LilSugar

Does Mama Obama's Chitchat Help You Understand Better?

babysugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:00:29 -0700

Though she may be a tad biased on the subject of healthcare reform, First Lady Michelle Obama is taking the opportunity to speak out to women and mothers on the hot topic. While most Americans are aware of the legislation being introduced, many still have questions when it comes to the facts behind it. In her small-screen reachout to other mothers and female Americans, first mom Obama gives real-life examples of existing health care and the possibility of what the future holds with her husband's proposed plan. Watch the video and tell me if it changes your view on the subject.

How Much of Your Childbirth Costs Were Covered?

LilSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:00:57 -0800

Nobody ever said having a baby would be painless or cheap. With doctor and hospital fees increasing, and insurance costs skyrocketing, having a baby is more expensive than ever. Given the state of the economy, many women are reevaluating their decisions to add a child to their families this year.

If you were lucky enough to have health insurance that covered your childbirth costs, what percentage did it pay?

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Are Your Children Covered?

babysugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:00:34 -0700

Before the economy took a nosedive, health care was one of the hot topics of the 2008 presidential election. Having taken a backseat on the news front, it is still an issue for many families.

While many people are covered through work, some parents cannot afford to add their child on their health plan. A new study found:

The Census Bureau said in August 8.1 million, or 11 percent, of children under 18 had no health insurance in 2007.

Do you have health insurance for your tots?

Source

Has Your Child's Weight Ever Been an Issue?

LilSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:08 -0700

Everyone knows that babies come in all different shapes and sizes. That's why it was so odd to hear of a healthy but chubby 4-month-old who was recently denied health insurance coverage. His 99th percentile ranking for height and weight for his age made him ineligible for coverage. The industry standard is to deny a policy for any new patients above the 95th percentile, including babies.

On the flip side, a friend of mine was given a stern talking to about the need for red meat from her mother-in-law because her daughter, a perfectly happy and healthy 9-month old, fell below the 10th percentile for her age group's height and weight. It's hard for any parent to hear that their child does not meet "national standards" and even worse when they are judged or worse, denied health benefits for it.

Thankfully, the Colorado company has rectified the situation and the lil boy is now protected. Has your child's weight ever been an issue?

Should Parents-to-Be Get Paid to Attend Prenatal Visits?

LilSugar — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Women without health insurance or those who are not familiar with the healthcare system often skip their prenatal visits, which can lead to complications for both mother and baby. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health, offering expectant moms $100 to begin their prenatal doctor visits in the first trimester and continue through delivery is enough incentive to have them comply.

By offering the financial reward, the researchers saw a 62 percent increase in the number of program participants and a 39 percent decrease in the number of low birth weight babies. The plan, which also offered the participants' doctors a $100 bonus for enforcing the appointments, cost the healthcare companies less in the first year of the babies' lives.

Creating Families: The Surrogacy Option

LilSugar — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:10:50 -0700

The true sisterhood of women is showcased when one woman carries a child for another. Domestic and international adoptions may be the most common ways families introduce nonbiological children into their lives, but last year's movie Baby Mama and Sarah Jessica Parker's recent addition of twins have made surrogacy a common topic. Though there are no national statistics on the practice, it is estimated that approximately 1,000 such births occur each year.

After dealing with infertility and still desiring a family, some couples turn to another woman to carry their baby. In traditional surrogacy, the surrogate is artificially inseminated, by either the child-to-be's father or an anonymous donor, while in gestational surrogacy, an egg is removed from the future child's mother and fertilized with sperm from either the father or an anonymous donor. The fertilized egg is then implanted in the carrier via IVF. Similar to the adoption process, families interested in surrogacy often work with an agency to help them find a suitable surrogate, handle the legal issues that the transaction involves, and help them through the process.

Qualifications: Similar to adoption, families meet and register with an agency to learn about the process. and to find a carrier. In general, agencies require carriers to be between 23-38 years old, have previously had at least one child on their own, be married or in a serious relationship, undergo a complete medical and psychological evaluation, and be financially stable.

To see the rest of our look at surrogacy, including a chart of the states where it is legal, read more.

Time line: In general, the entire process can take one to two years, based on the state and the health of the intended parents and carrier. Once a family has been matched with a carrier for a gestational surrogacy, the intended mother and carrier go through fertility treatments for egg retrieval and gestation. The embryos are then transferred and a pregnancy test is administered two weeks later. Assuming the transfer is successful, nine months later the process is complete.

Costs: Gestational surrogacy can range from $100,000 to $150,000, including the agency's fee, compensation for the carrier (approximately $25,000-$30,000), medical costs for fertility treatments, and the birth (though some carriers come to the process with their own medical insurance), travel, and legal fees.

Considerations: Before deciding to use a surrogate, parents must be comfortable with the idea of someone else carrying their baby. While they will meet and interact with that person prior to the birth, they will not have control over the carrier's daily life. They must also look into their state's laws about the process, as currently only six states legally recognize surrogacy contracts.

Photo courtesy of Universal Studios

Is 23andMe For You?

babysugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:06 -0700

Part of the fun of making a baby is the surprise of it all. Expectant parents become giddy over the suspense - will it have his eyes or hers, be a boy or girl, have curly or straight hair? Some people find out the answers to the big questions around the 18-week ultrasound reveal while others keep it a mystery. For those who don't want to leave anything in question, there is the $399 23andMe genetic testing kit.

The simple spit test can reveal the genetic likelihood of hazel eyes versus blue or brown. For nearly that price, I think I'd want a portrait of the child. Oh wait, I already get some of those. I can think of a few better ways to spend that kind of dough and think the health benefits of the test (predicting diabetes, downs, etc.) would be discovered with traditional genetic testing, which is typically covered, at least partially, by one's insurance. To be fair, the test can tell someone details about the baby's ancestry which could be enlightening, interesting or even lifesaving. But to many, ignorance is bliss. Would you spend that kind of cash to determine your offspring's hypothetical genetic makeup or your own background?

Interview With Ricki Lake: Your Best Birth

LilSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:05:58 -0700

Known for her spunky attitude as both Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray and her 11-year stint as a daytime talk show host, Ricki Lake has reinvented herself as a women's birthing advocate. Following the release of her documentary about the shifting of the American mindset from home and drug-free deliveries to medicated hospitalized births where Lake chronicled her own son's home birth, she and director, Abby Epstein, penned Your Best Birth ($18). The text is a guide to natural delivery and birthing options.

We had the opportunity to chat with Lake, mama of two - Milo, 12, and Owen, 7 - about labor and delivery, c-sections and motherhood.

lilsugar: Is it hard for women to convince their families that a natural birth, or midwife, is the way to go?
Ricki Lake: I think it is really hard. There's still the stigma attached and very much less than one percent of people have home births. It's not something that’s talked about. If you go to the Netherlands, this is the norm. I think in Holland 30 percent of births are planned home births and they have a better infant mortality rate and maternal death rate. Midwives handle most of the births. So it's just not in our culture to really be open to it. I’m not on a mission to get everybody to deliver at home. I’m on a mission to talk about informed choice in this area.

lilsugar: Did you believe this would be your calling?
Ricki Lake: No! I was looking for something to speak on and be passionate about and this is the natural fit because of my experiences and because there was a lack of a voice. I thought - this is where I can serve, I can do something that I feel is positive. I’m not telling women what to do, I’m just trying to educate them and understand that having the ideal be a birth where you’re an active participant, whatever that is – if it's “don’t take my baby away from me,” or “don’t give me that epidural yet,” or “give me that epidural now.” I mean whatever it is, to not be a number in this conveyor belt.

To read what Ricki had to say about VBACs and mothering her sons, read more.

lilsugar: Why do you think the US has moved so far away from the European midwife model?
Ricki Lake: In the turn of the century, birth moved from home to the hospital as doctors got more and more trained doing surgeries. And then in the last decade, really, this malpractice situation that we’re in, with all the insurance and health care reform, it’s a nightmare. It's a really difficult climate for doctors to practice in. I wouldn’t want to be an obstetrician. It's not even about money any more – you’re not even really making a living. You have to pay this malpractice premium that’s so outrageous that you have to do a certain number of births just to pay it. They need to have a life, they have families of their own. That’s why they can’t wait for a woman to go into labor spontaneously and stay with them through the course of their entire labor and delivery.

lilsugar: Are c-sections the enemy in the birthing process?
Ricki Lake: I don’t think it’s the enemy, It's amazing that doctors are able to save mothers and babies in dire situations. It's a necessary procedure. A lot of times it's being done for reasons that are not in the best interest and safety of the mother – it's from the litigious standpoint. The c-section rate has gone to 32 percent when the world health organization says it should be around 13. Some hospitals are at a 50 percent c-section rate. In New York City, 50 percent of women are being cut open. And with VBACs being an option that is being taken away from many women around the country, I think 200 hospitals have mandated that they will not do a VBAC It's horrible.

lilsugar: You know you're a mother when ______?
Ricki Lake: You are no longer your top priority.

lilsugar: Why didn't anybody tell me _______ about motherhood?
Ricki Lake: Why didn’t anybody tell me that it would be so hard.

lilsugar: What's the best trick your mama taught you?
Ricki Lake: How to heat up a Hungry Man dinner.

lilsugar: Helicopter mom or free-range kids?
Ricki Lake: I think I’m pretty free range. My kids might argue that, but I stand by that I’m pretty free range.

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Vitamin Overdose: Too Much of a Good Thing

LilSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Whoever said you could never get too much of a good thing was sorely mistaken. Vitamins may be beneficial for good health and development, but they can easily be mishandled and overused.

Most children's vitamins – such as the chewable and gummy-kinds found on pharmacy shelves – contain US Food and Drug Administration recommended levels of essential vitamins. However, when the tablets are abused, or when a child gets a hold of the bottle and begins treating it like candy, the overdose can occur and the consequences can be critical. Among the most serious issues in a vitamin overdose is iron poisoning. Excess iron can irritate the intestinal tract causing stomachaches, vomiting and diarrhea. If not removed from the body immediately, it can cause liver damage that can result in shock and scarring of the stomach and intestine.

Most doctors agree that the best way to ensure that tots are receiving the vitamins they need is to cook a variety of whole, fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables. If your pediatrician does recommend a multi-vitamin, due to a lil one being a finicky eater, a very active child or having a chronic medical condition, keep the tablets or chewables out of reach. And, communicate with your spouse, nanny or any other caregiver to insure that double doses aren't being given on a daily basis.

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Lil Links: How to Handle a Baby Biting While Breastfeeding

LilSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:00:52 -0700

When babe bites while breastfeeding - Boston Mamas
Take your small-fry to a Spring festival - Cookie
Susan Sarandon tackles empty nest syndrome - Celebrity Baby Blog
Michael J. Fox talks about living in the moment - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Recession guide: pregnant without insurance - CafeMom
Seven bedtime treats under 75 calories - Health
Beautifully designed children's books - Alpha Mom
Sarah Jessica Parker is the morning mom - ParentDish
Do you lie to your kids? - Momversation
Healthy prenatal eating habits - Fit Pregnancy