Pregnancy Blog - For All Your Pregnancy Things by PregnancyWeekly

Woman Births 13lb Baby Drug-free

2012-01-31T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kendall Stewardson, a mother of two from Iowa, is making headlines for birthing her 13 lb son without any pain relief. Asher was born on January 26th, weighing 13 lbs, 12 oz. and measuring 23 inches long. He is the largest baby on record for Mercy Medical Hospital. He joins older brother Judah, who weighed in at 12 lbs at birth. Stewardson spent six hours in active labor before Asher made his entrance. She says of her newest addition: "...everyone like double takes when they see him, but for us it's pretty standard and it wasn`t much worse than probably most people's."

However, the average weight of a newborn in the United States is between six and eight pounds. Asher was just shy of beating the record for the largest baby in Iowa by one pound. There is no mention in any of the news coverage of Asher's birth whether Stewardson had gestational diabetes or a thyroid issue that could be a likely cause for such a large infant.

How much did your baby weigh at birth?

National Vital Statistics Report [CDC]
Whoa Baby: Woman gives birth to 13 lb baby without painkillers or surgery [DailyMail]

Photo credit: WhoTV

Rising Number of Homebirths in the US

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

The number of home births in the United States is increasing. From 2004-2009, the number of mothers giving birth at home jumped by 29%. The recent data released by the government has home birth advocates cheering and leaves some doctors concerned. However, everyone is asking why the number is rising.

Overall, the number of women opting to give birth at home is still pretty low - approximately 0.72% in 2009, fewer than 30,000 births. The women who are having home births tend to be over 35 and white, in fact, the number of white women who had home births from 2004-2009 jumped by 36%. Most of the women are also married and already have at least one child, which could be revealing. The statistics suggest that women may be choosing home birth after feeling dissatisfied with previous birthing experiences. A high c-section rate and a number of commonly used interventions are high on the list of possible reasons.

The consensus after many studies and among experts is that a woman with a low-risk pregnancy can safety proceed with a home birth. The most important thing is to make sure there is a qualified midwife on hand, who can spot an emergency situation and act appropriately if needed. Dr. George A. Macones of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that if a woman giving birth at home runs into trouble and the hospital is five minutes away, "that probably is not going to be a big problem. But if you're half an hour away or 40 minutes away, then that really could be a big problem."

Would you consider a homebirth?

Home Births Grow More Popular In U.S. [NPR]

Fetal Development - Week 6 (Video)

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Your baby's heart is dividing into chambers and will start beating in a more regular rhythm. Your little embryo is about 0.08 to 0.16 inches from crown to rump (about the size of a BB pellet) and with its "tail," looks more tadpole than human.

But it undergoes a tremendous growth spurt this week: Its major organs - including the kidneys and liver - begin to grow; the neural tube, which connects the brain and spinal cord, will close this week; and your embryo's upper and lower limb buds begin to sprout, which will form the arms and legs. The intestines are also developing and the appendix is in place; and its facial features are starting to form, the nostrils are becoming distinct, and the retinas of the eyes are forming.

[PregnancyWeekly]

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-27T11:15:00.000-08:00

'My First Hardcore Song' by 8 yr old Juliet OFFICIAL [YouTube]

Home Births Grow More Popular In U.S. [NPR]

Lindsay Sloane Welcomes Daughter Maxwell Lue [People]

Babies understand gravity and other properties of physics [NYDailyNews]

Early sign of autism may be found in babies' gaze [LATimes]

Erica Atkins-Campbell Welcomes Baby No. 3: Zaya Monique [CelebrityBabyScoop]

The Stroller Burn Workout [babyzone]

Diaper bag that's also a nursing pillow? Genius. [babycenter]

Homeless dad's message of hope: 'Never give up' [Today]

Baby No. 2 on the Way for Jay DeMarcus [People]

Danish Princess Gives Birth to a Daughter [ABCNews]

2012 Olympics Organizers Discriminating Against New Mothers?

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:00

If you have tickets to an event at the 2012 Olympics in London you won't be able to bring your newborn along, unless you happen to have an extra ticket. Even though the majority of tickets were purchased 15 months in advance, organizers are telling parents with babies that they need to buy an extra ticket, even if the baby will be seated on their laps. Many ticket holders are furious and the move is being cited as discriminatory against new mothers.

Babies who will enjoy the games from a parent's lap will need a ticket for a seat in the arena, even if the seat is nowhere near where the parents are sitting. For those who bought their tickets before becoming parents, the policy has put them in a situation where breastfeeding mothers are excluded from the events unless they can find and afford a spare ticket. The situations has raised red flags for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which stated:

"A business must not do something which has a worse impact on you and on other people who share a particular protected characteristic, such as gender, than it has on people who do not share that characteristic. Unless the business can show that what they have done is objectively justified, this will be what is called indirect discrimination. It could be argued that women are more likely to have child caring responsibilities and thus this policy might have more of an impact for women, but as stated above the business might be able to justify this potential discrimination."

A spokesman for organizers of the 2012 Games said they are reviewing the policy.

Do you think parents of newborns are being discriminated against?

London 2012 Olympics: Sex Discrimination Case Emerges For Banned Mothers And Babies [HuffPo]

Photo Credit: Graham Hogg

Children's Immune System at Risk from Common Chemicals

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

In case you weren't paranoid enough about common household items exposing your child to harmful chemicals, a new report will only add to that fear. A new study has found that perflourinated compounds (PFCs) can reduce the functioning of a child's immune system, consequently making vaccines less effective. PFCs are ubiquitous in the American household - they are found in rain gear, grease-resistant food packaging (such as microwave popcorn bags and pizza boxes), non-stick cookware, shampoo, dental floss, stain-resistant carpeting and many other common items.

Despite numerous studies on the health effects of exposure to PFCs, this study is the first to show a detrimental health effect in humans (previous studies have only been able to demonstrate ill health effects in animals). Danish researchers found that children with the highest levels of the compounds in their bloodstream had less infection-fighting antibodies and exhibited the weakest reaction to vaccines. Prenatal exposure was also implicated in the study - children of mothers with high levels of PFCs during pregnancy were more likely to have less antibodies at the age of five.

Philippe Grandjean, lead author of the study, conveyed a deep sense of alarm at the results. He says that a weakened immune system in young children can produce effects that last a lifetime and a weakened response to vaccines is evidence of an emerging public health threat. He likened the lower levels of antibodies his team discovered to levels found in patients undergoing radiation and other cancer treatments.

PFCs are cumulative in the body, water resistant, grease resistant, and toxic. Their use is restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency, but they are still widely used for processing in many industries. They are easily transferred through the placenta and breast milk. The study authors are advising parents to avoid buying products containing the compounds in order to send a message to companies that PFC-free items are important to consumers.

Do you look to avoid PFCs when making a purchase?

Common Chemicals in Products May Harm Children’s Immune System [Bloomberg]

Long-Chain Perfluorinated Chemicals Action Plan [EPA]

Perfluorinated Compounds (PFCs) [WTC]

Photo Credit: Jim Grandy

Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

Mom Gives Birth In Car, Dad Films The Whole Thing (VIDEO) [HuffPo]

Aaron Johnson, Sam Taylor-Wood Welcome Daughter Romy Hero [People]

Delivery room rap: New dad freestyles to the fetal monitor [Today]

The Return Of Wet Nursing [AOL]

The Year of the Dragon May Spur a Baby Boom in Asia [Time]

Parents Who Hid Child's Gender for Five Years Now Face Backlash [Time]

Can You Find the Hidden Mothers in These Old Photographs? [Gizmodo]

The Top Nine Videos Of Babies Farting And/Or Laughing With Kittens [Gawker]

Angelina Hits the Farmers Market With Shiloh, Pax, and Knox [PopSugar]

Drew Brees Expecting Third Child

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

Saints Quarterback Drew Brees and his wife Brittany are expecting their third child! The famous football player tweeted on January 20th: "Thanks for the well wishes to Brittany and Baby #3. She is 2 1/2 months. Training camp baby. Bowen wants a lil bro, Baylen a lil sis"

The newest addition will join big brothers Baylen Robert (3) and Bowen Christopher (15 months) and it looks like no matter what, one of the boys will get the sibling he wants!

Congratulations to the happy family!

Were you rooting for the Saints to get into the Super Bowl?

Baby No. 3 On the Way for Drew Brees [People]

drewbrees [Twitter]

Photo credit: US Navy

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler are Expecting!

2012-01-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: jingdianmeinv1

Former star of The Hills, Kristin Cavallari (25) and Chicage Bears quarterback, Jay Cutler (28), are expecting their first child together. They released a statement to People: "We are thrilled to announce we are expecting our first child together. It's an amazing time in our life and we can't wait to meet the new addition to our growing family."

The couple has had their ups and downs - they first started dating in the fall of 2010, were engaged in April 2011 and the engagement was reportedly called off by Cutler in July 2011. They became engaged again in November of 2011. Despite the publicity that once surrounded their broken engagement, Jay Cutler took to Twitter this week to dispel break-up rumors:

"Thanks for all the tweets. We couldn't be more excited. We don't usually comment on our relationship but for the record I never broke up with Kristin. Its unfortunate some people are saying hurtful things during such a joyous moment in our life."

Cavallari tweeted this week: "Thanks for all the sweet messages! We are so excited for this little bun in the oven."

Lots of luck to the happy couple!

Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler Are Expecting! [People]

kristincav [Twitter]

jaycutler6 [Twitter]

Umbilical Cord Blood: Cure for Diabetes?

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

Scientists from the University of Illinois at Chicago may be onto a cure for Type 1 diabetes using umbilical cord blood. Dr. Yong Zhao and his team were able to "kickstart" the pancreas, reducing the need for injected insulin in diabetics. Stem cells from umbilical cord blood appeared to "re-educate" the T-cells, which help to counteract damaged cells in the body. The treatment was successful in reducing the need for insulin by 38% over a period of 12 weeks.

The authors wrote: "This trial provides powerful evidence that exposing a patient's lymphocytes to [cord blood stem cells] can achieve the two essential outcomes required to cure T1D: reversal of autoimmunity and regeneration of islet beta cells. Importantly, the trial provides additional support for the mechanisms of [cord blood stem cells]-mediated immune response and demonstrates these mechanisms are apparent and lasting in patients."

The study is published in BMC medicine.

Does anyone in your family have Type 1 Diabetes?

NEW HOPE OF CURE FOR DIABETES [ExpressUK]

Stem Cells May Help in Type 1 Diabetes [medpageToday]

Fetal Development - Week Five (Video)

2012-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

This week, your baby is no bigger than the tip of a pen, but its little heart begins to beat and its blood vessels complete a circuit, making the circulatory system the very first functioning organ system. An ultrasound may be able to detect the movement of your baby's little beating heart, although it will still be a few more weeks before it's loud enough for you to hear.

[PregnancyWeekly]

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-20T11:09:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Garner Dishes on Pregnancy on Leno [NBC]

9 Things I Learned In The Parent Encouragement Program [Deadspin]

What kind of childhood stress should parents actually be stressing about? [Slate]

Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky Expecting First Child [People]

Rock-Climbing Pregnant Woman Is Extremely Awesome [Jezebel]

NY woman's 2 babies grew in her 2 uteruses [WSJ]

Colorado mom struck by lightning last summer gives birth to healthy girl [WashPo]

Meet Lawnmower Mom, the Pushy Parent of 2012 [lilsugar]

Breastfed babies show more challenging temperaments, study finds [guardianUK]

Have a great weekend!

Naps Important for Toddler's Cognition, Emotions

2012-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Photo credit: crimfants'

Have you ever spent the day with a toddler who's missed her nap? If you have, then this news shouldn't surprise you, but a new study confirms what many of us have seen first hand. Sleep is very important for rapidly growing little ones and missing a nap can significantly effect their ability to solve problems and their emotional reactions to events.

Monique LeBourgeois, leader of the study out of the University of Colorado Boulder, says: "The goal of our study was to understand how losing sleep affects the way young kids respond emotionally to their world. This is important because toddlerhood is a sensitive period for developing strategies to cope with emotions and a time children naturally lose some sleep as they begin giving up their daytime naps." The team of researchers put toddlers between the ages of two and three years old on 12-hour sleep schedules for five days before testing, to ensure their circadian rhythms were in balance. Then the toddlers were introduced to challenging puzzles on a day when they had their normal nap and on another day when they went without one. Toddlers who napped were more likely to express confusion - a healthy and complex emotion - and ask for help when they were unable to solve a puzzle. This reaction is evidence of cognitive engagement with the world. The toddlers without a nap had less positive reactions if they were able to solve a puzzle and much more negative reactions if they were unable to solve a puzzle.

LeBourgeois says of the results: "Many young children today are not getting enough sleep, and for toddlers, daytime naps are one way of making sure their ‘sleep tanks' are set to full each day. This study shows insufficient sleep in the form of missing a nap taxes the way toddlers express different feelings, and, over time, may shape their developing emotional brains and put them at risk for lifelong, mood-related problems." Sleep deprivation has repeatedly been shown to have a negative effect on cognitive functioning and emotional well-being in adults, so it should hardly come as a surprise that this is true of toddlers as well. Nevertheless, it's a good reminder to make sure toddlers are getting enough sleep each day.

Have you tried phasing out naps with your toddler?

Nap-deprived tots may be missing out on more than sleep, says new CU-led study [CU]

End of First Trimester is Worst Time to Drink Alcohol

2012-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

freefoto.com

It's generally considered common knowledge that drinking alcohol during pregnancy can cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) but little is known about how much alcohol and at which point during a woman's pregnancy the damage is done. Results of a long-term study have recently helped to pinpoint some of the details behind the disorder.

Over 900 women were recruited between 1975 and 2005 by researchers when they called a helpline in California to find out more about harmful substances during pregnancy. They were asked about how much alcohol they consumed at several points throughout their pregnancy and then their babies were examined for signs of FAS after birth. Doctors who examined the babies were unaware of which of the babies' mothers had drank. The conclusion of the research was that for each additional drink imbibed daily during pregnancy, there was an increased chance of the baby having a misshaped head, malformed lips or eyes. These symptoms also suggest neurological disorders.

The point at which women drank during their pregnancies had an influence as well. Women who drank at the end of the first trimester were more likely to have babies with symptoms of FAS and the risk increased for each extra drink they consumed a day. Each extra drink equated to a 25% increased risk of a malformed lip, a 12% increase in a smaller-than-normal head, and a 16% increase in low birth weight. In contrast, each extra drink consumed during the third trimester only correlated with a smaller length at birth.

Although the study sheds some light on a time when the fetus is more vulnerable to the influence of alcohol, still so much of how alcohol effects the fetus is unknown. It's unclear how some women who binge drink will have babies with no evident problems, while other babies will develop FAS. However, researchers attribute differences in body fat, diet, environment and genetics. Due to the individualized chances of developing FAS, it's still advisable that pregnant women avoid alcohol consumption altogether.

Do you indulge in the occasional glass of wine?

Alcohol Risk to Fetus Is Highest at End of 1st Trimester [MyHealthDailyNews]

Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

N.J. woman gives birth on commuter train [USAToday]

Learn How to Make the Elephant Sound Now, Before It's Too Late [Jezebel]

Lindsay Davenport Welcomes a Daughter [People]

The Obamas As Parents [HuffPo]

Books to Help Talk to Tots About a New Baby [lilsugar]

Jessica Capshaw Expecting Third Child [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Baby No. 5 On the Way for Kelsey Grammer [People]

How Does a Millionaire Discipline His Kids? [Parenting]

Family Fun on the Cheap [RealSimple]

Kastor, After Pregnancy, Sees Trials as New Start [NYTimes]

Babies are Lip-Readers

2012-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

Babies learn language in many ways. Scientists have discovered that babies are good at listening for grammatical trends to decipher meaning, assigning physical properties to new sounds, detecting emotions in a person's voice and so much more. Now researchers have discovered a different skill used for language acquisition by babies: lip reading.

When you hear your baby babbling about "baba," "shooshoo," and "whoa, whoa, whoa," it seems clear that they're trying to work out the sounds of words, but they might be trying to replicate the shape of a person's lips too. Scientists have discovered that during the transition between gibberish and actually pronouncing their first words that babies are intently watching the lips of those who are talking to them and trying to mimic the movements used to make the same sounds. David Lewkowicz, head researcher of the Florida Atlantic University research team that made the discovery, says: "The baby in order to imitate you has to figure out how to shape their lips to make that particular sound they’re hearing." The transition period typically occurs at approximately six months of age and by about one year, babies begin looking people in the eyes more often as they speak. However, babies who hear a new language at this age will return to staring at a person's lip as they speak.

The discovery was made by introducing babies of varying ages to different languages and seeing where their visual attention was drawn. While watching someone speak English, the four-month-olds mostly looked into the speaker's eyes, the six-month-olds looked about equally as often into the person's eyes as at their lips and the eight-month-olds mostly gazed at the person's lips. The 12-month-olds gazed in the speaker's eyes more often. Once the speaker spoke Spanish, the 12-month-olds turned their gaze back towards the lips.

The findings shed a lot of light on language development and could provide some clues for babies with developmental disorders, such as autism. Overall, the research clearly illustrates the importance of face-to-face time with young infants.

Do you notice your baby looking at your lips while you speak?

HEALTHBEAT: Babies don’t just listen, they try lip-reading while turning babble into words [WashPo]

Giving is the Most Natural Thing in the World

2012-01-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

I try to get our son, age 4, to share his toys, etc. with his younger sister or the kids at school, but everything is always, "No! Mine!" with him. I feel like I am swimming upstream, pushing against his nature. Then I think about the world and sometimes I wonder, are people just plain selfish?

You're right, some days you read the newspaper and have to shake your head in dismay and sorrow. Your question is poignant, touching, and profound: Are humans naturally more inclined to be domineering and selfish, or to be cooperative and giving?

How we answer this question leads right to how we raise our children (and conduct ourselves with others, write laws, establish governments, and so on). If our answer leans toward the domineering view, then it follows that people - including children - need substantial controls (both external and internalized) to get them to act right. On the other hand, if the answer leans toward the cooperative view, then most people should be able to do alright with a lot of freedom to find their own way toward civilized behavior.

Of course, people are different. Some are very aggressive and exploitive of others, while some are very peaceful and generous. And wherever he or she is along that spectrum, almost everyone has the capacity to be both selfishly grabby and selflessly open-handed - just like preschoolers!

Further, much research about parenting keeps painting the same picture: the best-odds strategy for most children is to raise them with:

HIGH love, nurturance, acceptance, attunement, sensitivity, responsiveness, affection, interest

HIGH communication of moral values and support for being resilient, resourceful, diligent, ambitious

MODERATE parental authority, including an insistence that parents are the ultimate boss, clear standards, and potent rewards and penalties

In short, we firmly believe that parents must claim their authority, be morally self-confident, and take responsibility for the moral instruction of their children.

That said, we also believe that the great weight of evidence is on the side of the view that the tendencies to be cooperative and giving are much more central and stronger in most people than tendencies to be domineering and selfish. And to anyone who worries and cares about the world we are bequeathing to our children, this has got to be good news.

Read more at ParentingWeekly

Fetal Development - Week Four (Video)

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Your baby is entering the embryonic period, during which the brain, spinal cord, heart and other organs will form.
The spinal cord is one of the first structures to develop when a sheet of cells on the back of the embryo folds in the middle to form a tube, which will become the spinal cord full of nerves. At one end, the tube enlarges to form the brain's major sections.
The amniotic fluid also begins to accumulate and in the weeks and months ahead this fluid will cushion your precious baby. The placenta, chorionic villi, and the umbilical cord - which delivers nourishment and oxygen to your baby - are already on the job. By the end of the first month, your baby will be about 1/10 of an inch long (smaller than a grain of rice) and its heart, no larger than a poppy seed, will have begun beating.

Which week are you in?

My Baby - Week by Week Pregnancy [PregnancyWeekly]

Friday Wrap-up: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Everything about Jessica Simpson looks pregnant [Celebitchy]

Support for 'Bald Barbie' Swells on Facebook [ABCNews]

Tracy Anderson Is Pregnant [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Toddler Knows Physics And Chemistry [HuffPo]

French mothers don't have it all their own way [TelegraphUK]

Video baby monitors are tapping iOS and Android devices [LATimes]

How the smell of mother's milk puts babies on alert [MirrorUK]

Blogging Makes New Moms Happier [NYTimes]

Parents Want To Bring Breastfeeding Back To Sesame Street [gothamist]

Woman Gives Birth to Identical Quadruplets [NBCMiami]

It Happened to Me: Pregnancy Triggered My Eating Disorder [xojane]

Healthy Diet Could Help Kids with ADHD

2012-01-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

A recent review of studies has led some researchers to conclude that a healthy diet with certain supplements could provide an alternative to drug therapy for children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The information comes at a time when there is a shortage of ADHD drugs available, providing parents with an option in cases where no drugs are available to them or their child has unfortunate reactions to medication.

Dr. J. Gordon Millichap and Michelle M. Yee reviewed over 60 studies of diet-based interventions for ADHD before concluding that a low-fat diet that includes whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products could have comparable effects on the disorder as drug therapy. They also mention that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid supplements seem to help as well. In the studies, typical western diets high in sugar and saturated fats were often associated with the development of ADHD. However, the researchers stipulate that it's possible that children with ADHD might naturally tend to gravitate towards junk food.

The researchers also dispelled certain dietary myths that many parents of children with ADHD subscribe to. They found that diets free of food coloring and salicylic acid (a food preservative) only helped the occasional child with the disorder. They also discovered that studies concluding that refined sugar exacerbated symptoms of ADHD were fundamentally flawed, and that no such connection could be made. Although one study they point to showed that children did not seem to get aggravated by sugar when it was preceded by a high-protein meal. Regardless of the lack of data, they note that the idea of sugar being bad for ADHD is so ingrained in society that it's unlikely it could even be dispelled at this point. In addition, the elimination diet, oligoantigenic diet (removing most allergens), and additive-free diets could not be correlated with any improvement in children and were described by the researchers as "complicated, disruptive to the household, and often impractical." Nevertheless, children with allergies in addition to ADHD did exhibit benefits to diets that restrict food coloring, preservatives and certain types of foods. Lastly, diets treating iron and zinc deficiencies were found to help a small number of children with confirmed deficiencies.

Despite the researchers' findings, they say that a healthy diet in addition to medication is the most effective way to treat children with ADHD. They mention that the data on omega-3 and omega-6 supplements promising, but there is no indication that they could effectively treat the disorder on their own. Nevertheless, children with unpleasant reactions or a lack of access to the drugs could find relief through diet-based intervention.

Do you have a child with ADHD?

'Healthy' Diet Best for ADHD Kids [ABCNews]

ADHD drug shortage [myFox]

ADHD: Diet might matter, but less than many parents think [USAToday]

Should Pregnancy be Considered a Disability?

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

In a job that requires heavy lifting or being on your feet all day, pregnancy can not only make your job more painful, it could cause you to lose your job altogether. Although the Pregnancy Discrimination Act requires employers to treat pregnant women as they would other temporary disabled employees, pregnant workers have been fired across the country due to the physical limitations and requirements of their pregnancies. One employment discrimination expert has presented the case that pregnant women should be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prevent such occurrences.

Currently, employers are not required by law to make accommodations to the work or environment so that a pregnant employee can continue working throughout her pregnancy even when it is possible to do. One pregnant woman was let go from her retail job because drinking water while on duty was against store policy. A pregnant police officer was let go because she could no longer complete the rigorous physical duties required of her, even though fellow officers injured on the job were afforded lighter work.

Jennifer Cox, an associate law professor at the University of Dayton, believes that amendments made to the ADA in 2008 make it reasonable for the law to now include pregnant women. The ADA currently covers those with disabilities that have lifting restrictions and experience shortness of breath and fatigue while walking. People considered disabled under the Act have protection from jobs that require repetitive bending, reaching, prolonged siting or standing, extensive walking, driving, or working under high temperatures. High blood pressure and diabetes qualify as disabilities, but not pregnancy-related gestational diabetes or preeclampsia. Currently, if a pregnant woman cannot continue working, she may be forced to use the unpaid leave provided by the Family Medical Leave Act, cutting into the time she would use to recover from childbirth and care for her newborn.

The courts have repeatedly pushed back on the proposal to consider pregnancy a disability because the symptoms that could make work impossible for some are a normal part of pregnancy. Cox argues: "This reluctance to associate pregnancy with disability, however, has resulted in a legal regime in which many pregnant workers currently have less legal standing to workplace accommodations than other persons with comparable physical limitations." If pregnancy were covered by ADA, employers would be required to provided "reasonable accommodations" that would allow a pregnant woman (even a potential hire) to work.

Do you think pregnancy should be covered under ADA?

The ADA: Your Employment Rights as an Individual With a Disability [EEOC]

Disability law should cover pregnant workers [CNN]

Facts About Pregnancy Discrimination [EEOC]

Pregnancy Discrimination Information [PregnancyWeekly]

Is Pregnancy a Disability? [UDayton]

Best of the Web: Parenting and Pregnancy News

2012-01-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Who's Your Favourite? [YouTube]

I Guess I Forgot to Wean My Baby [Jezebel]

10 Dads Who've Written Songs For Their New Babies [lilsugar]

Giving Birth like Beyonce at Maternity Spas [Yahoo]

Victor Cruz Welcomes Baby No. 1 [CelebrityBabyScoop]

Choosing a family cord blood bank [OCRegister]

Heinz baby step [NYPost]

My Worst Parenting Mistakes (So Far) [Jezebel]

TV's Greatest Dysfunctional Families [theAtlantic]

Gone (Postpartum) Style: Unitards for all! [Girl'sGoneChild]

Top 10 Mommyish Reads For Mothers During The Chilly Season [mommyish]

Lisa Loeb is Expecting!

2012-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Singer-songwriter and author Lisa Loeb (43) is expecting her second child with husband Roey Hershkovitz. Her rep confirmed that the baby is due in June. The newest addition will join big sister, Lyla Rose (2). Loeb shared her joy with People: "I grew up with a big family, so I’m excited for Lyla to have a sibling!" The couple were married in 2009.

Loeb has been successfully creating her own line of frames for glasses and is currently on tour with her new children's song book, Lisa Loeb's Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs.

Congratulations to the happy family!

Have you heard any of Lisa Loeb's new children's songs?

Lisa Loeb Expecting Second Child [People]

Beyonce and Jay-Z Welcome a Baby Girl!

2012-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

International pop stars, Beyonce (30) and Jay-Z (42), have welcomed their first child into the world. Blue Ivy was born on Saturday, January 7th, weighing in at 7lbs. The couple released a statement on Monday:

"We are happy to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, born on Saturday, January 7, 2012. Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful – we are in heaven. She was delivered naturally at a healthy 7 lbs. It was the best experience of both of our lives. We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support."

Sources say the name Blue derives from the title of Jay-Z's albums: The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, and The Blueprint 3. Ivy reportedly stands for IV - the roman numeral for the number four. Four is a significant number for the couple, who were married on April 4th, 2008. In addition, both of their birthdays fall on the 4th - Beyonce's birthday is September 4th and Jay-Z's is December 4th..

Jay-Z released a song commemorating the journey to Blue Ivy's birth (listen on video above).

In it, the rapper alludes to previous miscarriages that the couple suffered and also reveals that Blue Ivy was conceived in Paris.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

What do you think of the name Blue Ivy?

Baby Blue Ivy: What's In a Name? [People]
Jay-Z's New Song 'Glory' Features His 'Greatest Creation' Blue Ivy [People]

Beyoncé & Jay-Z: 'We're In Heaven' with Baby Blue [People]

Researchers: Toddlers Can't Monitor Their Speech

2012-01-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

A key part of learning language is monitoring your own speech and making changes based on the way it sounds. All adults have this ability, but apparently we aren't actually born with it. A study of toddlers has discovered that they don't seem to develop the ability to hear themselves talk and make changes until between the ages of two and four.

Researchers had four-year-olds, two-year-olds and adults say the word "bed" into a microphone that fed the sound to a pair of headphones the speaker was wearing. However, the word was manipulated to make it sound like "bad." The adults instantly tried to compensate and ended up saying the word "bid" instead, and the four-year-olds made an effort to compensate as well. The two-year-olds, however, kept saying the word "bed" even after hearing "bad" each time.

The researchers aren't exactly sure what the findings mean, but they suspect that toddlers are ignoring their own speech and don't fully develop the ability to monitor their own speech until the age of four. It's unclear how they develop language skills without monitoring for errors themselves, but researchers suspect it might be through corrections from the parents.

What words are you repeating for your toddler?

Toddlers Don't Monitor Their Own Speech [ScientificAmerican]