Dedicated to Women

How to start your career as a model

2007-03-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Submit your portfolio to reputed coordinators, Agencies or Fashion designers and set up an appointment. Some Modelling agencies may have a time each week where a new model can go and see an agent. It is advisable to see several agencies before committing or signing a deal to anyone. Choose an agency/coordinator carefully so you can stay with them for sometime as constantly changing agencies gives you a reputation of being flighty and unprofessional. Once you get a negative reputation it is difficult to sustain in the field, especially in the beginning. Another way to enter into this career is to apply for the contests sponsored by magazines, cloth manufactures, cosmetic companies etc and participating in beauty pageants.

Once the agencies approve of the portfolio, they may call you for an interview. They may have a photo session. If they like you they will promote you among the clients and will look after legalities of the paper work for the job. The agency will charge the client and pay you after deducting their commission. Be professionally at your best on the job, that may help you get more assignments from the client. Get the pictures from the session you have done and add them to your portfolio. Maintain contacts- keep in touch with your agency/coordinator, visit them once in a while. Read also.. Career Option- Modelling

Breast Cancer

2007-03-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Sometimes abnormal cells develop in the breast tissue, forming a lump or tumor. This is the most common type of cancer in women.

The breast has several lobes, which are divided into lobules and end in the milk glands. Tiny ducts run from the many tiny glands, connect together, and end in the nipple. Any tissue in the breast can be affected and it will destroy the nearby tissues also. Usually the cancer arises from tissue that forms milk ducts. There are at least 15 different kinds, depending on the site of development . Both women and men can develop breast cancer, but it is very rare in men.

reast cancer occurs more commonly in the left breast than the right and more commonly in the outer upper quadrant. The tumor may distort the shape of the breast or the texture of the skin as it becomes larger. It can be detected when it grow large enough to either be felt or seen on a mammogram.

The cancer cells spread through the specialised channels in the breast called lymphatics to the lymph nodes to form tumors. It also spread or metasize to the other parts of the body through the blood stream. It spreads through the right side of the heart to the lungs, and eventually to the other breasts, the chest wall, liver, bone and brain. Spreading of the tumor to other parts of the body can cause death.

Breast cancer can be classified by histologic appearance and location of the lesion.

   Adenocarcinoma - arising from the epithelium.
Intraductal - developing within the ducts
Infiltrating - Occurring in parenchyma of the               breast.
Inflammatory - reflecting rapid tumor growth, in                     which the overlying skin become edematous, inflamed and in-durated. 
Lobular carcinoma in situ - reflecting tumor               growth involving lobes of glandular tissue.
Medullary or circumscribed - large tumor with rapid                     growth rate.
 

Sign of Pregnancy

2007-03-30T05:40:00.000-07:00

The symptoms of pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Some experience a variety of symptoms and others experience none of the signs of pregnancy. Missing a period is the most obvious indication, but there are others which you may, or may not, experience
The early signs of pregnancy include:

A missed period, or a rather scanty one.
A missed period is usually one of the first indicators of pregnancy for women. However, some women experience spotting or a light menstrual-like flow, when implantation occurs (about 10 days after conception). The bleeding that occurs when the developing embryo becomes implanted into the uterine wall is lighter and shorter in duration than is menstrual bleeding.

Breast Changes (Heaviness and tenderness)
Many women feel an overall tenderness and heaviness of the breasts. The areola (nipple area) becomes more sensitive, sometimes painfully sensitive, and darkens. The breasts become more full and the veins often become more apparent. These changes begin as early as one week after conception.
Nausea and sickness, or changing tastes
Most pregnant women become sensitive to certain smell and experience nausea, vomiting etc. Some develop an aversion to certain things liked before. The intensity with which women experience morning sickness varies tremendously. This feeling may persist through the first trimester or longer.
Increased frequency of urination
Most women feel like emptying bladder more frequently than usual.
Fatigue
Fatigue and shortness of breath are common early in pregnancy. You may feel exhausted at the day's end, even when you haven't done anything out of the ordinary.

Pregnancy

2007-03-30T05:38:00.000-07:00

Planning

Some experts believe three months to be a perfectly adequate length of time to prepare for a pregnancy, others advise waiting six months or a year especially if you are recovering from any serious illness and have been prescribed drugs to treat it. Three months would be ideal normally as it takes at least eight weeks for eggs and sperm to develop to the stage of being ready to be released. Both partners should take care to be healthy to ensure that both the eggs and sperm developed are healthy. Keep fit, eat wisely, avoid things that could be harmful, and visit your doctor during this period. This way you can prepare for a normal pregnancy and a healthy baby.

iming your pregnancy
The best time for a woman to have a baby is in her twenties. At this age her body is fully grown, there is no risk of damage to growing bones and she is supple and flexible with plenty of energy. As she grows older, particularly once she is past her early thirties, the more likely she is to experience complications. The older the mother the greater the risk of having a baby with abnormalities such as the down's syndrome which is related to increasing age.

Getting tested for infections and deficiencies:
Infections can harm both the mother and the fetus. Some infections during pregnancy can cause severe birth defects or illnesses in the fetus.
Rubella or German measles is one such infection which can have disastrous effects on the development of the babies vital organs if contracted during the first four months of pregnancy. A blood test can be done to check whether you are immune to the disease. If you are not, a vaccination can be taken for immunisation. But care should be taken not to get pregnant for the following three months after immunisation.

STD's or sexually Transmitted Diseases
Infections passed through sexual contact also are harmful during pregnancy. Apart from affecting your ability to become pregnant, these diseases can also infect babies in the uterus and cause harm. It is always better to get tested and treated if you feel there is a chance of contracting some form of STD. In case you suspect an HIV (Aids) infection, testing will help you decide whether to take the risk of getting pregnant at all.

Genetic disorders like sickle cell aneamia, thalassaemia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy or other types of aneamia which are inheritable should be tested before planning a pregnancy. Genetic counseling can be done to seek advise about the relative risk of passing the disorder on to the baby.

Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis infection, which is transmitted through cat feces and undercooked or raw meats, may adversely affect a fetus. There are often no symptoms of infection or only a mild flu like symptoms, so women who are at risk and are considering pregnancy can be tested for immunity prior to conception. All pregnant women should avoid or exercise caution in handling cats and consuming raw meats.

Listeria
Listeria in a pregnant woman causes miscarriage and stillbirth. Babies who are infected with the illness in the uterus rarely survive. Pregnant woman should avoid cook chill foods and readymade dishes found in cold cabinets in food stores such as scoop variety ice cream, soft cheeses, un-pasteurized diary products which are a source of listeria bacteria.
Chicken pox If a woman has not already had or been immunized against varicella (chicken pox), vaccination well before conception is highly recommended.
Anemia It is better to check if you are aneamic - deficient in iron before beginning a pregnancy.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Illegal Drugs
Alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs can harm both you and your fetus. Smoking and drinking alcohol can damage both the developing sperm and man's fertility as well. If a woman uses these substances, there is an increased risk of miscarriage and problems such as mental retardation and birth defects in a baby. No amount of these substances has been proven safe to use during pregnancy.

Medications and Drugs
Consult your doctor about existing medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease etc you may have and medications you are taking, prior to conception. All chemical substances affect the production and growth of cells in our bodies. Even sleeping pills and pain killers are better avoided at this stage. Improve your health
Both you and your partner should eat a healthy diet by taking more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and reducing high fat or sweet for at least three months prior to pregnancy. All women trying to conceive should get plenty of folic acid (found in green leafy vegetables and whole grains) in their diet as a deficiency of folic acid can lead to some birth defects like neural tube defects in developing infants. Take a multivitamin supplement that has 400 micrograms of folic acid and no more than 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of other nutrients. Vitamin B6 (whole complex B vitamin) is also beneficial.

Stop birth control methods
Stop using contraceptive pills several months before you try to conceive so you can have at least two normal cycles before succeeding. Remove an IUD before you begin trying. And since the risks of spermicides aren't really clear, you may want to use a condom or diaphragm alone for a month or so before you try to conceive.

Keep your environment safe.
Avoid exposure to X-rays, lead (which can be found mainly in hot tap water), fumes from paint or glue, hazards at work, secondhand smoke and pesticides.

Ovulation normally occurs fourteen days before beginning the next period, regardless of the length of the cycle. So a woman with a 28 day cycle would tend to ovulate on day 14. The woman with a 32 day cycle would tend to ovulate on day 18 (32-14). The life time of the egg is brief -only 24 hours. So to get pregnant the sperm should reach the egg during this fertility period.

Famous Women Personalities

2007-03-30T05:34:00.000-07:00

Social Reformers

Annie Besant
Arundhati Roy
Mother Teresa

Singers

Dr. M.S.Subbalakshmi
Asha Bhonsle
K.S.Chitra
Lata Mangeshkar
S.Janaki

Dancers

Alarmel Valli
Anita Ratnam
Chitra Vishweswaran
Mallika Sarabhai
Padma Subramanyam
Sonal Mansingh
Yamini Krishnamurthy