The 5 Destinations I think You Should Consider for Your Babymoon

Posted on February 4, 2016

Much is said about the importance of new parents getting a babymoon in before the delivery of a newborn, especially for first time parents who may be woefully unprepared for the drastic and dramatic shift in their lives to come.

I don’t believe they were en vogue when I was first pregnant, but if I could go back in time and do it again, these would be my top 5 destinations and why:

La Jolla Cove, California– This quaint Orange County city is an absolutely fab place to get away to for several reasons. It’s near the water and provides a wonderful place to have a late evening picnic or to watch the sun rise or set. It boasts a generous amount of day spas for getting a pregnancy massage or a couple’s massage. It has lovely restaurants, boutique shops and brand name exclusive shops along the main boulevard. It’s moments away from bustling down town San Diego where you can find a live band in any genre playing at the varying pubs, clubs, nightspots and hangouts there. Highly rated. I loved going there on my one year wedding anniversary and would highly recommend it as a baby moon destination. If I could live my life over again, I’d apply to get into the University of San Diego which is near this town. Yeah. I love this area that much.

Las Vegas, Nevada- You wouldn’t ordinarily think this is a wonderful place for a pregnant woman to go especially since many people smoke at the various casinos that litter that town. However, to the contrary, there is a variety of entertainment options offering from Cirque du Soleil to Vegas show girl caberets to world class concerts from music industry legends. Prince, Toni Braxton, Celine Dion and others all headlined major nightly shows there. Even if you go there for a weekend, you’re bound to take in a lot of sights and entertainment. And every time I go, I notice a brand new “it” hotel to supplant the one that was the hottest only a few years prior. Don’t sleep on Vegas as a baby moon option. You can’t get knocked up twice. So what happens in Vegas can stay in Vegas.

Saint Marteen and Saint Martin, West Indies. This twin island which is a Dutch property to the South and French one to the north provides visitors all the pleasures of vacationing in Europe but with the extra plus of being in a warm tropical hotspot surrounded by water. The few times I’ve visited, I was able to escape to the the North and take in the villas of the French side or walk into a bakery and greeted by the shopkeeper telling me “Bon Soir” just as if I were in Nice. I could also appreciate the wonderful international flavor of its multicultural population. Locals speak over 8 different languages and as you walk from one block to the next you are bound to hear people talking in different tongues. On the Dutch side, there is gambling and haggling. St. Maarten is known as one of THE best places to get a deal on jewelry. Then for an added bonus, for the fee of the price of a tiny ferry, you can take a day trip over to the even tinier island of Anguilla, a famous and often visited getaway for many A-list celebrities because of how secluded the villas and rented mansions are. It’s a great place to go to really get away and loaf on a quiet beach. Love Love it

Paris, France – It’s not called the city of love for nothing. The museums, cultural sights, restaurants and shopping make this an ideal destination for any occasion. It may be a long while after baby comes that you will be comfortable either traveling with a baby, small child or children or okay leaving the kids for a Paris trip. While you have the opportunity, it may be a great time to take this sojourn across the ocean and to Europe.

Local Bed and Breakfast – Because not everyone has the budget, time away from work option or interest in traveling too far from family or the doctor or delivery hospital while pregnant, taking advantage of a quick weekend getaway to a nearby inn, bed and breakfast or hotel could do! There are sometimes specials on sites like GroupOn, LivingSocial and other sites that can be taken advantaged of and it saves the cost of car rental and air flight. You can plan to catch a play, movie or head to a local lounge or nightclub in the day and then order in, watch movies, chill by the hotel pool and vege at night. It’s a great option for those who already have kids and want some quiet time alone.

All these options are wonderful for mom and for dad who may have had to deal with an irritable, irate and demanding wife for nearly 9 months. Getting away on a baby moon gives couples that time to reconnect and rededicate their love one last time before the restless nights begin with a new baby!

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Packing Your Hospital Bag: Leave These 12 Things You’re Not Gonna Need At Home

Posted on February 1, 2016

Listen, you know all those baby prep books you’ve read that give you super long lists of stuff you need to pack to take with you for labor and delivery when it’s time to welcome your new baby? Okay, you’re not gonna need most of that stuff. Now, you may feel some comfort and security knowing that you have your 90s soft rock 3-disc CD to take your mind off of labor pains, but most likely, it won’t make it out of your suitcase.

Besides all the useless and uncessary things you’ll chorale to the hospital, you’ll have additional things, flowers, gifts, balloons and baby stuff to add to the pile and schlep back home. To save you the trouble and hassle, here is our old tried and true list of 12 things you can leave home and spare your poor partner the back pain.

Newborn diapers– Hospitals provide all the diapers the baby needs during the stay and even send you home with extra starter packs
Nursing cover -There is no need for modesty in your hospital room in your hospital bed. The nurses have seen plenty of boobs in their career. If guests visit while you’re nursing, you can ask them to wait outside until you’re done feeding the baby. Most people won’t get offended.
Wipes– Most hospitals use a very thick napkin that they wet with water and wipes contain elements that aren’t good for a newborn’s skin.
Diaper Cream -Most likely the baby won’t be born with a diaper rash and won’t develop one within the first2-3 days of his life while in the hospital. If he does, the hospital has sample cream to use. Those tubes and jars can add weight to an already stuffed take home bag
Any childbirth class notes or guidelines and labor hints: Really now? Do you think in the midst of breathing through labor pains you’re gonna want to review your notes?
Underwear– Many hospitals provide the most comfortable mesh disposable ones that you will love to use instead of messing up your own. The joke among my friends is that they are the special order Victoria Secret mesh panties for new moms.
iPod or music player – with music selections to help with relaxation Besides being outdated and taking up too much space, piping Gregorian Chants or Enya in the room may be a distraction for the hospital staff, interrupt with monitoring equipment and/or disturb a neighboring laboring moms. If you have a smartphone that has the capability of accommodating music, download music on there and bring your headphones. It takes up less space than bringing your phone AND ipod.
Receiving blankets- The hospital provides plenty that you can take home even afterwards. Save all the cute baby shower gifts for home.
Two regular-sized bed pillows (in bright, distinctive, hard-to-lose pillowcases)- The Hospital or maternity center provide enough. If you are a germaphobe, think the hospital’s pillow cases may be too rough or want something familiar from home, just bring the pillowcases and replace the hospital’s cases. They take up less space.
Baby’s “memory” book – for footprints or staff names and guest signatures Nice idea if you have someone who will remind guests to sign because you’ll be consumed with baby, nursing, caring for yourself, and will likely forget.
Entertainment items (books, crayons, games) for children are to visit in hospital – A lot of hospitals don’t permit young children in the maternity wards, but for those who do and if children come to visit they may not be staying THAT long to get bored and need entertainment. As for other people’s children, it’s not your job to tote extra crap to entertain your friends’ kids.
Clothes for hospital baby photo AND clothes for baby to wear home You only need one of these. Either or. The kid shouldn’t be a fashionista YET that she can’t be seen in the same outfit twice. You can simply put on the outfit before the photo and take it off afterward. If you can, schedule your photo the same day and around your discharge time.

The Extra Crap you don’t NEED but you CAN bring (eh hem, especially if you are a diva or fashionista):

Make up– because you don’t want to end up on Facebook looking like you just went through a train wreck. If your goal is to look like Khloe Kardashian after she delivered Mason or at least attempt to, then you’re gonna want some make up.
Towels- Because the hospital ones are usually washed a lot and can be itchy.
Your own toilet paper – Hospital toilet paper can be thin. Your delicate bum may want something soft then
Your Own Plush Robe – For accepting visitors, walks to the nursery to visit baby and /or walking off the gas for those who have c-sections.
A spare bag – You can use it to store the extra stuff you’ll have to carry home.

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Overdue? Here are 5 Ways to Naturally Induce Your Labor

Posted on January 31, 2016

Bellyitch Rewind

Premature birth may worry you as it worries most expectant parents but becoming overdue can also bring its own concerns and difficulties, and knowing natural ways to induce your labor could be helpful. As you become larger, sleeping can become more challenging. It becomes increasingly more difficult to get into a comfortable position as does breathing as your lungs become more crowded due to your overgrown uterus. If your baby stays in too long then there are risks associated with this, most commonly that your baby could pass meconium. If you find yourself overdue and are seeking advice to naturally help induce labour then the following is a list of ideas to do exactly that.

Sex– is often prescribed by doctors to help induce labour because the prostaglandins in semen help soften and prepare the cervix to dilate.
Herbs – hundreds of years ago midwives used herbs to prepare mothers for pregnancy, labour and birth. This was before the invention of pitocin. You must be very cautious with herbs of any kind as they can cause great damage if the correct dosage is not administered. Black cohosh, available in capsules or teas is commonly used to induce labour and can be with or without alcohol. During birth, black cohosh can help strengthen and regulate uterine contractions. Other herbs which have similar effects are red raspberry leaf and false unicorn root. These particular herbs have natural chemicals which are released into the woman’s body and stimulate the baby to encourage her to move and get positioned for birth. Herbs should not be used until the cervix is ready to open as they will not work until then. Beware of some herbs which can be dangerous to you or your baby such as aloe vera, bungleweed and pokeroot as these are some of the herbs that can cause premature birth or birth defects. Always consult a doctor before self-medicating with herbs. Primrose oil is used to induce labour as it has a comparable effect to semen in the cervix by softening and ripening it.
Castor Oil – is taken by some women as a natural method of bringing on labour. The theory being that the diarrhoea and cramping it causes also causes contractions that can induce labour. It is unpleasant to taste but two tablespoons can be mixed into another drink such as a juice. It is advised to consume castor oil in the morning as you will be woken in the night with the cramping and diarrhoea if you take it in the evening. There are risks with taking castor oil such as the expectant mother becoming dehydrated because she has diarrhoea and also it increases the risk of the baby passing meconium while still in the uterus.
Nipple Stimulation – for hundreds of years nipple stimulation has been used by women to help induce labour. It has an effect of releasing a natural form of pitocin called oxytocin. Similarly to pitocin, oxytocin triggers contractions that can bring on labour. This method for naturally inducing labour is only effective near to your due date and when you are ready to give birth. Before forty weeks, it is not advisable to induce labour. The nipples can be stimulated manually or a breast pump can be used. Care needs to be taken as your uterus can become hyperstimulated. Only stimulate one nipple at a time and rest immediately once you notice contractions. Wait at least fifteen minutes after the contractions have stopped before resuming. If you do not get any rest between contractions other problems can arise.
Be Active – whilst most doctors advise you to slow down and reduce your activities as you approach your due date, it is also helpful to remain active as long as you do not cause yourself any stress. Walking a wee bit more than usual and slowly swinging your hips from side to side can help induce labour by stimulating your baby and getting her moving into the birthing position. If you fancy some fun, sex is always a good idea as I mentioned before because along with semen helping the cervix to soften, the female orgasm produces a hormone which aids childbirth.

Other methods women have used include acupressure and eating spicy foods, but watch out for possible nausea with spicy food and medical research has not yet supported this idea as definitely being beneficial.

God luck! Godspeed! And safe labor and delivery to you!

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Summer Camp Slots Are Filling Up but Here are 10 Alternatives to Summer Camps

Posted on January 30, 2016

Even though Summer Camp slots have already started filling up, there are plenty alternatives out there for parents to consider.

Can you believe it is already time to start scoping for and signing up your little ones for summer camps already? Yup! By the middle of February, most of the best and most popular camps are already filled and only taking children for the wait list.

Here is a website that attempts to curate all the camps nationwide for you to peruse: www.summercamps.com. Get on it, parents!

If you are thinking of alternatives, and or if you are on a tight budget and camp may be out of the question this year, there are plenty of alternatives for you to consider.

Here are 10 we posted previously, shared again for your convenience:

Volunteer Programs – Older children can learn a sense of civic responsibility and the importance of helping others by spending part of their summer participating in a local volunteer program. Animal lovers among the smaller set may be thrilled with the idea of helping at a local animal shelter, while others may enjoy working with a local charity or visiting a local retirement community.
Community Day Camps – Community centers in most cities offer summer day camp programs, allowing kids to enjoy all of the fun activities that are a part of a sleep-away camp without the stress of spending weeks away from the familiarity of home.
Religious Summer Programs – Many places of worship offer vacation workshops and other similar programs with a theme of religious instruction during summertime, which may be an ideal choice for devout families. Kids can spend the summer among peers who share their spirituality, learning about their family’s belief system through arts and crafts, story time, and other kid-friendly activities.
Arts Workshops – Many art museums offer programs specifically tailored to budding art aficionados; local universities may also host summer programs for children staffed by students with education or arts majors. University programs may include visual art, musical instruction, or theater programs, depending upon your area.
Sports Clinics – Pint-sized athletes are sure to love spending the summer honing their skills, which makes a local sports clinic the ideal choice. These programs keep kids physically active, which is a huge plus for parents who are concerned about the sedentary lifestyle that many children adopt when school ends. Rather than spending hours in front of the television or the computer, kids who participate in a sports clinic can enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and exercise while becoming stronger and more skilled athletes.
Academic Programs – During summer vacation many school systems still offer programs for academically gifted children. Some programs even focus on peer-tutoring, allowing more advanced students to offer assistance to classmates who struggle in some areas, which can build a sense of social consciousness. Alternatively, many programs feature an emphasis on building and expanding gifted kids’ already-impressive knowledge base.
Scouting – While the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America do have summer camps for their troop members scattered across the country, plenty of troops stay home during summer vacation to participate in locally-based scouting activities. School vacations provide active scouts with the opportunity to earn merit badges and other achievements, which can be difficult to do during the hectic school year.
Family Day Trips – Families can spend their summer vacation taking a series of fun and exciting day trips. Visiting the zoo, the park, or a children’s center during the dog days of summer are surefire cures for the boredom and inertia that often sets in around mid-July.
Visiting Extended Family – Today’s families tend to be more spread out than in previous generations, so kids might not get to spend as much time with members of their extended family as they would like. While spending a few weeks at summer camp might be daunting for some kids, visiting a favorite family member during summer vacation might not be as stressful.
Family Camping Trips – Skipping a sleep-away summer camp doesn’t mean that kids have to forgo the camping experience altogether; outdoorsy families can plan a camping trip that keeps everyone together and costs far less than sleep-away camp fees.

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4 Mobile Tech Tools for Grocery Shopping

Posted on January 29, 2016

Whether you have grown up kids, are a new parent or are expecting to be one soon, you know that grocery shopping for a family is a weekly, if not daily, battle. You want high-quality food and household products at a fair price with as little hassle as possible, right? Luckily, the world of technology and mobile accessibility has made grocery shopping a lot easier and convenient. These apps and tools will help make your trips to the store shorter, simpler and a lot less stressful.

Shopping List Apps

You know that feeling of frustration when you get to the store and realize you accidentally left your list at home. You also know that you will most likely forget something you need and have to go back to the store later. It’s easy to do when you are relying on pieces of paper that are frequently lost or forgotten.

But one thing you are likely not to forget when leaving the house is your cellphone. There are several apps you can download to your phone that help you make organized lists that you can access anywhere. PCWorld recommends several apps, such as Clear, which is a list-making app you can use for groceries, chores or anything else. There are also shopping list-specific apps such as Grocery Gadget and Grocery IQ, which have large databases of frequent grocery items as well as an option to scan barcodes to add something to your list.

Virtual Coupon Clipping

Flipping through stacks of newspaper ads and carefully cutting coupons while trying to keep them all organized is an arduous task to say the least. It’s even more so when you get to the store with your stack of clipped coupons to find out they’re expired. Luckily, you can clip coupons online and on your mobile device and redeem them at the store. Many big-name stores today have apps with coupon redemption options; for example, Target’s Cartwheel app gives you exclusive discounts you can’t get with any other coupons.

If you want all of your coupons in one place, however, Consumer Reports recommends using tools such as Coupons.com that keep coupons from every store you shop in one place. Grocery IQ, the list-making app, also recently added a feature that automatically brings up any possible discounts for products on your lists.

Online Recipe Geo-Tags

Many people search online for recipes when they are planning meals for the week. To add to the convenience of online recipes, many sites are now implementing a geo-tag option on the recipe page that shows you discounts on ingredients at stores in your area. For example, Kraft’s recipes show deals in your zip code as you scroll down the list of ingredients. You can check items you have or make a list of ones you need as well as find a coupon for the products you are going to buy.

Ordering Groceries Online

Large chain grocery stores such as Safeway launched online grocery ordering and delivery services a few years ago, but they were slow to take off. This was mainly because people didn’t want to wait several days to get the items they needed. Today, however, grocery delivery services have expanded and improved, and now you can get almost anything on your list delivered the same day you order it.

I recently used Drzly to order alcohol and wine for friends and discovered for a small delivery fee of $5 it was way less than shipping wine from established retailers. I plan to use them often. Sign up for them using my code: https://drizly.com/i/crvut

Epicurious outlines some of the best options for grocery delivery services, such as Instacart and Google Express, which do your shopping for you and deliver to your home, usually for a yearly or monthly fee. Other stores like Whole Foods and Amazon Prime Now offer their own delivery services that are available in as little as one hour.

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Tips

20 Easy Super Bowl Party Recipes for the Big Game

Posted on January 28, 2016

Are you hosting a casual Super Bowl Party this year at your home? If you need ideas for some low fuss food and drink recipes, I curated a list of 20 for you to consider as you plan and prep for your hosting and the festivities!

Enjoy!

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The 7 Reason Mothers Don’t Take Alone Time (INFOGRAPHIC)

Posted on January 26, 2016

It would be unheard of for an employed person to work 365 days of a year without taking a vacation. Motherhood involves 24 hour work at times, yet many moms do not take alone time. There are many reasons mothers don’t get much needed alone time. Sometimes it’s the circumstances and sometimes we get in our own way. Here are 7 reasons (and an infrographic) why personal time escapes many mothers.

Mothers have to do everything – Some moms believe that nothing, absolutely nothing, will get done without them. They need to oversee every detail of family life and make sure things are running smoothly. As long as they have that outlook and it works for everyone concerned, chances are nothing is going to change.
Perfectionism – The perfect mother doesn’t need alone time, or so she thinks. Trying to live up to the unattainable image of the supermom is a sure way to crash and burn.
Demanding kids – Sometimes little ones can be extremely demanding; Mom cannot even go to the bathroom alone. Children like this want to know where Mommy is every minute and she’d better not get out of their eyesight. The idea of alone time for such a mom is just a pipe dream.
Absentee Fathers– If you have a husband that doesn’t support your alone time, it might be much harder to get. Some fathers are kind enough to take the kids while Mom goes off and does something she wants to do or maybe even stays home and takes a bubble bath. But for the mother who doesn’t have that kind of support at home, finding the time to be by herself can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Mothers who don’t have a backup parent or other family support around them can find it especially difficult to find time for themselves. Trading babysitting favors with other single moms and making time in the early morning or late evenings when the kids are in bed may be options for these moms.
Over scheduled – Similar to the busy mom this mom is always on the go, but she has some down time. The only problem is that her down time is spent with other people. She’s waiting for the kids to do this or that, she’s at dance rehearsals or foot ball practice. With a little help she could actually manage to get some alone time in there somewhere.
Too busy – Some mothers are workaholics and doing too much all the time to take a break. Every minute is planned and used to the max. This mom gets tons of things accomplished, except perhaps some much needed self care.
Guilt feelings – There are mothers who just feel so guilt ridden about taking private time for themselves, they can’t bring themselves to do it. It feels as if they are stealing time away from the family.

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10 Ways to Sneak Whole Foods Into Your Family’s Diet

Posted on January 24, 2016

I struggle everyday to get my three kids to eat better and healthier whole non-processed foods. It’s not only important for their nutrient needs but also key for they maintaining a healthy weight.

It was great to get these 10 tips Aupair.org asked us to share with you on ways to incorporate more whole foods into your family’s diet and get on the path to healthier living.

1 Portion out fruits and veggies and keep them in the fridge for snacking. Kids and adults alike will readily grab a snack from the fridge if it’s convenient. The problem is that most of the time the most convenient options are chips and other unhealthy snack foods that come pre-portioned. Keeping pre-portioned baby carrots, apple slices, and other whole foods in individual containers in the fridge make them easier to grab, which makes them much more likely to be eaten. Eliminate the bad snack choices and offer only the healthy choices instead.

2. Add fruit to every meal. Most people like fruit because it’s a sweet snack option, but in a natural and healthy way. The FDA recommends that half your plate be filled with fruits and veggies. Fruit can also be mixed into a smoothie or consumed as a 100% juice. However when you can, choose whole fruits, because the fiber content of whole fruits is very important to a healthy diet according to the American Dietetic Association.

3. Make a salad for lunch. Instead of filling the kids up with white bread sandwiches for lunch try fixing them a salad. By adding things like dried and fresh fruit, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, and lots of different veggies to the lettuce base it becomes a tasty meal. By incorporating some of the kids’ favorites they will be more likely to eat the salad. If you are worried about protein feel free to add in some beans or lean meat.

4. Set aside one night a week to eat vegetarian. Call it Meatless Monday or Tofu Tuesday and make it a fun experience for your family. Make vegetarian lasagna using thinly sliced eggplant instead of pasta, and top it with plenty of low-fat cheese. Your family will be pleasantly surprised at how much it tastes like their old favorite. Soups are another easy way to go meatless, as are other pasta or casserole options.

5. Instead of a starch serve two vegetables. An easy way to get more vegetables into your family’s diet is by making two veggies with dinner. Leave out the pasta or potato that you might normally fix and serve a green salad and asparagus with a proper portion of meat instead.

6. Sweeten food with pureed fruit instead of sugar or syrup. If the kids normally enjoy waffles with syrup for breakfast, change it up so that they are eating whole grain waffles and some pureed strawberries or blueberries in place of the syrup. The natural sweetness from the fruit will make a nice alternative to the regular syrup topping.

7. Eat fruit for dessert. Sliced fresh fruit in a bowl with a little honey drizzled over it will make a light and refreshing end to any meal. To save money, try to look for fruits that are in season, or choose a good quality frozen fruit or fruit canned in its own juice. During the summer try grilled fruit for dessert.

8. Serve smoothies to your family for an on-the-go breakfast choice. Start with frozen fruit and you won’t need to add ice to the blender. If your kids don’t like veggies, you can easily hide them in a smoothie and they will never know, and for some extra protein blend in some Greek yogurt. These sweet concoctions can be made for four people just as easily as they can be for one, and offer a healthy option that’s perfect for the most important meal of the day.

9. Whole foods aren’t limited to just fruits and veggies. Anything that is consumed as close to how it appears in nature is considered to be a whole food. For instance, a baked or grilled chicken breast is unprocessed and unrefined, so it is a whole food and a very healthy protein choice, as are eggs and fish.

10. Add beans to everything. Okay, maybe not everything, but kidney beans can be added to sautéed ground turkey to make chili, and black beans can be added to some lettuce with some whole kernel corn, and fresh tomato salsa for a southwest salad. Beans are an easy, healthy way to bulk up nearly any savory meal.

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8 Ways to Increase Your Chance of Having Twins

Posted on January 21, 2016

A lot of women secretly wish they are carrying twins when they find out they are expecting. Actually, there are several factors that can increase a woman’s chance of her having twins.

Here are 8:

1.You Use Fertility Drugs or Treatments Advancements in fertility drugs and treatments are probably the two reasons most responsible for the increase in twins, triplets, quads and higher multiple births. Fertility drugs and treatments such as invitro fertilization can bring a Mom’s chances of having twins (or more) as high as 1 in 38. Be careful of your fertility drug if you don’t want to risk having multiples! There is one study that shows using Chlomid may increase your chances of having twins (or more!) to as high as 1 in 5.

You should definitely be having long discussions with your doctor about the real chances of having twins as part of your infertility treatment options. As wonderful as life with twins is, don’t take a friend’s prescription of Chlomid to increase your chances of having twins (this has happened!) Fertility drugs cause other side effects, and should never be taken without the supervision of a medical doctor.

2.You are an Older Mom There are several reasons why older moms (those over 30) see an increase in odds of having twins: Theory on Older Moms Increased Chances of Having Fraternal Twins The chance of having unassisted twins increases once Mom turns 30, and peaks around the time Mom turns 35 – 39. Your chance of having “unassisted” twins increases to 5% if you’re between the ages of 35 – 39. Science is looking at the theory that older women are more likely to conceive twins because of a rise in the production of a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The theory is higher FSH levels can cause some ovaries to be over stimulated and release two – or more – eggs in a cycle.

Theory on Older Moms Increased Chances of Having Identical Twins Another theory on why older Moms have higher odds of having twins is that, as Mom becomes older, her eggs become more brittle, and instead of dividing during the initial phases of the baby’s development, they split into two separate babies.

Increased Use of Fertility Drugs Women face decreased fertility over the age of 30. As a result, women in this age range are more prone to use fertility drugs, or other treatments, which increase the chances of having twins. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, about one-third of women between age 35 and 39 and two-thirds of women over 40 have fertility problems. If you are over 45, your chance of having twins is 17%. Who has the best odds of having twins or more using fertility drugs? If you’re brave enough to try having a baby when you’re over 50, your chance of having multiples is . . . 1 in 9.

3. Twins Run in Your Family “Do twins run in your family” is probably the second most common question asked to parents of multiples, right after “Are they twins????” The answer to the first question is, yes . . . and no.

If you, your mother, or your mother’s mother is a fraternal (dizygotic) twin your chances of having twins increases significantly. The main reason for this is an inherited a gene for “hyperovulation” – you release more than one egg during an ovulation cycle, which increases your ability to conceive fraternal twins.

Some experts also say that there is no correlation between Dad’s genetic background and the birth of twins. Other experts say that Dad may pass a ‘twin gene’ (the hyperovulation gene) from his side of the family to his daughter. Or the gene may be passed on to his son, who passes it on to HIS daughter – and so on.

Many experts also say identical (monozygotic) twins are not hereditary – identical twins are simply random by nature. Studies and research show that none of the ‘factors’ seen in increased twin births (fertility treatments, age, weight, hereditary, etc.) make any statistical difference in the chances of having identical twins. Many families with identical twins, however, beg to differ!

4.Your Track Record If you have given birth to one set of fraternal twins already, your chances of having twins again is about 1 in 12!

Even if you haven’t given birth to twins, the more children you have, the higher the odds of having twins are with your next pregnancy. By your fourth or fifth pregnancy, your likelihood of having twins is four times greater than it was during your first pregnancy.

5.Weight and Height The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recently released a study involving more than 50,000 pregnancies in the US that shows women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher saw an increase in chances of having twins. The study also found that taller women, in the 75 percentile for height, were also more likely to have multiples.

6.You are Nigerian You have increased odds of having twins if you are Nigerian. It is reported that Nigeria has the highest twinning rate in the world, about 1 in 22. A study concluded that the mother’s diet was the cause, being high in cassava, a type of yam or sweet potato. The peelings of this vegetable are thought to contain a chemical that causes hyperovulation.

7.You eat a pre-pregnancy diet rich in dairy and animal protein.A study performed by Gary Steinman, MD of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, compared the twin birth rate of Vegan Moms (moms who eat no animal products, including milk) to those Moms that consumed dairy and other animal products. It turns out that the milk-drinking moms were five times more likely to have twins over the Vegan moms.

8.Best Way to Guaranty you Have Twins

Although there are some things you can do to increase your chances of having twins, the only sure way to have twins in your family is to adopt. One of my friends has adopted not one but two sets of twins in her full house.

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Keep These 3 Things Secret When You’re Expecting

Posted on January 20, 2016

Bellyitch Rewind

Becoming pregnant can be a momentous occasion that new first time parents-to-be want to share with the entire world. However, there are many parents who have experienced miscarriage and pregnancy loss and have heard horror stories about people’s reactions to various aspects of a woman’s pregnancy when shared with well-meaning friends, family and colleagues.

As a result, some moms- and dads-to-be are cautious about sharing pregnancy and baby related news. When a woman is pregnant, she is particularly vulnerable and sensitive and frankly may not care or need to hear the various opinionated comments that will be hurled at her from all angles. One way to avoid comment, criticism and critique over a choice is to not tell anyone certain information.

1. That you are pregnant: Once the baby’s heartbeat can be seen AND heard, usually by the third month of a pregnancy, the likelihood that will be a viable pregnancy and that fetus growing to term increases exponentially. That is why most parents wait until after the third month to announce to friends. Many parents who do not know this rule make the mistake of announcing too soon and in the unfortunate case they miscarry are then left with the burden of having to tell dozens of people over and over again when they ask that they lost the baby. Therefore, the best rule is to not tell anyone, even the grandparents about the early pregnancy stages if you can help it. Yesterday, I was over a friend’s house and her mom inadvertently kept going on and on about her daughter being sick, not being able to eat shrimp or keep food down. Clearly, she was trying to let us know her daughter is pregnant and I’m certain this woman’s daughter does NOT want us to be among the first to know she and her husband are pregnant. France’s president Nicolas Sarkozy’s dad was the first to confirm accidentally that his daughter-in-law was pregnant before the couple wanted all to know.

2. The name of the baby: Often times, people have strong reactions favorable or unfavorable when you tell them the name you’ve selected for your soon-to-be-born child. Some people will try to talk you out of it or go on and on questioning why you chose that name. It can be annoying. To avoid this, simply don’t share the name. No one is entitled to know your name, not even close family members. Simply say we’re keeping the name private for now. Some will continue to prod. Most people, however, will get it and back off.

3. The gender: Well this may only apply if you are a celebrity and wanting to keep the gender a surprise for your spouse, other family or the public. Think Kelly Rowland to Beyonce’s baby gender news this weekend. Some parents who have two or more children of one gender may be better off just telling people it will be a surprise instead of revealing they’re going to be having yet another child of that same gender. Saves them all the pity looks and questions if they’re going to keep trying. At that point, they’re probably busy preparing for the arrival of the baby being gestated at the time.

Photo credit: CEBImagery.com via Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC

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