Pregnant? Keep buckling up! Yes, it can be uncomfortable, but is definitely can save you and your baby in an accident by preventing you from hitting the steering wheel or the windshield. Worried about the belt hurting the baby? Worn properly, low under the bump, damage is minimized as the pelvic bone will absorb most of the shock.

In an accident at 20mph, an unbuckled mom has a 70% chance of loosing the fetus, while buckled moms only have a 12% chance of losing theirs. Approximately 370 fetuses are killed each year in car accidents, which somewhat surprisingly is less then newborn children killed in their first year in car accidents. So when you are considering the most perfect/safest carseat for your newborn, don’t forget to protect him before he is born too!

How much sex is good sex? It’s not necessarily about how many times you do it, but more about how long you do it each time. Of course, this is an individual thing, but research shows that intercourse between 3-13 minutes is most satisfactory. And 1-2 minutes is “too short” (tho I have to admit that on those few occasions that I give in when I really am not in the mood, 1-2 minutes is just fine with me!). To clarify - they are talking about actual intercourse here, foreplay does not count and I am sure most of us gals appreciate a nice warm up before the show!

A “teen repellent” under controversy. An English father to a 15 year old daughter who was harassed by groups of teens has created an interesting devise called the “Mosquito“. It emits an annoying, high-pitched noise that only youths can hear thus encouraging them to scram from wherever they are loitering. (The noise is heard by most under 20 years old, yet by hardly anyone over 30 years old.)

He has sold over 4,000 of these devices so far, mostly by word of mouth. The inventor has pointed out that the device is not harmful to children’s hearing, just like an annoying alarm clock. He also stated that he is not anti-teens, he is just wanting to discourage “anti-social behavior.” Civil liberties groups have signed petitions to get the device banned in Europe, but earlier this week the European Commission has confirmed that hey will not ban it.

Link between caffeine and miscarriages. Doctors have determined that caffeine consumption in the first trimester can double the risk of miscarriage. Even 200 milligrams, the amount found in two cups of coffee, can have an impact. Also beware, any form of caffeine, including sodas and teas, can have the same impact.

This study was the first to take into account the impacts of morning sickness. Morning sickness occurs due to increased pregnancy hormone levels, which is also an indicator of reduced miscarriage risk. Often, when women experience morning sickness, they greatly reduce or stop drinking caffeinated beverages.

Do cell phones cause brain tumors? Good question. There was a scare back in the early days of cell phones. Then it was determined that they are OK. Now they aren’t so sure, and the U.S. National Research Council is now recommending that this is researched to determine the health impacts, if any, from wireless electronic devices on children and pregnant women.

Want bigger breasts? Wear lipstick! I am posting this only because it made me smile on a Monday morning. Researchers searching for the reason why women’s breast size has increased over the years, have determined that chemicals found in lipstick could contribute to this. Xeno-estrogens, or environmental estrogens, are found in lipstick and other cosmetics. What I find funny is that I keep picturing a bunch of nerdy researchers huddled around a table trying to think of something to study when one guys suggests doing boob research! Seriously, I really don’t know how they come up with some of these research topics (and who actually agrees to fund them!)

Yet another medical study has been conducted. This one considers the effect of second-hand smoke on a woman’s chance of miscarriage. The results are in, and apparently women who were exposed to second-hand smoke as a child are 80% more likely to suffer a miscarriage than their peers who came from a smoke-free home. They are not exactly sure what causes this, but tobacco does contain chemicals thought to harm reproductive health.

Hmmm. This one could be a good topic for the Thanksgiving dinner table. I could envision a drumstick being thrown when dad lights up a ciggie after the meal and daughter bursts into tears telling everyone at the table about how she suffered X many miscarriages the past year and now realises it is “all daddy’s fault”.

The way I see it, a miscarriage is a really sad event. I know. I had two of them and both still pain my heart. But the fact is they do happen. It is estimated that up to 40% of conceptions result in loss. And I do understand how heartwrenching TTC can be. But although it is really tempting as a woman to blame yourself for something you should or should not have done - the best thing is to live your life as healthy and happily as you can and the rest is out of your hands. (And if need be, fortunately due to medical advances, doctors can help to increase the odds of pregnancy success.) The past is the past - look forward to what you can do to help your children and the future generations!

This one happened to catch my eye, because recently on the MomSquawk boards, we enjoyed a lively debate over smokers’ (and non-smokers’) rights in public places. And I wonder how much this information would have weighed into the debate…

Posted by Meganlux

Pregnancy Discrimination Suit: A US District Court judge ruled in favor of women seeking a class action suit against Novartis Pharmaceuticals, alleging gender discrimination, and specific instances of pregnancy discrimination. The women involved, who held sales positions, report that in addition to being denied promotions and raises, they were discouraged from becoming pregnant and mistreated if they became pregnant. One woman alleges that she was encouraged by her manager to get an abortion. Another woman testified that her manager told her he does not favor hiring young women because “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes flex time and a baby carriage.”

Mixed Messages: A UK woman who was six weeks pregnant began bleeding heavily and was told that she was miscarrying. She was sent home with instructions to begin taking labor-inducing drugs. Two weeks later, the woman was still experiencing pregnancy symptoms. Doctors confirmed that she is still indeed pregnant. Her baby is due in February, but it is unknown at this time if the baby is healthy. The woman expressed anger over the incident: “After being told my baby was dead, this was unbelievable. I want to know how this could happen.”

It’s a Girl! And their seventh. Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar welcomed their 17th child, whom they named Jennifer Danielle. Less than 30 minutes after her birth, the couple, who have been featured in cable television documentary programs, were talking about having more. Jennifer joins siblings Joshua, 19; John David, 17; Janna, 17; Jill, 16; Jessa, 14; Jinger, 13; Joseph, 12; Josiah, 11; Joy-Anna, 9; Jedidiah, 8; Jeremiah, 8; Jason 7; James 6; Justin, 4; Jackson, 3; Johannah, almost 2.

Breastfeeding Numbers Still Low: The CDC reports that while more women are now initiating breastfeeding (almost 75%), far fewer than that are exclusively breastfeeding, with roughly 30% of mothers only breastfeeding at three months, and just over 11% at six months. A CDC spokesman notes that quite it is “alarming that mothers and infants are not receiving the full health benefits most associated with exclusive breastfeeding.”

A year ago, the Blanks family awaited the birth of their second son. The day they had dreamed about…the baby they dreamed about for 4 years. July 14 was the day he was to be born via c-section. His 5 year old brother was counting the sleeps to his arrival. It was hours from his birth, and mom Blair could barely sleep from the anticipation and excitement. It would be a day she would never forget, but not for the reasons she was expecting.

July 14, 2006, baby James (link contains amazingly moving but very sad content) was born. He was perfect in every way, but he never took one breath. With the cord wrapped tightly around his neck, and a knot in the cord, James died sometime in the night after 2am on the day of his birth. The day that was planned for weeks. He had almost made it.

As I sat reading James’ story, the tears ran, and ran even more as I watched the slideshow of his short life, but I knew I had to write this blog. I knew I had to help Blair get his story out, as well as honor James’ memory, and I shuddered thinking about my last pregnancy. My son was born 5 weeks early, but there was a knot in the cord. My midwife commented on the tragic events that could have unfolded if he had made it to term. I can’t even imagine.

Stillbirth is something that is random, and it happens for reasons other than cord issues, but it can be avoided in some instances. To increase awareness, the Blanks family started The Baby James Project. Their mission is:

To increase public awareness about stillbirth and the fetal assessment technique of kick counting, in hopes that no family needlessly endure the agony of losing a baby.

According to the Baby James Project, stillbirth is ten times more common than SIDS, but if kick counting saved only 10% of pregnancies, that would be equivalent to eradicating SIDS completely. That is an amazing statistic to me.

When I was pregnant with my three kids, I was told about kick counts, but never really told much about them or how to know if I should be alarmed. What exactly was I looking for?

You should start kick counts at about 24-28 weeks when you are feeling your baby move regularly. Find a comfortable position, and start counting distinct movements. You are looking for rolls, jabs, swooshes, and wiggles.

Easy. Right? And it’s a good excuse to lie down and take a break.

So how do you know when to call the doctor? This is always what confused me. According to the Baby James project as well as the American Pregnancy Association, you are looking for significant changes in pattern. By keeping a chart, you will be able to identify changes and possible distress. Here is an example of a significant change over a few days:

Week #28
Monday 9:00 XXXXXXXXXX 9:32 Total: 32 min
Tuesday 12:00 XXXXXXXXXX 12:45 Total: 45 min
Wednesday 9:00 XXXXXXXXXX 10:00 Total: 1 hr.
Thursday 9:00 XXXXXXXXXX 11:15 Total: 2 hrs. 15 min

Typically, the recommendation is to try to count at the same time each day and after you eat or at night when baby is most active. This will help you identify your babies patterns. You should call your health care provider or go to the ER if:

It takes more than 2 hours to feel 10 movements.

If your baby is moving 50% less than previously.

If you notice a significant deviation over a course of 3-4 days.

Warnings about kick counting are not meant to be scare tactics, as some people feel. Stillbirth is as common as Spina Bifida, yet women routinely take folic acid to help prevent this, and it’s that’s not considered a scare tactic. It’s just another way to detect possible fetal distress, and it could save precious lives.

The Blanks family is now expecting a baby girl at the end of this year, and her high risk specialist has advised her to do kick counts just as they are on her site. Take the time to sit back and chart your baby. Here is a good chart if you are looking for something to easily fill out, or you can just purchase a notebook. You are looking to document what is normal for YOUR baby.

And lastly, don’t rely on a home doppler instead of kick counts. Decrease in fetal movement can be picked up before the babies heart rate is affected. By that time, it may be too late.

Posted by Mally

Caffeine and Pregnancy: The NYT fields a question about a link between caffeine consumption and miscarriage. The lowdown? The risk applies to high caffeine intake - the equivalent of five cups of coffee a day. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, moderate intake - around 1.5 cups of coffee per day - is safe. (Thanks, Jeff, for the link!)

Snoring and Children: New research published in the journal Pediatric Pulmonology finds that infants who are first born, who were exposed to maternal tobacco use in the first year of life, or who had eczema or asthma by age five were more likely to have issues with snoring. This puts snoring, the researchers note, within the spectrum of allergic diseases. While childhood snoring may look and sound similar to adult snoring, it appears to have different causes and implications.

Resident Baby: Actress and model Milla Jovovich and her fiance, movie director Paul Anderson, are expecting their first child, due this fall.

Breast Cancer News: A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that neither abortion nor miscarriage is associated with an increased risk for premenopausal breast cancer. Data was gathered from the 100,000+ participants in the Nurses’ Health Study II.� Of these women, 15% reported that they had had aboritons, and 21% had a history of miscarriage.  But of the 1,458 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed between 1993 and 2003, no association between cancer and abortion or miscarriage could be found.

Recall News: The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Fisher-Price announced a voluntary recall of “Laugh and Learn” bunny toys because they are scary-looking pose a choking hazard, as the pink pompom nose can become detached. No injuries have been reported.

Aspirin and Pregnancy: A study funded in part by the National Institute of Child Health and Development will look at whether aspirin can help women who have suffered from miscarriage to become pregnant and carry a baby to term. The theory is that because aspirin is an anticoagulant and an anti-inflammatory agent, it may aid implantation of the egg in the uterine wall, improve blood flow to the placenta, and prevent preeclampsia. The study will enroll 1,600 women and is expected to last five years.

Bree’s Babies: Desperate Housewives’ Marcia Cross welcomed her twin girls on Tuesday, People reports. The newcomers, Eden and Savannah, and mom are reportedly doing well. Congratulations!

CMV Vaccine News:  Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have developed an experimental vaccine that reduces the stillbirth rate of the babies of guinea pigs infected with cytomegalovirus (CMV).  CMV is a common virus that in pregnant women can result in stillbirth, or can cause hearing loss or mental retardation in children infected early on in fetal development. Each year around 40,000 U.S. children are born with the virus, and currently there is no vaccine for pregnant women.

Advanced Maternal Age Risks:  A study by Yale researchers concludes pregnancy after 40 is an independent risk factor for stillbirth, a finding that they suggest supports fetal testing for older pregnant women from 38 weeks on in order to identify those most at risk for stillbirth.

Kids and War:  A study published in Military Medicine finds that adolescents with parents in the military have higher rates of self-reported stress than their peers with civilian parents, and higher heart rates and blood pressure confirm the strain they are under.  Those with deployed parents had the highest risk of stress symptoms.  The researchers believe that the impact of war on military offspring needs to be studied further, and interventions should be tested to try to alleviate the stress response experienced.

Model Mother:  A pregnant Eva Herzigova graces the cover of Italian Vanity Fair.  A quote from the  interview: “Sono al sesto mese di gravidanza.”  According to BabbleFish, this means “They are to the sixth month of pregnancy.”  Whatever!  She looks beautiful.