During the first 6 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends healthy babies only eat breast milk or iron-fortified formula. These liquid foods provide all the nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development. Generally, water, juice and solid foods aren’t needed until 4-6 months.

Your baby’s doctor will likely recommend solid foods when your baby shows he is ready. Signs your baby is ready for solid food includes:

• Drinking more than 36-48 ounces of formula per day
• Seems hungry after milk feedings
• Getting hungry more often
• Waking up during the night for feedings
• Having doubled his birth weight
• Showing interesting in the food you’re eating
• Can sit with your help and hold head steady

What should baby’s first foods be?

First foods should be limited to low-allergy foods, vegetables, and fruits. Offering solid foods too early can lead to allergies. Also, keep in mind that solids foods should not be used to help your baby sleep through the night.

First foods and feeding:

• iron-fortified single-grain rice cereal
• thin cereal with breast milk or formula
• warm the milk before to room temperature before adding to the cereal
• don’t heat bottles or baby food with the microwave—it heats foods unevenly
• hold your baby more upright than you would for a bottle or breast feeding
• feeding your baby after he has already has some milk so she will be more like to try the new food
• if your baby is too hungry, they may get too frustrated with the new experience

Your baby may reject the new food at first, but be patient. Soon they will be an expert and act like a hungry little bird when they see that spoon!

Buy our e-book - Growing A Healthy Baby: a guide to your baby’s nutrition and get these important questions answered:

• Is your baby getting enough to eat
• What foods often cause allergies
• Is it OK to make your own baby food
• Which foods are safe foods
• Which foods are choking foods
• What to do if your baby swallows poison

You’ll also get lots of helpful feeding tips for ages 6-12 months.

This booklet was used in by one of the nations largest HMOs for their “First Bites” program.

When your baby is about 5 to 6 months old, he may start crying more often between feedings. This may be a sign that his formula or breast milk isn’t satisfying his hunger. At this age, he may also begin to express his desire for food. When you’re eating, you may notice him watching you eat, leaning forward, drooling, or even opening his mouth like a hungry little bird. If you wait until he expresses his desire for food, it will be much easier for both of you. Later, the switch from baby food to family food will be much easier. When both of you are ready, there are a few basic points to keep in mind.

Note: You can use any credit card with our PayPal shopping cart. You do not need a PayPal account.

Buy it now: $3.50 total

Nothing in our booklets or on this site is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader. So have fun! Be sure to read our disclaimer.

Following an exam, x-rays, and other diagnostic tests, your surgeon has evaluated your back pain and has recommended lumbar spinal fusion to treat your back problem. The purpose of spinal fusion is to relieve your pain by stopping the movement in the spinal segment that is causing your problem. Lumbar spinal fusion is performed through an incision in your back, or an incision in your abdomen, depending on the cause of your problem. This 27 page illustrated e-booklet will answer many questions about your surgery, and hopefully put many of your fears to rest. Share this information with your family. It explains what will happen before, during, and after lumbar spinal fusion surgery; but, it cannot answer all of the questions you might have about your own back problem and its treatment. Your surgeon can answer questions you and your family may still have after reading this booklet.

Be sure to read our disclaimer. If you agree with the disclaimer, click the “Add to Cart” link below to order your e-book.

Note: You can use any credit card with our PayPal shopping cart. You do not need a PayPal account.

$4.00 total

Sex After Back Surgery or Back Injury

While you’re healing from back surgery or a back injury, it’s still possible for you to have sex. But you must learn ways to control your pain and you must be careful not to hurt yourself. Sex After Back Surgery or Back Injury e-book can answer your questions about sex while healing.

JB online

June M. Bacchi
Duluth, GA 30097
e-Mail: jbacchi@mediapartnersinc.com
Phone: 678.475.9988

Skills

Writer, editor, and content developer specializing in health information; Web site design and development applying XHTML, CSS, information architecture, interface design, SEO, accessibility, and usability guidelines.

Experience

15 years of experience owning and managing a one-stop-shop for custom health education for print, Web, and on-site health promotion programs including:

• Recommending, coordinating and preparing health education materials for target wellness and chronic disease populations to increase awareness, provide general knowledge or how-to instruction.
• Managing the development of print and Web information from conception through the publishing process including writing, graphic design, custom medical illustrations/artwork, photo searches, translation, prepress production, final press proof, printing, and distribution. Materials range from one-page fact sheets up to program manuals of 200+ pages.
• 13 years designing, managing, and developing content and advertising for a 900+ page health information Web site targeted to the general public.
• Publishing health information e-books.
• Publishing a health and beauty information blog.
• Writing, designing, and printing thousands of custom health information fact sheets, fliers, posters, program manuals, and booklets for Kaiser Permanente Health Care of Georgia health education department (1995-2007).
• Contracted by Shepherd Center, Atlanta to write and publish Acquired Brain Injury, a 24-page booklet for the family of patients with an acquired brain injury. I worked with neurologists, physical therapists, and clinical nurse specialists at Shepherd Center to develop the content and illustrations.
• Writing generic patient education booklets for hospitals and health-care providers; one booklet is recommended by the Arthritis Foundation, was featured in RN magazine, and is used as a resource and in-service training at hospitals, home-care agencies, nursing schools, and physician offices.
• Developing a wide variety health education campaigns to promote awareness including campaigns with national interest such as:
  • Diabetes Alert Day – in collaboration with American Diabetes Association.
  • Great American Smoke Out – in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute.
  • Influenza/Pneumococcal – campaign to raise awareness to high-risk populations.
  • Prostate Cancer Awareness Campaign – in collaboration with the American Cancer Society.
• Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign – awareness of breast cancer and breast self-exam skills.
• Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign – in collaboration with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
• Skin Cancer Awareness
• National TV Turnoff Week – awareness of childhood obesity; promote physical activity.
• Childhood Immunizations Outreach – important immunizations; timetable for immunizations.
• Work-site Health Promotion – nutrition education; custom health promotion programs for corporations and colleges including AT&T, AVON, Lucent Technologies, State of Georgia, Panasonic, Georgia Institute of Technology, Verizon, and Georgia Power; prepared advertising and marketing materials for these work-site programs.

Education

Bachelor of Business Administration, Georgia State University, 1988

Pregnancy weight chart. Use this chart to record your weekly weight throughout your pregnancy.

Daily Food Guide.  This guide will help you get your nutrition from all food groups and give you an idea of how much to eat of each food.

2-Day Food Record. By completing this 2-day food record, you can learn which foods you are getting too much of and which foods you are not getting enough of.

Keep in mind that these tools are for mothers with a normal pregnancy. They are only suggestions for ways to help you gain weight at a healthy rate. Always follow your doctors advice and if these tools fit into what your doctor has told you to do, then feel free to print them out and use them.

Steps you can take to control your diabetes:

• Attend self-management education classes offered by your health care provider or a local hospital.
• Know your hemoglobin A1c level. A1c level should be below 7.0.
• See your diabetes educator and registered dietitian as recommended by your doctor.
• Eat a healthy diet. Eat high carbohydrate foods such as starches, fruit and milk evenly over the entire day.
• Eat regularly, watch your portion sizes, lower your fat intake and increase your fiber intake.
• Check your blood sugar as recommended by your doctor.
• Reach or maintain a healthy body weight.
• Keep your blood pressure below 130/80.
• Talk about the use of medicines called statins and ACE inhibitors with your doctor. These medicines have reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke in people who have diabetes.
• Get a yearly dilated and complete eye exam. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness.
• Get a pneumonia shot if you have not already had one.
• Get a flu shot every fall.
• Learn as much as you can about how to keep your diabetes under control.

If you need a reminder, attached is a flier you can print out and put on your refrigerator.

Disclaimer: Nothing mentioned here is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader.

The CDC recommends that kids ages 6 months to 18 years of age get the flu vaccine because they are so vulnerable to the flu because of the way the virus spreads. Kids aren’t as likely to practice hygiene to prevent getting or spreading the flu like hand washing and covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze. Kids probably won’t recognize flu symptoms in another child and avoid contact with them.

The flu usually spreads from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes germs into the air. Germs enter the blood stream when the contaminated air is breathed in. Germs can get on hands by touching surfaces that are contaminated with the flu virus, such as wet areas in a restroom or kitchen. The germs then get into your body when you touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth. If a child has the flu, he can spread germs to others by touching surfaces that other kids touch—toys and door knobs, not covering their nose when they sneeze or mouth when they cough.

Most healthy adults can infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming sick. That means you might be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick. Teach your child to wash their hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.Cleaning their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based product and also covering their cough with a tissue or their sleeve will help prevent the spread of the flu.

Symptoms of seasonal flu can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Extreme tiredness
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (more common in children than adults)

If you or your child get the H1N1 flu, the treatment is the same—plenty of fluids, rest and dose-appropriate acetaminophen for a fever. After all, it is still the flu we’re talking about. After 24 fever-free hours without the aid of medicine, your child can go back to school.

These children should be seen by their doctor—call before taking your child in. Call your child’s doctor if:

• A baby younger than 12 weeks has a fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• A child, older than 12 weeks has a fever for three days
• A child’s fever returns after a 12-24 hour time period
• A child is not passing urine or making tears for more than six hours
• A child does not smile or show interest in playing for several hours

Call 911 if:

• A child cannot speak while trying to breathe
• The child aas a blue or dark purple color to the nail beds, lips or gums
• The child Is not responding to you because he is too tired or weak

Disclaimer: Nothing mentioned here is intended to replace common sense, legal, medical or other professional advice, and is meant to inform and entertain the reader.

Fetal kick counts help tell how active your baby is. Besides counting kicks, you will be counting every time your baby moves, rolls, or twists. Your baby has times when he is more active than others. Active times are usually after you have been up and walking around for awhile, after a meal, or after you have had something cold to eat or drink, such as ice water.

Your doctor may have you do kick counts two or three times a day for several days; your doctor will tell you how often to do them and when to call him or her. If so, try to do them at the same time every day or after the same activity. For example, do them before you get up, an hour after eating lunch, and when you go to bed at night. If you are self-monitoring contractions, you can do kick counts at the same time.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that you time how long it takes you to feel 10 kicks, flutters, swishes or rolls. Ideally, you want to feel at least 10 movements within 2 hours. Most likely you will feel 10 movements in much less time. This free Kick Counts Worksheet is an easy way to record kick counts. Print it out an d write down the date and time of the first movement. Every time you feel your baby move or kick, check off one of the 10 boxes. After you check all ten boxes, write down the time of the tenth movement. If you cannot feel your baby move, drink a glass of cold water or walk around for a few minutes and try again. Some doctors recommend that you call if your baby moves less than 10 times in an hour.

Introduction

Achilles tendonitis is when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed or irritated. This inflammation is often the result of a lot of stress on your calf muscles and Achilles tendon from either a sudden increase in intensity or frequency of exercise. Chronic overuse can contribute to micro-tears in the Achilles tendon, leading to wear and tear over time that weakens the tendon and thickening of the tendon from scar tissue.

When treated promptly, Achilles tendonitis is often short-lived. Left untreated, Achilles tendonitis can cause persistent pain or cause your tendon to rupture. The healing process causes scar tissue to form. Because scar tissue is not as elastic as the tendon, the scar tissue doesn’t allow the tendon to stretch normally, which can lead to a rupture of the tendon.

Fortunately, rest and over-the-counter medications to reduce your pain and inflammation may be all the treatment you need for Achilles tendonitis. In some cases, physical therapy may be needed. If you ignore symptoms, the result can be a rupture or tear of the tendon and surgery may be needed.

Where is the Achilles tendon and what does it do?

Tendons are strong, fibrous tissues that attach muscles to bones. When muscles contract, they pull on the tendon that moves the bone. The Achilles tendon attaches the two calf muscles (the outer gastrocnemius and the underlying soleus) that share the Achilles tendon to the heel bone (calcaneus). When contracted, the calf muscles pull on the Achilles tendon causing the foot to point downward helping you to rise up onto the ball of your foot. As the calf muscles relax, they allow you to lower your heel to the ground. This powerful muscle group in your calf helps you sprint, jump, or climb and provides the push-off phase in walking and running.

What causes Achilles tendonitis?

Achilles tendonitis is an overuse injury—doing too much too soon. Problems with the Achilles tendon affect athletes most often; especially runners, basketball players, and sports that require jumping—like volleyball and tennis. Problems are also common in middle-aged adults. Some injuries to the Achilles tendon are minor and some rather severe.

Achilles tendonitis can be either acute which occurs over a period of a few days following and increase in training, or chronic which occurs over a longer period of time. In athletes, problems are often acute following a sudden increase in training—either distance, speed or hills. Risk factors for non-athletes include diabetes, age, obesity, steroids, certain antibiotics or a “weekend warrior” injury.

What do Achilles tendon problems feel like?

Acute:

• Gradual onset of pain over a period of days
• Pain when exercise begins that gets better as the exercise progresses
• Pain gets better with rest
• Tenderness to pressure in the area

Chronic Achilles tendonitis can follow acute tendonitis if untreated. Chronic tendonitis is more difficult to treat.

• Gradual onset of pain over a period of weeks or months
• Pain with exercise that is constant throughout exercise
• Pain when walking up hill or up stairs
• Pain and stiffness in the tendon after rest and especially early in the morning
• Nodules or lumps in the tendon
• Tenderness with pressure
• Swelling or thickening of the tendon
• May have skin redness over the area
• May feel creaking when moving the ankle or pressing the tendon with your fingers

You can have pain either where the Achilles tendon attaches to the calf muscle—tendonitis—or where it attaches to the heel bone (calcaneus)—bursitis. There is a fluid filled sac between the tendon and the bone, called a bursa that limits friction when the tendon glides up and down at the back of the heel bone. Bursitis usually starts as pain and irritation at the back of the heel. You may see redness or swelling there. Shoes can aggravate the condition making it hard to wear shoes.

Tendonitis occurs just above the heel. Tendonitis is caused by a violent strain to the calf muscles or the tendon during a strong contraction of the muscle as when running or sprinting. This strain can occur where the muscles join the Achilles tendon. You will have pain when pressing on the Achilles tendon and with walking, especially when pushing off your toes or putting weight on your toes as when going down stairs or stepping off a curb.

How are Achilles tendon problems identified?

Diagnosis is done by your doctor taking a history—“what were you doing when the pain started?”—and a physical exam to see where your calf and/or foot hurt. You will likely have xrays to rule out fracture and identify bone spurs or other problems.

What are my treatment options?

Your treatment will depend on the severity of our injury and how long it has been since your injury. You will likely be started on rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin or NSAIDs.

Rest:

Resting the painful Achilles tendon allows the inflammation to subside and allow for healing. A period of rest—stopping the activity that is causing the pain—after the onset of symptoms is important in controlling Achilles tendonitis.

Immobilization:

In patients who have more significant symptoms, a period of immobilization can help. Either a removable walking boot, or sometimes even a cast, can allow the inflamed tissue to cool down quickly. Wearing a walking boot keeps the calf muscle from pulling on the Achilles tendon. The boot prevents you from pushing off with the ball of your foot or pointing your toes downward. The walking boot should be worn when walking. However, there is some benefit to wearing the boot even when you’re at rest as the boot keeps a slight stretch on the tendon and prevents further shortening.

Night Splint:

A night splint keeps the foot in a similar position as the walking boot, with a gentle stretch on the Achilles tendon. However, a night splint is not sturdy enough to allow walking. Daily use of a night splint while sedentary, from minutes to several hours, can assist physical therapy and continues the rehabilitation while at home. After recovery, a night splint can help prevent recurrent strains and maintains lower extremity flexibility, especially in athletes.

Physical Therapy

For some injuries, physical therapy is recommended to help remove or stretch scar tissue and to control pain and swelling. Patients with mild symptoms of bursitis or tendonitis often do well with two to four weeks of physical therapy. The physical therapist’s goal is to keep your pain and swelling under control, improve your range of motion and strength, and ensure you regain a normal walking pattern. Treatments such as ultrasound, moist heat, and massage are used to control pain and inflammation. As pain eases, treatment progresses to include stretching and strengthening exercise. Physical therapy can also include shockwaves, ultrasound, and ice. The key to proper ice and heat therapy is knowing when to ice and heat an injury. Your physical therapist knows when and how to apply treatment to reduce swelling and pain while still allowing the healing inflammatory process. Your therapist will teach you a home-care program to go along with the office therapy to help speed healing.

One purpose of the treatment is to break up scar tissue that has formed and to stretch out the scar tissue allowing the tendon to stretch normally without pain or tearing. The order of treatment is important. You don’t want to stretch a “cold” tendon. Injured tendons shorten and need to be stretched. Also, be careful not to overdo stretching. Only gentle stretches for the calf muscles and Achilles tendon are used at first. As the tendon heals and pain eases, more aggressive stretches are done. Ask your therapist, “On a scale of 1-10, how much should I be stretching the tendon.” To prevent further scar tissue from forming, ice is applied after stretching, massage, or treatments. Don’t overdo therapy as this can slow down the healing process by adding further injury to the tendon.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound—high or low frequency sound waves—can help increase the blood flow to the area to reduce swelling and speed healing. The vibrating sound waves can travel deep into the tissue (muscles) creating gentle heat. The heat increases the blood flow to the area to deliver oxygen and nutrients and remove cell wastes. The deep heat also helps relieve pain, inflammation and muscle spasms. Ultrasound is painless. You may feel tingling; often, you won’t feel anything at all.

Electrical Stimulation

Low-energy shock wave therapy has been used successfully for chronic tendonitis. This therapy does not require anesthesia and can take several treatment sessions. The vibrations produced by the energy waves are applied to the painful areas. Shock wave therapy stimulates soft-tissue healing by increasing blood supply to the treated area. Small electrode pads are placed on the painful area. Then you control the degree of “shock” to the area. The therapy can last as long as 20 minutes. During the treatment, you can increase the intensity as you adjust to each level. During treatment you should feel a tingling sensation, but not pain.

Electrical stimulation can also be used in iontophoresis. This treatment involves the application of a topical anti-inflammatory to the area. The stimulation forces the medication into the tissues reducing inflammation.

Steroid Injections

Steroid injections are rarely used because it is believed they can weaken the tendon increasing the risk of total rupture.

What to expect after treatment.

If you have mild symptoms, you should do well with 2-4 weeks of physical therapy; more severe injuries can take as long as 2-3 months. As your condition improves, you can begin doing exercises to strengthen your calf muscles. Strengthening starts gradually using exercises that work the calf muscles but protect the healing area. Eventually, you can do specialized strengthening exercises that work the calf muscle while it lengthens. For example, standing on your tiptoes and then carefully lowering your heels back to the ground.

When your healing is well under way, regular visits to the therapist’s office will end. Your therapist will continue to be a resource, but you will be in charge of doing your exercises as part of an ongoing home program. You should be able to get back to normal activities. If you are an athlete, you will be guided through rehab specific to your sport.

It is important to properly rehab the tendon after you recover from the injury or the injury will return.

This is the week I fell in love with poker. As you read this, keep in mind that I had never played poker until this trip.

It’s New Year’s Day, Jan’ 05. It’s breakfast time in Atlanta, but only 4 a.m. at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. I’m wide awake and itchin’ for something to do. Hubby is still sound asleep. He’s not a morning person. Together, we make one helluva 24/7 team. Anyway, hubby and I had been playing 5/10 Limit Hold ‘em for the past 4 days. We had been lucky enough to play side-by-side. Most players were tolerant of hubby’s etiquette instruction and me slowing down their game. In my mind, the progress I had made was incredible. After only 4 days I understood the betting structure, didn’t have to be told when it was my turn to bet, knew to take my chips out of the little plastic tray, leave my cards on the table, and not to fiddle around with the dealer button. I was ready to venture out on my own!

I got dressed, got money out of hubby’s wallet, and headed downstairs to the card room. It was busy, but not crowded. I walk to the sign-up desk and announce “I want a 5/10 Hold ‘em game. ” “You’re lucky JB (they all knew me by then) we have a seat open on 27.” I hand him a wad of money for my chips. As I walk over to Table 27, I start checking out the competition. I sized them up pretty quick—mostly WPT wannabe’s with their sunglasses and chip tricks. I’m in seat No. 10. Great, I can see the board better. I sit down. Hubby taught me to place some cash on the table in case I get low on chips, $100 would play. He also taught me to wait for the BB to come around. That way I could settle my nerves and check out the competition a little. “You know, see how they play.”

As I look around the table, I decide I’m in over my head. Mostly oriental kids, one old man, one nice looking man. But, right between them, across from me is Ditz. There’s my fish. I rule out beating any of the men. So I just study Ditz while I wait on the BB. Ditz still has on her HAPPY NEW YEAR tiara and her party dress. To the delight of the two guys on either side, you can see pretty much all of her boobs. Just so she knows who she’s up against, I sit up a little straighter, shoulders back. The waitress comes over. I ask for bottled water; Ditz calls for champagne. So that’s how it’s gonna be?

As Ditz sips her champagne she makes sure I see that big rock on her finger. I was clearly at a disadvantage; she couldn’t see mine unless I turned my back to the board. She barely manages to win a small hand and flashes her Rolex as she rakes in her chips. I announce “it’s getting a little warm in here,” as I push my sleeves up over my xxxxx xxxxxxxx. She jiggles and giggles for a hand or two before the BB comes around to me. Unfortunately, I forgot to place a chip on my cards; my first hand gets raked into the muck. I was hoping she didn’t see that. I play a few hands, but mostly fold; all watching Ditz.

Then it comes. I’m BB with KK. Be still my heart. Almost everybody calls; I limp. The flop comes As Kd 3h. I almost pass out. I check, Ditz calls, I raise, everybody but Ditz folds; she calls. I figure Ditz has Ax. The only thing that could beat me is wired aces but I figured she didn’t have them or she would have reraised. The turn is 5h. I check, Ditz bets, I raise, we cap the pot. At this point I put Ditz on Big Slick. The guys push their sunglasses up on top of their heads and quit playin’ with their chips. Everyone is leaning forward to see more girl-on-girl poker. I was mentally licking my chops and praying the other A doesn’t fall. The river is 8h. I literally dodged a bullet. I check, she bets, we cap the pot. All eyes are on me as the dealer says “Let’s see ‘em.” I smugly flip over my KK and make some dumb “can you beat that” remark. She turns over Qh 7h.

“Nice hand” is what I say; WTH are you doing in the hand is what I’m thinking. I’m almost out of chips. I toss the dealer what’s left and go crawl back in bed with hubby.