ExpectingWords.com - Helping expecting couples find the right words at the right times

How could I not mention Kelly Preston’s story this week?  Everyone has an opinion: She’s too old, it’s puts the baby-to-be at risk, etc.  Well, I’m happy for the couple.

My only concern is that the focus on older celebrity moms could lead other women to think that getting pregnant past 40 is easy.  The consequence could mean putting trying to conceive on the back burner until it’s too late.  Becoming an older mom is not easy for most people, including our guest poster Robin.  Data on U.S. fertility rates from 2000 to 2005 show that only 0.12% of babies born to American women are to moms ages 45-49, only 2% are to moms ages 40-44, and 10.5% are to moms ages 35-39.  Another way to interpret the numbers is to say that for every 1000 babies born in the US, only 32 are born to women in their 40s.

I remember watching Oprah interview Martha Stewart’s daughter, Alexis Stewart, to discuss her struggle to conceive a biological child.  Alexis told the audience about (more…)

Couples Who Had a Miscarriage are 22% More Likely to Break Up

While some couples are brought closer together by the experience of a miscarriage, other couples may fall apart.  How would your relationship handle this experience?

Study: Lack of Breastfeeding Costs Lives, Billions of Dollars

Ooo, this one gets to me.  Yes, we should know about the benefits of breastfeeding and the cost of not doing so.  But, I don’t understand why studies don’t factor in side effects, like a mom risking being fired from her job because she’s in the bathroom pumping in the ladies’ room three times a day (um, not everyone has a private office).  Or what about the mom who has to leave work to visit her son at daycare so she can nurse or drop off freshly pumped breast milk because her supply in the freezer is running low?  These are costs too.  If we want more women to breastfeed, then we should find a way to create a gradual return to work after maternity leave.

A New Report Says that Even on Formula, Many Babies are Deficient in Vitamin D

Should your baby wear sunscreen all the time?  Pediatricians say yes, although it takes just 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure for the body to produce a day’s worth of vitamin D.  Read the article and decide for yourself.

Study: Exercise in Pregnancy Benefits Babies

The study evaluated women doing serious exercise. Researchers asked the women to exercise on a stationary bicycle for at least 40 minutes per session, up to five times each week, starting in the 20th week of pregnancy.  Read the results here.

Juno Screenwriter Diablo Cody Tweets that She’s Pregnant

She writes, “Thanks for the congrats on my fetus. No secrets here; just thought it would be fun to see how big I could get before someone noticed.”

Assisted Reproduction Has No Affect on Birthing Process or the Baby’s Outcome

Researchers looked at 1.2 million women whose births were registered between 1984 and 2006. The researchers found no difference in birth weight, gestational age, risks of being small for gestational age, and preterm delivery when they compared infants of women who had conceived spontaneously and infants conceived after assisted fertilization.  This is great news!

Vegetarian No More: Pregnancy made me do it says Tiffani Thiessen

Theissen hates admitting it, but the cravings for red meat made her cave.  Even a strong vegetarian can’t stand up to those cravings.  Now I don’t feel so bad about my ice cream binges.      (more…)

Panda inseminated, seriously

Pandas go into heat only once a year and it only lasts 48 hours!  Not wanting to miss the window to increase the panda population, Mei Xian was artificially inseminated by Tian Tian’s sperm.

New treatment for Melasma, a condition during pregnancy

Melasma is hormonal disorder causing dark patches in the skin and most often, it’s seen in pregnant women.  Affecting 45 million people nationwide, the condition is most noticeable in women with darker skin.  Now there is a treatment.

Game plan is essential for working pregnant women     (more…)

Yes, Tiger Woods Cheated, on his Pregnant Wife

With all the attention on Tiger’s indiscretions, one aspect of his wrongdoing hasn’t received much attention.  He has two kids: a two year old and a nine month old.  His affair with Jaime Grubbs lasted 31 months.  This means Tiger cheated before, during and after his wife’s second pregnancy.  Cheating on a pregnant woman is the worst, don’t you think?

A Holiday Miracle

Elaine and David Kaempf thought they’d have to use in vitro, again, or adopt.  Little did they know they had already won the fertility lottery.  Elaine was unknowingly pregnant with identical triplet girls, which has nearly a 1 in 200 million chance of happening.   From infertility to triplets—that’s a real miracle.
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