I’ve decided to stop dying my hair.

My reasons are mostly practical. I’m tired of the hassle and expense. My hair grows quickly, so after a professional dye job, I get about two good weeks, then I spend the next four weeks obsessing about my roots. My husband nixed home hair coloring because every blessed time I try it I get dye on the walls. And besides, home hair color tends to fade really quickly on me. So unless I want to start coloring it with a Sharpie, it’s going to be gray.

Reservations? Sure. I’m a little worried about looking older (though to be honest, I don’t think my faux red-brown hair was making me look 21). I’m concerned about the ugliness of the growing out period; since I don’t want to chop all my hair off and grow from scratch, I’ll have a skunk-like hair color pattern for, oh, about a year. My husband has been supportive, but I do fear he’ll freak out a little when he sees just how gray my hair really is.

But mostly I’m worried about being mistaken for my boys’ grandmother. And as they are two and three, it’s no stretch – if I had started having kids at 20 and my children followed suit, I would be proud grandma right about now. So if anyone makes that error, it’s only natural…like my emerging hair color…which I’m currently covering up with a pretty bandanna.

Some friends I’ve confided in called me brave. Honestly? I have my hair salon on speed dial, just in case.

Posted by MommaSteph.

Famous Pregnant People: Actress/singer/businesswoman Jennifer Lopez finally confirmed that the rumors about her and hubby Marc Antony are true:

“Marc and I are expecting a baby,” she said, adding: “This is a special time in our lives, and we waited until the last show to tell you.”

After his wife made her revelation, Anthony stroked her wife’s stomach, then leaned over and kissed her belly, before saying: “I didn’t know she was going to talk.”

In other Hollywood pregnancy news, Desperate Housewives actress Nicolette Sheridan is said to be pregnant. Ms. Sheridan, 43, is engaged to be married to singer Michael Bolton.

Reports suggest Sheridan gave castmates the big hint she was expecting when she started asking her co-stars, Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross and Felicity Huffman all about motherhood and pregnancy.”

The source explains, “She kept asking Felicity and Marcia about how the pregnancy would change her appearance and if it would make her hair thinner.”

Seven of Nine, Plus One: Here’s one for the Trekkers - actress Jeri Ryan is pregnant. Dad is Ms. Ryan’s husband, French chef Christophe Emé. This is their first child together; Ms. Ryan has a 12-year-old son from a previous relationship. We’re wondering how far the whole “Resistance is futile” argument gets Ms. Ryan when it comes to things like naps and potty training…

Wow! The oldest known natural mother is talking publicly to the UK press for the first time. Dawn Brooke says that she feared that her exhaustion, strange cravings, and aches were signs of cancer. Turns out she was pregnant - at age 58. She gave birth to a baby boy, named Harry, who is now 10 years old. Ms. Brooke’s story only became public knowledge last month. “I kept myself to myself because I knew the pregnancy was a big deal and I felt embarrassed. Very few people knew of the unusual nature of the pregnancy because people always presumed, and still do, that I’m a lot younger than my age. And I never disagreed with it.”

How to Support a Nursing Mother: A new study published in the journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care finds that implementing five specific breastfeeding supports in hospitals may significantly increase the number of women who nurse their infants successfully. In the study, nearly two-thirds of the women who gave birth in hospitals that offered the five supports were still breastfeeding when their babies were four months old. The five practices recommended are:

-Initiating breastfeeding within 1 hour of delivery
-Keeping infants in the mother’s hospital room
-Feeding infants only breast milk in the hospital; no supplementation of water or formula
-Prohibiting pacifier use in the hospital
-Providing a telephone number to call for breastfeeding help after hospital discharge

Graying moms in good company: Over at Working Dad, a look at some data from the National Center for Health Statistics on trends in older motherhood: “In 2004, 579,000 U.S. women between the ages of 35 and 44 gave birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control agency. Ten years earlier 435,000 mothers in the same age group gave birth… [T]here were only 2,507 moms age 45 to 49 who gave birth in 1994 - the report didn’t even offer a number for women 50 and older. Ten years later the number more than doubled to 5,748.”

Odd PPD Indicator? For a study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, researchers visited 79 new moms in their homes and surveyed them on their mental state. They also asked the moms to pick up and cradle their babies. The result: Moms whose survey answers showed indications of stress or depression were more likely than their counterparts to cradle their babies to their right.

Just so you know… A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research finds that we tend to consume more calories at restaurants that market themselves as “healthy” choices than at those that make no such claims. The likely reason: We overcompensate with sides and desserts because we believe we’re eating fewer calories overall, when in fact many meals offered at “healthy” chains such as Subway are actually calorie-laden.

Via Radical Catholic Mom, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, maternal death rates in the US rose from 12 per 100,000 in 2003 to 13 per 100,000 in 2004. And while revised death certificate questions in California, Montana, and Idaho may account for some of the up-tick in terms of cause of death reporting (that is, deaths that would not have been attributed to childbirth formerly now are), experts believe the actual number is rising, perhaps because of the continued increase in C-section deliveries.

“There’s an inherent risk to C-sections,” said Dr. Elliott Main, who co-chairs a panel reviewing obstetrics care in California. “As you do thousands and thousands of them, there’s going to be a price.”

Excessive bleeding is one of the leading causes of pregnancy-related death, and women with several previous C-sections are at especially high risk, according to a review of maternal deaths in New York. Blood vessel blockages and infections are among the other leading causes.

Maternal obesity may also be a factor, as overweight women are more prone to complications such as diabetes, and are more likely to have excess tissues and large babies that make vaginal deliveries problematic. Older mothers are also more likely to have pregnancy complications, and more women are having babies in their late 30s and 40s.

Sadly, 40% of maternal deaths could have been prevented through proper monitoring. Black women in particular are more prone to high blood pressure during pregnancy, and are also more likely to have inadequate prenatal care. The rate of maternal death for black women is three times higher than that of white women.

And while these deaths matter in and of themselves, they also point to a larger public health issue. The CDC’s 2001 manual on reducing pregnancy-related deaths opens with the following reflection:

Pregnancy-related deaths are the tip-of-the-iceberg with regard to complications of pregnancy. For every woman who dies of a pregnancy-related cause, several thousand suffer morbidity related to pregnancy—before, during, or after delivery. Each year six million women become pregnant, almost four million give birth, and over one million experience pregnancy-related complications. This means that pregnancy-related complications are a significant burden on women, their families, and society in economic, social, and personal term.

The CDC proposes a three-tiered plan to reduce maternal mortality:

• Primary prevention strategies: Improving sex education and family planning services to prevent unintended and high-risk pregnancies; improving nutrition programs, preconception care, and diagnosis and treatment of STDs.
• Secondary prevention strategies: Improving pregnancy outcomes through early detection and treatment of complications.
• Tertiary prevention strategies: Treating complications in an optimal fashion to reduce fatality rates.

Tangent: I’ve been thinking about how much of the above is in our own hands. What can we women do for ourselves to improve our pregnancy - and general health - outcomes? How can we better serve ourselves in terms of family planning, preconception care, and health and lifestyle choices? How can we be better role models for our children in terms of staying informed about and protecting our own health?

I hope I don’t sound preachy. Let’s face it - in large part, general health is a roll of the dice, a combination of genetics and luck. But some common poor health outcomes are the result of lifestyle choices. And I write this as a woman who for years smoked a pack a day and was never ten feet from a Doritos bag. I cleaned up my act pretty well in my 30s and have been blessed with two healthy children after two uncomplicated pregnancies. My family has good health coverage. I think I’m pretty well informed about general health issues. But with all these advantages, I’m still far from where I want to be in terms of being my own health monitor.

Posted by MommaSteph.

Very Pregnant, Very Hot: Heavily pregnant actress and TV producer (Ugly Betty) Salma Hayek was voted sexiest celebrity in the world in a recent online poll. Ms. Hayek beat out the likes of Beyonce Knowles, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Lopez, and narrowly edged out the much younger Jessica Alba. The lovely, beautifully aging Raquel Welch came in ninth. Somehow Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and the Olsen Twins did not make the list.

Breastfeeding and PPD: A new study out of the UK challenges the notion that women with postpartum depression will not be able to breastfeed. The researchers noted that how breastfeeding promotion is presented to these women may have an impact on their well-being, as campaigns that are perceived as pressure to breastfeed may increase a depressed woman’s sense of inadequacy and feelings of entrapment. Individual, psychologically-based breastfeeding support could help these mothers succeed with nursing while helping them navigate their ambivalent feelings about motherhood. The researchers also note that many women with PPD have positive experiences with breastfeeding and find their ability to nurse reassuring.

Gussied Up Pacifiers Recalled: The CPSC and various firms announced a recall of pacifiers decorated with crystals (often with “bling” in the name) because they pose an aspiration hazard. Caretakers should take these pacifiers away from babies and children and contact the participating firms for a refund.

SSRIs and Pregnancy: Two studies published in the June 27th New England Journal of Medicine find that taking anti-depressant drugs known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) during pregnancy does not significantly increase the overall risk of most birth defects. Nevertheless, The March of Dimes recommends that “women discuss the potential risks and benefits of taking SSRIs during pregnancy with their doctors. Women who are taking an antidepressant should not stop taking their medications if they discover they are pregnant, but should immediately contact their health care provider. It may be dangerous to stop taking an antidepressant suddenly.”

PGS Ineffective? According to research presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) does not improve pregnancy outcomes in older women undergoing IVF, and in this study was actually associated with a reduction in the number of live births. The investigators are conducting follow-up research.

She’s the Boss: Tiger Woods revealed why he and wife Elin named their new baby daughter Sam: “We wanted to have a name that would be meaningful. My father had always called me Sam since the day I was born. He rarely ever called me Tiger.” As for new fatherhood, Mr. Woods shares that he’s enjoying it immensely, even the lack of sleep. The couple plan to add to their family in the future. When asked if his being an only child is a factor in his desire to have a sibling for Sam, Mr. Woods replied, “No. Just Elin. She’s in charge of that.”

As I learned over on the boards, the folks at American Girl are introducing a new historical character to their lineup. Joining Addy, the Civil War girl, and Kit, of the Great Depression, is Julie, a young girl facing the trials and tribulations of growing up way back…

… in the 1970s!

Julie Albright doesn’t want to move away from her San Francisco neighborhood near Chinatown, even if her new home is just a few miles away. Moving means leaving her best friend, Ivy, and her pet rabbit, Nutmeg. Worst of all, it means leaving Dad, now that her parents are divorced. It’s the mid-1970s and lots of things are changing: Julie’s teacher wants to be called “Ms.” Mom works full-time now, running her own store. America is trying to switch to the metric system, and school sports teams sometimes include a new kind of player - girls!

Well, the good folks at American Girl didn’t consult me, so I had no input in the six Julie books soon to hit the stores (with, I imagine, a doll in the works). Too bad, the titles look deadly dull (Julie and the Eagles, I learned, has nothing to do with the Hotel California tour). But then again, it was that kind of decade. For what it’s worth, here would be my suggestions for the Julie series:

• Watergate Hearings Pre-Empt After School Special
• Julie Sees Grease for the Fourteenth Time
• Sneaker Rollerskates In, White Boot Skates Out?
• Julie and the Insane-Making Bicentennial Mattress Sale Ads
  
• Disco vs. Rock: The Playground Square-Off
• Julie’s Rainbow Suspender Christmas

Hang in there, Julie! And remember, no matter how bad things get, they could be worse. Make that, will be. Parachute pants and hair bands are right around the corner…

Posted by MommaSteph.

Incentive to bank cord blood? A small pilot study finds that preserved cord blood may be useful as a treatment therapy for children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Though early results do not promise a cure-all, a child’s own cord blood may help preserve the insulin-production capabilities he still has at the time of diagnosis.

Never too late? Controversial cable news personality Nancy Grace revealed that she recently wed an investment banker whom she has known since college, and that the pair are expecting twins, due next January. Ms. Grace, 47, declined to reveal whether or not she used fertility treatments to conceive. Ms. Grace shares that it is never too late to be lucky in love: “Tell women out there that there is hope.”

What’s in a name? Please welcome Autumn Sullivan Corbett Fitzsimmons Jeffries Hart Burns Johnson Willard Dempsey Tunney Schmeling Sharkey Carnera Baer Braddock Louis Charles Walcott Marciano Patterson Johansson Liston Clay Frazier Foreman Brown, daughter of British mommy Maria Brown. The newcomer has 25 middle names, all in honor of prize fighters. This, by the way, is a family tradition. Ms. Brown and her two siblings have 103 middle names among them.

Tired of the kids hindering your every effort to stay on top of housework? Miss having any time at the end of the day for you?

Try a few of these rules from Parenting.com’s Barbara Rowley:

1. If I’m working, you’re working too - or you can’t be in the room with me. Your kid wants to be where you are, and given the choices above (help or go play elsewhere), he’s probably going to choose to try to help you. Granted, kids don’t do things the way you do, but at least if he’s trying to be useful, he’s not actively undoing your progress.

2. I get off of “mommy duty” at 8pm. Rowley says that when she enacted this rule, I acted as if it were out of my hands. Sort of like Cinderella and midnight. Suddenly, my 6-year-old (and my husband) developed a new consciousness of time. My daughter actually rushed to get ready for bed just after dinner so that we could have lots of books and time together before I was “off.” My husband, realizing that if things dragged past 8 he’d have to face putting both girls to sleep himself, became more helpful. Double score!

3. “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” This rule sounds silly, but the catchy rhythm and the sheer “that’s that” quality of it means kids listen. I’ll admit to a certain amount of skepticism about it, but it works for Rowley’s kids.

Check out these and other mom-tested rules at Parenting.com.

Posted by Sunshining.