BumpNews

Singer Vanessa Carlton welcomes daughter

Posted on January 15, 2015

Congratulations to singer Vanessa Carlton on the birth of her daughter, Sidney Aoibheann, with husband John McCauley, yesterday, January 13.

The “Thousdand Miles” crooner tweeted the news today, “Thanks for all the sweet wishes on our daughter. She’s the quiet observer. We are in for it.

She also posted a sweet endearing photo of herself holding her brand new baby on her Instagram account.

The “Thousand Miles” singer announced the news of her pregnancy last June. Congrats!

Congrats Vanessa and John! Sidney Aoibheann Carlton-McCauley was born yesterday at 1:42pm, weighing in at 8lbs 1oz
A photo posted by Vanessa Carlton (@vanessacarltonofficial) on Jan 14, 2015 at 2:04pm PST

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10 tips for parenting your youngest child

Posted on January 13, 2015

Following up on our series on “How to Care for Your Eldest Child“, “How to Care for an Only Child“, “How to care for a Middle Child” and Rules for caring for Extrovert and Introvert Child, it is fitting we finally explore How to Care for your last born or the Youngest Child, using excerpted tips from The West Coast Wellness Group. Here are things to consider about the youngest child in the family that should help you in managing and rearing them.

1. Youngest children are unique in that they are never displaced by a newborn. They are the babies of the family, and in that way, they continue to be babied long into adulthood. Youngest tend to appear youthful throughout their lives. (Ronald Reagan was a youngest, a rarity for a US President.) Youngest children often receive a lot of attention from family because many feel responsible for taking care of them. Thus, youngest may be indulged, pampered and spoiled in ways that other children are not. Having experienced good things from others, youngest children may grow up expecting good things from life and therefore tend to be optimists rather than negative-thinking people.

2. Parents tend to be rather blase about the youngest after they come along. After all, they have already done some child-rearing tasks, and may not be as enthusiastic about this child’s accomplishments. Thus, the youngest has less expectations placed upon them and they tend to achieve less. Youngest children grow up having others make decisions for them and thus, as adults, have far less confidence about decision-making in early and mid-adult life. If teased – and youngest tend to be teased a great deal – they may become interested in working for people for whom they perceive as “powerless” in society. Occupations such as clergy, nurse, social worker, actor, singer and therapist are common professions for youngest children. The may be less ambitious than other sibling or birth order positions and are less likely to follow family traditions; creative or artistic pursuits can be a large draw for them.

3. Being the smallest in the family, youngest children quickly learned that being aggressive was ineffective; to get what they wanted youngests found that employing charm was much more useful. Another less desirable but perhaps arguably effective way of obtaining one’s wonts was pouting to get one’s way. Either way, it is some manner or form of manipulation that attempts to get what the person wants. Later in life the youngest may not need to use manipulative strategies, but nevertheless youngest tend to continue to be charming in nature.

4. Because their older sibling seemed to have the hold on the intelligence in areas such as scholarly academics, youngest children try to move in different directions in order to be content on their own terms. If an eldest child was the honor roll, the youngest may be in the school play or music room or creative writing class.

5. Youngest children are followers much more than leaders, and will happily follow a leader they respect. If a youngest finds themself in a leadership role, they are often well-liked, but their authority may not be taken seriously. In relationships, youngest children may be dependent on their older spouses and then rebel against them or their control.

6. Youngest children who have been treated well as children tend to be sociable, easy-going and friendly. If treated poorly as a child, they may be shy and irritable with others

7. Since they are used to being around lots of people, and have done so since birth, many youngest children are very social and enjoy being around people as much as possible. This can be trying at times for parents as youngest children may be very demanding of your time if there is not other child around to play with, or keep them occupied. However, it’s hard to argue with having a child who is outgoing, friendly and chatty, even if it is exhausting some of the time

8. In order to gain attention, and firmly establish their place in the family, youngest children need to be able to find unique ways to identify themselves. For this reason, they are frequently risk-takers and rebels. You may experience your youngest child as feisty and a bit of a smart aleck. This is his or her way of reminding you that being the youngest doesn’t mean being the most invisible. Fortunately, for many youngest children, the “cuteness” factor outweighs the potential for being annoying.

9. For many parents, by the time they get to the youngest (even of two) they feel they have “mastered” being a parent. They are therefore more relaxed and less anxious. Needless to say, this affects the way they parent the youngest child in comparison to older children. Youngest children typically experience a greater sense of independence and freedom.

10. Although, since they have one or more “mothers” and “fathers” disguised as older siblings, this doesn’t necessarily mean they behave more independently. In fact, some youngest children don’t want to be too independent because it will mean giving up that special place as the baby, which they so enjoy. They therefore allow their parents and older siblings to take care of and do things for them that they are actually capable of doing for themselves. This may or may not be a bad thing depending upon its severity and how everyone else in the family feels about it.

Dr. Susan S. Bartell, licenses psychologist adds “as with every child, your youngest will be challenging at times and, of course, wonderful at other times. As long as you do your best to learn about your child, make thoughtful parenting decisions and love all your children fully, your children will flourish and thrive happily.”

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Will Tamera Mowry-Housley’s second pregnancy announcement change how you see sponsored content by celebrities in social media?

Posted on January 5, 2015

Congratulations to one half of our favorite sets of celebrity twins, Tamera Mowry-Housley, who announced yesterday on her Instagram and Facebook accounts that she is expecting her second child with husband FOX News correspondent Adam Housley.

The couple are parents to 2-year old Aden. The new arrival, when born, will have mom’s twin, actress Tia Mowry Hardrict, for an aunty and her son with actor Cory Hardrict, 3-year old Cree Taylor for a cousin.

Mowry-Housley had been a spokesperson for the pregnancy testing brand Clear Blue since 2013 . She also mentioned the company in the share:

“We are thrilled to announce we are #ClearblueConfirmed! Can’t wait to meet baby #2! Love Clearblue’s pregnancy test with Smart Countdown. It helped me get through the wait to get my result by counting down with me. #spon,”

She likely is beyond 3 months and took the test a while ago and is only dong the announcement now for the promo opp.

I was noticing some of the negative reaction in social media and in comments section to the announcement over the fact that she included the words “#spon” in the post and used the moment to also promote the brand.

John Legend‘s controversial wife, model Chrissy Teigen, even threw in some shade

I wrote a couple years ago in March 2013 on my poli-tech blog about how the United States Federal Trade Commission had updated its regulations back then to require celebrities, bloggers and other social media personalities to indicate clearly and explicitly when they are getting paid in product or money to promote a product.

The purpose, of course, is the interest of transparency and full disclosure so audiences are aware they are being influenced by someone paid to advance a brand.

Tamera Mowry-Housley’s Pregnancy in 9 photos

As a blogger, I have railed for years against the fact that I see so many celebrities promote products daily that they are getting paid to social share but who fail to abide by the rules. Yet, there seemed to be a focus on bloggers, vloggers and other rising social media influencers to be compliant. Meanwhile, celebrities were violating the rules routinely and there seemed to be no interest in cracking down on them.

Technically, the brands are responsible more making sure celebs themselves do not break the guidelines and they, along with the celebrity, are responsible for any fines or repercussions of the violation.

As BabyCenter.com pointed out, Mowry-Housley was using her clutch to hide her bump at an industry event last month.

Now, given some of the negative reaction to Mowry-Housley’s announcement, with some people calling the share “tacky”, it’s easy to see why many choose to just omit the fact they were paid to promote a product or service.

Consumers, apparently, don’t take too well to paid promotions at all and will be less likely to trust the word of the person promoting the product if they feel there was compensation for it. They don’t find it as genuine. Perhaps it’s the same reason why people get up to use the bathroom during commercials but cannot avoid brands strategically placed on TV shows. Overt v. Subconscious.

It also probably has to do with the fact that people gravitate to blogs, online communities and social media to get the “real” experience and find dialogue. They probably find the exchanges there more trustworthy and honest than from scripted prose. It’s the same reason why people prefer reality TV or non-fiction television shows over scripted ones perhaps.

BUMP WATCH: Tamera Mowry-Housley’s Maternity Portrait

In any event, all of the ruckus will die down eventually and people will get over it.

Congrats to the family!

I am eager, however, to see if this announcement and the reaction to it will lead more celebrities and brands to continue to take the risk of an FTC fine by just not following the rules as they are already are.

….Or will it open up more audiences’ eyes to realize that they see thousands of product placements in tweets and IG shares daily and have been obliviously taking it all in and fine with it all the time.

Note they only got bothered when it was in their faces.

So it seems people don’t mind being “influenced” so long as they’re not told they are. So interesting. And with more news outlets picking up the announcement, ClearBlue is getting exposure beyond Mowry-Housley’s millions of followers.

Your thoughts? Do you see nothing wrong with using social media to promote a brand during your pregnancy announcement? Or do you think it shouldn’t be used for personal shares?

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Reviews

GRACO Modes Stroller Travel System Review & GIVEAWAY)

Posted on December 17, 2014

Baby and children’s product manufacturer Graco

sent Bellyitch to review one of its newest stroller systems, the Modes Click Connect 3 in 1 Stroller Travel System (valued $482) which can

accommodate a newborn to a toddler. It’s versatile, grows with baby and literally can be the only stroller you’d

ever need.

First

off, we start off with a pretty good base product. Over 12 years ago, I got my first Graco infant car seat and it was

wonderfully constructed, safe and durable and lasted me through several years. It truly is the industry standard

for those seats. It appears Graco has improved upon older models and taken the best part of stroller systems to come up with this latest product. Here is my review:

· It took me about 5 minutes to take out all the parts in the box

the stroller shipped in and within 15 minutes I had assembled all the parts

myself with no tools whatsoever. It was super easy! Most of the parts snapped in easily and the instructions

were quite intuitive.· From the hospital, a baby will spend most of its time inside the

infant seat. No need to disturb baby when you are going from car to the mall.

Simply snap the stroller into the buggy part of the stroller and go. If it will

be used as a buggy for a brisk walk out in the neighborhood, simply lay baby inside

the carriage part and you’re off. As baby grows out of the infant seat, the

back part easily adjusts and can be used as a toddler and pre-schooler

stroller. The back reclines for those moments when a small kid falls asleep. No

more toppling over or neck strains as with traditional umbrella strollers.·

The stroller easily collapsed with a pull of a lever in the back

and quickly snaps into place with one hand. It can be removed and added into

the trunk with one arm. This is important for when out alone with baby and not spare hands to help you out. The front wheels easily swivel for taking tight corners which is good for maneuvering around crowded and cramped areas.

· The canopy was made of pretty durable material, not flimsy at all so it looks like it could withstand the test of time. I liked the fact

that my sample was a dark navy because it made it unisex and can be used or

gifted to a mom expecting a baby or either gender.

·

The height is perfect for me who is just 5 foot 3 and my husband

who is 6 foot 3 to push and not have his shins hit up on the base.

·

The boot is very spacious and ample. I was able to stuff into it an

entire diaper bag, a spare blanket, a jacket and had room to spare.

·

The wheels were sufficient though they could’ve been a bit more

rugged so to withstand the test of time or being pushed through dirt, gravel, sidewalks

with cracks in them and other gritty terrain, occasionally.

It’s

a perfect gift for a soon to be or brand new mom because it would be all they’d

need for baby for a very long time.

And this year, we’re giving away our review edition to a deserving mom-to-be or new mom.

Check the blog tomorrow morning for details on the giveaway!

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History of that ubiquitous infant ward blanket all babies are wrapped in

Posted on October 30, 2014

Quartz writer, Lisa Selin Davis wanted to know why every newborn she saw posted in Facebook and other social media were wrapped in the same blanket in the hospital.

So she did some research and wrote a piece about it.

In short, in the 1950s, most receiving blankets that most hospitals used were dull beige. That was until Arkansas inventor A.L. Mills, with consultation of the women who worked in his Illinois-based healthcare supply company, Medline, came up with a white blanket with a blue-and pink-striped trim and starting selling them to hospital maternity wards.

They were a hit!

Eventually, 99% of all newborns were wrapped in the identical blanket that was good enough for boy or girl. It was part of the Kuddle-Up line, and though it sold other patterns, the Candy Stripe variation gets the most orders every year.

The Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston, NY, for example, purchased over 2,000 last year and uses up to 5 on each newborn.

Read more and see other Social Media pics of newborns swaddled in the blankets over at QZ.com

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Ultra Push Presents: 8 Expensive Gifts for that Mom who has Everything

Posted on October 11, 2014

It can be tough to shop for the posh mom (an expectant or new) who has everything. This one is for the dads and partners out there who were wondering what to give that woman who has everything.

1. Any mom would be happy to receive a Tiffany blue box, especially if in it there is a Tiffany & Co. Bezzet Yellow Diamond Ring in platinum with a yellow diamond in an 18k gold bezel setting. Cushioned in modified fancy intense yellow diamond, carat total weight 1.57 Get it at Tiffany’s for a mere $27,100.

2. If she is a bag freak and doesn’t already have one, you can get her the Hermes Matte Crocodile Birkin Bag which costs $120,000. Named after after British singer/actress Jane Birkin. The clasp of this tote, which is actually made out of a crocodile, features 10 carats of white diamonds. Less expensive bags are available starting at $5,000. Good luck finding one. Last I heard, there is a wait list. But Jet Set Socialite site that had the list has since gone off line.

3. If that rich mom in your life loves sweet spells, you can get her one of the world’s most expensive bottle of perfume, Clive Christian No. 1 which sells for $2,150 for 2 ounces. The perfume is an extravagant combination of Indian jasmine, mandarin and sandalwood. Its bottle is handmade from lead crystal, while the neck is 24-karat gold-plated sterling silver, set with a solitaire. Wow!

4. If that spoiled rich mom has a sweet tooth, she may appreciate getting a dark chocolate truffle from Knipschildt for $250. It sells for $2600 a pound. With candy that rich, you have to cherish every calorie.

5. My favorite gift is anything spa related. If your mom has time on her schedule, book her a spa trip to the Hotel Victor in South Beach (which was bought out by the Hyatt) It offers guests of its penthouse suite the opportunity to lounge in a tub filled with 1,000 liters of pure Evian water, fuchsia, and orange Gerber daisies. Serena Williams was the first to try out the $5,000 bath, which is given in a 350-gallon infinity tub. You can also snack on smoked salmon lollipops, foie gras and chocolate as you bathe.

6. A monogrammed robe. For the first weeks after the baby is born, a new mom will be restless, sleepless, and anxious trying to navigate her new role, nurse, recover and heal from the pains of labor and delivery and entertaining guests. It can be overwhelming. Nothing can make a new mom feel comfortable and comforted than being enveloped in a nice plush robe, especially during cold and crisp Fall or Winter nights. Having it monogrammed adds the nice extra special touch. For those in warmer climates, a pretty frilly robe in pastels, paisley or other feminine design can help a new mom feel sensual during a time when she may be dealing with bloating and other pregnancy side effects. Brookstone sells a nice one starting at $59.95.

7. Plush slippers- Many new moms experience water retention in their feet and legs during and immediately after giving birth. C-Section moms have it even worse because surgery creates even more water build up. As such, many moms quickly become to realize that they may not be able to fit into their old shoes and won’t for a while. A great warm and comfy pair of slippers would be an ideal for any new mom, for lounging around the home or just for slipping into after a day out and about on feet that are still recovering from childbirth. Ralph Lauren makes a comfy shearling slipper that retails for $75.

8. Anything from Tiffany’s – The sight of that little blue box can put a glimmer in any woman’s eye. For a new mom whose fingers may be swollen from retaining water, she may be upset and frustrated that she can no longer fit her wedding or engagement ring. Rather than put it away, wouldn’t it be a wonderful surprise to present her with a lovely chain to hang the rings on and wear around her neck so she can keep the symbol of your love and fidelity by her heart? Yes. Yes indeed. And as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of all things Tiffany’s related, believe me, that you are sure to find a necklace in a variety of budgets at Tiffany’s.An Elsa Peretti Pendant Chain sells for $185.00 and can fit a ring easily along with the alphabet pendant bearing either the mom’s or new baby’s initial.

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Woman becomes first womb transplant patient to give birth, Gives cancer patients hope

Posted on October 4, 2014

A woman born without a uterus gave birth last month to a baby using an implanted womb she got from a friend in her 60s, the BBC reports.

The baby, a boy born in September at 36 weeks gestation, was from one of 11 embryos produced from the woman’s working ovaries via IVF at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

After the IVF, doctors implanted a womb from a 61-year old friend donor who had gone through the menopause seven years prior.

Doctors gave the woman, who has asked for anonymity, drugs to suppress the immune system so her body wouldn’t reject the new womb.

A year after the transplant, doctors implanted the frozen embryos in the woman which eventually led to a pregnancy, medical journal The Lancent notes.

The baby’s father told the Associated Press his son was “amazing” adding “he’s no different from any other child, but he will have a good story to tell.”

This is welcome news for other women born without wombs and cancer patients who lose their functioning womb following treatment.

Before, their only option to have a genetic baby would have been gestational surrogacy.

This is not the first highly publicized womb transplant case.

Last year, a 22-year old Turkish woman, also born without a womb, got pregnant following a womb transplant from a dead donor, but unfortunately suffered a miscarriage.

No news whether she was able to eventually have a baby, if not by carrying it herself, through other means.

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How rich parents can be friendlier than middle class ones

Posted on September 16, 2014

I had the fortunate privilege of attending the US Open

Finals this year (and last) riding the coat tails of one of my friends who is

an avid tennis fan and who secures plum tickets each year.

After this year’s tournament, I was having an online conversation with

friends, and one pal mentioned how she will be taking her daughter there

regularly, taking note at how friendly everyone was there.

I agreed. If you were

to guage by all the anti-rich sentiments that circulate in progressive political

circles, you’d think wealthy people were the worst type of people on earth.

But those attending the US Open were/ are usually overwhelmingly

affluent and with sponsors like Rolex, Mercedes Benz, and Ralph Lauren‘s Polo it’s no wonder

as those brands have studied and know the demographic.

The online exchange reminded me of the time I realized that

I sometimes prefer meeting new rich friends than middle class and upper middle class

ones.

I know it sounds

shallow but if you think about it, rich people are stereotyped to be snooty,

snobby and perceived to always be looking down on others.

Those in the lower and middle socioeconomic class are thought

by many to be more compassionate and caring for their fellow man.

My experience has in at least one social experience was the opposite.

After I had my first child in 2002, I was working at an

international law firm at the time and was blessed to have had 6 months paid maternity

leave – virtually unheard of in the US.

I had loads of time on my hands. Back then, the national play

and learn centers Gymboree gave away one free visit for each location.

So each week, I would schedule first time visits and would pack

up my newborn and go visit all the

Gymboree centers around the DC Metropolitan area to see which one was the best

fit. There were about 4 or 5 of them.

At each center, my baby boy and I would be joining an

already existing class session or one that had just started. We would have to reach out to friend other

parents and babies there. Each session

started with a few minutes of free unstructured play, then parents got a chance to formally introduce

themselves and their baby during the formal circle play time. After it, we’d

have a few moments of free play again during the hour to 2 hour play sessions. This is when you’d schedule play dates outside

of class or just try to make new friends, generally.

I immediately noticed a pattern.

At the centers that were located in middle to upper middle

class neighborhoods , I found the moms (and dads sometimes) weren’t too open

and friendly. They would look at me and turn their heads and not necessarily

respond to my friendly hand or smile to connect. They’d stick to chatting with

the friends they already knew. Bummer.

Only during the formal circle times, if we were asked to

share where we worked or what we did for a living, I discovered that once some

of these parents learned I was an attorney and then working at a major law

firm, that only then would they start speaking and would gravitate over to me

and my baby. Curious.

That was not the case in the super affluent areas, at the centers

where every SUV parked out front was of some supreme luxury brand. My experience was that the moms were generous

and open and welcoming from the beginning. I didn’t get a feeling of judgment

or sizing up to determine if I was worthy of getting to know better.

I figured it out quickly.

They simply could afford to be friendly. Many of the moms

were married to very rich men and therefore, in some respects, had reached the pinnacle

of financial success anyway and therefore were done their social climbing. They

didn’t need to feel that adding you as a friend would be adding a new person to

compete with.

They also no longer had to only socialize with those who were

worthy of being in the same circle or could be an asset or connection to the

next rung in the socio economic ladder they were clawing ferociously to the top to summit.

Further, if race was a factor, they, more likely, had

wealthy friends of various races and therefore did not assume that a black

woman, for example wouldn’t have access

to a network they could tap into and therefore not worth getting to know more.

Certainly, these are broad generalizations and do not apply

to all wealthy or all middle class people as I

know the opposite can be said from members of each class.

Just in my casual observation and experience the social

climbers are more likely to have tight cliques and circles and are not keen on letting

new friends penetrate through.

Like one of my favorite rappers, Drake, sings, “No new

friends.”

photo: courtesy Coursehorse

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The Working Mom’s Coffee Break: How I Transitioned from Motherhood Back to the Workplace

Posted on August 31, 2014

Some moms can’t take it to leave the baby behind at

home so they stay as active and full-time nursing mothers. On the opposite end,

other moms desire to enter back into the workplace to have a sense of

fulfillment in advancing their career. If you’re the second type, let this

article guide you on how to transition from motherhood to a career woman.

1. Find a

Lactating Room

Moms who have just given birth would have to

breastfeed the newborns. Breastfeeding milk should be pumped out and the milk

should be stored in a refrigerator to keep it fresh for the baby. In the case

of a working place, you should be able to ask workmates if there is a lactating

room where you would not be put in a vulnerable position. Feel comfortable in

pumping without being bothered by others in the office. If the workplace does

not have one available, the only option is to breastfeed the baby at night or

during weekends.

2. Keep

Hydrated

Now that you’re not pregnant, expect that your

appetite will change. It’s still best to have high-protein snacks and drink

water regularly. Being hydrated will make you stay healthy for your baby. Also,

eating enough will keep your blood sugar normal and in check. Being an

unhealthy mom will produce negative effects on the breastfeeding milk. Hence, make

sure that you acquire the right nutrition you and your baby need.

3. Get

Employed with a Family-friendly Company

Consider that not all companies and not all

positions are family-friendly. A family-friendly company is one that will allow

you to have rest time for yourself, work at home as necessary and accrue

credits for leaves as you might have to go to the hospital and see your baby’s

doctor for vaccinations and checkups. Look for a company that allows

flexibility and encourages work and life balance. You may ask the employees you

know to get a glimpse of the company culture so you would not be shocked about

the company philosophy once you become an official worker. Also, it will be

helpful to learn about the benefits given by the company to working mothers.

4. Practice

Time Management

There is no doubt that half or more of your time in

one day will be devoted to your job in the office. With proper time management,

you can still accomplish chores at home and take care of your baby. Lay out

every task that you need to achieve the day or the week before so you would be

able to plan ahead which ones should be prioritized. A

mom is not superhuman after all.

5. Think

About Yourself

First-time

moms especially think more about their babies than

themselves. It is important to see that the baby is doing well, but it is also

critical to think and care about your own well-being. If you feel much stressed

at work and at home, take the time out and relax in spa centers or in any

sanctuary. Have a warm bath before going to bed at night and exercise regularly.

The last thing you want to happen is to lie down on a hospital

bed after passing out because of stress.

Conclusion

Mothers do not necessarily have to be perfect all

the time. It is enough to be sufficient as a concerned mother for the baby at

home and an efficient employee in the workplace. If you feel that the company

is putting much pressure on you, it is time to leave and look for another one

which can suit your needs.

Author Bio:

Ianna Reign Stevenson is a professional writer

based in Brisbane, Australia. She is a wedding planner, event coordinator and a

mother of a 3 year old toddler. Connect with her on Twitter.

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Bump Watch: Kristen Bell stuns in Monique Lhullier on red carpet

Posted on August 1, 2014

Second time mom-to-be Veronica Mars actress Kristen Bell stunned in a 2015 navy and beige Monique Lhuiller color block sateen sheath dress with nude pumps and a jeweled Edie Parker ‘Jean’ black and nude pearl stripe box clutch while attending the Harvey Weinstein Company and Lexus presents “Life is Amazing” short film festival at the Regal Cinema at LA LIVE! on Wednesday, July 30 in Los Angeles, California.

Bell confirmed that she and finance actor Dax Shepard are expecting their second child. The couple are parents to one year old, Lincoln Bell, born last March 2013.

She looked amaze balls, while concealing a growing baby bump in that uber cute dress.

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The last baby born