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VIRAL: Baby sleeping among IVF Syringes Shows What It Took to have One Baby

 

 

A controversial photo of a sleeping baby surrounded by in vitro fertilization syringes and empty vials in the shape of a heart has gone viral. 

St. Louis, Missouri’s Sher Fertility Clinic posted the image on its Facebook page on Monday, October 5th and the vials represent all the baby girl’s mom endured to bring her into this world. 

The caption reads “shows the true definition of love that went into making this gorgeous new baby girl.”

It praises Angela’s specialist Dr. Molina Dayal who adds there were plenty of supplies she used that weren’t pictured.

We love the Information Age for its role in raising awareness. 

The photo has triggered three reactions this far:

  1.  Obviously, awareness of all that goes into the IVF process among the masses of the unknowing.
  2. Fear among women yet to give birth to their first child or who are about to start the IVF process. They are saying that they are not certain they are prepared to do all of that. But education is better than ignorance, we say.

  3. Knowledge among those who were able to conceive without medical intervention that they are fortunate or blessed (depending on the beliefs) to not have to undergo such a challenging process to have just one baby. 

Oh yeah and some were nervous and disturbed to see a precious baby among all those needles. 

Those commenting under the post shared their own stories and photos of their IVF-produced children.  

What does the IVF process entail precisely?

  1. When a women starts IVF, she first  gives herself one to three hormone injections every single day, in the thigh or stomach, to stimulate her body to produce multiple eggs during a single menstrual cycle.
  2. She usually has to inject herself with another drug that prevents early ovulation until their eggs are ready to be retrieved.

  3. When the eggs are ready, she gives herself another injection to initiate ovulation and push the eggs from the ovaries.

  4.  While waiting for the time to retrieve the eggs, she undergoes several blood tests until, finally, the eggs are removed using a long needle. 

  5. After the eggs are fertilized, the embryos are transferred via a catheter and replanted into the mom for incubation and growth as a pregnancy. 

Those who conceivr the traditional way skip all of that. Phew!

H/t Daily Mail

STUDY: Childcare exceeds College Tuition in Most States

childcare bellyitchblog.com

And in “No Kidding, Sherlock” news, a recent report indicates that the cost of childcare exceeds college in most states.

An Economic Policy Institute analysis,  “High Quality Child Care Is Out of Reach for Working Families,” found that child care is not affordable for 2-children median-income households in 10 major metropolitan areas — and is too expensive for minimum wage workers regardless of where they live in the United States.

Childcare costs exceeded rent in 500 out of 618 family budget areas, the study analyzed.

In San Francisco, for example, monthly rent on average is $1,956 for two adults and two children, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The average monthly cost of child care for two children in the city is $901. In Binghamton, N.Y., average monthly rent for the same size family is $692 while the average child care cost is $2,011 a month.

This expenditure impacts households of the nearly 11 million children under five in America in child care. These children spend an average of 35 hours a week in day care.

The Institute intends for the report to influence policy makers.

“As policymakers look for ways to improve living standards for the vast majority of Americans who have endured decades of stagnant wages, increasing child care affordability is an excellent place to start,” the report states.

Indeed, President Obama  addressed child care in his State of the Union address this year.

“In today’s economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality childcare more than eve,” he said. “It’s not a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have. So it’s time we stop treating childcare as a side issue, or as a women’s issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that it is for all of us.”

Read the entire report HERE!

 

h/t ABC News

Top 10 Signs You’re a Kid with Lawyer Parents 

 

I loved Peyton Price‘s piece in Scarrymommy blog “Lawyer Moms Are The Scariest“. Not only could I relate as a lawyer mom myself but also as to my other lawyer mom friends. I sincerely recall my friend Natasha telling me about not letting her son go on a certain field trip because she wasn’t going to waive her rights away by signing the permission slip. Ha!

Price’s post also reminded me of a funny blog post I published back in 2009 in my first mom blog, “Mischiefmakers” about my life raising my mischievous kids.

It was called “Top 10 signs you might be a Mischiefmaker with two lawyer parents” (my husband is a lawyer too).

 I’m going to repost it here for you guys too!

Enjoy!

First family going to church
The First family consists of two lawyers who met while co-workers at a white shoe law firm


This post was inspired when I heard my husband tell our 7 year old son that he had to impose “sanctions” on his lunch!

  1. You come in complaining about your brother hitting you and your mom asks you to state the basis of your complaint.
  2. You’re teasing your baby sister and your dad comes in from the other room and warns you to stop “badgering” your sister.

  3. You break the living room lamp and before your baby brother tattles on you, you know you have to decide whether or not to “plea guilty”

  4. You aren’t told to go to bed, but rather to “adjourn” your playing until tomorrow.

  5. You get your allowance in billable hour increments

  6. When doing your homework and you mess up, your mom makes you “re-draft” it.

  7. When you don’t eat your peanut butter sandwich, your dad tells you he is about to apply sanctions and put in apple slices instead of cookies in your lunch box for the next few days.

  8. You tell your mom “Timmy’s mom lets him eat snacks before dinner” and she tells you Timmy’s mom has no jurisdiction in YOUR house.

  9. You know what the word “mitigating” means and you’re only 4 years old.

  10. You get to get out of the corner early when your dad comes home and issues a “pardon”.

Ha!

Parents Enrolling their Kids in Elite Leagues are Killing Youth Sports 

 

 

The number of children playing team sports is falling, with experts blaming a parent-driven focus on elite travel clubs, specialization in one sport and pursuit of scholarships for hurting the country’s youth sports leagues.

Baseball, basketball, softball, soccer and touch football — long staples of American childhood — have all taken hits, worrying public health advocates, league organizers and professional sports organizations.

More than 26 million children ages 6 to 17 played team sports in 2014, down nearly 4 percent from 2009, according to a widely cited survey by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. Total sports played have plummeted by nearly 10 percent.

Some of the drop-off is attributable to the recession, particularly in low-income urban areas. But experts fear larger socioeconomic forces are in play, especially in the suburbs, where the shift to elite competition over the past two decades has taken a growing toll: Children are playing fewer sports, and the less talented are left behind in recreational leagues with poor coaching, uneven play and the message that they aren’t good enough. Seventy percent of kids quit sports by age 13.

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THIS is What a Postpartum Body Really Looks Like, Photographer Exhibit Shows (VIDEO)

natalie mccain

Editorial photographer Natalie McCain wants to keep it all the way real when it comes to portraying a real woman’s body after she has welcomed a child.

As part of The Honest Body project that she started to end body-shaming and promote self-love, the Rockledge, Florida photographer captured new mothers in vulnerable black and white photos baring their post-baby bodies.

The collection is titled “After the Baby is Born” and you can view more of the images McCain is exhibiting HERE!

The purpose of the series is to help women love their figures and not feel pressured to have to bounce back after childbirth.  – without feeling any pressure to ‘bounce back’ after childbirth.

“Society puts so much pressure on women to ‘bounce back’ after giving birth and I want to help break that cycle,” she explained on her website. “These women are baring their hearts and souls to help show the variations of bodies after giving birth.”

Learn more about the project from this video:

h/t Daily Mail

Teen Invents stroller for Wheelchair-bound New Moms (VIDEO)

A Detroit high school student has invented a stroller for wheelchair bound moms who want to take their babies for a walk.

Alden Kane, a student at the University of Detroit Jesuit High School, created a custom adaptable stroller as part of his STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) class.

The inventive teen said it took 6 months of planning and 6 months of construction to build a prototype. He gifted it to a local mother Sharina Jones, who had just had a baby and wanted to take her  son out on nice days.

“A lot of my friends have babies and they are out, running with their babies in the stroller and I thought, ‘What am I going to do?'” she told FOX 2.

Kane consulted with Jones during her pregnancy and before she gave birth.  He worked hard to complete the project before Jones’ July due date.

“The biggest priority is to make it safe for baby, of course,” Kane told the news outlet. “And then, also you really want to make it independent for the mother.”

In the end, Kane used lightweight metal tubing that easily clips onto the wheelchair and safely holds the weight of a baby in a car seat.  Given the success of his prototype, Kane says he hopes to make the device accessible to more people.

Kane says he hopes to eventually apply for a patent for his invention.

h/t HuffPo





The $132,000 Mini-Van rich Soccer Moms Pre-Ordered Years Ago is HERE!

tesla model x signature

Tesla unveiled its long-awaited crossover SUV aimed at the safety-conscious soccer mom…oh who has $132,000 in her back pocket to spare for this vehicle.

But wait…before Tesla unveiled its new Model X SUV last Tuesday, it had already secured at least 30,000 pre-orders, mainly from North America!

Wowza! Sight unseen. Test-drive undone. Yup!

Some won’t even get their SUVs delivered until 2016.

During a Tuesday exhibition in San Francisco before journalists, Tesla’s founder Elon Musk unveiled the Signature Model X and showed off all its fancy features like computer controlled “falcon wing” doors that open on the side. It has super ultrasonic sensors to prevent the doors from dinging nearby vehicles in the mall parking lot.

It boasts an ultra-thin profile and the rear seats can scoot forward by themselves — even with baby still strapped in his infant carrier, so other passengers can access the back of the SUV.  Fancy.

 Signature Model X

Tesla founder Elon Musk unveils the Signature Model X

It has a dual-motor, all-wheel drive system, and will be the first EV-SUV of its kind to have towing ability.

And if you need speed, the Signature Model X line will go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph.

“This thing goes so fast it’s wrong,” Musk said at the event.

Tesla promised to release this model in 2013 and it has been delayed successively, perhaps because as Musk explained Tuesday, it was “the most difficult car in the world to build.”

Musk admitted that he could have sold the cars without the extra bells and whistles they added to it, like a panoramic windshield and an air-filtration system with a “bioweapon defense mode.”  No Zombie apocalyptic germs will get in this puppy!

The Model X has a triple-layer-carbon air filter that can virtually eliminate all bacteria from the cabin.

In August, Tesla had received “22,538 reservations for the SUV in North America, which is its largest market. The figure represents 75% of the global reservations. 21,193 Americans and 1,346 Canadians are eagerly waiting for their Model X,” Business Finance News reported.

interior tesxla signature model x

Designing and constructing Interior back rows were blamed for the delay in relesase

The company obtained 4,680 orders from Europe, which reflects 16% of the global orders. Asia Pacific only contributes 9% of the worldwide reservations with 2,809 orders. In Asia Pacific, Tesla has received 2,345 orders from China, 366 from Hong Kong, and 98 from Australia.

Don’t fret, lowly middle class families, Musk revealed that it will start work on its Model 3, a lower-cost sedan that could retail around $35,000.  You just have to wait a little while longer given production on that version won’t begin until two years from now.

Whoa!

photos: Teslarati

VIRAL: After 17 Years Trying to Conceive, Wife Delivers Shocking News to Husband (VIDEO)

dana griffin

After 17 years of trying to have a baby including one stillborn at six months and four miscarriages, Dana Griffin-Graves and her husband Arkell had given up hope of ever having a baby on their own.

“It just didn’t work out, so we kind of gave up,” Dana told Buzzfeed about her and her husband’s repeated unsuccessful attempts.

But after going to the doctor to inquire about suspicious weight gain, Dana learned she was 5 months pregnant with a son but never knew.

In this video, which has since gone viral with over 6 million views on YouTube, watch Arkell’s tearful response when he learns the news.

dana griffin-graves arkell graves

She placed a photo of the ultrasound next to a pack of buns in the oven and set it up for her husband to open the oven. Creative.

Grab your tissues. This is a tear jerker.

 

>photos: Facebook

Dads: Your Kids Will Appreciate you in 20 years if you Do These 6 Things

Bellyitch rewind

 

by Leon Scott Baxter

When I was growing up, I thought my dad was a freak. 

He wore strange clothes, said weird things, and listened to horrible music. In fact, he used to sit on the living room floor wearing giant headphones listening to his vinyls.

Every now and then he’d unplug the headphones and let his music fill the house (I didn’t like these moments): Elton John, Simon & Garfunkle, and Cat Stevens.

I couldn’t stand this music…because it was his music. I boycotted any songs, all artists that my father enjoyed, because I wanted to disassociate myself with his out-of-date, old hat, lyricists.

Twenty years later, when I was all about getting those eleven CDs for a penny (remember those promos?), I’d choose my Sugar Ray and Lenny Kravitz, but I’d find myself always throwing in some kind of out-of-date, old hat Elton John or Cat Stevens-like artists. Why? Because although my dad really was a freak, he did have good taste in music.

Sometimes it takes time for kids to appreciate their fathers and what they do. I guess it’s a form of delayed gratification.

If you want to be the dad that your adult children will appreciate, here are six easy ways to get ‘er done.

  1. Avoid Courtesy Smiles

If your kid just ain’t cutting it, don’t pretend he is. My daughter loves basketball, but she’s not great yet (saying she’s good might even be a stretch, but I love the girl). One day she asked, “Papa, do you think I’ll ever play in the WNBA?”

Sure, I could have smiled and fibbed, “Of course, you’ll definitely play pro basketball,” but it’s crucial we keep our children grounded…without breaking their hearts. So, I replied, “If you want to be in the WNBA, you’ll have to practice a lot more.”

Keeping it real, while offering a way to keep the door open to their dream is ideal. And, kids know when we’re buttering them up, anyway. Young people perform better when adults express sincere expectations for them.

  1. Beat ‘Em At Checkers

Too many dads let their kids beat them at checkers, Chutes and Ladders or tennis. They feel it would break their little one’s heart if she lost to Dear Old Dad. Wrong! She will be so thankful one day that you didn’t.

Because I was a fast runner in school, I would challenge my mom to races, and she never let me win. She’d always beat me by a stride or two. It didn’t damage my psyche. On the contrary, it gave me something to shoot for. As I got swifter, Mom would run faster, still barely beating me.

I still remember the day. I was twelve-years old, and I beat my mom in a foot race. Ecstatic, I asked her, “Did you let me win?”

“No, you won fair and square.” That triumph meant something to me. By my mom not letting me win, I learned resilience. I learned how to lose, and I learned to appreciate a true victory.

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Hurricane Preparedness: 3 Things you Must Do to Secure Your Family Pet

disaster preparedness for animals

Hurricane Joaquin is currently threatening East Coast residents with heavy rains and dangerous flooding. In the rush to get ready for the heavy storm the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) wants pet owners to remember to include the family pet in their disaster preparedness and evacuation plans.

We’re in the middle of updating our disaster plan and running family drills and we now have pets but I did forget about our two guinea pigs but they need to be in the plan too.  We’re grateful to be able to share the following three things the AVMA recommends we do:

1.Have a pet carrier for transportation and temporary housing. Be sure your pet’s carrier is large enough for your dog or cat to stay in comfortably for a few days. If you evacuate to a shelter, your pets will have to spend most of their time in their crates. Cat owners should also plan on creating temporary litter boxes. These can be simply put together with a small cardboard box, plastic bags for liners, and litter.

2. Have a disaster preparedness kit. Include at least a week’s worth of food and fresh water, any medications your pet is on and a current prescription, as well as any health and medical records. The kit should also include a photo of you and your pets for identification purposes; a list of local pet friendly hotels, friends and relatives that can house you, and a local veterinarian; and first aid supplies.

3. Have proper identification for your pets. During a disaster or evacuation, the likelihood of being separated from your pets is much higher, and proper identification is the only way to ensure you’ll be reunited. Identification tags should have your name and cellphone number as well as the name of friends or relatives who lives outside of your area. Luggage identification tags make good temporary tags for your pet during a disaster. Your pet should also have a microchip with updated contact information.

Have a plan. In the event of an evacuation, know where you’re going and how you’ll get there with your pets.

The AVMA has a number of additional resources on hurricane preparedness and response. You can view these resources on the AVMA website at HERE!

Good stuff! Follow these tips!

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