I Want a Baby Girl By Chris Y. Thomas

I want a baby girl. How can I influence my baby's gender? The timing, PH levels, diet and the intercourse experience all have a role in choosing your baby's gender.

There are countless stories for old wives tales baby's gender selection and prediction. There is even a Chinese Baby Gender Calendar. Regardless of what you read, people will always tell you the gender of your baby is completely random. I disagree; the baby's gender is chosen scientifically relative to the mother. There are so many variables in the world which affect our everyday choices. I believe I can change my behavior in an attempt to choose my baby's gender. In fact I have chosen my baby's gender and you can too.

The timing and PH levels influence your baby's gender
There are certain intervals of time when a you are more likely to conceive a girl. It depends on your natural acidity or alkalinity levels are.

• If your PH level is predisposed to be highly acidic, you are more likely to have a baby girl. This is due to high acid levels killing off high numbers of male (Y Chromosome sperm) sperm, but leaving female (X Chromosome sperm) sperm unaffected.
• If your PH level is predisposed to be highly alkaline, you are far more likely to have a baby boy. This is in large part due to the fact that high alkaline levels are harmful to female sperm, but harmless to male sperm.
• The timing of your ovulation is a critical factor as well. Luckily, this is easy to know when you are ovulating.

Specific intercourse positions can affect the gender of your baby
The position is important because it factors in several variables. One condition which is great if you want a baby girl deep penetration. Deep, penetrating, orgasmic sexual intercourse has been known to work best for women who want a baby girl. The best position involves you on top because you can control the deep penetration and have your orgasmic experience.

Effective foods to eat if you want a baby girl
If you really want a baby girl, you'll need a diet rich in acidic foods. Examples of highly acidic foods (which you will need to eat a lot of) are fruits (plums, prunes, cranberries) as well as meats, corn, fish and whole grains. Examples of foods you must avoid are almost all vegetables (except corn, as noted above), orange juice (remember to take folic acid supplements to replace this), potatoes, spinach, and watermelon.

I want a baby girl and all I need is to follow these 3 steps?

I know it sounds too simple. Like I said, there are many variables in the world that can affect your baby's gender. This is not a complete list but it's enough to help get you started in the right direction. I recommend trying a few other sources if you want the complete information.

Check out the book, How to Choose the Gender of Your Baby by Ashely Spencer.

How to Relax During Pregnancy By Sinead Hoben

How to relax during pregnancy, particularly these days when most women are leading busy lifestyles, is something that is of concern to many pregnant women.

Stress during pregnancy is not good for many reasons. Perhaps most importantly it's useful to know that you should avoid getting too stressed during your pregnancy as stress can reduce blood flow to the uterus resulting in a smaller birth weight baby. Stress can also cause potentially dangerous increases in blood pressure increasing the risk of stroke and other stress related conditions in pregnant women.

Unfortunately, many mothers-to-be find it difficult to completely relax and de-stress during pregnancy particularly if they have other young children to care for or are leading a generally hectic lifestyle. The following tips are intended to give you some advice on ways you can relax when you are pregnant:

• Try to get some time alone to yourself every day just to close your eyes, empty your mind of thoughts and get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life

• Treat yourself to some lavender bubble bath/ shower gel/ body lotion or aromatherapy oils. Lavender has many healing properties and is a wonderful relaxation aid. It is also often used during labour by mothers-to-be who find it relaxes them at a time when they are likely to be nervous.

• If you can afford it book yourself in for an occasional pregnancy pampering session at a beauty spa.

• Practice deep breathing techniques whilst sitting upright or try to attend pregnancy yoga classes.

• Get some exercise - a short brisk walk can do wonders for your mood and overall feelings of wellness. Swimming is also excellent for pregnant women as the water lightens the weight of the growing baby and many swimming centres run antenatal yoga classes tailored especially for pregnant women.

• Go to bed early in the evening and refrain from eating stodgy food as it can leave you feeling lethargic and under the weather.

• Treat yourself to B"Mums pregnancy relaxation CD and listen to it regularly to benefit fully from it. The recording features a guided relaxation alongside background music which has been recorded at a speed that induces deep relaxation. It is a wonderful way to enjoy the power of deep relaxation at a fraction of the cost a therapist would charge.

Sinead Hoben runs the popular pregnancy and breastfeeding website http://www.breastfeedingmums.com which provides valuable and informative articles about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, babies and parenting.

She records and supplies a number of well-received relaxation CDs, including B'Mums Pregnancy Relaxation cd, which is available through the website.

She recently launched her first e-book, Mama Milk: A Breastfeeding Mum's Story.

DHA During Pregnancy - What it is and Why It's So Important By Kathryn Lane

DHA during pregnancy is one of the most important supplements a woman can ever have. It helps to prevent anxiety, mood swings and depression in a pregnant woman and gives her baby's developing brain the best chance of proper development.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and to a lesser extent, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) are the essential fatty acids in fish oil whose health benefits have been been shown in literally thousands of published scientific studies.

DHA makes up about a third of the brain's weight -- you can see why the baby developing in its mother's womb needs an abundant supply.

It's also true that an overall healthy diet is important. A recent study showed that women who ate a diet including plenty of fruit, vegetables, healthy oils, fish and whole grains were less likely to give birth to a child with spina bifida, a serious condition in which the spinal cord does not fully close.

A good overall supplement containing folic acid, Vitamin B12 and the other B vitamins is also a good idea, not just for preventing spina bifida, but for the overall health of the mother and baby.

Fatty fish like mackerel, anchovies, tuna, hoki and salmon are good sources of omega 3's in the diet. One problem with modern diets is that these are not regular food favorites for nearly all of us. Another is pollution: heavy metals like mercury and man-made toxins like PCBs tend to concentrate in the fat of many of these fish, especially if the fish are caught in polluted parts of the ocean.

Two specific issues to consider: almost all fresh salmon sold in supermarkets is farm-raised, and levels of these toxins in farm-raised salmon have consistently been much higher than those caught in the wild. Also, canned salmon and tuna both lose much of their DHA and EPA content -- destroyed by the high heat used in processing.

That's why I believe DHA in pregnancy is best provided by a pure, concentrated fish oil. Most of the omega 3 oils sold on the supermarket and pharmacy shelves is neither concentrated nor highly purified. If an omega 3 oil is not molecularly distilled, it just isn't pure enough, especially for a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Kathryn Lane is a longtime health and nutrition researcher. The best fish oil supplements she has found have never been the most expensive or the most-advertised. Her websites recommend only products with a no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee: http://www.quality-omega-3.com/

The Many Benefits of Fish Oil For Pregnant Women By Kathryn Lane

Fish oil for pregnant women is one of the most important supplements, for both mothers-to-be and their developing babies. Omega 3's in fish oil help to prevent the postpartum depression that can make like difficult for new mothers, and are vital to the fast-developing brain and eyes of the baby, both before and after birth.

The omega 3's are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). They are called essential fatty acids, because our bodies can't make them and they are needed for good health. They're found in richer supply in fatty fish than any other food.

Thousands of published research studies have shown that DHA, especially, and to a lesser extent EPA, are extremely important. DHA makes up a third of the brain, and the brain cells will take up DHA in food or supplements in preference to any other fatty acid. A third omega 3 called DPA (for docosapentaenoic acid) is also found in fish oil. The function of DPA isn't known. It may have unique benefits, and some research is being done on it, but no one knows for sure.

DHA has powerful benefits for your emotional health. It's a powerful anti-inflammatory nutrient, which appears to explain many of its health benefits -- besides the fact that you and your baby both have brains that are 60 percent fat, and half of that is DHA! There appears to be a strong link between lack of omega 3's and postpartum depression -- the "baby blues" that are quite common after childbirth, that make it so hard for a new mother to enjoy her life and her baby.

As far as your baby is concerned, fish oil has been found to protect against symptoms of asthma, hay fever and allergies. A lack of omega 3's has also been linked to Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia -- which can make it very difficult for children to learn to read.

If you plan to breast-feed your baby, you can assure the baby of lots of DHA in your breast milk by supplementing with a good omega 3 oil -- there is no effective vegetable substitute, despite what you may hear.

Three concerns about omega 3's are especially important when you consider fish oil for pregnant women -- freshness, purity and the amount of DHA you're getting for your money.

The best omega 3 oils will tell you, in plain English, how well they meet all three of these concerns. The average omega 3 oil on the shelf at the drugstore or market will not even mention molecular distillation, the most important step in purity, simply because they are NOT molecularly distilled -- and most will contain only 12 percent DHA, not enough for best nutrition for either you or your baby. So check the label!

Kathryn Lane is a longtime health and nutrition researcher. The best fish oil supplements she has found have never been the most expensive or the most-advertised. Her websites recommend only products with a no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee: http://www.quality-omega-3.com/

Paying Attention - The Art of Keeping Your Attention on the Subject! By John Rakestraw

Our need to communicate makes us all reach out and vie for the attention of anyone near us. Everything we do in life requires communication with others. Just try to not communicate with people and you will see where that leads you.

Exchange of ideas is a two-way road. It is an activity, something we need to act upon, not a one way street. The honest listener's role is as central to the communication process as the speaker's role. Honest communication and honest connections occur when the listener plus the speaker pay attention to each other.

Since paying attention is as important as speaking in the honest listening process, if you want to improve your skills, you will need to BE THERE!

We are the product of our upbringing, culture, life experiences and anything and everything that makes us who we are. Our individuality can sometimes be a barrier to paying attention. As we honestly listen, we need to remain open to what is being said. Become aware of what your triggers are in the communication process and what shuts you down from paying attention.

Monitor your own and other peoples listening routines. Remember how it felt when someone took their time to listen to you and when they didn't. Take a moment to list the behaviors that you find annoying in the listening habits of other people and then scrutinize your own behaviors. See if you just might be exhibiting the same behaviors you find annoying. Create an inventory of the habits you want to amend. Making sure you take the time to salute yourself for honest listening habits you have that do work. Once you spot and diminish habits that get in the way of your ability to pay attention, you'll increase your usefulness as a listener.

Honestly take the time to listen to the speaker without jumping in with a quick response. That way you can hear everything that is being said, taking note of the entire points and then answer. I know the appeal of jumping in at the natural breathing pauses with your own thoughts. But filling that pause with your own reflections will take you out of the current conversation and make you lose your attention to the speaker's main talking points.

Have empathy. Empathy is clearing out the mind and honestly listening with your the whole heart. This is a respectful way of understanding what others are experiencing. Giving your attention over fully to them is the best gift we as honest listeners can bestow.

Create an environment for honest listening to occur. Remove distractions. If you don't give the time or space to be an honest listener the speaker will feel stressed. Plus you won't be available to pay attention to what the speaker is saying. Let the speaker know that you will honestly listen and be fully present for the conversation in mind, body and soul.

Expectant mothers and birth allies need to explore the whole world of childbirth together. There's a lot out there to read, watch and to discuss. The best way to help you work together is to keep the lines of communication open. Most of us have two ears, two eyes and one mouth. Which means we should all listen and read twice as much as we talk! Please join us as my wife and I work towards more people finding the joy of home birth at http://www.organic-birth.com

NOW when you sign-up for our Homebirth newsletter The Pea Pod, you get Four FREE... that's right... four FREE documents! We here at Organic-birth.com want to reward you with our great information in our e-zine! Plus, four wonderful downloads...a Regular Birth Plan, our very comprehensive Birth Supplies List, learn to be an Honest Listener with our 16 page booklet and then How to Interview a Midwife, where you learn how to find that person who best suits you and your birth! Remember it's all FREE...All you have to do is sign-up at http://www.organic-birth.com

John Rakestraw, My wife, Toni, and I have 8 wonderful children. We've had 4 home births and would love to help more families realize this dream!