The Doula

A doula is a person with or without medical training whose purpose is to assist a mother to be before, during and/or after delivery. Primarily, the doula is to assist the mother providing safe, emotional and physical support and helping her as well as her spouse.
To a lesser extent, help with the baby.
At times during pregnancy the mother can become depressed and that is when the doula can positively fortify the emotional state of mind. During birth, the doula becomes a coach alleviating at times the pain and ensuring a smooth birth. After birth the doula still will offer emotional and physical assistance.Africa_Doulas Start a wash of clothes say, go to the supermarket or prepare meals for when the spouse will come back from work. 24/7 she will take calls from the new mother to answer questions: “my breasts are full of milk and they are ready to explode, what do I do?”.
Some families keep their doulas for long periods of time after birth.
It is best to build a ‘relationship’ with a doula some time before birth but some of them are specialized, as Antepartum, Partum and Postpartum doulas.

Should Batteries Be Stored In The Refrigerator?

Storage in a refrigerator or freezer to extend batteries’ life is not required nor recommended for batteries produced today. Cold temperature storage can in fact harm the batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage. To maximize performance and shelf life, store batteries at normal room temperatures (68°F to 78°F or 20°C to 25°C) with moderated humidity levels (35 to 65% RH). When stored at room temperature (i.e. 70°F/ 21°C), cylindrical alkaline batteries have a shelf life of 5 to 10 years and cylindrical carbon zinc 3 to 5 years. Lithium Cylindrical types can be stored from 10 to 15 years. Prolonged storage at elevated temperatures will shorten storage life.

Bad Breath / Halitosis

Bad breath, can be a byproduct of food consumption such as garlic, onions and the sort residing in the stomach. It can also be generated by medications taken.
Blausen_0860_Tonsils&Throat_Anatomy_webHalitosis is caused mainly by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) such as H(2)S and CH(3)SH produced in the mouth. Interestingly, eating makes the mouth more acidic reducing the smell.

Besides the above reasons, bad breath most likely originates from organisms growing on the very back of the tongue and a tongue scraper can be beneficial for this situation.
Start scraping as far back as possible. The scraper shownTounge-Scraper_web2 is a fancy one but there are different kinds on the market.

CPC-mouthwash_web2
Crest Pro Health

The better mouth washes will have zinc and cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) to fight the smelly bacteria.

Decay in the teeth can also trigger bad breath and this can easily be prevented by scheduled
periodic checkups with your dentist.

Other causes can be attributed to chronic sinus infections or kidney desease. Doctors in Europe have been able to detect certain cancers from the breath of their patients.

Mini Greenhouse

Shown is a basic plastic container with lid from the grocery store.
It is excellent for trapping and recycling moisture.
The top of the container will sweat and then drop the moisture down again.
A cutting from a rose bush was immersed in rooting solution and planted in this mini flower pot. The dirt was soaked prior to planting and a little water added to the bottom of the container.
Store in a shady location and monitor new growth to occur about 4 to 6 weeks later.Greenhouse_1747_A_use_web

What Color Eggs Will That Chicken Lay?

uova_color_webGenerally if the chicken has whitish earlobes, that chicken will lay white eggs.
If the chicken has reddish earlobes, that chicken will lay brown eggs, as well as blue or green.
The color of the shell is due to pigmentation resulted during the natural process of the egg’s composition while in the tube (oviduct) through which it passes from the ovary.

Image courtesy of www.avianaquamiser.com