Category — Pregnancy

Well, we’re back to the teen pregnancy issue, and it looks like we’ll have to revisit breastfeeding, because news just broke that Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant again, and the rumor as to why or how is that she thought she couldn’t get pregnant while breastfeeding.

Sigh.  You know what, it’s Friday and I don’t think I can unpack Jamie Lynn’s baggage right now.  I will just wish her and the family best, and name a Stroller of the Day in their honor: the Graco Double Stroller.

Graco has a ton of great double strollers, but I really think the Quattro Tour Duo Stroller is perfect for the Spears crew.  It’s called “the ultimate in comfort for enjoyable outings for two” and has one-hand fold down for easy storage, which is great for moms who are busy with two toddlers.  The Graco stroller is also sleek enough to cruise down Melrose Ave, but sturdy enough for Main Street in Kentwood, LA, so it can travel along with Mom Jamie Lynn and the kids.  Pretty convenient!

I didn’t know how right I was when I first said this has been a busy summer for Barbie.  Artist Nina M. Westerberg got straight to the point when redesigning Barbie as a commentary on 2008’s unexpected social concern, teen pregnancy.  This Barbie is a funny, ironic, yet painfully sad reminder of teen pregnancy’s current glamorized image.

The body used for Teen Pregnancy Barbie was that of Barbie’s oldest friend, Midge.  Controversial in her own right, pregnant Midge was pulled from Wal-Mart shelves for a while after parents complained about Midge’s key selling point: a curled up baby that pops out of her belly when opened, which many parents feel promotes teen pregnancy.

Yeah, I can see how parents might object.  The doll makes it seem like babies pop out pain free and with a bunch of adorable accessories.  Maybe Mattel should have taken this angle with Midge instead:

At any rate, these kids sure have fun with Happy Family Barbie and Midge:

Wow, 2008 is really turning into the Year of the Pregnant Teen. First the girls from Gloucester, then Jamie Lynn Spears, and now Bristol Palin, daughter of Republican VIP Candidate Sarah Palin. While I think it’s great that the parents of many of these high-profile pregnant teens are supportive of their daughters, I am a bit freaked out by how these young girls seem so anxious to be mothers. I guess they weren’t paying attention to the message of The Baby Borrowers.

I have heard of people blaming the movie Juno for giving kids the idea that being pregnant at a young age is cool, but who knows if that is the singular cause of this alarming trend. It does seem like teenagers have a very glamorized image of pregnancy and motherhood and almost no information of why pregnancy is so much more dangerous and difficult for young adults. So here is a rundown of some of the issues teens parents have to face:

• Babies born to teen mothers have an increased chance of health risks. Teen dads also have babies with more health problems that babies with older dads.
• Only around 50% of teen mothers go on to graduate high school. Child poverty is closely linked to teen pregnancy because teenage high school dropouts generally have lower-income jobs.
• Children of teenage parents tend to do worse in school and on developmental tests, and are more likely to drop out of school.

So while pregnant teenage girls may be dreaming about dressing their babies up like little dolls in designer baby clothes, the reality is that most of them don’t have a Governor mom or their own show on Nickelodeon, and will barely be able to afford feeding and diapering their kid. Not a happy future.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy offers some tips for helping children avoid teen pregnancy, because a little prevention is better for everyone.

Please tell me the rumors are wrong: supposedly a jealous Paris Hilton is trying to have a baby in an attempt to steal tabloid attention away from best frenemy/former co-star Nicole Ritchie. Egads.

There are so many reports both confirming and denying the story that I don’t know what to believe anymore. However, in case she is pregnant, I found the perfect maternity tops for her:

There’s an article on Yahoo! today that reports on a British study linking a mother’s diet to the baby’s gender. There seems to be a link between mothers who regularly eat cereal for breakfast (and consume more potassium, like from bananas) and an increased chance of having a boy. I am starting to wonder if this article is somehow connected to the 5 boxes of cereal I received in the mail from my mother yesterday.

I think there is a myth that says that women who are pregnant with girls have a lot more morning sickness, so I wonder if being pregnant with a girl could contribute to a smaller caloric intake. The timing of the Yahoo! story totally coincides with the news I received last night that a friend is pregnant. She’d been having horrible morning sickness, and we were discussing whether or not she thought it was a girl. I guess only time will tell. She did tell me about Mommy’s Bliss, which has great all natural products for moms-to-be. They have a morning sickness remedy called Morning Sickness Magic that supposedly works really well to ease nausea. That’s great news when eating cereal is the last thing you want to think about. The Baby’s Bliss website has some really great gifts for moms-to-be and new moms, so check it out!