I left my abusive, psychotic, ex spouse on October 6, 2001 with my 4 children and the clothes on our backs. Our exit was quite dramatic, and the drama continues even today, almost 7 years later.
As I began to heal and rebuild my life, I never would have thought that one day I’d be [...]
When I was just a teenager, my father informed me of a fact that I still carry with me to this day: since he was the only one of his siblings to immigrate to Canada from Italy, and that I am his only son (I have two sisters), that it was my responsibility to have [...]
During my first pregnancy I generally abstained from chocolate because I had heard about the possible dangers of caffeine consumption while pregnant. After all, chocolate has a bit of caffeine, doesn’t it? I wanted to be as careful as possible.
When my second pregnancy came along I was a little more relaxed about the whole [...]
The number of pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes has significantly increased in the last seven years especially among teenagers. No, I am not referring to gestational or pregnancy diabetes. In this case, it`s the type 2 diabetes which is related to obesity that is most commonly observed.
Here are some statistics to think about:
• 1999 - [...]
I love coffee. Every morning begins with a cup. Whenever I head off to a meeting or have a long drive ahead of me I’ll stop by Starbucks or another local shop and load up on some coffee. Yes indeed, I am a fan of coffee.
When I got pregnant I stopped drinking coffee [...]
How honest are women about their alcohol drinking habits during pregnancy? Actually, the answer is a bit shocking, according to the latest findings by Swedish researchers who surveyed 103 pregnant women. Pregnant women were asked about their alcohol use and their urine and hair were then tested for alcohol byproducts. Alcohol markers can be detected [...]
Pregnancy can be challenging in itself, but when mothers with their own health problems are faced with balancing their own health concerns with the health of their fetuses, the challenge becomes even more difficult. It is almost always a balancing act: a mother needs to take care of herself, and many times, her other children, [...]
The benefits to mom for exercising while pregnant are well-known, and recently doctors discovered that it may benefit baby too - as well as giving mom’s heart a workout, baby’s heart also learns how to pump more efficiently.
There were many days during my nine months when I felt like a lump and wanted to stay [...]
Still trying to lose that baby weight? Every magazine on the newsstand seems to tout a new way to “walk off the weight.” But you know what? Combined with a healthy diet filled with lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains, walking really does work!
Walking is also the perfect exercise during pregnancy. The American College [...]
Pregnancy is a joy and a marvel. It’s amazing to think about a new life growing inside of your belly that you and your significant other came together and made. While that is enough for many women, there are some other (and often overlooked) great things about pregnancy that should not be forgotten. Here are [...]
