Needlepoint Basics for the Beginner

A registered nurse and former real estate agent, Lauren M. Forshay has served as a salesperson with Banana Republic since 2016. She built considerable career experience in New Jersey and has lived and worked in New York City since 2018. Outside of the professional arena, Lauren Forshay is an avid needlepoint hobbyist.

People of all ages and backgrounds have turned to the centuries-old practice of needlepoint as a way to relax, express themselves, and create crafts for themselves and others. Needlepoint involves making stitches with different colors of thread to create a pattern or an image on a special needlepoint canvas. Beginners, in particular, often benefit from filling in pictures that manufacturers sometimes print on these canvases.

Other important things for needlepoint beginners to consider is selecting thread that is specifically designed for use in needlepoint, and will fit the specific size and weave of the openings on their chosen canvas. Although experienced needlepoint enthusiasts may employ a wide range of stitches, newcomers can get started by learning the three basic tent stitches - the half-cross, the basketweave, and the continental.

Conditions Related to Gestational Hypertension

Lauren Forshay is a registered nurse with the state of New Jersey who currently resides in New York City. One of Lauren M. Forshay’s areas of medical interest and expertise is gestational hypertension.

Also known as pregnancy induced hypertension (or PIH), gestational hypertension is a potentially dangerous condition that is defined by high blood pressure during pregnancy. This condition can arise in otherwise perfectly healthy women after the 20th week of pregnancy or in women who received a diagnosis of chronic high blood pressure before or early in their pregnancy. 

In fact, individuals who had chronic hypertension or kidney disease before pregnancy are significantly more likely to develop gestational hypertension. Like chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension is strongly connected to genetics, so women whose mothers or sisters have suffered from the condition are also more likely to develop it.

Other conditions tied to higher rates of gestational hypertension include carrying more than one baby and being less than 20 or more than 40 years of age. First-time mothers also face a higher risk.