LilSugar

10 US Birth Facts You Might Not Know

LilSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:00:18 -0700

September is a big month for babies! Here at Sugar HQ, we are awaiting the births of two new Sugar babies in the next three weeks. Birthing trends in the US are tracked by each state and the cumulative data is full of surprises. Here are 10 facts you probably didn't know.

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Mommy Dearest: Do Full Moons Bring on Labor?

LilSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:00:27 -0800

Mommy Dearest,

My baby is due this month, just a few days after the full moon. But I've heard that the full moon could cause me to go into labor. Should I tell my mom to fly in a little early?

- Pregnant "Luna"tic

To see the response from Mommy Dearest, read more.

Pregnant "Luna"tic,

Some folks say that a full moon may mean increased birth rates, but I couldn't find much data to back the theory up.

The book The Lunar Effect, brought the "biological tides theory" to the forefront and the author, Arnold L. Lieber, argued that the moon affects the human body in much the same way as it does the world's oceans. This means that if a woman is close to her due date during a full moon, the pressure caused by the moon's effect on the water inside the amniotic sac could cause it to burst. And even though a recent study has said that birth rates are definitely not affected by the moon's cycle, some women still swear by it.

My expectant friend's OBGYN told her not to get her hopes up about it so maybe you shouldn't either. Let's see if any lilsugar readers were born or gave birth on a full moon.

- Mommy Dearest

Submit a question for this feature at the Mommy Dearest Group on TeamSugar.
Source

Is There a Baby Boom Under Way?

babysugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:22:00 -0700

Everywhere you go, it seems wee ones are on the loose. Airports are full of families trekking their broods to worldly destinations. Hollywood is abuzz with celebabies and more people have multiples. It comes as no surprise that 2007 broke the US records with 4,315,000 births. Besting the year 1957 by 15,000 births. Demographer Stephanie Ventura from the National Center for Health Statistics said:

According to our provisional data, we had the highest number of births ever reported in 2007. . . . What this really reflects is that the population has grown so much in the United States, so you naturally expect more births. . . . It's hard to call this a baby boom at this point.

While the percentage of women having babies may not have surpassed those of the "Baby Boom" years, it certainly seems that one is on the way. Do you think we're coming up on the next big baby boom?
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Modern Baby Boom

LilSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:00:54 -0800

Lots of people start noticing babies once they have one, but in the United States they are literally everywhere. Fertility here is on an upswing, or so says a USA Today article that explained it sets America apart from other industrial nations that are dealing with low birthrates. It said:

"The fertility rate hit 2.1 in 2006, according to preliminary estimates released by the National Center for Health Statistics. It's a milestone: the first time since shortly after the baby boom ended that the nation has reached the rate of births needed for a generation to replace itself, an average 2.1 per woman."

The report also says that while some countries like Asia and Europe have launched incentives like monetary bonuses, government assisted childcare and family leaves to encourage citizens to reproduce the U.S. has not. And, it states that birth rates of affluent couples have contributed considerably to the numbers.
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Would You Consider a Homebirth For Your Baby?

babysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:00:55 -0700

It is estimated that of the 4.1 million babies born in the U.S. in 2004, 7,000 were born at home without a midwife or doctor. Planned unassisted home-births, similar to those advocated by Ricki Lake in her The Business of Being Born documentary, are on the rise across the country, with women wanting the ability to control the birth process and have loved ones surrounding them during the birth. Many mamas-to-be believe those aspects outweigh the risks.

Until the 20th century, childbirth was the leading cause of death for women, with approximately 1 in 100 mothers dying in the early 1900s. Today, that rate is closer to 13 in 100,000, due to better prenatal care, medications and the option of cesarean sections when necessary.

Source

When Are You Going to Have a Baby?

babysugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:00:37 -0800

Chances are someone you know has dealt with infertility. It may have been you. A sensitive subject, it can be a private and heart wrenching issue for couples.

Pop culture announces a new pregnancy nearly every day and according to the LA Times, the current birth rate in America is higher than it's been in 45 years. So it seems quite natural for people to ask, "When are you going to have a baby?"

But, the reality is that the woman fielding the question might be desperately trying to get pregnant. To read a personal experience, read more.

And it's not fair that these women have to face the harmless probe.

While I was pregnant, one of my closest friends dealt with infertility so when people would joke that she was next, the words were daggers. It broke my heart to watch her have to laugh along.

With a little luck and some IVF, she has since been blessed with an angelic baby boy. However, the experience definitely taught me a lesson to be careful what you say to women about babes.

Source

Gisele Bundchen Felt Safe While Giving Birth; Did You?

babysugar — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:00:34 -0800

Gisele Bundchen isn't done talking about her birthing experience. The supermodel shared more information about baby Benjamin's December debut in the inaugural post on her blog. After telling reporters that the water birth in her Beacon Hill bathtub didn't hurt a bit, the new mama is now writing about how safe she felt delivering at home:

Giving birth was the most intense and life-changing experience of my life. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to deliver at home, surrounded by love and where I felt safe. It was a really great experience. I never felt so vulnerable, but so strong at the same time.

Maternal safety has become a hot topic following a report that showed California's death rate directly related to pregnancy as higher than that of Bosnia and Kuwait. Safety is also cited as one of the reasons for the increase in homebirths over the past five years.

Did you feel safe during your birthing experience?

Has Anyone You Know Tricked a Man Into a Baby?

TresSugar — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:45:24 -0800

Maybe I'm naive. Maybe I don't know enough married people. Or maybe women really just don't talk about it. But do reasonably sane women deceive men to get pregnant? Because Daily Mail writer Leah Hardy says the downside of a oral contraceptives for men is that women won't be able to trick men into having babies.

While the male pill is currently only in trial use, Hardy says forget about the do-you-trust-him question and worry about the now-he-can't-trust-you problem. A male pill "could mark the end of the very common phenomenon of the not-entirely-accidental-surprise baby and the one-bottle-of-wine-too-many baby, which happens to the most sensible of couples," she writes. "Because, let’s face it, if all women had to wait for men to feel broody (and for this to coincide with his jab wearing off), the birth rate would drop like a stone."

The logic goes - not mine - that women see children as permanent and men as temporary, which may be true, but who would want to bring a child into the world like that? Do you know anyone whose surprise child was no accident?

Source: Flickr User Kevin McShane

Over 40s Pregnancy the New Teen Pregnancy

TresSugar — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:16 -0800

After years of using the pill, condoms, or whatever else to prevent pregnancy, many women in their late 30s, 40s, and 50s presume that their bodies will take over the contraceptive duties. But statistics in UK show that the infertility message has "gone too far" because women mistakenly think they cannot get pregnant and stop using contraception. The proof? Women aged 40 to 44 get abortions at the same rate as girls younger than 16.

Just as with teen pregnancy, the government is aiming an educational campaign at older women. It's called "Conceivable?" and it reminds women to use contraception until menopause. This all sounds like another reason to show the vasectomy some more love. At least women in committed relationships not looking for children should be able to pass on the contraception burden to their partners!

Does it shock you that women rely on their decreasing fertility as a birth control?

Low Serotonin Levels Linked to SIDS

LilSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 14:00:00 -0800

Could an end be in sight for new parents fearing Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)? After decades of research and thousands of unexplained deaths, researchers believe to have found a definite link between low levels of serotonin in the brain and babies who died of SIDS.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, scientists found that serotonin – a chemical in the brain that responds to carbon-dioxide levels to regulate sleep, heart rate and breathing in babies – levels were 26 percent lower in wee ones deemed to have succumbed to the syndrome. When serotonin levels are low, tots' brains do not detect high carbon dioxide levels and wake them to shift their position and get more oxygen.

Doctors are lauding the study, suggesting that a test could be performed at birth to determine serotonin levels and courses of treatment can then be determined for those babies deemed at risk. In the meantime, doctors are still reminding parents to place babies on their backs to sleep and to follow other preventative tips designed to keep carbon dioxide levels low around infants. Will the identification of a cause of SIDS allow you to rest easier at night?