LilSugar

Born in the USA! The Rising Trend of Birth Tourism

LilSugar — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:04:24 PDT

Forget push presents; what wealthy pregnant women from around the world really want postchildbirth is US citizenship for their lil one. Hence the rise and booming popularity of birth tourism - where foreign women with substantial financial means come to the US to have their babies. The US is the only developed country, other than Canada, that grants jus soli, or birthright citizenship to any individual born here. Like parents everywhere, these women want the best for their children: for them, that means access to American schools, universities, and jobs.

Expectant mothers generally enter the country on a tourist or business visa - it's illegal to refuse entry to a woman on the sole grounds that she's pregnant - a few months before her due date. Once here, she needs somewhere to stay and help navigating the system. This is where the industry comes in: from the southern coast of California to the suburbs of New York City and everywhere in between, Americans are catering to this specific group of women, setting up birth tourism centers where women can rent rooms and receive help obtaining their babies' passports and social security numbers.

Birth tourism isn't a new idea - it's been going on for decades - but a recent move by Congress, which if passed will put up significant roadblocks for women hoping to deliver on US soil, has brought the topic to the forefront of the immigration debate.

What do you think about birth tourism? Should it be illegal?

Is a Trip to Fat Camp the Ultimate Push Present For Mom?

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:39:06 PDT

Forget teddy bears, flowers, and jewelry, there's a new game in town when it comes to new-mama gifts. Push presents have been around for years, but they're getting bigger and better. Just this year, Rachel Zoe was the lucky recipient of a 10-carat diamond ring after giving birth to baby Skyler, and Mariah Carey gloated about her new pink diamond and sapphire necklace after giving birth to twins Monroe and Morocco. But how would these mamas feel if they were given the gift of a trip to a fat camp to lose extra pounds instead of glittery jewelry?

Premier Fitness Camp, a fat camp of sorts, has put together a "Body Back" package intended to help new mamas return to their fighting weight. For $4,550, mom can visit the Park City, UT, retreat and receive daily fitness and nutrition training, massages, chef-prepared meals, and a complimentary Belly Bandit. According to the literature about the program, it is intended, "for fathers who are looking for the best push present without diamonds."

Source: Flickr User The ShutterBabe

Bring a New Mom...Dinner

Lil Community — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:00:31 PST

This post comes from our group The Pregnancy Posse from member lauren.

I don't have any kids but a good friend of mine recently had her second cutie. I have a hard time resisting buying a cute outfit for the newborn but I know usually the new mom will already have enough clothes and babies grow out of everything so quickly. So rather than buying clothes, I made a delicious re-heatable dinner of chili verde with tortillas, avocados, sour cream, limes and cilantro. Of course, I couldn't resist the onesie that said "full of cuteness."

My thoughts, families need more time with their new addition, so at least one night, dinner is already ready! Did your friends bring you dinner when you had a new baby?

Want to talk pregnancy with other expectant mamas? Join The Pregnancy Posse over in our LilSugar Community and share your stories, recipes and photos! If you have a post you want to see featured on LilSugar private message me here to pitch your ideas. I can't wait to hear them.

Playful Push Presents For Less Than $20

LilSugar — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:02:31 PDT

Most moms will tell you baby's birth is gift enough, but push presents allow daddy the chance to salute mama on a job well done. While these tokens usually come in the form of keepsake jewelry, heartfelt cards, flowers and candy, mom won't expect a big bundle from friends or distant family members.

If you want to give a sister, relative or friend something to commemorate the moment, remember it's the gesture that counts and laughter will help aid any leftover labor pains the endorphins and meds can't cure. Make her giggle and glow with a push present that delivers the funny on the cheap.

The Pull Present

babysugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:00:00 PDT

Okay, so the father doesn't actually pull the baby out per se, but he's often there to mentally coax mama along as she pushes the baby into the world. It has become common practice in recent years for men to bestow a gift upon their wives for birthing their child. Whether it's a card, balloons, roses, or a diamond tennis bracelet, it's nice to be recognized for nine months of hard work.

When I had my first child, I gave my husband a lil something to thank him for all of his coaching, attention to detail and concern during my childbearing months. Here are some ideas if you're looking to give your daddy a "pull" present, too.
Source

Lil Find: Pendants For Posh Mamas

babysugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:48 PDT

Some moms carry brag books while others have baby's name and birthday tattooed on their bods. For trendsetting moms like Kate Hudson, Nicole Richie, and Courteney Cox, a simple pendant necklace is what they wear to remind them of their lil love.

Not on the cheap, these Jennifer Meyer necklaces are crafted from 18K gold- and diamond-encrusted letters. At $1,250 a pop, the eye candy would have most new mums seeing stars.

11 Rules to Dramatically Increase Your Productivity

Wise Bread — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:04 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

There's a problem with a lot of productivity advice out there, and it's this - your "rules" for personal productivity are often going to be different than mine. Sure, sometimes there's overlap. Sure, you can always learn from others.

But if you want to see a dramatic increase in your productivity, spend less time reading and memorizing other people's rules, and more time figuring out what your own rules are. You'll be more productive and in a way that works with who you are.

So I'm sharing a few of my personal productivity rules. Maybe some of them will work for you or inspire you to think of your own.

1. Small Daily Movements Become Big Accomplishments

I tend to think that I must have big blocks of time in order to get any forward movement. So I hesitate and procrastinate, waiting for that "open time" when I can really push and get a lot done on whatever the current project is.

Turns out, that's a waste of time. Small daily movements add up. It's just that the movements or steps themselves are so small, I think they don't count. They do.

I have to constantly remind myself that I don't need a whole day or a whole week to devote to some project. I just need to take the 10 or 20 minutes I have here and there and use them. I need to achieve a little bit of forward movement every day. That adds up, and it builds momentum, and pretty soon there's been quite a lot accomplished.

For more rules, read after the jump.

The Readers Have Spoken: Your Favorite Products, Names, and More of 2011

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 08:47:19 PST

If there's one things moms like to do, it's share information. We have our favorite car seat, stroller, toys, and more, and we're not afraid to tell everyone about them. Over the past month, we asked you to vote on your favorite things from 2011 - everything from the top push chair and celebrity baby name to the celeb mom you most like to follow on Twitter - and you weren't afraid to speak your minds. We now present you with the winners - LilSugar readers' choices for the best of 2011! Check them out!

4 Questions For Addressing Your Commitment-Phobic Self

Lizzie Fuhr — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:30:52 PST

We hear about men being not ready to commit constantly, but there are plenty of ladies out there with their fair share of commitment-phobic tendencies. You may be surprised to hear that this is no new phenomena. Often, commitment-phobic ladies misdiagnose their issues and blame it on a lack of good available guys or feeling like they're just stuck in a dating rut. Sound familiar? Here are four questions to ask yourself if you're ready to address your commitment phobia head on.

Do you feel like you're in a rut? I understand that there are plenty of women who feel like just finding a good date is close to impossible. But if you feel like you're dating the same guy over, and over, and over again, I've got news for you sister: it's not their fault. There is very little we have control over, but we do have control over the kind of partner we seek and the rituals we have when cultivating a new relationship. If you want things to be different, the change has got to start with you.
Do you have arbitrary rules? Are you a girl who always says no to a blind date? Will you only date guys who are six feet tall? While I'm all for knowing what you want, these "dealbreakers" may be holding you back. Instead of focusing on what he looks like, how much money he makes, etc., put your energy and emphasis on how he makes you feel when you're together.
Are you worried about losing your freedom? If you're in the right kind of relationship, you won't feel like you're losing anything. When you're in a comfortable relationship that's a consummate kind of love, you're not giving up any of your awesome self. You're simply combining forces with someone equally awesome and spreading your good around.
Are you letting past relationships muck up your present? Maybe you have one, two, or a dozen failed relationships under your belt. Regardless of your past heartbreaks, you can't let your past get in the way of your present. Projecting issues from bad boyfriends and pushing new dudes away is hurting one person. And that's you.

Any other tips for addressing your commitment issues? Share them below!

The 5 Stages of Breakup Grief

YourTango — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:00:07 PST

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango.

"I think we should break-up."

"I don't love you anymore."

"We aren't right for each other."

Breakups can leave the lovelorn rattled for weeks, months and sometimes even years. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Grieving a relationship is not unlike grieving a death. It's a healing process. But one day, you will move on. 20 Shocking Breakup Statistics

"The key to getting through a breakup is accepting that you are going to be a crazy maniac for the next three to six months of your life," says Elina Furman, relationship expert and author of Kiss and Run: The Single, Picky and Indecisive Girl's Guide to Overcoming Her Fear of Commitment. "There's no skipping steps so even if you think you're over it right away, you're probably not."

If you're recently single, fasten your seatbelt. These five stages of grief can get pretty rocky. It's A Breakup Not A Breakdown: Get over the big one and change your life - for good!

Drunken Denial: A nightmarish state with equal parts alcohol and magical thinking.

"After Andy broke up with me I just didn't accept it," says Eliza, 29, who dated her ex for two years before he called it quits. "I continued to call him exactly as I had before, we continued to have sex and then he would push me away and remind me we were broken up. It was terrible."

As with most matters of the heart, we have nothing but biology to blame for the magnetic pull that drags us to an ex's front doorstep immediately after a breakup.

"Initially there is often shock," says sex and relationship therapist Ian Kerner. "When you've gotten used to routines and patterns, those routines are hardwired and hardcoded in our brains. There's a sense of wanting to resume them."
Sweaty Mania: A confusing state, during which you experience intense feelings of regret, euphoria and guilt. As reality filters in, you find yourself wildly grasping for relief. You're injected with confusing and invigorating energy.
"People do a lot of crazy things during this stage," says Kerner. "I always tell women to watch out for casual sex because men don't produce oxytocin, so it's easier for them to compartmentalize a one-nighter or something casual. For women, it's more difficult. You immediately want to bond with who you are physical with."

Use your newfound recklessness to do something that terrifies you. But pass on the one-night stand! Sign up for improv acting, maybe, or go skydiving.

"Staying busy was really the best cure for me," says Amanda, 26. After she and her boyfriend of a year split, Amanda replayed each and every one of their arguments and endlessly beat herself up until she found a new outlet for her energy. "I trained for a marathon," she says. "I swear it was just as good, if not better, than therapy.”

To read the next three stages, check out YourTango: The 5 Stages Of Break-Up Grief

Written by Melissa Noble for YourTango.