Measuring levels of a hormone midway through pregnancy may predict a woman's risk of postnatal depression, according to a new study.
In the study of 100 women, levels of the pCRH hormone at 25 weeks helped predict three-quarters of those who developed the "baby blues".
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month and the theme is “Getting Fit for Pregnancy.”
Birth defects affect approximately one in 33 newborns and are a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States.
Good health habits include knowing your family history, keeping regular check-ups with a doctor and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and a healthy diet. For every woman of childbearing age, these habits should also include taking a multivitamin with 400 mcg of folic acid daily, starting before she gets pregnant, to improve the likelihood of delivering a healthy baby.
For any woman undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to overcome infertility, the big question is: What are my chances of having a baby? Pretty good, according to a new study, which finds that women's chances of live birth via IVF may be similar to those of other women their age in the general population — better for younger women, not as good for older ones.
In an analysis of the overall live-birth rate for 6,164 patients at a Massachusetts fertility clinic, researchers from Boston IVF and Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center found that in women ages 39 and younger who were treated with up to six cycles of IVF, the rate of live births ranged from 65% to 86%; in women ages 40 and older, the live-birth rate was 23% to 42%.
I love coming across new pregnancy countdown tickers and sharing them with all of you. How cute is this "It's a Boy" ticker from pregnancyplanet.net! Of course, they offer a pink "It's a Girl" ticker too.
Pregnancy Planet is an online social community for parents. They also offer a good selection of pregnancy tickers. Check out all of their pregnancy tickers here. If you're not there yet, but are trying to conceive, check out their TTC tickers here.
We've already featured lots of tickers here on BBA in the past, so click here to check them all out.
Thomas Beatie, the former Hawaiian beauty queen who became a man, caused a worldwide clamor when the transgendered male gave birth to his own daughter in June. Now, he's announced he's pregnant with his second child, due on June 12.
In an upcoming interview with Barbara Walters in a special on ABC, Beatie says that after the birth of his daughter on June 24, he didn't resume male hormone treatment so he could get pregnant again. His wife is unable to conceive a child because she had a hysterectomy. Beatie's story will air Friday. Walters highlighted the interview on her daytime chat show, "The View," today.
"I feel good," Beatie told Walters. "I had my checkups with my hormone level. ... And everything is right on track." (Los Angeles Times)
This pregnancy ticker from I am Pregnant shows a white puzzle to start with. Every 4 days of your pregnancy a piece of the puzzle is taken away You can choose from their selection of pictures or even use your own photo (maybe an ultrasound picture) for the ticker. Just upload it in the right column.
For more tickers that we've featured here on BBA, click here.
Gaining 40 pounds or more during pregnancy nearly doubles the risk of having a baby who weighs nine pounds or more, in turn increasing the health risks to mother and baby, according to a new study.
My husband and I were pretty clueless about pregnancy and parenting when I found out I was pregnant. I knew we needed to learn as much as we could before the baby arrived, so we wouldn't be more overwhelmed than we needed to be facing parenthood. We read books, took classes at the hospital (childbirth, newborn care and breastfeeding) and checked out some videos from the library. This all helped, but was very time consuming.
I was recently introduced to the Laugh and Learn DVD Series (Childbirth, Breastfeeding & Newborn Baby Care). Wow! I watched the DVDs and all I can think is that I wish I had known about this series three years ago.
Sheri Bayles is the nurse with the personality behind the successful DVD series. She is an award winning childbirth educator and lactation consultant. Plus she is the mother of twin boys, so she knows what she is talking about.
The great thing is that you can watch the videos in the comfort of your own home, on your own time frame (you can press pause every time you get a little overwhelmed about the childbirth explanation or if you feel the need to pee every 10 minutes) and even go back to certain parts as a refresher when you are reaching milestones like giving your baby it's first sponge bath or deciding what pump to buy for breastfeeding.
The About Childbirth DVD was great. I don't think I was the only one who still felt a little clueless about the whole childbirth thing, even after the classes I took. These two dvds about childbirth are very thorough. In them, Sheri gives some great pros and cons of using drugs like demerol, pitocin and epidurals. She also talks about the window of opportunity and how it works. I found the part about a c-section to be especially interesting since I really didn't pay attention to it in our hospital childbirth class only to find myself having a c-section for my son. It's best to just pay attention to it all just in case.
I would suggest watching the dvds then passing them on to your pregnant friends when you are done. You might just want to write your name on the dvds, so you can get them back as a refresher for baby #2!
Another pregnancy ticker option for your blog. This one is from What To Expect. Thanks for sending this one to us, Cindy.
Click here for all the other tickers we've feature here on BBA.
It's the final day of Baby Etiquette Week. So far, we've covered "Your Friend Is Pregnant," "How Much & When To Give Baby Gifts," "A Gift For The New Parents," and "Throwing a Baby Shower". Here's a little more to make Throwing a Baby Shower a smooth process.
Are baby showers for both parents or just for the new mom?
While most baby showers are traditionally "for women only", coed showers are definitely becoming more popular. Check with the soon-to-be parents for their preference.
Where, When and What do you do at a baby shower?
Baby showers can be given anywhere from a home to a restaurant. Most are held during the day and last for about two to three hours. Activities are always fun for the attendees, including make-your-own onesie and guess the size of my bump.
Once you have decided on all of the details, when do you send the invites?
Be considerate of your guests and give them several (typically four to six) weeks notice to make arrangements to attend and purchase the perfect gift.
Alas, you can relax, the life of a pregnant friend is not that bad!
A special thanks to Lisa Friedman for contributing to "Baby Etiquette Week" on BabyBlogAddict.com. Lisa is the Co-founder of SomeoneSpoilMe.com, Beverly Hills, CA.
This trendy pregnancy ticker is from BabyNamey.com. At first glance, I thought their tickers were just okay, then I came across this one. Finally a pregnancy ticker for the modern mom! It reminds me a lot of those trendy baby shower invitations. This ticker is shown here with a blue background, but it's also available in pink, green or gold.
Check out the rest of the tickers/widgets we've featured on BBA.
We covered "Your Friend Is Pregnant," and "How Much & When To Give Baby Gifts," in days one and two of "Baby Etiquette Week." Now, Lisa, our guest contibutor, is weighing in on another gift question...
Should you get a gift for the new parents?
You don’t have to, but if they are close friends and you want to, it’s always VERY much appreciated. The gift can be small such as a 
cute picture frame or comedic parenting book; or more expensive such as a designer diaper bag or a necklace with the baby’s initials. All of these are fabulous baby gifts that the new parents (okay- MOM) will love!
Lisa Friedman
BBA Guest Contributor
SomeoneSpoilMe.com
Beverly Hills, CA
:: BBA footnote: A couple of months ago, we asked you to submit your favorite baby shower gifts. A gift for the new parents was a popular response. Someone said a maternity massage and someone else suggested food or gift cards to take-out places for after the baby arrives. For more Favorite Baby Shower Gifts according to BBA readers, check out Part 1 and Part 2.
It's Day 2 of "Baby Etiquette Week." If you missed Day 1: "Your Friend Is Pregnant," check it out here.
How much should you spend on a new baby gift?
You will want to consider how many gifts you are buying and whether you are throwing the shower? While some baby gifts may be small, they are still costly. Pick a budget and stick with it throughout the course of the next nine months.
When do you give a new baby gift?
This entirely depends on the parents' religious beliefs and customs. If the parents believe it is bad luck to receive a gift prior to the birth, you CANNOT send a gift. However if giving gifts is fair game, you can give a gift at anytime. The only time it is absolutely required for you to give a gift is if there is a baby shower.
Lisa Friedman
BBA Guest Contributor
SomeoneSpoilMe.com
Beverly Hills, CA
This week is "Baby Etiquette Week" on BabyBlogAddict.com. Thanks to Lisa Friedman, co-founder of SomeoneSpoilMe.com in Beverly Hills, CA, for being a guest contributor this week.
Baby Etiquette Week: Day 1 – Your Friend Is Pregnant
While you may not be the one getting larger each month, deliberating on the relative merits of the Bugaboo versus the Stokke and running (wobbling) from OBGYN appointment to Prenatal Yoga, you are still under a lot of pressure. Your friend is pregnant, therefore you need to worry about what gifts to buy, when to give them, how much to spend and how to throw a baby shower. Don’t get overwhelmed, you have nine months to save and plan. You will get through this stressful (ahem wonderful) time.
What are the best new baby gifts?
This is not stressful- anything you buy will be absolutely adorable (everything is cute when it’s that tiny) and will be extremely helpful (most people do not have extra onesies lying around). Your biggest concern should be choosing pink, blue or green (aka gender neutral), the size (3-6 months is key) and what type of cotton (if it’s an eco-friendly baby, opt for organic cotton). New baby gifts for all genders and environmental dispositions are blankets & burp cloths, clothes & shoes, gear (high chairs, strollers, etc), toys or silver collectibles. Many gifts can be personalized with the baby’s name, which adds an extra special touch.
Lisa Friedman
BBA Guest Contributor
SomeoneSpoilMe.com
Beverly Hills, CA
Sounds like a story out of The Inquirer, but it's not. This is an amazing true story highlighting advances in medical technology and the miracle of life. Here's a clipping of the begninng of the story. It's definitely worth a click through to read the rest.
Four months into Keri McCartney's pregnancy, doctors reportedly noticed a tumor growing on the baby's tailbone.
Doctors discovered that the tumor was stealing blood from the fetus and weakening her heart. So, at 25 weeks, surgeons at Texas Children's Fetal Center cut into McCartney's abdomen in an effort to remove the life-threatening mass, according to a CBS News report. For the rest of the story...
Click here for photos including one incredible picture from the operation. I was going to post it here, but even FoxNews.com has a warning that it's graphic, so I figured I'd put the link instead.
Hospital pictures right after the baby arrives are not necessarily the most flattering, yet they are usually the first pictures that go out to family and friends; they are posted on your blog for everyone to see; and they are at the beginning of your baby's scrapbook (if they have scrapbooks these days).
Here are a couple of suggestions (no make-up necessary) to make the photos of yourself easier to look at when you are feeling like yourself again.
1) Bring a pretty pillowcase from home. The pillowcase that you are leaning against makes it into all of the pictures, right? Instead of the stark, white one that the hospital provides, bring your own from home. Maybe a pretty blue one or pink one if you know you are going to have a boy or a girl or a neutral one if you will be surprised. These pictured above are from the Martha Stewart "Trousseau" Luxury Bedding Collection sold at Macy's.
2) Now onto that ugly gown that doesn't fit well, is dull and has probably been worn before. There is an alternative! Rachel Zinny is the founder of dearjohnnies "special gowns for special people".
She says, "Like most new parents-to-be, my husband and I planned to take photos right after the birth to share with family and friends. But then I realized that a prominent feature in the photos would be the generic, unattractive pattern of a hospital gown. Did it have to be this way? Why couldn't I be wearing something less institutional and more attractive? Besides, wearing a “used” gown worn by who knows how many other patients wasn't appealing." So she founded dearjohnnies.
dearjohnnies gowns are $65 each and robes are $70. It might be a little pricey for something you can get for free, but after forty weeks of pregnancy, we think you deserve to feel pretty and comfortable. These are also great shower gifts or maybe even a surprise gift from the father-to-be to the mother-to-be...hint, hint to all of you guys out there who are expecting soon.
All this being said, you do realize that no one else is looking at you in the pictures, right? It's all about the baby now!
The San Francisco Chronicle and The Poop, their baby blog, always have great articles about babies. Check out this one about the founder of Six Apart who blogged throughout her 32-hour labor. Not surprising since Six Apart is a new-media startup that runs the Vox, Movable Type and Typepad blogging platforms.
Did any of you blog during your labor? My husband made a post right before we left for the hospital and then again within a couple of hours of my son's birth. That was two and a half years ago. I have a feeling that he might have the computer in the room with us next time :)
You think your house is full? Do you wish you had that one extra room to hide some stuff away? Be glad you're not this couple in Little Rock, Ark. Just in time for Mother's Day, 41-year-old Michelle Duggar, found out she was pregnant with her 18th child. The latest addition will join seven sisters and 10 brothers.
Says Duggar: "We've had three in January, three in December. Those two months are a busy time for us." The Duggars' oldest child, Josh, is 20, and the youngest, Jennifer, is nine months old.
Look for the family soon in another series on Discovery Health.
Chulamama is offering Baby Blog Addict readers 10% off purchases from the online store - Chulamama, Maternity and Baby. Just use coupon code: babyblogaddict.
Check out this adorable camera shirt by Egg & Avocado (available in 3 months and 6 months sizes). This would be perfect for the baby of paparazzi parents who always have a camera handy (I'm guilty as I'm sure many of you baby blog addicts are too!)
For a versatile maternity outfit, don't miss the Jessica Scott organic cape, skirt and dress all-in-one in watermelon, lime, licorice or chocolate.
It's 2008 and you are pregnant. Who do you relate to more - the girl on the left who hasn't lost her sense of style or confidence or the one on the right in the rocking chair? Obviously, the version on the left is a much better representation of pregnant women today. I actually can't believe the third edition with the woman in the rocking chair was published in 2002. I even remember thinking that it looked like it was from the 70's when I read it during my own pregnancy in 2005.
America's best-known pregnancy advice book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting", has undergone a makeover on the front cover and on the inside. Check out this article to see what has changed in the 4th Edition. Here's a hint: you might be relieved to know that the newer version is "more reassuring, more positive, more empathetic than ever". They've also moved "a lot of the scary stuff" to a back section.
