5 mins read

What Do Marriage Counselors Ask Couples?

A marriage counselor asks questions in order to evaluate a couple’s relationship to one another. Therapists say that the success or failure of a marriage normally depends on how couples deal with the issues in their lives. While counseling can help couples learn how to cope with their problems more effectively, the goal of marriage counseling is to help the partners in a relationship find ways to prevent small problems from escalating into bigger troubles. But according to the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), there is often a huge difference between how couples talk to each other and how they communicate. The kinds of questions a therapist asks is intended to help determine how each partner might be contributing to the problems in the marriage. Because the character of individual couples tends to be different, the specific questions which counselors ask couples may differ as well.

3 mins read

Bleeding & Cramping During Pregnancy

Bleeding and cramping can occur at any time during a pregnancy. Early within the first trimester, bleeding might not necessarily be indicative of a serious problem. Bleeding and cramping that occur in the second and third trimesters, however, could be cause for concern. Regardless of when the bleeding occurs, a pregnant woman should always consult with her physician to determine the status of the pregnancy and health of her developing baby.

3 mins read

Foods High in Vitamin A During Pregnancy

Vitamin A, which aids the body’s immune system, eyes, mucus membranes and cell reproduction, is really two kinds of vitamins: retinol and the provitamin-A carotenoids. Natural retinol comes from animals, while the carotenoids, of which the most well-known is beta carotene, come from vegetable sources. When you eat the animal sources of retinol vitamin A, you absorb the retinol the most directly and efficiently, while the vegetable carotenoids get converted into retinol inside the body less efficiently. The hype you might have heard about beta carotene, which is present in many vividly colored vegetables and fruits, is well-deserved and stems from the fact that it’s the most efficiently absorbed of all the carotenoids. How much vitamin A should you take during pregnancy? In supplement form, take no more than the right amount of vitamin-A retinol for your age—to be safe, consult the chart from the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine and speak with your physician. As for foods to take or not take that are high in vitamin A during pregnancy, see the recommendations below.

3 mins read

What Are the Various Stages of Dating?

From the moment you lay eyes on that special someone until the day you decide to spend the rest of your lives together, your relationship progresses through several stages. Identifying the dating stage you are in can help you pinpoint problems during the process, as well as provide insight as to where your relationship is heading. According to “Human Communication” author, Joseph DeVito, the following stages represent stages of all interpersonal relationships, whether they develop face-to-face or on the latest social networking site.

4 mins read

Dangers of Soy Infant Formula

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that about 25 percent of infants in the U.S. receive soy formula in their diets. While many parents believe that soy formula is healthier than formulas with cow’s protein, pediatricians say that few babies actually have medical conditions, which warrant a need for soy formula. Before making the choice to start your baby on a soy formula, both you and your infant’s pediatrician should examine all the alternatives. Then carefully weigh the possible benefits of each against any potential adverse side effects on your baby’s health.