is there a chance of the smell/fumes harming my baby?

I know it may sound like a ridiculous question. I can't get into my doctor until next week but it's reallyl starting to make me wonder about it.

I had a miscarriage back in September. I just found out yesterday that I'm pregnant, although I've suspected it for about 3 weeks now. Haven't been to the doctor yet, but I'm guessing about 7 weeks. This one showed up immediately on a HPT where my last pregnancy took 6 weeks to even show I was pregnant. I'm crossing fingers that that means my levels are stronger and I'll carry this one.

My question is....how do you not worry and stress every second about having another miscarriage? I said that I wasn't going to...that it was God's plan for me to be prengnat again, but I find it consuming my thoughts! Does anyone have any tips or advice for stress relief or a way to just be happy and excited instead of worrying continuously that it's going to happen again?

I know my doctor told me there is no reason not to have a healthy pregnancy after the miscarriage--I just find it hard to not think about it!

Thanks

Ok...I know it's a silly question for a 30 year old woman but I just don't know the answer.

Would the duration of your last cycle change the date of your next cycle? I had my last cycle around the middle of January and it was 14 days (unusually long for me!). At it stands I completely skipped February. I thought it was no big deal since February was a shorter month, blah blah blah. For the last few weeks my body has been mimicking the symptoms of my last pregnancy, which I lost. Everything from extreme fatigue, nausea, dizziness, among others that are not usual PMS symptoms for me. I'm just kinda at a loss here...and wanting to wait until next week at least to take a test.

Thanks!

My 5 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD at the beginning of the school year. I agreed on a medication and am completely unsatisfied with it! It makes my son a completely different child, a blank child. When he takes it he doesn't laugh, talk, eat, play, or even smile. Other days that he takes it, it doesn't even seem to phase him. He has done better in school since starting the medication, but his teacher has expressed concerns with the severe ups/downs that he has on it also.

I went to his pediatrician to voice my concerns and her answer was to up his dosage!!! Which I refused due to the zombie-like effect it has on him most of the time as it is on a low dose. She referred him to a psychiatrist which we will see on March 26th and stated that he will decide what meds are appropriate if any.

Has anyone had experience with taking their child to a psychiatrist? Can they teach coping skills both for parents and the child? I just need to find a happy medium for my child...

My fiance and I are getting married in June. We have 3 children from previous partners. I want some type of ceremony that the children can be involved in with us. Something signifying the coming together of our separate families into one. We are very involved in each other's children's lives an want our wedding to have something special for each of them to be involved in also. I've heard of the sand ceremonies, and our children are too young for a candle ceremony.

Does anyone have any ideas? I was thinking a family tree...but wanted to ask for more input.

Thanks!

I've been having SEVERE pain in my mouth since Friday. I know it's my wisdom teeth b/c that's where the pain originates and my gums are very swollen in that area. With no dental insurance, it's virtually impossible to get to a dentist. I'm worried that they are impacted/infected. Will an ER be able to help? At least I could be billed for that service!

My fiance and I have three children total. I have one son from a previous relationship and he has two daughters. We have his daughters every weekend, but we are making a transition to having is oldest here permanently. My son and his oldest daughter are the same age and in the same class at school.

The problem I'm having is this...all of our children are spoiled rotten. We both have given each other permission to punish all the children as we see fit. Tonight his daughter was crying to go to her granmother's house and he would not give in. After she was asleep he came in and told me that she was just too spoiled. I agreed and told him that it was our fault because she has been living with her grandmother since before we got together. He went completely off on me! Asked how dare I call his child spoiled when mine is just as bad. But the thing is I simply agreed with him!! I did not say anything other than what he had already said and it started a HUGE argument!

A close family member of mine has been receiving death threats by telephone for the past 3 days. The first night he called 13 times in 45 minutes and informed her that someone had paid him $5000 to kill her. She called the police. While they were there he didn't call...as soon as he left he started the calls again. The police told her that they could not trace it b/c he was blocking the number. Now it's 2 days later and the calls are relentless. It seems that her house is being watched due to the way the calls are coming. This afternoon someone was beating on her door and she was too scared to go to it. When she called they told her they would add it to the report. They sent her to sign a release for the # to be traced, but when she got there they told her that they couldn't because a crime hadn't been committed. I cannot believe this!!! Does she have to die before they will do something? Who knows what's gonna happen next,he's already gotten brave enought to come to the door

My son has always been hyper and defiant towards me. I could handle this at home with a good ole spanking or punishment. Well, the spankings didn't work so we stopped that measure. Now the punishments don't work.

We're in the 3rd week of Kindergarten now. He has had 3 days where he had a green frog(good day). 3 days with a red frog(horrible day) and the rest have been yellow frogs (warnings/time outs). Already we have a parent/teacher conference. I'm at my wits end and had no idea what to do anymore.

We went to his doctor this morning. After extensive testing and speaking with his teachers I was told that he tested positive for both spectrums of ADHD...the inability to focus and the hyperactivity. I asked about diet changes, behavior modification.

She prescribed him Focalin. I've read up on it and it does seem a little better. It doesn't have all the side effects of Adderall or Ritalin...which I would have walked out of the office had she said Ritalin.

My fiance is a huge football fan. We dont have cable where we live wayyyy out in the country. So we came to stay at my mom's...ya know for the whole Monday night football thing. Well, her ESPN is out so he asked if he could go to the Sports Bar to watch it. I told him that we had both promised that we wouldn't go to bars without each other due to some things in the past. This certain bar is one where he was known to pick up women before we were together.

I really don't want to be a b***h about it so I told him to go and have fun. We've been having difficulties involving finances, children behavior in school, and a miscarriage leaving me feeling rather bad about myself.

Now that he went I'm feeling sooo bad about it. I know I told him to go...but I really didn't want him to, and he knew it. I'm gonna try really hard not to pout about it tomorrow but I know it'll be hard.

How do I keep from being a b***h about it when I agreed, even though we had agreed not to do that??