10 Things to Do Before Conceiving

So you have decided to have another baby. That's great. Here are ten things you need to consider.
1. Get a Preconception Health Check Up. Ten years ago this was unheard of but nowadays it is usual to get check up to make sure you are healthy enough to have a baby. Not only you should have a check up but so should your guy.
2. Get a Pap Test. You are probably not thrilled about this but make sure you don't have cancer before you get pregnant.
3. Talk About Threats. Your doctor should check for things like Chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhoea. This may seem unreasonable but it is good to check for these diseases as they can seriously impact the health of a pregnancy. Your doctor should also talk to you about any hazards that you might face while you are in your work place as they can have a negative impact on your pregnancy as well.
4. Get Your Shots. Nobody likes needles but it is crucial that you make sure you have your immunity to such things like chine pox and Rubella (also known as German measles.) Most women are immune to these diseases but you might be among the minor percentage in the population who are not.
5. Know Your Family Tree. Before you move into the action phase of baby making you might want to check to see if certain types of birth defects or fatal disease are genetic in origin and if it is possible that you and your partner may be carriers for certain types of diseases.
6. Make Over Your Lifestyle. If you want to have a child it means that certain things need told be addressed about your lifestyle. You need to be in shape physically before you can chase little kids around so make sure you strengthen your heart and lungs with exercise. You will also do better psychologically if you exercise when it comes to weathering the emotional highs and lows of pregnancy.
7. Lose weight. It is not good for you to carry a few extra pounds if you are planning to have a baby as those pounds will increase your risk of having pregnancy complications. It can also increase your risk of experiencing certain types of fertility problems. Make sure whatever diet you embark on is a healthy one.
8. Learn how to eat well. When you are pregnant the fetus needs all kinds of different nutrients in order to grow and develop. Doctors advise stockpiling these nutrients by eating as many as possible before pregnancy. A very important nutrient to make sure you are getting is folic acid which helps you prevent birth defects such as spine bifida and anecephaly.
9. Kick your bad habits. You do not have to turn into a total prude but it is a really good idea to get rid of your smoking habit and drink less alcohol.
10. Stop taking prescription medications. Prescription medications can affect fatal development so stop taking as many as possible. You should also stop taking birth control so you can have that baby in the first place!

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Paying A Nanny A Fair Salary

As I mentioned a few days ago I was thinking of hiring a nanny for my kids so I can go back to work which means I have had to do some research into how much they expect to be paid and what I can afford to pay.
So what exactly is a fair salary to pay a nanny or domestic couple? Well there are laws that are specific to hiring this kind of help so the first thing to do is look at what is legal and required in your locale. There are also usually state laws or provincial laws as well that you must abide by or you are exploiting the help. Not paying attention to these laws can lead to serious troubles. It is critical that you are aware of your legal requirements in your area in order to lawfully hire and employ someone in your household. Hiring nannies is not the casual labour that you think it is…
Most civilized countries have some kind of Fair Wage Act that establishes what the minimum wage should be, what overtime pay should be, record keeping and how the child labour laws affect part time and full time workers and then on top of it there are probably laws for workers.
For you there may be some benefits to having the nanny actually move in… In some countries live-in-domestic workers are exempt from overtime pay but household staff stay outside the home must always be paid overtime pay. Not having to necessarily pay the overtime is why live in nannies and live in couple jobs are usually best.
Whether or not you have to pay vacation, holiday, sick or severance pay may depend on the region in which you live. You might have to give pay raises at regular time intervals or that you give money along with a discharge notice. All employers need to make sure that they are complying with the laws set in their locality.
In almost every country in the world you are required to keep records of wages and hours. You should also play fair as if you are providing nanny or live in couple jobs. Although positions and work places differ in the household employment industry and there is no real standard besides minimum wage you should try and pay your nanny or couple jobs what they are worth. In other words the salary, compensation and benefits need to relict the experience and background of the nanny.
It is also important that the employee's compensation be detailed fully – including vacation reimbursement for gas, which pays for auto insurance, and more or things could get messy. It cannot be stressed enough that this is not just casual labour. When it comes to any payment to employees, it should always be made by check so that both parties have a record. Every employer is responsible for the timely payment or deposit of several federal, state and local taxes.
The obvious benefit of paying well for nannies or domestic couple jobs is that they will treat you and your children better. You do not want to deal with a resentful worker or one that may burn out or worse – report you as abusive to the authorities. Keeping things straight keeps everyone happy…

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