Some people are content to wait until they visit the doctor to listen in on their baby’s heartbeat. This results in both parents and doctors only having brief snapshot windows in time for discerning the regularity or lack thereof in an infant’s heart. Small sample sizes don’t help give a great picture of the overall situation of the little one’s health. And heart irregularities are often so serious that if they do occur, the baby will often suffer grave harm or (heaven forbid) even worse before the problem is even detected. This is where fetal dopplers come in to the picture, to help give broader, more convenient access to monitoring your baby’s heartbeat.

The use of a home doppler is a simple matter of smearing on a small amount of ultrasound gel, then running a small probe over the expectant mother’s stomach. The machine listens for the infant heartbeat, and then creates an audible approximation for anyone nearby to hear. These dopplers come in a variety of types and grades. While a medical grade doppler is both hard to find and expensive, it’s not really necessary for the basic function of checking up on a baby’s heartbeat. This can be done easily and accurately by even the cheapest of dopplers. By empowering you to listen to your baby’s heartbeat whenever you want, you can keep a closer eye on his or her health, and have a broader, more precise view of the heart rate.

But even with these advantages, you may want a doppler but not be able to afford one. Especially for something you may use only for one pregnancy and then leave to collect dust! This problem has resulted in the rise of companies that rent out fetal dopplers for months at a time. Often, they offer discounts for longer rentals, but even without discounts, renting a doppler is a good way to get a good one more cheaply than purchasing. For some people, it may be the only way they can afford one at all, given the extra expenses the newborn will put on their budget. You don’t have to go without a doppler even if times are tight, but for maximum savings, be sure to rent only for the time period you really need.

By Jennifer Waller

THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL

Along with condoms, the contraceptive pill is one of the most commonly used forms of contraception, with 3.5 million users in the UK. The pill is taken by women at the same time every day for 21-day cycles, with seven days off between cycles. So after the 3-week cycle she will not take another one for one week before another cycle begins. The “pill” contains the hormone estrogen which prevents the woman from ovulating. There are potential side effect though, which include blood clots and cervical cancer, although these are extremely rare.

CONDOM

There are condom’s designed for both the use of men and women, although male condoms are more common. They are usually made from latex and are worn on a man’s penis during sexual intercourse. This prevents sperm from entering his partners’ vagina, protecting both against pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).

A female condom is worn inside the vagina and prevents sperms from reaching the womb. The male condom is more effective; 98% compared with the 95% effectiveness of the female condom.

MORNING AFTER PILL

Also referred to as emergency contraception, the Morning After Pill is taken after unprotected sex. IT needs to be taken within 72 hours but the sooner the better. It works by delaying or preventing ovulation. If taken within 24 hours of intercourse it is 95% effective, but if taken later can be as little as 55%.

VASECTOMY

This is a surgical procedure whereby the tubes that carry sperm are altered to prevent sperm exiting via the penis. This is a relatively small operation that is most commonly performed on old men. Couples who have a family but do not wish to have any more children often choose this option.

CONTRACEPTIVE IMPLANT

The contraceptive implant is implanted under the skin of a woman’s arm in the form of a small tube. It contains progestogen which is gradually released into her bloodstream to prevent the release of eggs. It lasts for three years, meaning that you don’t have to worry about contraception for this period. It is thought to be 99% effective, and can be removed if there are any side effects or you decide you want to become pregnant.

CONTRACEPTIVE INJECTION

Depending on the type of injection, this prevents pregnancy for either eight or twelve weeks, and you can have one every few weeks. Like the contraceptive implant, this contains progestogen. It is 99% effective, but can in some cases prevent fertility from returning for a period of time after use, in extreme cases up to two years.

CONTRACEPTIVE PATCH

The contraceptive patch can be placed in a variety of places on a women’s body. It releases estrogen and progestin hormones into the body and has the same affect as the injection and patch. It is applied on the first day of the menstrual cycle, and then changed each of the following two weeks. The week after this it is removed and after a week off the cycle begins again. It can only be acquired with a prescription from a doctor.

DIAPHRAGMS

Diaphragms are dome-shaped devices made from rubber or silicone. It is input into the vagina prior to sexual intercourse and covers the cervix. It works by preventing sperm from entering the womb. It is less effective than some of the alternatives; around 94%.

NATURAL CONTRACEPTION

This goes against most contraception advice. It refers to plotting the times when a woman is fertile and when she is not, and having sex at the best times according to this. A couple can attempt to follow the patterns of a woman’s menstrual cycle. There are family planning experts who can help educate couples on how to do this, but there are risks as there is no protection if the timing is wrong.

By Anne Heywood

With Christmas around the corner, condom brand, Pasante has introduced a mince pie flavored condom, which is perfect for those feeling both frisky and festive. If you’re not a fan of mince pies (and let’s face it, who is?), there are plenty of flavours to feast on from the standard banana and strawberry flavours, to the more unusual vindaloo curry flavoured. The Scottish brand, McCondom even sells a selection of whisky flavored condoms designed made to make oral sex fun. But whilst these condoms are great for enjoying oral sex, unless they carry the CE mark they shouldn’t be used for vaginal or anal sex. Flavored condoms are designed to be quite thin in order to give the recipient maximum pleasure; therefore using them during intercourse is dangerous as they split more easily than standard vaginal condoms. However, if your condom does split during sex, whether oral, anal or vaginal, then you should consider taking an STD test to be on the safe side.

Dental Dams

Sexually transmitted diseases can also be picked up through oral sex. So when performing oral sex on a partner’s vagina or anus, it is important to use a dental dam. As with flavored condoms, dental dams come in a variety of different flavors designed to make oral sex both safer and more enjoyable, which in turn prevents the need for a hasty STD test. Although some of the more unusual flavors, such as whisky and vindaloo, are restricted to condoms, vanilla, mint, strawberry and orange are amongst some of the dental dam varieties offered.

Before using a dental dam, always make sure that you check the sheet for holes and wash off any excess powder. Using a water-based lubricant may help to make your experience more enjoyable. However, be careful not to use any oil-based lubricants during oral sex as these can damage the outside of the condom making it susceptible to tears and splits.

Edible Foreplay

There are numerous edible items that you and your partner can enjoy together during foreplay. Why not invest in a jar of chocolate body paint and take-it-in-turns to paint it on and then lick it off each other? If you’re watching your waistline, then you may want to invest in a less calorific version such as Edible Graffiti. This cherry-flavoured body graffiti kit comes with a pack of stencils, so you can have fun spraying the designs on your partner and then licking them off. However, both of these products are oil-based so make sure that you take a shower before sex otherwise you may be confronted with a split condom and a hasty STD test. If you’re looking for safe edible items that can be used during foreplay and intercourse then you can’t go wrong with a pair of beer or candy flavored nipple pasties. The only complaint you’ll get is that your partner won’t be able to sample them herself.

Tim Leach is part of USALabTesting, a company that can provide you with a confidential, online STD test. With over 2,000 clinics across the USA and a large range of STD Tests available, getting peace of mind is discreet, easy and painless.

Condoms aren’t just made for men anymore. You can now pick a condom designed specifically for the female anatomy. This was done also as a benefit for guys that really don’t want the plastic feel on their nether region. You can actually pick some of the female and male condoms and try them out. See what feels best for you and your significant other. You might find that you’ve been missing out!

As stated above condoms are the number one choice for sexual protection from disease and unwanted pregnancy besides the pill. You used to be able to choose it with or without spermicidal protection. This is used as an added benefit to help prevent sperm from fertilizing the female egg, but has since been discontinued as the risks may have been higher than the benefit. Now the major choices are non-lubricated or lubricated. You might choose to use your favorite brand of personal lubricant. Many styles and sizes are available.

Pleasure is another reason to choose wisely when purchasing condoms. There are many that are ribbed or designed specifically to provide an extra stimulation component for the other sexual partner. As the act of sex is designed for two people both parties want to make sure that the other is fulfilled. These may cost a little extra but you may find that once you use it you cannot go without it.

There are other specialty condoms that are made from animal skin. These unfortunately will not provide you with a sexual protection as they are very porous. So you need to make sure that whomever you use this with you are certain of their sexual history before you complete the act. It will not prevent pregnancy either. So unless you have another method such as foam or the pill to prevent a possible pregnancy you might not want to try this as the risks may not outweigh the benefits.

There are many brands out there that you can choose from online. If you go to your local store you might be confused as to what to pick as there are many choices in front of you, not to mention the embarrassment of being seen with a box of condoms. Price should be a part but not the main focus of your decision process. You really need to decide want is best for you and your partner based your needs and wants.

Buy condoms and personal lubricants at a discreet reliable online store. By Kyle Marcus.

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Keeping condoms in good condition is paramount. One tiny hole or tear is likely to completely destroy their effectiveness and you could end up with a pregnancy or Sexually Transmitted Infection on your hands as a result.

In this article we go through some of the tips you can follow to ensure that your little life lines to pleasure and safety are kept just as they should be.

Keeping Condoms At Home

Keeping condoms at home is the best and safest way to keep them out of harms reach. When you buy the condoms check each one package for small holes or defects and then put them immediately away for safe storage. Just throwing them in the drawer next to the bed may not be all that safe as you could have all sorts of hazardous items in there too. So consider getting a small hard plastic box just for your condoms. A small sandwich Tupperware works perfectly or some brands actually come with a special box that is already perfect.

Also try and store the condoms in order of their sell by dates. It would be awful to have them get mixed up and a few years down the line you end up with a mishap from using an out of date condom that just missed being used until that point.

Carrying Condoms

When I was younger I was always told to put a condom in my wallet, just to be safe! Whilst this advice is well intentioned the wallet may not be the safest place for a condom. Constant folding, rattling change and potential interference from outside objects (walking drunken into lamp posts, falling on gravel etc etc) could damage the thing latex and cause it to be useless. Consider finding a small hard cover or a specific condom holder to either carry the condom in your bag or wallet. It may cost you a few dollars or a bit of DIY but it’s well worth it to save yourself a lot of future problems!

Find out more about Condoms at Condom Monologues. Great condom news, reviews and essentials like the Condom Size Chart. What are you waiting for? Visit today!

By Forrest Higgins

The morning after pill prevents ovulation or fertilisation of an egg, depending on the type of pill taken. It can prevent the ovaries from releasing an egg, thus meaning the egg cannot be fertilised, if it has not already. Alternatively, other forms of the pill line the womb so the fertilised egg can’t embed itself within it. If pregnancy has not occurred yet, then either of these actions should prevent it form taking place. It is possible a woman is already pregnant before the pill has taken effect though, and this therefore means it is too late.

This form of contraception is only recommended in an emergency – it should not be used regularly. It must be taken within 72 hours of intercourse, but the sooner it is taken the better. It is recommended to be taken within 12 hours, as the earlier it is taken the more likely it is to be effective. It is on average 75% effective, one of the many reasons why it should not be relied upon as the main method of contraception. Other methods such as condoms and the contraceptive pill (taken before intercourse) are over 98% effective.

So when is the use of the morning after pill most common?

Rape victims are one of the best examples. It is obviously something that you can’t anticipate, and obviously not a way someone would like to become pregnant. Bringing up a child born under these circumstances would likely bring up many bad memories for the Mother. No contraception is a hundred per cent effective, so it is possible precautions taken have not worked. With most methods you will not know that it has not been successful, but if a condom has split during sex, for example, the morning after pill may be used. Those who have had sex without thinking about the consequences may also choose this option.

As with almost all drugs there can be some side effects. Depending on the type of pill taken, somewhere between fifteen and fifty per cent experience nausea, while between one and nineteen per cent suffer from vomiting. Women may also experience abdominal pain, fatigue, headaches, dizziness or breast tenderness. These effects will usually dissipate with a day or so. It is also possible the menstrual cycle with the disrupted temporarily. Permanent or serious side effects are very rare.

Some anti-abortion activists are against the morning after pill, as they claim its use basically causes an abortion. However, this is not generally supported as the woman who takes the pill is not yet pregnancy. If she was, then the pill would not work.

There are several places where women can get the morning after pill from should they need it. These include their local GP, family planning clinics, genitourinary clinics, and pharmacies.

Anne Heywood ©

You must see past the advertisements that are drilled into our heads by TV commercials. Since I am residing in America, Trojan has a monopoly over the advertisement of condoms. But, Do not fall for the advertisements. Trojan is not sold in Europe. The Brand that is number one in the world is Durex.

Just remember that everyone is different. No man is the same, especially in this area. If you need a large condom (well not many people will be embarrassed by that) than make sure you know that there are 3 different options available to you from Trojan, Durex, and Lifestyles. If you are someone who has some difficulty with size there is a solution for you. Trojan, and Lifestyles carry and promote their snugger fit condoms very well.

If you are just a normal average Joe like most of us men, there are hundreds of options out there. The best condom is the condom that is right for you! Unfortunately a drug store does not carry many specialty condoms or it gives you a psychological feeling that their is a limited amount of types out there. If you search online, you will find incredible selections to where you will not know where to start. Also, the prices online are significantly lower (except on Trojan products).

If you do not like the smell of latex, they have flavored from Trustex and Lifestyles (and many more, but Trustex is all flavored/scented condoms). If you and latex do not mix, Trojan, Durex, Lifestyles, Beyond Seven (Okamoto brand) carry non-latex condoms. Some people like to have some jokes in this area, they have glow in the dark condoms!

Remember to go see the selection of condoms out there. Make sure you get the correct fit for you. There is nothing to be ashamed of, you were born the way you are. Make sure you get a condom that has a feature or a certain style that you like. There are many different types and each brand has there own version of it. Give them all a try!

If you are sexually active, be safe. Use a condom.

By Justin Losciale

A condom is worn over an erect penis during intercourse and are available in many different colors. Men say that they maintain an erection longer by wearing a condom, and the fear of an unwanted pregnancy does have a definite affect on the enjoyment for both parties. Others say the opposite, they don’t feel the same with a condom on, but the lubricated ones will help with the friction that causes problems. You must pre-plan when using condoms, have them ready for the moment and some complain that this takes away from the spontaneity.

Some family planning centers will provide condoms for free, or they are also available at drug stores. Some of them will encourage the use of the ovulation calendar to track ovulation as a safe natural alternative for birth control.

Be careful with condoms that you don’t keep them around after the expiration date, as they will not last forever. Besides coming in different colors, they also will come in varying sizes, thickness, width and length, so a man must try each one until he finds one that fits him perfectly. When removing the condom after ejaculating, the man must be very careful that none of his semen comes in contact with the vagina. The condom must be put on before the penis enters the vagina at all. Having condoms with spermicide gives an added protection against pregnancy, as the agent destroys the sperm. Putting two condoms on gives added protection as well. Perhaps the female partner would like to add to this protection by tracking ovulation with the use of a ovulation calendar. These are easily obtained online and many times are free.

A woman ovulates once a month, so she should prepare for ovulation, by keeping track of her menstrual flow. Ovulation is when a woman’s egg is passing through and will either get impregnated or keep right on going out with the flow of blood known as her period. The first day she starts to bleed, that is the first day, then record the day of the next months first day. The time in between is the length of your cycle. Normally these cycles last about 28 days. Ovulation can take place during the days between the 11th day and the 21st. This can be determined by your ovulation calendar.

There are ovulation kits available in your local drug store, and they will tell you your ovulation calendar, by the temperature of your body, and the day when you are most fertile will be when you are the warmest. During ovulation, the egg will live only 12-24 hours and sometimes a light spotting of blood will occur during ovulation.

See more about pregnancy and fertility at the resource section of http://www.yourdays.com The site offers a free ovulation calendar to help conceive a child or for use in natural birth control. The founder, Sally Collins, is a mother of three.

By Sally A Collins

There are many contraceptives that can now be purchased over-the-counter and it’s a matter of what suits the individual most. Most often when individuals are looking at these various alternatives they are not quite sure what the differences are or if one is better than the other.

It must be remembered that none of them are 100% proof but there are a lot of conditions that determine how reliable they are. Each of them has a proper way of using them but unfortunately many people become lackadaisical when following the full instructions regarding these items and then if pregnancy occurs it is blamed on the OTC contraceptive in place of their wrong use. If ovulation is tracked with an ovulation calendar though it adds an extra precaution.

Condoms are probably one of the easiest and least expensive and most well known ways of birth control. Most women don’t realize that there are female condoms as well or technically that they are called condoms. Usually if used properly then they are 98% effective with women. Female condoms even used perfectly may be a little less protective than the men’s condoms. Those range around 95% safe. There are spermicides that can be used which are a little less effective than that and some individuals don’t like using this particular type of birth control because they feel it is more of a chemical. These particular women are turning to the ovulation calendar to track their peak ovulation time.

The sponge method again comes under the same concepts of the spermicides although a little easier to use and the success rate for protection is around 91%. Another thing that contraceptives are dependent upon as well is the fact that whether a woman has been pregnant before or not.

Individuals that really do not want to be using any of these types of methods for whatever reason should consider using an ovulation calendar. The information that it can provide gives a couple the window of opportunity for protected sex. In the meantime, preventing a unwanted pregnancy is one of its attributes as well but there are some that scoff at this particular method and say that they have known many people where it is failed.

Again it comes down to being astute at following the directions of how the ovulation calendar will help you gather the information and what that information will do for you. Knowing when your ovulation time is, is the time to avoid any type of sexual contact. For those interested in natural birth control there is a great deal of information available regarding this and the proper use of the ovulation calendar and how they are easy and effective when proper instructions are followed.

See more about pregnancy and fertility at the resource section of http://www.yourdays.com The site offers a free ovulation calendar to help conceive a child or for use in natural birth control. The founder, Sally Collins, is a mother of three.

By Sally A Collins

On the market today, there is available an “over-the-counter” method which is considered to be a contraceptive, but there is some controversy about it because it is used after implantation which of course, causes it to enter into the “pro-life and pro-choice” debate. Whatever you position on this is, this method is to be used only on an occasional basis.

There are several other OTC contraceptive methods that can be used and supported with an ovulation calendar. The first one which is used on the male, is the condom. This device is used to prevent the sperm from getting into the woman’s vagina. It is placed over the man’s penis to collect all the sperm after he ejaculates. They can be bought with lubrication or without and can be used with another form of contraception, jelly, cream or foam, for further protection.

There is also a condom for the woman, plastic pouches with rings at each end. These collect the semen, therefore preventing it from reaching the egg. It is inserted into the vagina, very similar to the diaphragm, with the closed end in the farthest and the open end outside the vagina about an inch.

Many spermicides are available as an over-the-counter method of birth control. These products are placed very deep into the vagina in the form of creams, film, jelly, suppositories and foams. The sperm can not get past these barriers, because they melt after being put in place, which is before intercourse. The foam forms little bubbles, but does the same job. These methods are not 100% effective, so you should use a condom as well.

The sponge is about two inches in diameter, made from a polyurethane foam and contains a spermicide, with a loop at the bottom, so you can remove it easily. It needs to be moistened, then placed inside the vagina, over the cervix, which is the opening to the uterus. This device blocks the sperm from entering the uterus and implanting the egg.

Another method of birth control, which many women choose to use, because it is all natural is the ovulation calendar as the only method of contraceptive. This will involve keeping track of your menstrual periods, the dates for them, keeping a diary of your temperature when you awaken and noticing how the cervical fluids are flowing over the month.

These signs will tell you when you are the most fertile, so do not have intercourse on those days. Consult with your physician for an explanation of the cycle if you are not sure of everything when using your ovulation calendar. In conjunction with your notes, your doctor should be able to tell you about the best dates and what exactly to look for.

See more about pregnancy and fertility at the resource section of http://www.yourdays.com The site offers a free ovulation calendar to help conceive a child or for use in natural birth control. The founder, Sally Collins, is a mother of three.

By Sally A Collins