The New York Times reports that an old wives' tale may be true.
Apparently, an international study found that women who suffered severe morning sickness were the most likely to deliver a baby girl. In fact, the odds of having a girl were 80% higher among women with morning sickness so severe it required hospitalization than among asymptomatic women or women with very mild nausea.
20 August 2008
09 July 2008
This Week in Mamma Mia, That's a Lot of Babies
Yesterday in St. Paul, sixteen babies were born in seventeen hours The link has a video of the little ones, in case you're looking for, you know, an addiction.
This Week in Baby Addictions
According to a new study in the journal Pediatrics, babies' smiles make their mothers' brains fill with happy hormones. Specifically, seeing pictures of babies smiling, especially their own babies smiling, released a surge of the hormone dopamine, pretty much the same effect on the body as using drugs or alcohol.
While some of the conclusions drawn from the research reek of New Momism:
it does offer an interesting evolutionary perspective. I have often wondered why I tend to squeal with glee at the sight of a delighted baby.
Babies are, let's face it, kind of obnoxious sometimes. Getting you addicted to them might be their only chance at survival.
While some of the conclusions drawn from the research reek of New Momism:
"This is the mechanism by which you come to be consumed by your baby," Montague says. "All good mothers are addicted to their newborn babies. They will do things above and beyond the call of duty."
it does offer an interesting evolutionary perspective. I have often wondered why I tend to squeal with glee at the sight of a delighted baby.
Babies are, let's face it, kind of obnoxious sometimes. Getting you addicted to them might be their only chance at survival.
01 July 2008
This Week in Illegal Babies
Madeline Holler writes about her illegal home birth.
Home birth, as such, isn't actually illegal anywhere in the United States. No state (or district) prosecutes women who give birth outside the hospital, at home or any other place. Twelve states and the District of Columbia prohibit direct-entry midwifery (the kind of midwives who will deliver babies at home, as opposed to certified nurse midwives, the majority of whom deliver babies in hospitals).
Although the American Medical Association has passed a resolution condemning home birth as a practice. I'll spare you the history lesson, but a lot of maternal death (as well as the politicization of abortion) resulted from 19th century doctors thinking there was no way a WOMAN could know more than they did about birthing babies. So, really, nothing new.
But it still totally blows, to put it eloquently. Particularly because most studies in countries where many (or most, as in Denmark--80%!) women give birth at home show no difference in outcomes for women and their newborns.
Home birth, as such, isn't actually illegal anywhere in the United States. No state (or district) prosecutes women who give birth outside the hospital, at home or any other place. Twelve states and the District of Columbia prohibit direct-entry midwifery (the kind of midwives who will deliver babies at home, as opposed to certified nurse midwives, the majority of whom deliver babies in hospitals).
Although the American Medical Association has passed a resolution condemning home birth as a practice. I'll spare you the history lesson, but a lot of maternal death (as well as the politicization of abortion) resulted from 19th century doctors thinking there was no way a WOMAN could know more than they did about birthing babies. So, really, nothing new.
But it still totally blows, to put it eloquently. Particularly because most studies in countries where many (or most, as in Denmark--80%!) women give birth at home show no difference in outcomes for women and their newborns.
20 June 2008
This Week in Freaking Huge Babies
WXII 12 out of Winston-Salem, NC reports that a woman gave birth to twins weighing a total of 23 pounds:
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BIG THAT IS?
Sean William weighed 10 pounds, 14 ounces, and Abigail Rose weighed 12 pounds, 3
ounces – a combined 23 pounds, 1 ounce.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BIG THAT IS?
This Week in Obama Babies
Obama's the democratic nominee. Mostly. Emily and I have made no secret of our love and adoration of the next president of the United States, and neither have these babies:
The middle one is my personal favorite. Because if someone asked me, "Are you voting for Hillary?" I would respond EXACTLY as that baby did. Don't tell my current employer (which endorsed Sen. Clinton, and is oh-so-generously providing the internet I'm using to write this very post).
The middle one is my personal favorite. Because if someone asked me, "Are you voting for Hillary?" I would respond EXACTLY as that baby did. Don't tell my current employer (which endorsed Sen. Clinton, and is oh-so-generously providing the internet I'm using to write this very post).
28 May 2008
Child Prodigies
Personally, I think kids are pretty neat even when they're doing banal things (mostly laughing until they fall over or giving precocious answers to questions about what they would ask the president if they met him). But these kids are especially neat.
Pretty Boy Bam Bam is a 5-year-old boxer. David tells me that his skills will, as the saying goes, pay the bills. Also, the kid raps and is adorable.
Moshe Kai Cavalin is a 10-year-old in college. He wants to study astrophysics. Especially worm holes. "Science" is not a concept I generally attempt to understand, but I have been led to believe that this is quite advanced. I'm glad there was not a ten year old in my physics class.
And Connie:
Possibly not a child prodigy--she's a reasonably good singer for a six year old, but it's no astrophysics--but she's SO cute, and I pretty much cry every time I watch this video.
Let's hear it for the kids.
Pretty Boy Bam Bam is a 5-year-old boxer. David tells me that his skills will, as the saying goes, pay the bills. Also, the kid raps and is adorable.
Moshe Kai Cavalin is a 10-year-old in college. He wants to study astrophysics. Especially worm holes. "Science" is not a concept I generally attempt to understand, but I have been led to believe that this is quite advanced. I'm glad there was not a ten year old in my physics class.
And Connie:
Possibly not a child prodigy--she's a reasonably good singer for a six year old, but it's no astrophysics--but she's SO cute, and I pretty much cry every time I watch this video.
Let's hear it for the kids.
13 May 2008
Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
My Developmental Psych class was visited yesterday by a kindergarten class so we could observe their play. As we began our observation from behind a two-way mirror, the kids' teacher offered some thoughts on child development and the developmental situation of end-of-the-year kindergarteners.
She shared some stories about parents with concerns about their children (well, their boys) taking gender flexible play roles, especially at the play kitchen station, which we all responded to with the proper slightly derisive laughter, chortling at the silly narrow-minded parents.
But then she said this: "The parents shouldn't be worried. The kids at this age don't really see gender anyway; they all just play together."
I looked into the playroom, where there were six little girls among 11 boys. Of those girls, four were wearing pink, one purple, and one a red shirt and a skort. One played by herself with a pirate ship. One played by herself at the make-believe grocery store. The other four alternated between playing princesses at the costumes, and playing with the doll house.
David directed me to comments from Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings an NPR story about kids who are challenging their given gender identity. The whole post is fantastic, so read it, but there's one bit that's just heart-wrenching. Early elementary-schooler Bradley wants to identify as female. His psychiatrist suggests that his parents socialize him as a male. He tries hard, giving up his Barbies and Polly Pockets.
But...
"He really struggles with the color pink. He really struggles with the color pink. He can't even really look at pink," Carol says. "He's like an addict. He's like, 'Mommy, don't take me there! Close my eyes! Cover my eyes! I can't see that stuff; it's all pink!'"
As the kids were playing, two boys sitting next to me were making a Lego house.
"I don't know how to make this," one said.
"Ask her." His playmate pointed at me.
The first boy looked at me, then back to his friend. "She doesn't know."
Kids see gender.
She shared some stories about parents with concerns about their children (well, their boys) taking gender flexible play roles, especially at the play kitchen station, which we all responded to with the proper slightly derisive laughter, chortling at the silly narrow-minded parents.
But then she said this: "The parents shouldn't be worried. The kids at this age don't really see gender anyway; they all just play together."
I looked into the playroom, where there were six little girls among 11 boys. Of those girls, four were wearing pink, one purple, and one a red shirt and a skort. One played by herself with a pirate ship. One played by herself at the make-believe grocery store. The other four alternated between playing princesses at the costumes, and playing with the doll house.
David directed me to comments from Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings an NPR story about kids who are challenging their given gender identity. The whole post is fantastic, so read it, but there's one bit that's just heart-wrenching. Early elementary-schooler Bradley wants to identify as female. His psychiatrist suggests that his parents socialize him as a male. He tries hard, giving up his Barbies and Polly Pockets.
But...
"He really struggles with the color pink. He really struggles with the color pink. He can't even really look at pink," Carol says. "He's like an addict. He's like, 'Mommy, don't take me there! Close my eyes! Cover my eyes! I can't see that stuff; it's all pink!'"
As the kids were playing, two boys sitting next to me were making a Lego house.
"I don't know how to make this," one said.
"Ask her." His playmate pointed at me.
The first boy looked at me, then back to his friend. "She doesn't know."
Kids see gender.
07 May 2008
Baby White Naped Mangabey
Ooooohhhhhh yessssssss.
Enumerating the cuteness:
- 0:19 GIANT EYES
- 0:30 Thumb suck
- 0:40 Flop
- 0:47 Teddy bear cuddle
- 1:05 Thumb suck with teddy bear cuddle (Oh god, can it be!)
Conchita is also the star of the most adorable monkey picture I have ever seen:
EEEEEEEEEEEE.
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