Former Blue Lady: Australian television personality Jessica Rowe shared that she was ashamed to admit that she struggled with postpartum depression after giving birth to her daughter, even though she has long been an advocate for those with mental health issues (her mother battled bipolar disorder). Her difficulties in acknowledging her depression stemmed in part from the fact that she underwent four IVF attempts before becoming pregnant. “I felt ashamed. How could I feel like this when I finally had this beautiful treasure?” She went public with her struggle when she named a mental health initiative as the charity she’ll support as a contestant on the Aussie version of Dancing with the Stars.

The Implications of Pregnancy Acceptance: A study out of the University of Missouri - Columbia finds that a mother’s feelings about being pregnant have a strong impact on her relationship with her baby later on, and on that child’s healthy attachment. Mothers who had trouble with pregnancy acceptance also were more likely to later find motherhood burdensome. The study focused on 173 young, black mothers. “Making services, such as childcare, available to low-income mothers is a major way we can help relieve stress that can negatively affect children. Overall, mothers want what is best for their children,” notes the lead researcher.

Working Moms and Kiddie Fat? Researchers out of the Institute of Child Health in London tracked 13,000 children to age three and found that preschoolers of more affluent parents were more likely to be overweight, the more so if the mother works. The researchers called the study a wake-up call for the middle class, speculating: “Long hours of maternal employment, rather than lack of money, may impede young children’s access to healthy foods and physical activity.”