There are many questions if you are a mother expecting, and a lot of them are about your ultrasound exams.  We will be looking at some of your questions in this next blog.  First question I would like to address is how an ultasound works.  Ultrasound scans are high frequency sound waves – so high we can’t hear them, then bounce off solid objects and create a picture, visible on a computer screen, of your baby, the placenta, and your organs in the surrounding area.  You may wonder what happens during the scan and what does it feel like?  Although no painful, early scans can cause discomfort since you need a full bladder.  Ultrasound scans can be performed by a doctor, a midwife, or a sonographer.  You will lie on an exam table and need to wear something that makes it easy to expose your belly.  The person doing the scan puts warm gel on the lower part of your belly, which improves contact with the skin, making it easier to view the baby.  You will feel a little pressure as a transducer is pressed against your skin and moved around to look at the baby from different angles and to take measurements.  The image produced by the scan is viewed on a screen similar to a computer monitor.  The person doing the scan may spend some time frist studying the image and taking measurements beofe talking to you about what they can see.  Although this can be unnerving, it does not indicate that anything is wrong.  We will discuss more tomorrow about what can be expected when recieving an ultrasound.

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The first step toward healthy eating is to look at the foods in your daily diet.  Early in pregnancy, morning sickness can affect your eating habits.  You may crave certain foods, or not feel like eating.  If this happens, you still should try to eat a variety of foods each day to help ensure that you are getting the right amount of nutrients.  Having a healthy snack that you can eat during the day is a good way to get the nutrients and extra calories you need.  You may find it easeir to eat snacks and small meals throughout the day rather then three big meals a day.  This also may help you to avoid nausea and heartburn.  Healthy eating also means avoiding things that may be harmful.  This includes alcohol (beer, wine, or mixed drinks) and illegal drugs, which may cause birth defects and other problems for the baby.  Smoking cigarettes is especially harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby.  You may also want to avoid or limit your caffiene intake during pregnancy.  Although some studies suggest drinking three or more cups of coffee per day may increase the risk of miscarriage, there is no solid proof.  Women who are expecting should eat a diet of grains, vegetables, fruit, oils, milk, lean meats and beans.  If you are studying to obtain a sonography degree, and would like to learn more about good nutrition for expecting mothers there is a recommended article that goes much more in depth.  We believe it is always important to have good nutrition, and it affects all life when we treat ourselves with care and love.

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A balanced diet is a basic part of good health at all times in your life.  During pregnancy, your diet is even more important.  The foods you eat are the main source of nutrients for your baby.  As your baby grows, you will need more of most nutrients.  Before you become pregnant, the best time to eat a healthy diet is before you become pregnant.  This will help you and your baby start out with the nutrients you both need.  If you are planning to become pregnant, visit your doctor.  Getting good health care before you are pregnant will help you throughout your pregnancy.  In most women 25-30 pounds is a good amount to gain during pregnancy.  Your body must store nutrients and increase the amount of blood and other fluids it makes.  You can always talk with your doctor about the amount of normal weight to gain during a pregnancy.  It is important to eat a wide variety of foods each day especially iron rich green leafy vegetables.  These provide essential vitamins, minerals and fiber, which helps digestion, and prevents constipation.  Ideally, eat them lightly cooked or raw.  Frozen, canned, and dried fruit and vegetables are good alternatives.  It is usually recommended that pregnant mothers are careful about seafood and how much fish they eat.  I would personally advise not eating fish right now with the oil spill…..or at least be very careful about which fish you are eating.  I think it will be a long time before we have any idea the effects this oil spill is going to have on the ocean or the animals in it.  Please be careful about seafood you eat during this time on the planet.

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When we think of diagnostic imaging centers, the first thing we think of are the x-ray technicians, sonographers, and the professionals performing and diagnosing images.  However, there is much more to making a diagnostic imaging lab run well.  The administrative staff plays a vital role in ensuring that the daily operations run smoothly and often act as liasons to other referring physicians, hospitals, and insurance companies.

In addition to the administrative staff is the need for management and leadership roles such as Director of Diagnostic Imaging and Human Resource Manager.  Diagnostic Imaging Labs are their own entities with the need for leadership and human capital management like any other business operation and without these key team members, the operation would fail to run like a successful business.

Managers of Diagnostic Imaging labs often have a bachelors or masters degree.  The preferred degree type is medical imaging sciences or Health care administration.  It is also common for existing workers who have natural talent for leadership to supplement their knowledge of medical imaging with healthcare administrative degree.

For those seeking roles as a human resource generalist or manager in a diagnostic imaging lab, a human resources degree at the bachelors or masters level is usually required.  The management and administrative team may be in charge of scheduling routine maintenance or repairs on medical imaging equipment, maintaining patient records, managing the budget for business operations including payroll and other related expenses.

The need for administrative staff is in high demand as the trend for more outpatient centers and standalone imaging labs expand.  If you have natural leadership abilities or a combination of knowledge about medical imaging and people management, there may be a role waiting for you.

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Mammalian biology suggests that frequent feedings and continuous contact are normal and instinctive behavior for human babies.  If kept skin to skin with mother after birth, healthy newborns instinctively will move towards the mothers breast and breast feed.  After birth, healthy newborns follow a predictable series of behaviors that move them to the breast, stimulate oxytocin release in the mother and lead to breast feeding, usually about an hour after birth.  If the mother receives certain pain medications during labor or mother and baby are separated before the first breast feeding, these instinctive behaviors are temporarily suppressed.  If human infants are separated from their mothers during the entire newborn period, they are at risk for unstable body functions and feeding problems.  Human newborns separated from their mother exhibit the “protest despair” response which also occurs in other mammals.  The protest despair response is a  certain cry the baby uses that is distinctive and unique.  ”Separation distress” cries to alert the mother of his or her need to be reunited and feed.  If the cry is not answered, it has shown that levels of stress hormones rise  in the newborn baby and body functions such as temperature, blood sugar, breathing and heart rate become unstable.  If the cry is not responded to, the newborns actual physiology changes to “despair mode,” slowing digestion and growth to increase odds of survival.  After birth, continuous contact between mother and baby has been associated with fewer feeding problems, less crying, and more stable body functions.

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The salary of an ultrasound tech can vary widely depending upon several factors including their particular specialization within the field, geographic location, experience, and education level.  According to the American Medical Association, the national average annual salary for ultrasound tech’s is $67,670.  The low average is $40,960 and the high is $77,520 annually.

Medical imaging jobs such as sonography are becoming popular because of the relatively short time required in school and training and the high salaries these jobs pay.  Many people have lost their jobs in the recent recession and they are seeking new roles to fill.  Diagnostic Medical Sonographers are still in high demand despite the recent down turn in the market.  The reason for this is because there is a much greater force at work.  The demand for medical imaging tests and procedures is increasing at a rapid rate as a major proportion of our population is aging.  It is the baby boomer generation that makes up such a large part of our population that is now requiring more sonograms and procedures that involve the use of the technology.

Another interesting fact is that, in general, diagnostic medical sonographers make 8 to 10 thousand dollars more per year than their counterparts in general radiology.  Also, those who have skills to perform invasive procedures in subfields such as cardiovascular technology, tend to be paid higher on average than those who perform only non-invasive procedures.

Medical imaging careers are known to be secure, well paying, and highly rewarding and ultrasound technician salary remains among the highest in the profession.

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An affirmation is simply a statement, directed toward yourself, confirming what you want to happen is happening.  Daily affirmations are a powerful tool for a self-empowered, and fulfilled life.  Daily affirmations directly affect your conscious and subconscious mind, thereby helping you to transform negative belief systems into positive ones, build self confidence and self esteem, sharpen your mental skills, and get control.  Define and channel positive intentions toward any area of your life that you want to improve, whether it’s your health, work, relationships, education, or a financial situation.   One daily affirmation might be, I am interested in sonography and I am looking into attending an allied health school.  Perhaps you are a student and your daily affirmation might be, “I am achieving my goals in perfect time and perfect pace”.  You must state your affirmations in present tense so that your mind knows that what you want to achieve is already happening instead of saying, “I would like to have…”  You must state your affirmations in the present tense so that your mind knows that what you want to achieve is already happening.  Instead of saying “I would like to have…” say “I have now…”  Your affirmations must also use positive words: if you say “I will not suffer in school today….” your mind will register the word suffer.  Just like when people say they are in the “fight against”….instead of saying “I stand for….”  If you make subconscious thoughts against something or involving negative ideas, that is what will be created in your life.  By practicing positive affirmations daily, you will learn how to appreciate what is already in your life.  Affirmations work to bring in new positive ideas and make them a reality.

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