
After nine months of pregnancy an expectant woman is typically ready to meet her babe, but some are more ready than others (especially those, like me, who were overdue). Even though some doctors claim that all the walking, sex, and spicy food is not going expedite a baby's debut, desperate times call for desperate measures for uncomfortable mamas. Many turn to home remedies like the infamous Castor oil to speed up the process.

An expectant mommy is faced with a sleuth of important decisions, but none so important as deciding whether or not to
bank her babe's cord blood — the blood that remains in your baby's umbilical cord after it has been cut.
Preserving your newborn's cord blood to potentially treat life-threatening diseases (such as cancer) is gaining momentum. However, the use of stem cells remains controversial, expensive (popular cord blood banks charge around $2000, with a $125 yearly storage fee), and there is no way to tell if your baby (or another family member) will ever have a need for it.

The ball dropped, the fireworks shot off, and we welcomed 2009. Will yours involve a thin pink line? Most mamas love the idea of starting fresh with a new year of hopes and resolutions, but does your wish list for the next 12 months
include plans to have a baby?

I've spent the last few days of 2008, flipping my flat upside down and
getting organized. I finally had some time to take the saying, "Out with the old, in with the new..." seriously.

Some women want their entire family to experience the miracle of their child's birth from the hospital room, while others would prefer relatives sit it out in the waiting room. Regardless of how you feel, as the mama-to-be the decision is all yours. If you're not having a c-section, you can typically have whoever you want in the labor and delivery room with you.