Ten Simple Tips For Waking Up In The Morning Refreshed And Well-Rested

Sometimes it’s not easy to get a good night’s sleep. Problems that seem manageable during daylight somehow magnify right when it’s time to go to bed. Most of us know the feeling of thinking, “All right, if I fall asleep right now I can still get five hours”…only to watch five turn into four… or worse. Repeated nights of poor or inadequate sleep can have adverse effects on both your mood and your health. Follow these steps and you’ll feel refreshed in both body and mind.

Darkness. Experts say that even the smallest amount of light can affect your internal clock and disrupt your levels of melatonin and serotonin. And when they says “smallest amount” they mean it. Cover up your clock radio and get rid of any nightlights. Try not to even turn on the light if you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

On Having a Third

Deciding how many children to have can be one of the most emotional choices a mother needs to make

This is the first in a series of submission from The Momoir Project, all of which focus on finding the right number of children for each respective writer's family.

I’m making pancakes with my kids. My 3-year old son is dumping the flour into the blender, a dusting of white covers the counter, his arms and his face. His pajamas are too small for him, the tattered cuffs stop short an inch up his arm.

My just six-year old daughter declares, “Mommy, I want another baby. I want the family to have another baby.” She says it innocently, with a smile, believing her statement to be on the same level as “Mommy, I want the Playmobil Animal Clinic for my birthday."

Beautiful People (and Babies) Only, Please

Parents looking for genetic perfection can click here.

From the annals of “Really—you can’t be serious, can you?” comes a twist on human procreation so shallow it makes Heidi Montag look like Maya Angelou: an online sperm bank where the donors must be certifiably beautiful.

Access to the sperm bank is through BeautifulPeople.com, an online network where admittance is based on approval from a panel of judges that reviews your photos and a profile. Once greenlighted, you’re in the privileged club, complete with a VIP pass to access an online world of genetically splendiferous sperm. Whether you’re looking to start a brood, or expand one, the donors have been vetted, examined, and considered babe-alicious.

What Could Have Been

Sometimes, the decision to not have children is more difficult than having them.

In 1970 New York State partially decriminalized abortion, making it possible for

a woman to terminate a pregnancy of up to twenty-four weeks duration. Hospitals and gynecologists geared up for a new kind of patient.

In 1970 I was not yet a woman with regrets. Touched but not dented. I lived with my college sweetheart. I had a piece of paper that told me I was a bachelor of fine arts. It implied a future in which I created works of great beauty and originality. My sweetheart and I shared the rent on a tiny apartment in the East Village, big enough for a terrier, not two adults.

What Really Goes Through a Man's Mind When You Tell Him Your Pregnant

One husband reveals his inner thoughts--and fears--when he learns his life is changing.

“Hey!”

“Hey, back.”

She stood at the top of the hill, with a smile on her face that stretched from ear to ear. While she playfully looked down at me, she began to bounce down the hill, hopping and skipping lightly on the fresh green grass. Her blonde hair was bouncing with her moves as she made her way to the edge of the break wall were I stood, fishing pole in hand. I noticed that she was carrying a little white stick between her forefinger and thumb. She was waving it in the air as if it was a peace flag of sorts. Wiggling it in the spring air, I noticed that her beautiful blue eyes held a film of mist over them. On the stick were two distinct pink lines.

Too Many Miscarriages To Count

When one young woman knows it's her destiny to become a mother, fate tells her otherwise.

his is a two-part series from Hybrid Mom community member Christy Hiniker. Thank you, Christy, for sharing your story. Come back tomorrow for the conclusion of the essay.

I was born wanting to mother.

I coddled all of my siblings (including bossing around my big brother- until he decided that he'd had enough.) I babysat every neighborhood child. I even made play dates with friends specifically to play with their baby sisters/brothers. ( I was a great friend. *more nervous laughter*.) It seemed that the desire to be a mother coursed through me as naturally as the blood that flows through my veins.

After Five Miscarriages, Maybe The Sixth Pregnancy Will Work Out

This mom-to-be has had a hard road...

This is the second in a two-part series from Hybrid Mom community member Christy Hiniker. Her first essay was titled, "Too Many Miscarriages To Count." Thank you, Christy, for sharing your story.

I found myself exactly in this state of denial as I sat there, once again, fiddling with the crinkly paper liner of the exam table. Half listening to our OB explain the progesterone treatments and blood thinners that he was certain were going to "do the trick" this time.

It hurt to be back here.

I had become such a pro at nodding and smiling during these discussions with Dr. F. I had come to expect, well, failure for lack of a better word and today was no exception. Strangely, I had become comfortable with defeat. But suddenly, with his guarantees of "effectiveness" and stories of past successes, a new emotion was trying to break free from it's box high on a shelf: hope.

When the Threat of Miscarriage Clouds Everything Else

One mother endures countless miscarriages in order to birth two beautiful daughters. But she finds herself doubting her ability to create a third.

Christy Hiniker shared her story of multiple miscarriages earlier this year with her essayses Too Many Miscarriages To Count and After Five Miscarriages, Maybe The Sixth Pregnancy Will Work Out. Here, after two successful pregnancies, she updates us on her third.

I've walked the same path so many times (both literally and figuratively) to those mirrored double doors, behind which house dozens of women in every stage of fertility, that I'm certain you could blindfold me and spin me 'til I'm dizzy and I would still find my way in record time.

How Parenthood Found Us: After 13 Years of Infertility, I Got Pregnant

I have never felt the urge to be a mom. But he doctor confirmed it this morning: After 13 years of marriage, we are going to be parents.

After thirteen years of marriage with two cats, our family is getting a plus one.

I stare at the clean white tile in the shower. I think I turned off the shower, because I am dripping. I feel like I have come apart from myself. I towel off and look at my belly. There is someone in there now. The doctor confirmed it this morning. I have not told my husband. He is due home soon. I know he will be excited. I am still trying to comprehend it all.

Two months ago, I walk away from the third doctor who confirmed that I would never get pregnant naturally. I was only a little sad. I have never felt the urge to be a mom. At our thirteenth wedding anniversary my husband announced he was ready to have kids. My brain still trying to absorb my shock. We have been together for over fifteen years.

4 Methods to Predict Your Baby's Gender

There are many urban legends and old wives tales about different ways to predict your baby's sex. The most accurate method to find out the gender of the baby, before the baby is born, is an ultrasound. But if you can’t wait for that day to come, here are some irresistible and fun methods to start the betting.

1. The Chinese Gender Chart

There are a few different types of online baby gender predictors. Most of these go off of the mother's birthday and the date that she conceived. For example, there is the Chinese gender chart. This is a baby gender predictor that has become extremely popular over the last few years. As with all types of gender predictors, it is not 100 percent accurate for all women. One big draw of the Chinese gender chart is that it is quick and easy. Besides, it’s harmless and easily accessible online.

Preventing Breast Cancer With a Healthy Lifestyle

This time, you can see that there are more women who had breast cancer. Because of the increasing number of cases, research on the cause and prevention have been conducted for several years about the causes and how to prevent it. Many people think that only cancer causing hereditary. But with intensive study, some of the causes of breast cancer has been associated with lifestyle such as diet. Changing your diet today is one way to prevent breast cancer. First of all, you must make sure that you have a low-fat diets in general and to fill your diet with more fruits, vegetables and fiber-enriched food. This will not only help you prevent breast cancer, but also cancers of other body parts.