The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) led a team that recently released new recommendations for women’s pre-pregnancy health. Most of the guidelines are old hat: treat existing conditions, stop smoking and alcohol consumption, take folic acid supplements, and maintain appropriate weight and nutrition. More controversial, though, is the suggestion that “all health encounters […]
For all of you trying to conceive: the newly invented Ovü fertility tracker, an armband that monitors basal body temperature and plays a tune when the time is right. Gadget site Shiny Shiny suggests that Barry White would be appropriate music. Looks like the device was developed with straight women in mind, but there’s no
Karen at Blogging Baby has pointed out an article on financing adoption, courtesy of Adoptive Families magazine. It’s a long list of ideas, from people who’ve actually used them: pinching pennies, refinancing one’s home, taking a loan from one’s 401k, and even selling items on eBay. If you’re looking to adopt (or need to pay
I was really trying to avoid the serious politics for a few days. Then the South Dakota legislature passed a bill banning almost all abortions, even in the case of incest or rape. The only exceptions would be if the mother’s life was in danger. According to the Associated Press report, the governor is “inclined”
New research from UCLA indicates that the mothers of multiple gay sons tend to process X chromasomes differently from other mothers. This provides further evidence that sexual orientation is genetically determined. The results aren’t conclusive at this point, and other researchers caution that further study, with a larger sample, is needed, but it’s still an
That’s the very tongue-in-cheek premise of a scathing article in the Hartford Courant, in response to a request by the conservative Family Institute of Connecticut to weigh in on same-sex marriage before the state Supreme Court. The Institute claims that children are “disadvantaged” living in same-sex households, and thus same-sex couples shouldn’t be allowed to
A new IVF method that lets fertilization and embryo development occur inside a woman’s body, rather than in the lab, could mean more options and cheaper IVF treatments. (Thanks to Blogging Baby for the sighting.) Egg and sperm are placed in a special vial and inserted into a woman’s vagina to develop into embryos, when
USA Today has just published a piece on same-sex adoption, noting that 16 states have now taken action to pass laws or create November ballot initiatives to ban it. One member of a conservative “pro-family” (gag!) group sees this as an extension of same-sex marriage bans: by preventing same-sex marriage, and then defining marriage as
Adoptive Family magazine has a good article on how to deal with insensitive comments relatives may make about adopted children. They recommend that you: Appoint yourself ambassador of adoption. “Immunize” yourself before family encounters. Do a background check [with other relatives, not the FBI] on problematic relatives. Hold your ground firmly but with compassion. Much
