LilSugar

8 Surprising Things That Can Swell During Pregnancy

Kate Stahl — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:41:54 PST

We've all heard of swollen feet during pregnancy - a not-so-surprising side effect considering they're supporting all that extra weight - but your feet are not the only body parts that can retain fluid while you're expecting. We've all seen a pregnant woman who looked so fluid-filled you kind of wanted to stick a pin in her to see if she'd pop (or maybe you were one of those women?), but water retention can hit less obvious places as well.

Jessica Simpson recently went to Twitter to talk about her swollen lips, saying it might be the first stage of "pregnancy face," a side effect that Bethenny Frankel dealt with by massage and putting bags of frozen veggies on her face. "I’m a swollen beast. My face exploded . . . I look like a chipmunk,” she tweeted while expecting daughter Bryn. Keep reading for 10 less talked-about body parts that can make for an often uncomfortable, and sometimes unsightly, pregnancy and postpartum experience.

Bump-Friendly Styles: Leopard-Print Finds for Mamas-to-Be

Nicole Abbott — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:16:11 PST

Dressing a growing bump can sometimes by a daunting task for mamas-to-be - after all, you still want to look fashionable! Leopard print is making a splash in maternity wear - just take a look at Jessica Simpson's maternity style! - and it's a classic print that will last the test of time, so you can save your leopard-print maternity items for a future pregnancy.

Leopard-print maternity tops - like the ASOS Maternity Leopard-Printed Top ($36), Short Sleeve Ruffled Maternity Tunic ($30), and the Rose Pope's Romantic Top ($195) - add a "glamazon" touch to your maternity outfit.

Be bold and add even more leopard print to your pregnancy wardrobe with Maternity Leopard Leggings ($40) or a leopard-print frock - like the Everly Grey Women's Kaitlyn 3/4 Sleeve Wrap Dress ($50) or the Elbow Sleeve Zipper Detail Maternity Dress ($100).

Labor Pains: 7 Ways to Ease the Pain of Labor

BabyCenter — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:37:43 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Nancy Johnson Horn about tips for easing labor pain.

I remember going into labor over 6 years ago with my first child. When my water broke 11 days early I couldn’t remember a thing, other than "pick a focus point on the wall" and breathe.

But there’s more you can do to make labor go a little smoother. Recently, I spoke to Hope Garland, an Affiliated Bradley Instructor, www.blossombirth.net, who recommended these amazing tips. So, if you’re weeks or days away from childbirth - don’t panic, just print out (or bookmark it on your smartphone) this post so you can reference it when you go into labor.

Pack in the protein: If you were about to run a long marathon, would you eat only ice chips? No. You need to eat a protein-rich meal. It will give you the stamina needed for labor (plus many hospitals won’t let you eat once you check in anyway). Make a plan to either keep something in the fridge/freezer/cupboard or know where you can go to get your marathon meal.
Don’t fight gravity: Remain upright as long as possible. Walk around or sit up, but don’t lie on your back. (Yes, that’s really me in the pic, before I found out I should be walking around.)
Hydrate thyself: Pack (and use) a water bottle. If you properly hydrate yourself during labor, you’ll increase your energy output by as much as 30%. Also, if you can keep drinking water, you may not need an IV that will really restrict your mobility. That’s when the ice chips and clear liquids can also help.
Breathe using your abdomen: Normal abdominal breathing increases relaxation, which you’re really going to need. Chest and patterned breathing may fool your body into stress mode, and you don’t want that.
Take a virtual chill pill: You’ve got to stay relaxed. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. If music helps, bring a preloaded playlist on your iPod, locate a focal point in the room and breathe. Banish as much negative energy as possible. While it’s not easy, stay as relaxed as you can through contractions – it will let your body do what it’s supposed to do.
Move around during labor: There are a variety of positions for labor. Try to change positions so you’re not in one place for too long. Speak to the nurse about how you can be monitored and still move around. Bring slippers for those lovely grippy hospital socks so you can walk the halls.
Make sure you have support and loving encouragement: Having your husband, partner, or trained birth partner can make a big difference. That support will do more for you than any amount of medication!

Do you have any tips to make labor a little easier? What did or didn’t work for you?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Quantity or quality time: Which matters more?
Five reasons you need the Origami Stroller - now!
The three greatest dangers for baby are . . .
Seven ways to spread the love this Valentine's Day
What do you say to pushy parents?

Source: Flickr User bradleygee

Molly Sims Debuts Baby Bump; Discusses Ways to Document Pregnancy

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:32:00 PST

Celebrate that growing belly! Four months into her pregnancy, Molly Sims is officially celebrating the end of the first trimester and the visible signs of her growing baby. The mama-to-be "officially" revealed her baby bump on her web site today, launching her new project of documenting her pregnancy with monthly photos.

Molly's not the first expectant mama record her journey for future reflection. From plaster belly casts that can be shown off to family and friends to time-lapse videos to be shared on YouTube, here are six fun ways to commemorate a mom-to-be's midsection.

Source: Molly Sims

Steal Hilary Duff's Youthful Maternity Style

Nicole Abbott — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:04:22 PST

Since actress and pop singer Hilary Duff announced she's expecting her first child with professional hockey-player husband Mike Comrie, she's been showing off a fun maternity style, covering her growing baby bump. The mama-to-be has looked youthful and fashionable every step of the way, glamming it up for promotional engagements for her book Devoted or keeping it comfy and casual for running errands around town. Take a few pregnancy style tips from this young mama-to-be and check out Hilary's pregnancy style!

Baby's Here! 9 Creative Birth Announcements

Nicole Abbott — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:15 PST

Mommy and daddy aren't the only ones who have been expecting the stork's arrival, so announcing baby's debut is big deal to new parents. Lots of mamas prefer to go with a custom birth announcement as unique as their new baby - and nothing says custom like letterpress announcements or photo birth announcements. Click through to check out nine creative custom birth announcements for a little inspiration.

Is Pregnancy a Disability?

BabyCenter — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:16:40 PST

Shortness of breath. Inability to lift heavy objects. Need for specific seating. Exhaustion. Months of nausea followed by months, possibly a year, off work. Are these the markers of a disability?

Sorry, ladies. You aren’t disabled. You are pregnant.

A month ago I pulled my car into a disabled space in front of a baby store. My daughter is disabled, and we have a badge. Next to me a man waited in his car, also in a disabled spot. No badge.

I knocked on his window. I tried - and probably did not succeed on any level - to not sound annoyed. “Sorry, but you are parking in a disabled spot.”

“But, my wife . . . ,” he sputtered, “she’s pregnant.” He gestured toward the baby store. “She’s inside, and I’m waiting for her.”

First of all: disabled spaces are not for “waiting” in. They are for ease of loading and unloading people in wheelchairs. They are for people, like my daughter, who suffer from seizures and might need be rushed back to the car and then the hospital, so need to be as close as possible to the car.

Let’s be clear, if his wife can stroll through a megababy store - it is literally the size of Kansas - she can walk the extra 10 feet across the lane to the nonhandicapped parking. She is not disabled.

However, as The Huffington Post reported this week, Jeannette Cox, a law professor at the University of Dayton in Ohio, thinks pregnancy is a disability. According to her research, the Americans With Disabilities Act should be expanded to include pregnant workers.

"The recent expansion of the ADA’s protected class now includes persons with minor temporary physical limitations comparable to pregnancy’s physical effects," said Cox. "This invites reexamination of the assumption pregnant workers may not use the ADA to obtain workplace accommodations."

To some extent, I agree with Cox. There is a culture of discrimination in America about pregnancy. I live in Britain and I am astounded by how little time and leeway American pregnant women are accorded. Policies and legislation that encourage women to work up until the moment of birth (and Cox encourages employers to consider that, with proper accommodation, women would be more able to do this, not less) and to return to work as swiftly as possible or else lose their job, are irresponsible in the extreme. Establishing breast-feeding, recovering from a C-section - these things all take time, and I doubt any health professional thinks only a few months, or as is the case for some women, a few weeks is long enough for mother or baby.

But a disability? Sorry. No.

Disability is a serious, life-altering complication. As such, the classification should be assigned only to those that need that level of protection and assistance. Return to my initial list of conditions: pregnant women do not require oxygen masks, care workers, wheelchairs, tube feeding - the symptoms of pregnancy are not such that a woman’s life is irrevocably and devastatingly changed long-term.

As soon as we start calling pregnancy a disability, disability itself is reduced to the challenge level of pregnancy. Never forget that - though exhausting and nauseating - pregnancy will pass. Feel grateful for that and the glimpse it gives you of a more challenging life.

Do you consider pregnancy a disability?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
Mom jeans no more!
Did you get the name you wish?
Getting highlights gives me guilt
How to overcome the baby blues
Katherine Heigl on "failing" as a mom

Source: Flickr User elicash

What's the Deal With Folic Acid?

Natasha Dantzig — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:37:16 PST

Happy National Folic Acid Awareness Week! Most women of childbearing age have heard of folic acid: it's one of the first terms bandied about when women start talking about having children, but not everyone knows why it's so crucial to the health of the developing baby.

What's your folic acid IQ? Do you know how much to take and when, and why the B vitamin is so important? Take the following quiz and increase your awareness.

Take the Quiz

Did Your Tastebuds Change During Pregnancy?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:17:07 PST

Pickles and ice cream? Peanut butter-covered anything? Expectant mamas have a reputation for craving some of the most unusual food combinations during their pregnancies. While Mariah Carey couldn't get enough of Kellogg's Crunchy Nut cereal, pregnancy can also send moms running for cover when foods that were once on their must-eat lists suddenly turn their stomachs upside down.

For some mamas, that means changing their diet drastically. For others, it means simply avoiding a few foods. What formerly favorite foods suddenly sent you running for cover while pregnant?

8 Foods to Boost Baby's Brainpower

LilSugar — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:56:00 PST

Expecting mamas have a long list of foods they can't consume, but luckily there is also a whole slew of goodies she can enjoy that may actually help boost her growing baby's wellness after he or she is born. Pregnant women who eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids will not only improve their own health, but they are also helping to support their baby’s brain and eye development and function. The March of Dimes recommends that pregnant women aim to get at least 200 milligrams of DHA every day, so here are eight foods high in omega-3 fatty acids to boost baby's brainpower.