March of Dimes

Hilary Duff

Reese Gets Honored With Support From Megan, Hilary, and More

Reese Witherspoon, in a Miu Miu dress, was in the spotlight today at the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies luncheon.

Reese Witherspoon, in a Miu Miu dress, was in the spotlight today at the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies luncheon. She was being honored with the Grace Kelly Award for her commitment to healthy pregnancies and families — make sure to vote on your favorite family of 2012. Reese had plenty of support at the event, which was hosted by Nick Cannon, including new mom Elizabeth Banks and Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie. Megan Fox, who gave birth to son Noah in September, and her husband, Brian Austin Green, were inducted into the Stork Club for new celebrity parents and mingled with Molly Sims inside. It was the first time Reese and Brian were at the same event since Brian jokingly thanked Reese for taking attention away from Noah's birth with the announcement of her own son, Tennessee. Amanda Peet broke from her small-screen role on The Good Wife to attend, and Alyson Hannigan was on hand as well.

Reese got behind another good cause yesterday, when she posed at the Children's Defense Fund of California's annual Beat the Odds Awards. Both recent appearances came after a quick trip to NYC earlier this week.

March of Dimes

It's the First-Ever World Prematurity Day!

Did you know that in the US, one in eight babies is born prematurely?

premature baby

Did you know that in the US, one in eight babies is born prematurely? The March of Dimes, a nonprofit organization helping moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies, has partnered with other organizations worldwide to raise awareness of this problem for Prematurity Awareness Month this November — and today, Nov. 17, is the first-ever World Prematurity Day!

"Like" World Prematurity Day on Facebook and change your status to show your support. Ask family and friends to help you spread the word as Prematurity Awareness Month kicks off.

Visit March of Dimes for more information on Prematurity Awareness Month, and test your knowledge about premature babies with our preterm birth quiz!

celebrity moms

Laila Ali Talks Fitness, Motherhood, and Her New Television Show

Fashion's Night Out is about more than shopping and good deals — it's a night filled with celebs and designers everywhere you turn.

Laila Ali Destination Maternity Fashion's Night OutFashion's Night Out is about more than shopping and good deals — it's a night filled with celebs and designers everywhere you turn. We caught up with mom of two and champion athlete Laila Ali at Destination Maternity, where she was hosting the store's Fashion's Night Out celebration. She shared her personal style and health tips, played pregnancy trivia games, and helped give away swag — all while dazzling us with her beauty and her incredible sense of humor.

Laila also posed for pictures on the red carpet and next to her one-of-a-kind celebrity embellished maternity jeans for "Celebrities 4 Maternity Denim" — an online auction to benefit the March of Dimes.

LilSugar: You look fantastic and your daughter Sydney just turned 5 months old. What have you been doing to get back in shape?
Laila Ali
: I'm sucking it in and putting on my Spanx! (laughs) I've just been trying to eat right and work out. I also did a Facebook challenge on my Facebook page — the Get Fit Challenge — and I said, "Who wants to lose weight with me?" So I was like the poster girl for my challenge and so it made me do it. I have 10 more pounds to go!

LS: Tell us about your new television show, Everyday Health.
LA
: It's an inspirational show, airing every Saturday on ABC affiliate stations. It's great! We're profiling everyday Americans that are doing extraordinary things, are overcoming or facing an illness, and they're paying it forward by inspiring and educating others to do the same. It's a feel-good show from the same executive producer that brought The Biggest Loser. I'm really proud and I know it's going to do well.

LS: You're a retired triple Super Middleweight Champion, but your dad wasn't too thrilled with your decision to become a boxer. What would you say to your daughter Sydney if she ever decided to follow in your footsteps?
LA
: Hopefully that won't happen to me. (laughs) I don't want that!

LS: You know you're a mother when _____.
LA
: I knew I was "mom material" because I was always mothering my friends. They were like "We're glad you're having a baby so now you can stop mothering us." They call me "mama bear." I was always taking care of everybody.

LS: I wish someone had told me ____ about motherhood.
LA
: That I was never going to get to sleep again!

LS: The best trick my mama taught me is _______.
LA
: She didn't teach me enough. (laughs) I don't know any tricks!

LS: Helicopter mom or free-range kids?
LA
: Hoovering? Yes. I hate to say it but yes, probably too much. I'm going to be the mom that the girlfriends hate. (laughs)

Health and Fitness

Early Arrivals: What Do You Know About Premature Babies?

Almost half a million babies are born prematurely each year.

Almost half a million babies are born prematurely each year. The high level of preterm births has received significant attention recently as 17P, one of the only drugs approved to treat early labor, increased from $10 per injection to $1,500, costing pregnant women up to $30,000 over the course of their pregnancies. A new progesterone gel has been found to reduce the rate of preterm labor by 45 percent. Take this quiz to see how much you know about preterm births.

Take the Quiz
Pregnancy

Baby Bump: Prenatal Vitamins and Folic Acid

My mother, a registered nurse who worked on a spina bifida study for years, encouraged me to take prenatal vitamins with an additional folic acid supplement.

My mother, a registered nurse who worked on a spina bifida study for years, encouraged me to take prenatal vitamins with an additional folic acid supplement. Folic acid has long been credited with helping to prevent birth defects, including spina bifida. Being my mother and a health professional, I took her advice and followed her direction.

To see the latest on the benefits of folic acid, read more