Blog Posts by FitPregnancy

Autism, again...

We're hearing a lot about autism these days. New studies are linking dramatically increased autism rates with genetic mutations. Another study links autism with antidepressants and still more studies link it to environmental factors. At the same time, the FDA refuses to ban BPA, a chemical used in food packaging that's linked to autism and other serious diseases. There's still a strong camp focused on the supposed link between vaccinations and autism, even while we're experiencing dramatically increased rates of whooping cough (Pertussis) in some parts of the country. Wow, that's a lot to worry about.

Read more: BPA Alert

Here are my five tips for what to do:

1. Dial down the fear factor - Yes, 1 in 88 is a daunting statistic. But, It also means 87 out of 88 babies will not develop autism. Even if your baby does fall "on the spectrum," that doesn't necessarily mean disability. It might mean your child will be a genius or incredibly sensitive, artistic,

Pregnant BelliesInteresting facts to know as your baby bump grows.

Inevitably someone will tell you (wrongly) that if you're carrying low you're having a boy, and vice versa. Here are some actual facts about baby bumps:

HIGHS AND LOWS Carrying high or low does say something about your abs, according to John Thoppil, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of OB-GYN at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. "When a woman carries high, her abdominal muscles are often in good shape, while lax muscles from age, previous pregnancies or decreased fitness can cause her to carry low," he says. Thoppil adds that taller women usually have narrower pregnant bellies while shorter women carry wider.

SOONER OR LATER? Most bellies don't reveal a pregnancy until the second trimester. Until then, the uterus is usually hidden behind the pubic bone. "When women look like they are showing earlier, it is often due to the bloating that accompanies early pregnancy," Thoppil says. You may also show earlier if

What women want and need to know about the most common scar in America

There's no avoiding it. Pregnancy permanently changes you. Some women come through pregnancy with smooth bellies and unmarked skin but most of us have a few souvenirs like stretch marks, saggy skin, poochy tummies and surgical scars. Now that more than a third of all babies are delivered by c-section a third of all Moms have c-section scars. Here are a few FAQs about the most common surgical scar around.

How big is a c-section scar? Surprisingly small. Most baby-heads fit through a four to six-inch skin incision made horizontally just below the pubic hairline. The abdominal muscles are moved aside (not cut through) and a horizontal incision is made in the uterus. In rare cases, doctors make a vertical incision from below Mom's belly button to the pubic bone. That's pretty unusual in the US and most developed countries and only used in extreme emergencies when they don't have time to do the more intricate and

Pregnancy brain is real, a new study shows

If you think delivering that gorgeous baby means an automatic return to your former mental self, think again. "Pregnancy brain" is real, a new study shows-and it can affect your postpartum brain as well.

Here's what to expect:

What causes it: Many experts attribute the sluggishness to the hormonal upheaval that inevitably occurs after childbirth. But Shannon Seip, co-author of Momnesia (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and a mother of two in Madison, Wis., thinks sleep deprivation is just as much of a factor. "Since I adopted my second child, I didn't have the issue with hormones that I did with my first," she says. "But I was definitely sleep-deprived, and I definitely had momnesia." (As proof of that, she points to the time when she arrived at work without her shoes.)

The huge learning curve of taking care of a newborn also contributes. "You're gathering so much new information, so worried about simply keeping your baby alive

An interview with Robert Sears, M.D. explaining the causes and treatment for babies suffering from colic

In a recent interview with Robert Sears, M.D., author of The Portable Pediatrician book and app, I asked about the practice of letting a baby "cry it out," and he made some interesting points: "Newborn babies are just not made to sleep through the night," he said. "But some parents become obsessed with seeing that they do." He believes in using whatever calming mechanisms you can, because crying for hours is probably not great for a baby. How to Calm Your Colicky Baby

And Sears agrees with the American Academy of Pediatrics that keeping your baby in the same room with you is optimal for your sleep and the baby's safety. One big advantage, of course, is that the "crying it out" argument becomes moot because a mother's presence will soothe the baby. Using a bedside bassinet has the added advantage that you can nurse your baby, then put him back in his bassinet and fall

If fears about 'doing it' are stressing you out, here's what you need to know.

One minute, the sight of your partner makes you want to put him out with the weekly garbage; the next, you might want to play a couple of rounds of naked Twister. Par for the course during pregnancy. See, as your estrogen and progesterone levels rise, they cause changes in your body that boost libido. Estrogen in particular, which serves such pregnancy-related functions as boosting blood flow to your uterus (and to your entire pelvis), also increases vaginal lubrication and heightens sensitivity in your breasts and nipples.

It's a righteous recipe for romance. But the same hormones can also conspire against you, especially in the beginning when nausea and fatigue can send you to bed for an entirely different reason. And toward the end, you may just feel too huge, unwieldy and, again, tired. (That's why months four to six or so are often called the "honeymoon" trimester.) So where does that leave

Here's the best reader email I've received in a while:

Hello my name is ashley and i just had a baby 8 months ago and i just took another pregnancy test and it was positive. Today

Yep, that's all of it-the sum total of Ashley's message and I'm not going to edit, punctuate, or embellish it in any way, because Ashley, I totally get it. It's going to be OK, honey. You're going to be fine. You really are.

It's really, really, hard to put your feelings into words when you have one baby in your arms (and maybe not even crawling yet) and another on the way. It's a mind-numbing, mind-blowing experience that not only takes your breath away it takes the words right out of your mouth (check out what one mom said about it here). But, millions of women, including myself, can say that we've been there, done that, and eventually regained our ability for formulate complete sentences. And one of the first things you need to say is: "It's going to be OK. I'm going to be fine."

Since I

Expert advice and real-life solutions, plus delicious recipes for every stage of pregnancy.

You may be hungrier than ever, but nausea, indigestion and the need to control your calorie intake can make it tough to get the nutrition you and your baby need. Our expert advice and satisfying recipes will help you overcome the challenges each trimester poses.

First Trimester

Challenges Morning sickness; fatigue.
The good news about eating when you're newly expecting is that it's not much different from following a "normal" healthy diet, says Melinda Johnson, R.D., an Arizona-based expert on maternal nutrition. In fact, during early pregnancy there's no need to eat any more food than before.

The bad news is that you're likely to suffer from morning sickness, which can make eating almost anything difficult. But don't sweat it. "Your focus right now should be on finding foods you can keep down, not on nutrition," says Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., author of Feed Your Family