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.

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.”

PPD News: Researchers out of Wales report that they have identified the location of genes that can make women vulnerable to postpartum mental disorders. They accomplished this by examining the DNA of families with a member who suffered from postpartum psychosis. They hope that their work will help in the development of more effective postpartum mental health treatments.

Proud Mary: Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) shares some thoughts on early motherhood with the magazine You: “It’s nice to be focused on someone other than yourself. I kind of killed myself looking after Will in the beginning because I didn’t want to leave him; I wanted to be the one there with him whenever I wasn’t working. So I never went out, never went to the gym – I didn’t want him to be picked up in the middle of the night by someone who was paid to pick him up.” Ms. Parker’s son, Will, is three years old. Dad is actor Billy Crudup, but the two split up when Ms. Parker was pregnant.

New Dad on the Block: Joey McIntyre, formerly of NKOTB, announced on his web site that he and his wife Barrett are expecting their first child.

PPD News: According to research out of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the majority of doctors in that city do not screen women for postpartum depression. 228 of the doctors who responded to a survey said they had seen women for postpartum visits in the previous three months; of these, 79% said they were unlikely to formally screen for depression. An estimated 13% of new mothers are affected by postpartum depression.

Military Wives and PPD: According to research out of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, pregnant women whose husbands are deployed are at a much higher risk for postpartum depression. For this study, over 400 women were screened for PPD six weeks after delivering their babies. 1/4 of those whose husbands were deployed during their pregnancies screened positive, compared with 13% of the remaining women.

Hand Sanitizer Hazard: April alerted us to this over on the boards: Hand sanitizers and wipes, which seem to be ubiquitous among germ-conscious parents and teachers these days, contain a surprising amount of alcohol - for example, Purell is 62% Ethyl Alcohol. Ingesting it can lead to alcohol poisoning, as happened to a couple of young children recently. Keep such products out of reach of children.

Ick: Young New Jersey viewers of Disney Playhouse, and their parents, were perplexed when a broadcast of Handy Manny was interrupted by hardcore porn. A spokesman for Comcast notes that the error was with them, not Disney, and that they are investigating how the error occurred.

Postpartum Depression Prevention? A new study published in the International Breastfeeding Journal finds that breastfeeding and consumption of omega-3 fatty acids protect new moms from depression. Physical and mental stress can increase inflammation, which can contribute to depression, the article notes. Healthy fats are anti-inflammatory.  And breastfeeding is a natural stress-reducer, but, the author notes, only when it is going well.

Recall News:� Graco is recalling�soft block tower toys that accompany Graco and Baby Einstein activity centers, model number 4635BEE with serial numbers 012705 through 063005.� The centers were sold from February 2005 through December 2005.� The tower toys have plastic coverings that can become detached, posing a choking hazard.� “Graco has received 137 reports of infants mouthing and chewing pieces of the plastic film covering, some of whom required medical attention. Serious incident reports include 32 infants who gagged and 49 who choked on the plastic covering. “� Consumers should remove the soft block toys from the activity center and contact Graco for a replacement set.

Consequences of Meningitis? A study out of the UK finds�that having had bacterial menintitis in infancy may impair an adolescent’s school performance. The researchers found that 25% of the youngsters who had had bacterial�meningitis in infancy failed all of their high school certification exams, compared with 6.6% of the control group.� The authors note: “Raising parental awareness of the long term consequences of meningitis in infancy might also improve the uptake of immunization.”

Maternal Depression News: A report published in the journal Developmental Psychology finds an association between maternal depression and conduct problems, such as lying, fighting, bullying and stealing, in children with ADHD. “Specifically, the researchers found that children with mothers who displayed the highest levels of positive parenting during preschool had significantly lower levels of conduct problems over time, when other possible contributing factors were controlled. Also, children of previously depressed mothers had significantly higher levels of conduct problems over time compared to children whose mothers had never been depressed.”

Brooke Shileds on the aftermath of PPD: “I’ve become more of who I am. Someone said adversity builds character, but someone else said adversity reveals character. I’m pleasantly surprised with my resilience. I persevere, and not just blindly. I take the best, get rid of the rest, and move on, realizing that you can make a choice to take the good.”

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Pre-E and Heart Health: Researchers out of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine report that women who experience pre-eclampsia have autoantibodies in their blood.� This may be why women who experience pre-eclampsia have been found to be at risk at a later age for high blood pressure and heart disease.

Because Some People Are Stupid: National Association of Theatre Owners and the MPAA is modifying its descriptor of what an ‘R’ rating means by adding these words:� “Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.”

Are you wearin’ yer green?

Number Four: Angelina Jolie could be a mom again by the end of the month. Apparently, she’s been cleared to adopt a 3 1/2 year old Vietnamese boy. The little one is described as a soccer fan and a little shy. He was abandoned at a hospital and was taken to an orphanage when his parents couldn’t be located.

PPD and Baby Bonding: A program called Keys to Caregiving helps women with postpartum depression develop the tools they need to read and respond to their babies’ cues. Unlike other postpartum depression interventions, this does not focus solely on helping the mother feel better, but rather on preventing developmental problems that can occur with infants who have unresponsive mothers.

Preventing Sexual Abuse: A study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine found that adult men who were raised in single parent households were more likely to have been sexually abused as children than their peers. Low-income kids are most at risk because of poorer quality childcare. It may be that children in single-parent households, who may have less access to their custodial parent because of work concerns, tend to look for other adults to bond with.  Predators are good at spotting these needy kids and exploit them.  The researchers indicate that more interventions and better childcare options need to be made available to single parents to assist them in protecting their children.

I certainly know what it’s like to feel less than confident - sometimes much less - as a mother. But how would I feel if I had struggled to conceive and then felt blindsided by the challenges of caring for an infant?

Well, a new study out of Australia suggests that women who conceive through IVF tend to flounder more in early motherhood, and sadly, they feel less entitled to reach out for help - or even just complain for a bit - because they invested so much time, effort, and money into having a baby.  A woman who conceived through assisted reproductive technology may be even more surprised by the challenges and disappointments that can accompany early motherhood precisely because she wanted her baby so much.  She may also feel ungrateful complaining if she knows other women who are still struggling with infertility.

Additionally, these moms tend to give up on breastfeeding more readily than their peers, often because they tend not to trust that their bodies will nourish their babies properly.  These are women who could not conceive naturally, who perhaps suffered miscarriages and went through multiple IVF attempts, and perhaps had unplanned C-sections�- they may wonder how else their bodies are primed for “failure”.

Well, IVF moms, drop that stiff upper lip!

[Melbourne University researcher Karin ] Hammarberg says women who conceive artificially should not feel shy about asking for advice and reassurance, or feel bad about those days when the baby is driving them nuts.

“Women need to know that regardless of how they conceived their baby, needing help is universal and normal.”

Amen to that!

Posted by MommaSteph.