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Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt

Inside Melanie Fiona’s Baby Shower (PHOTOS)

Posted on April 2, 2016

melanie fiona baby shower

Catching up… even though “5 AM” singer Melanie Fiona recently welcomed her son, Cameron Lincoln, before then, she and fam and friends celebrated his arrival at a rooftop LA baby shower.

We now showcase Melanie Fiona‘s Moon and Back 220 themed Baby Shower. The theme was based off of a line in  the popular timeless children’s book by Sam McBratney, “Guess How Much I Love You.” The color scheme was silver and brown which is fitting with Fiona’s rustic and earthy vibe I sense from stalking her IG (tee hee).

The singer-songwriter and her TV host beau Jared Cotter invoked the help of Cairo Custom  Events to put together and the details and it was superb! I loved seeing the decorative pillows with the moon and stars embroidered in them. Onsies and bibs clothes line decorated the event space.

Brit singer phenom, Estelle was there among other family and friends. Guests played the “What’s in your phone” baby shower game and snapped photos in the party photo booth. They noshed on white chocolate covered madeleines and pretzel sticks, cake pops and a unique cake decorated in the theme, among other goodies.

To see more pics from the event check out the hashtag #Moonbaby220 on Instagram.

 



Her event planner shared pics online as well.

Estelle shared this video of the then parents to be.

And yes this baby WILL have pipes… #Unforgettable…. ❤️ #Moonbaby220 A video posted by @estelledarlings on

 

#Moonbaby220 #iloveyoutothemoonandback ?#CairosCustomEvents #babyshower #laeventplanner A photo posted by Cairo’sCustoms/JocelynCrawford (@cairoscustomevents) on

Why not add #cakepops to your desert table?! @barnone_events thanks for the all white treats! They were delicious! #Moonbaby220 #CairosCustomEvents

A photo posted by Cairo’sCustoms/JocelynCrawford (@cairoscustomevents) on

 

#iloveyoutothemoonandback #Moonbaby220 #CairosCustomEvents #babyshower ?: @errisson_lawrence A photo posted by Cairo’sCustoms/JocelynCrawford (@cairoscustomevents) on

 

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The Pros and Cons of Natural Childbirth

Posted on April 2, 2016

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When we talk about “natural childbirth,” there are a few things that this term may refer to. For some, having natural childbirth means having the baby in a nonhospital setting, assisted by a midwife and possibly a doula. For some, it means having the baby in a birthing center. For others, natural childbirth simply means giving birth without the aid of drugs or painkillers, whether it be in the hospital or elsewhere. And at the other end of the spectrum, there is a growing movement involving giving birth with no nonemergency assistance whatsoever.

In this article, we will look at the middle approach—giving birth either in the home with a midwife or doing so in a birthing center or other nonhospital setting. More and more women are choosing to forgo the hospital in favor of settings that are more comfortable. And while there are some great things about this natural approach, there are also some drawbacks.

The benefits of natural childbirth

Here are a few of the great things about having a baby the more natural way.

  • Natural childbirth allows women and their partners and families to reclaim a very natural process that has gradually been co-opted by what many see as an impersonal and even destructive medical industry. It is also an act of protest against what medically aided childbirth has become.
  • Natural childbirth allows the mother to give birth in a setting that is welcoming and comfortable. Many hospitals try to make their birthing rooms homey, but it is never quite enough. In a home setting or a birthing center, the mother can relax and fully experience the moment. Plus, there will not be a stream of strangers coming in and out of the room, and this aids the mood. In hospitals, birthing mothers are often attached to instruments and forbidden from moving about freely. In many cases, the mother even has to ask to go to the bathroom. More natural settings take away these restrictions as much as possible, allowing the mother to move about freely—which is comforting and can actually help the process along.
  • Although we do not like to think about money when it comes to our babies, the simple fact is that giving birth naturally can be far cheaper than doing it in a hospital setting, especially if your insurance coverage is not great.

The drawbacks of natural childbirth

With those great things about natural childbirth out of the way, let us consider the potential downsides.

  • Most important, in the event of a serious medical complication, one really does want to be in the hands of trained medical professionals. That is why, even when giving birth naturally, many women have backup plans to resort to in the event of complications.
  • Hospitals have the tools needed to monitor the baby during the birthing process. Some nonhospital settings have some basic monitoring devices, but they are not as sophisticated as those found in a modern hospital.
  • When giving birth in a nonhospital setting, the newborn baby might not get the immediate checks and care that he or she needs.
  • While parents preparing for the arrival of a child should prepare no matter what setting they plan to have the child in, those planning for a natural childbirth have to do much more. This can place a heavier burden on both the mother and the partner. The partner in particular needs to be far more involved than is standard.
  • And finally, the big one: Natural childbirth is painful. Of course, the freedom of movement enables you to do things to ease the pain, but the mother still feels every contraction and has no barriers against every little sensation as the baby is coming out. So before making the decision, it is important to think carefully about whether you can handle that reality when the time comes.

 

Things to consider. Choose wisely though, depending on what happens, the choice may be made for you.

 

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Gwen Stefani’s April Fool’s Joke backfired Big Time!

Posted on April 2, 2016

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Gwen Stefani is getting a lot of heat over her April Fool’s joke yesterday. Given all the constant speculation about her possibly being pregnant (or wanting to be) with her current beau Blake Shelton, she posted a photo of an ultrasound on her Instagram  with the caption, “It’s a girl.”

The comments were peppered with criticism, mainly from women who are infertile or who have experienced child loss and didn’t find it funny.

One commenter with the handle bankstonlife wrote about Stefani’s joke, “Respect lost, obviously the completely clueless people on here have never lost a child!! Joking about a pregnancy when soooo many have suffered a loss during pregnancy is insensitive!!!”

It’s a very sensitive issue indeed. There were several others too leaving similar responses.

It’s a girl ❤️?❤️gx

A photo posted by Gwen Stefani (@gwenstefani) on

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The One April Fool’s Day Joke this TTC Couple didn’t Want to See Anyone Pull

Posted on April 2, 2016

no pregnancy april fool

Infertility is real and about 12 percent of women ages 15 to 44 struggle to conceive, according to the Centers for Disease Control. So for many of them, like Rhode Island school teacher Chelsey Kimmel, seeing April Fool’s jokes from women pretending to be pregnant is no laughing matter.

Kimmel told ABC news that she warned her social media followers on Instagram to think twice before sharing a pregnancy joke on April Fool’s Day.

 It’s been 18 months since the 24-year old and her partner of five years have been trying to conceive successfully. They suffered a miscarriage  last October and  are due to start another round of in vitro fertilization in 10 days, ABC reports.

“I’ve known people for a long time who joke that they’re pregnant and this year it hit me that it does hurt,” Kimmel told ABC News. “I struggle with real posts of people I know and love when they really are pregnant, but when people make a joke [about it], women like me, who want more than anything in the world to be pregnant … it just really hits home. It can hurt.”

It didn’t stop people, including celebs like Gwen Stefani, from sharing a sonogram on her Instagram today with the caption, “It’s a girl.”

One commenter with the handle bankstonlife wrote about Stefani’s joke, “Respect lost, obviously the completely clueless people on here have never lost a child!! Joking about a pregnancy when soooo many have suffered a loss during pregnancy is insensitive!!!”

It’s very sensitive issue indeed. There were several others too leaving similar responses.

“There are a lot of emotions and energy we invest when facing fertility issues. Seeing people joke about being pregnant is deflating.”  said Ellicott City, Maryland engineer Qiana Gabriel.

She said she told her husband that she planned to stay off of Facebook today after seeing five friends joke that they were pregnant.

Consider this your warning for next year folks.

photo: courtesy Ericka Chick photography

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Fresh Prince of Bel Air alum Tatyana Ali is engaged & Expecting

Posted on April 1, 2016

Actress Tatyana Ali is expecting her first child with her brand new Stanford University English Professor fiancé who she met online.

Known best for her role as “Ashley Banks” on the 90s sitcom Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Ali said she and hubby-to-be Vaughn Rasberry met on dating website eHarmony.

All right now! What a great plus for online dating.

 

“Planning our wedding has been so exciting, but when we found out we were expecting, our perspective shifted completely,” Ali told Entertainment Tonight.“We want our ceremony to really celebrate our newest blessing.”

On her Facebook page, she mentioned how she landed from a flight to discover the news was out as she has been getting tons of congratulatory messages since. 

She also thanked well wishers on Twitter.

“Thanks so much everyone for all the well wishes!!!” the 37-year old tweeted. “Looks like this is going to be a really full year ?”

Yay! First “Rudy” (Keisha Knight Pulliman,  recently married after a very short engagement) and now Ashley. 

All my fave 90s sitcom kids are getting hitched and settling down!

Photo: Yero Brown

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Eco-Friday: This New Single Serve Brewing System Is Better for the Environment (Unboxing Video)

Posted on April 1, 2016

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I admit being a coffee addict and that I get a euphoric feeling after having a hearty cup of brew.  Earnestly, I think coffee not gets me through my hectic day which usually starts at 6am. My hectic schedule includes corralling my kids and shipping them off to school, then schlepping back to my home office to blog, work on deliverables for legal or consulting clients, social media networking blog posts, try to squeeze in a trip to the gym, conduct meetings or interview people and then end the day by picking up the kids and taking them to the library before returning home to make dinner, and get them to bed, before working until midnight.

I’ve been known to spend a pretty penny at my local Starbucks as well. People give me Starbucks gift cards as presents because they are aware of my love of coffee. My husband wanted to help me save money from all those Starbuck runs and get me a single serve coffee system for Christmas but I discouraged him because of my concern that the capsules are not too environmentally friendly. Also, the costs for the capsules could be astronomical compared to a traditional coffee maker.

When I was asked to review a newcomer to the industry Touch Coffee, my interest was piqued because it looked to be a more eco-friendly alternative to what is on the market now.

It starts with the fact that unlike the standard Keurig K-Cups® in that popular machine, Touch® T526S brewer’s capsules have been re-engineered to so they are larger and thus can brew a larger cup of coffee. The makers boasts that the system has revolutionized and re-invented the  single-serve coffee platform Touch’s easy-to-use systems brew superior-tasting, coffee shop-quality coffee in significantly less time than current machine

They also boast that compared to most K-Cups®, which only fit up to 12.5 grams of coffee, XBold Cups ™ pack up to 15 grams of coffee and XLARGE CUPS™ provide up to 18 grams of coffee.

Nonetheless, the brewers are still  fully compatible with any cup at all—from existing to generic cups, in addition Touch  XBold Cups™, XLarge Cups™ and reusable Refill Jumbo Cup™.

The Refill cup is also another eco-friendly feature because you can save money and instead of buying replacement capsules, you can simply use grounds and spoon them in that filter! Sweet!

Touch has a Flash Heating system that starts brewing in under 20 seconds even if it has been off all night and it heats up just the water needed for the cup and not the entire tank of water.  It stands out from other machines that take much longer to warm up, a company release notes. Those machines shoot water through the coffee grounds too quickly, so users  then end up throwing away untapped flavor with the used capsule.

No bueno!

The T526S brewer allows you to choose from eight cup sizes (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, or 18 ounces and carafe)

The fact that you can make up to 18 ounces means that one capsule can create up to 4 cups of coffee makes it more environmentally friendly and I noticed that the machine turns itself off automatically which is an energy-efficient alternative to existing brewers in this market.

coffee

 

 

“We have incorporated our innovative technology to our single-serve system—and the single-serve cups that accompany it—with one goal in mind: the perfect cup, every time,” its CEO Sam Kim said in the release. “Not only did we succeed at designing a machine that produces coffeehouse-quality coffee, but we have also made it convenient, intuitive, quiet and quick with a high-end design.”

The brewer retails for $249.99 and can be purchased at  www.TouchBeverages.com, Amazon.com, HomeDepot Online,  BestBuy.com, and  select Best Buy stores.

But if you are inclined to purchase one based on my review and unboxing below, I invite you to use my affiliate link HERE to do so! Thanks for supporting a blogger! 🙂

My camerman is my 13-year old son Caleb! We had some fun taping this. Check it out! 

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Trend: Celebrities Hashtag Branding Their Babies on Social Media

Posted on April 1, 2016

Bellyitch Rewind

celebrity children names hashtags
Since we reported on BravoTV star Kandi Burruss‘ 3 month old baby having over 100,000 Instagram followers, we thought we’d revisit this old post about the trend of celebrities branding their babies in social media with their own special hashtags:

When Mariah Carey and Nick Canon welcomed twins Monroe and Moroccan to the world, they famously gave the babies the moniker “dem babies” – slang for them babies and proceeded to create a website for them. The branding has stuck.

Similarly, some may recall during the spring 2013 season of the BravoTV show Real Housewives of Atlanta our Bellyitch Bumpwatch alum Kim Zolciak and castmate Kandi Burruss feuded over the baby name Kash.

Upon hearing of Burruss’ plans to possibly name her next child Kash, Zolciak let Burruss and the audience know that she had already taken out a trademark for that name so they could be the only ones to capitalize off the name.

Also, in 2012, Beyonce and Jay Z filed to trademark the name “Blue Ivy” even after a wedding planner whose business name was Blue Ivy claimed she already owned the rights to that name.

In the social media world, we are noticing that celebrity parents and past Bumpwatch moms like Jaime King (#JamesKnight), Autumn Reeser (#FinnWarren) and wife of NBA star Chris Bosh, Adrienne Bosh (#DylanSkye), new mom Vanessa Simmons (#AvaMarie) and others are attaching their baby’s or kids hashtags to pics they share in social media.

They’re not necessarily doing that for copyright purposes but more likely to easily catalog photos of them for later use to find and for archival purposes.

Nonetheless, the effort is a sort of branding of the baby and could possibly be used later in some fashion.

It’s all quite interesting don’t you think?

photo: Ed Burke for Beyonce.com/AP

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FDA Now Allows ‘Abortion Pill’ Usage Later in Pregnancy

Posted on March 31, 2016

pills

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday changed the label on the “abortion pill,” supporting a lower dose, fewer doctor visits, and extending its use further into a pregnancy.

The move undercuts laws in Texas, Ohio and North Dakota that require physicians to only prescribe Mifeprex, better known as “RU486”, solely in line with FDA label recommendations. Around 90% of the 1.1 million U.S. abortions yearly come in the first trimester of pregnancy, and the pills now account for about one-third of these early abortions.

The FDA’s older label dated to the 2000 U.S. approval of the drug. It recommended three doses of the drug, 600 milligrams in all, and limited their use to the first 50 days of a pregnancy. The manufacturer, Danco, asked for the updated label in response to medical studies supported by the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists since 2013, which showed a single 200 milligram dose of the drug and its use up to 70 days after the end of the last menstrual period “is equally is safe and effective,”according to the agency.

“This brings the label into line with best medical practice,” said Beverly Winikoff of Gynuity Health Projects in New York at a teleconference for reporters held by abortion rights supporters. “Requiring women to take three pills instead of one is bad medicine.”

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