LilSugar

Home Birth: Should Having Baby This Way Be Illegal?

LilSugar — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 05:00:58 PDT

It's a woman's body, but should she be able to have her baby at home? In a day of modern technology, many moms-to-be choose to give birth in a hospital. Having a trained medical staff and NICU nearby can make the process of labor and delivery less daunting for parents. There are no guarantees when it comes to a newborn making their way into the world - mishaps and fatalities can occur anywhere. A new report suggests that while the age-old method of home birth has recently garnered more advocates in America, little attention has been given to the parents who lose a child in the process. One mom said:

“When most families plan for a home birth, they don’t also plan for a funeral. I certainly didn’t. But that is how my home-birth story ended.”

What's your opinion on home birth?

Mourning Mother Kelly Preston Won't Speak About Jett Yet

LilSugar — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 09:20:00 PDT

To be predeceased by a child is a parent's nightmare that became the sad reality for John Travolta and Kelly Preston when their son died last January. The Hollywood couple has remained out of the public eye as they lament the loss of their late 16-year-old, Jett. In July, it was announced that Kelly would break her silence and speak out about her devastation on a grief and resilience panel at the California Governor's Conference for Women in October. The mourning mother has since (and understandably) pulled out. She said:

"It is with my sincere apologies that I must pull out from speaking at [the] conference. I am sorry, but I truly believed that I could do it. Otherwise I never would have said that I could. But I am still deeply in the process of healing, and it's just too soon."

If you know parents who have lost a child, here are tips for offering your support.

How to Help Parents Grieving the Loss of a Child

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:00:36 PST

Actor John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston suffered a devastating loss on Friday when their 16-year-old son, Jett, died. Being predeceased by a child is a parent's worst nightmare. The mere thought of losing one's offspring is enough to bring a mother or father to tears. The reality is difficult to fathom so finding the words to appropriately comfort someone who is grieving such a loss can be hard. Here are some tips to use in coping with the sensitive task of supporting a parent whose child has died.

Behave naturally
Show genuine concern
Offer love patiently and unconditionally

To see the rest of the suggestions,

Offer hugs or an arm around the shoulder, as appropriate
Sit next to the person who wants closeness
Make it clear that you are there to listen
Express your care and concern
Say that you are sorry about the loss
Say “I love you” if you feel close enough
Talk openly and directly about the person who died
Cry if you feel like crying
Keep in mind that evenings, weekends, anniversaries and holidays can be extra challenging times.

Our hearts go out to the Travolta family.
Source

Lil Links: 45 Ways to Ensure Your Kids Never Say They're Bored This Summer

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 23 May 2012 05:34:26 PDT

45 ideas for summer fun - HuffPost Parents
Gwyneth Paltrow's kids take in Uncle Jay-Z's show in London - Celebrity Baby Scoop
How to join the fight against toxic kids' products - The Stir
Jilian Michaels is a mom twice over! - Celebrity Baby Blog
Stores are still pushing parents-to-be to buy crib bumpers - Fit Pregnancy
9 ways to get baby to giggle - Parenting.com
Steal Molly Sims's maternity style - The Bump
7 sweet seats for your nursery - BabyCenter Blog
Would you dye your child's hair? - Yahoo! Shine
5 things to look for in a pediatrician - Circle of Moms
The Supreme Court doesn't want to give benefits to IVF babies conceived after a dad's death - LearnVest

Test Your Knowledge: The Best and Worst Places in the World to Be a Mom

Kate Stahl — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:03:05 PDT

Think America is the best place in the world to be a mom? Think again. According to the 2012 State of the World’s Mothers Report from Save the Children, America actually only ranks 25th, up six spots from last year. But shockingly, "When it comes to the number of children enrolled in preschools or the political status of women, the United States also places in the bottom 10 countries of the developed world," says Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s president and CEO.

Of the 165 countries surveyed, the top three spots went to Norway, Iceland, and Sweden, all of which scored high for mother and child health, educational attainment, economic status, and the percentage of women in government roles. The world's worst place to raise children is Niger (eight of the bottom 10 are sub-Saharan African countries). Check out some crazy stats comparing the best and the worst below, and then take our quiz to test your knowledge about how mothers fare across the globe.

Almost 100 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel in Norway compared to one-third in Niger.
The risk of maternal death in Norway is one in 7,600; in Niger, it's one in 16.
A girl will receive on average 18 years of formal education in Norway and a mere four years in Niger.

Source: Flickr User Explirer and Flickr User babasteve

Maurice Sendak: 5 Lessons the Legendary Author Taught Us

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:16:56 PDT

When I learned I was pregnant with my first child, I dreamed of decorating the nursery and picking out a layette. But what I really couldn't wait to do was fill the bookshelves with my childhood favorites. The first to be placed was a collection of Maurice Sendak books. Sure, every kid deserves a copy of Where the Wild Things Are, but it was the Nutshell Library that earned the place of honor on the shelf. I can still recite every poem from Chicken Soup With Rice and couldn't wait to lull my little one to sleep with Sendak's rhythmic words.

Perhaps that's why I feel like a relative - you know, that kooky uncle everyone has - has passed with the author's death this morning. Though Sendak bragged, "I never wrote a book where I taught a lesson," his influence on my and countless other parents and children's lives is immeasurable (and he is still as relevant today as he was when his original books were released - just check out his not-safe-for-children interview with Stephen Colbert from earlier this year). So though he may have been disappointed in this list, here are five lessons I'll take away from Maurice Sendak's library of work.

Why Christy Turlington Isn't Celebrating Mother's Day

Kate Stahl — Wed, 02 May 2012 13:17:15 PDT

Did you know that a woman dies every 90 seconds from pregnancy complications and 90 percent of those deaths are preventable? It's serious stuff, and an issue that's become Christy Turlington's life passion. Today Turlington, supermodel, wife to Edward Burns, mom to Grace and Finn, and founder of Every Mother Counts, an advocacy group that's working to reduce the global maternal mortality rate, launched a new campaign called No Mothers Day. For the video above, Turlington enlisted the help of famous moms including Jennifer Connelly, Debra Messing, Ann Curry, Kelly Rutherford, and Blythe Danner, along with a host of real moms, to support the cause, which asks moms to "disappear" on Mother's Day. "This Mothers Day I am honoring all moms by going silent," Turlington told us. "The . . . public service announcement features moms encouraging other moms to join in solidarity by disappearing May 13, Mother’s Day. No Mothers Day is a powerful social issue campaign designed to raise awareness about the hundreds of thousands of girls and women around the world who die each year from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth."

Keep reading for the rest of our interview with the simply amazing Turlington

Cameron Diaz Talks Loving Gwyneth and the Many Charms of British Men

Allie Merriam — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:56:40 PDT

Cameron Diaz strikes a sexy pose for the June 2012 cover of Harper's Bazaar UK. The full feature appears in the June issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK, which is on sale Thursday, May 3. Her next movie, What to Expect When You’re Expecting, will be out in the US next month. In the picture, Cameron plays a mother-to-be. She spoke about having kids in real life with the magazine and also touched on how she's happy with her life at the present. Cameron also spoke about her connection with pal Gwyneth Paltrow and even dished on the charms of British men. Click through to see more Cameron in the magazine, and here are highlights from Cameron Diaz in Harper's Bazaar UK:

On why she loves British men: "I love their sense of humour and the sense of chivalry and charm. It's something that is innately a part of the culture - we don't have that over here, it's not the same in America."
On her friendship with Gwyneth: "We became very close after my dad's death. She reached out and it was very sweet. We bonded on that . . . They (Martin/Paltrow) are exceptional people. We have known each other because we have been in the business for the same amount of time."
On being happy with the present: "I'm not sitting there going 'Oh my god, when am I going to get married? When am I going to have a baby?' I would be remiss if I was living my life wishing I had something other than what I have. If one day, I am blessed with the experience of having a child, I would be overjoyed, but I am not sitting here feeling empty because I haven't yet, or that I may not."
On her friends and family: "I'm a nurturer to all my friends. I don't feel alone in the world. I have so many friends, more friends who are like me (without children) than not. I also have girlfriends who have kids, and I have strong relationships with their children and my nieces and nephews. My happiest moments are when I'm with my friends - and I consider them to be my greatest wealth. They are my crown jewels."

Photos courtesy Tom Munro for Harper’s Bazaar UK

Should Mothers Be Prosecuted For Exposing Their Unborn Babies to Drugs?

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:03:34 PDT

Could a glass of wine during pregnancy land you behind bars? It might if you live in Alabama. In this upcoming weekend's New York Times Magazine, Ada Calhoun delves into Alabama's controversial chemical-endangerment laws where mothers who give birth to babies with even a trace of drugs in their bloodstreams are not only ordered into rehab but are criminally prosecuted for putting their newborns in harm's way.

In one case, when a newborn died hours after his premature birth, and mother tested positive for methamphetamine, she was charged with a Class A felony for contributing to the death of her child, with a mandatory sentence of 10 years to life. The laws - which are the harshest in the country - were designed to protect kids from "explosive meth labs," but they are now being applied to expectant mothers, and that's where the controversy comes in. Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all fear that such prosecutions may just be the tip of the iceberg. In the article, Emma Ketteringham, the director of the National Advocates For Pregnant Women, says:

"It starts with cocaine, and then it’s cigarettes and alcohol. How much alcohol? And when? It’s only a matter of time until it comes to refusing a bed-rest order because you need to work and take care of your other children and then you have a miscarriage. What if you stay at a job where you’re exposed to toxic chemicals, as at a dry cleaner? What if you keep taking your SSRIs during pregnancy? If a woman is told that sex during her pregnancy could be a risk to the fetus, and the woman has sex anyway and miscarries, are you going to prosecute the woman - and the man, too?"

What do you think? Should women be prosecuted for exposing their unborn babies to drugs?

The Lucky One: Take This Schmaltz

Shannon Vestal — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 05:30:28 PDT

The premise of The Lucky One is a little convoluted, but the basics of the story are not: boy meets girl, they fall for each other, and then must overcome some obstacle to be together. If that simple formula is enough for you, you'll enjoy watching the romantic drama, but if you're looking for more than a cheesy love story, you won't find it here.

Zac Efron stars as Logan, a former marine who avoids death a couple of times in combat, and attributes his survival to a good luck charm: a photograph he found in the rubble. When he returns home from overseas, he's determined to find the woman in the picture to thank her. After walking for days across several states, he reaches his destination and finds the woman, Beth (Taylor Schilling), a single mom who runs a dog kennel. Tongue-tied, Logan fails to tell Beth why he's there, and instead accepts a job working for her. As they get to know each other, Beth and Logan slowly fall for each other, but Logan keeps his secret under wraps, to the point that it threatens their relationship. The fact that a secret about a picture is what builds suspense in the film is more than a little silly, but Efron makes up for in eye candy what the movie lacks in substance.

To find out what else I thought about The Lucky One, just keep reading.