LilSugar

Showing Women Sonograms Before Abortions Rarely Changes Minds

Colleen Barrett — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:00:07 PST

Last week a Texas Senate committee passed a bill to require doctors to perform sonograms and describe the fetus to women. The bill could be on the state senate floor next week, and a decision could soon follow.

The idea, of course, is that women will be so moved by the little mass growing inside them that they'll stop the procedure and have the baby. Eighteen other states already have similar laws - and crisis pregnancy centers notoriously show women sonograms - but research shows women do not change their minds afterward.

To be fair, this research has been done by pro-choice organizations, but bias can only go so far. The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care found that 72 percent of women opted to see sonograms, 86 percent called it a positive experience, and none canceled the procedure. But the difference between this study and what Texas is proposing is that women have a choice. The bill states women can "avert their eyes," but it is not clear if they'll be able to opt out of hearing the description of the fetus.

What will Texas get out of showing a woman a sonogram she doesn't want to see? At best, an extra-unpleasant abortion experience? At worst, a mother who doesn't want, or can't handle, a child. And maybe a dangerous message for other women that DIY abortions aren't such a bad idea.

An Ultrasound on the Go: There'll Be an App For That!

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:00:05 PST

Smartphones can do just about anything these days, including conducting a sonogram on an expectant mama! A Redmond, Washington-based company just received FDA approval to sell the world's first phone-based ultrasound system.

The MobiUS, which will be sold commercially to medical professionals, uses a Toshiba Windows Mobile-powered smartphone, the company's software, and an attached probe to conduct ultrasounds. The phone's cellular network and Wi-Fi capabilities then allow doctors to send the images to others, including family and friends. The company behind the phone hopes it will help provide medical care to pregnant women in remote areas.

Though ultrasound machines cannot be sold for personal use due to the "Tom Cruise law," I imagine it will only be a matter of time before parents try to buy a MobiUS!

Would You Pay Out of Pocket for a 4D Ultrasound?

babysugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 11:27:03 PDT

Ultrasounds used to be an exciting part of a woman's prenatal visits, something that occurred once or twice throughout her pregnancy. Today, many moms-to-be are electing to have 3D and 4D ultrasounds that allow them to clearly see and walk away with photos and videos of their unborn child's features.

These 3D and 4D sonograms are often done in luxury suites with plasma video screens, comfortable seating for your family and friends, and piped in lullabies. The biggest issue is that insurance does not cover the cost of these nonessential procedures, which can range from $150 for a basic package to more than $300 for packages that include DVDs, password-protected websites, and more.

Would you be willing to pay out of pocket for a sneak peek of your child?

Source

Burdened by Brag Books, Sonogram and Pint-Sized Pics?

LilSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:00:23 PDT

In the 1980s, families forced hour long home videos of junior taking a bath on their helpless victims. And, while that is truly something only a mother can love, the latest trends for showcasing kids are a bit less time consuming.

It seems everyone has a sonogram snapshot, Flip cam clip or brag book to browse. Along with the easy share capabilities that companies like Shutterfly have opened up for emailing milestone pictures by the hundreds.

And, it's not proud parents, toting and transmitting images of the tykes, it's grandparents and other relatives.

Do you think these methods are awesome or overkill?

Source

Video: Pregnant Tina Fey Shares Her Sonogram "Lava Monster" With Conan!

PopSugar — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:42:19 PDT

Tina Fey played a joke on Conan O'Brien and his audience last night, as she brought along a very scary 3D sonogram of her baby-on-the-way. The funny lady is pregnant for the second time, and she's been making the rounds to promote her new book Bossypants and tomorrow night's special 100th episode of 30 Rock. Take a look at her goofy photo, plus more scoop on her pregnancy!

Speed Read - New Guidelines For IUDs Might Be Coming

TresSugar — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:50:37 PDT

Annual sonograms may be needed to verify correct position of an IUD - Science Daily
Arizona outlaws abortion based on race or sex - WSJ
George Clooney might testify in Berlusconi's prostitution trial - People
Divorce wars: the big business of big money divorces - Double X
Britney Spears busts a move on Jimmy Kimmel - PopSugar
Oprah wants to give Donald Trump a makeover - NY Post
Student suspended for uncovering school employee is a porn star - Nerve
10 books to read before big-screen movies - BuzzSugar

Lil Community: My Miracle, A Birth Story

Lil Community — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:15:49 PDT

This post was submitted by dtcakes77 in the Birth Stories group.

At 20 weeks we found out we were having a boy. We were so excited, we already had a girl who was 2-years-old. However there was something wrong in the sonogram and they sent my husband and I, with our daughter to a children's cardiologist to look at the enlarged atrium they uncovered. We were so nervous. After six hours trying to get a fetal ECHO, the doctor came in and believed that it was a coarctation of the aorta. It was a common procedure for the heart surgeon to fix. Every month I went for a follow-up with them and for growth and weight. I also had my regular OB/GYN appointments. I felt pretty positive that things would be OK.

It was the day before Easter. I was 33 weeks. I just came back from a 1-year-old birthday party. I decided to take my daughter to my mother-in-law's with me so I could help prepare dinner for the following day. While stuffing artichokes I started to feel cramps, but thought nothing about it. I figured it was Braxton Hicks. This went on for about an hour before my husband told me to call the doctor. He told me to come in to the hospital, he was on call, to get checked out. The hospital that I was suppose to deliver in, was 15 min away and a children's hospital. He figured he would give me a shot and I would be on my way.

However that didn't happen. I was already 3 cm dilated. I was told that they were going to give me a drug to try and stop the labor for three days, and they were going to give me two shots in the butt to help the baby's lungs. We knew we had to get over to the other hospital just in case. Although the staff kept on assuring me that even if the baby needs care, this was a really good hospital with some of the same rotating doctors, and if needed, the baby could be transported without a problem. I wanted to be with my child and not be in a different hospital. Thank goodness for my doctor who already called EMS to transfer me since the baby and I were stable. I labored through the whole transport with myself only being monitored, which at that time I didn't think anything of.

Keep reading to see the rest of this baby's birth story.

Rick Perry Enters the Race With Controversial Record on Women's Issues

Annie Scudder — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:45:45 PDT

Michele Bachmann became the first woman to win the Iowa straw poll this weekend, but Rick Perry's Texas swagger stole some of her thunder. The Texas governor didn't participate in the contest but stopped by the heartland state after officially announcing his presidential candidacy in South Carolina on Saturday. Now that he's in, let's take a look at his stances on everything from abortion to the HPV vaccine.

Abortion: Perry has signed various bills limiting abortion rights in Texas, including a law that limits late-term abortions, a "Mandatory Ultrasound Bill" that requires a woman to see a sonogram before an abortion, and a law that includes fetuses in the definition of human life. He recently upset some pro-life groups when he said abortion laws should be left up to the states, but has since clarified that he supports a federal anti-abortion amendment.

Planned Parenthood: In June, Perry signed a bill that reduced the state's family planning budget to $37 million from $111 million. The law also stipulated that Planned Parenthood would be at the bottom of a priority system for receiving funding. The bill was a complicated plan to defund Planned Parenthood without explicitly breaking any federal rules, and some estimated that it would result in 300,000 women losing access to services including cancer and diabetes screenings.

HPV Vaccine: Perry issued an executive order in 2007 mandating that all girls in Texas receive the HPV vaccine, perhaps the most unexpected policy on his otherwise predictable socially conservative platform. If the vaccine was not covered by insurance, it would be paid for by the state, and parents were given the ability to opt out. Perry defended his move, saying, "Providing the HPV vaccine doesn't promote sexual promiscuity any more than the Hepatitis B vaccine promotes drug use. If the medical community developed a vaccine for lung cancer, would the same critics oppose it, claiming it would encourage smoking?" Still, the Texas legislature passed a bill overriding his order a few months later, and now Perry has changed his tune on the HPV vaccine mandate. Yesterday he said he didn't do his research before he signed the order and "what we should of done was a program that frankly allowed them to opt in or some type of program like that."

Gay Marriage: Rick Perry has gone on record supporting extreme anti-gay laws. He called a former Texas law criminalizing gay sex "appropriate" and signed a law banning gay marriage in Texas. But his love of states' rights seems to trump his opposition to gay marriage and prompted him to support New York's recent legalization of same-sex marriage: Perry said, "Our friends in New York six weeks ago passed a statute that said marriage can be between two people of the same sex. And you know what? That's New York, and that's their business, and that's fine with me."

Do you think these stances will help or hurt his chances of election?

Lil Links: Jessica Alba "Won’t Spend Time Away From My Daughter Unless It’s Worth It"

LilSugar — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:15:19 PDT

Jessica Alba talks about spending time away from her daughter - Celebrity Baby Blog
Elizabeth Smart is taking on a new, interesting role - The Stir
Tiffani Thiessen talks about future babies - Celebrity Baby Scoop
A mother of sons wonders about life with a daughter - Momformation
Are sonograms meant to be shared? - HerSay
5 healthy homemade ice cream recipes - Health
Prep for delivery day - FitPregnancy
Rebecca Romijn discusses parenting decisions - Parenting
6 symptoms of preterm labor - The Bump
Is your child really the problem, or is it you? - Babble
Reinventing the word stepmom - Yahoo! Shine