Blog Posts by FitPregnancy

From Fit Pregnancy's Ask the Labor Nurse:

Now that the holidays are out of the way, I'm finally taking a close look at the Centers for Disease Control's preliminary 2009 birth statistics and 2008's final birth statistics. What I find fascinating is the fine print - the statistics within the statistics.

For example, it's no big surprise that the C-section rate is continuing to rise. We're at 32.9% now; up 2% from 2008 and continuing the trend that has increased c-sections by 60% since 1996. Check out last year's blog on our ever-rising C-section rates to find out why. Women in all age brackets and races were affected. Most c-sections were performed on women between ages 25-34, but here are two stats I think are particularly intriguing:

1) African American women saw the largest increase (3%) and have the highest percentage of c-sections.

2) Half of all deliveries of women 40 and older were c-sections.

While it makes sense that women in higher risk groups would

If you're reading this blog, you don't need a new calendar to highlight new beginnings. You're all over that. Every cell in your body is working it's mighty best to churn out a brand new little person. If you already have that baby in your arms, you don't need any further proof that every moment is a miracle. You don't need any New Year's Resolutions for 2011 to remind you that every day is a fresh start for you and your baby. But if it just won't be New Year's Day without one, try these resolutions on for size and make a commitment to yourself this year:

1) Every time you catch your reflection in the mirror, no matter how lumpy, bumpy and big you are, tell yourself: "Yeah, baby, I'm hot. This is the body that can make a baby. This is the body that's strong, powerful, sexy and capable of creating and nurturing the most fabulous person on earth. Who is that fabulous person? I bet you said, "my baby," and I'll give you partial credit because you're right, of course. The best

The story of one very special manger, and what happens if your maternity unit is full

Imagine you're nine months pregnant and in early labor with your first baby. You're traveling far from home because some pesky governmental tax-census thingie demands you show up at the bureau office in person. Your car is out of gas and the wagon's missing a wheel so you end up taking the donkey. Your back hurts, contractions are getting closer and you're kind of fuzzy on what exactly you're going to do when your water breaks. Your husband said he'd handled all the lodging issues and packed everything you'd need to deliver the baby.

As you lumber towards your late-night destination, your husband breaks the news: "Uh, hon…I totally forgot to make reservations at the inn. Don't worry about it though because I'm sure my cousin's wife has an extra bed. If not, then I'm positive my college buddies will clear off the couch or, we could stay at a bed and breakfast. That'd be nice, right? Right?

A Shortlist of Cookbooks for Cooks and Non-Cooks. By Zoe Singer for Fit Pregnancy:

When I sent her last week's post, with its simmer sauce adapted from the River Cottage Family Cookbook, my editor, Katy, wrote back to say she'd been inspired to order several of the River Cottage Cookbooks, which she hadn't known about. I enthused about how wonderful they are and told her the Family Cookbook is one of my favorite gifts for new parents or older children just getting into cooking. This got me thinking. Now maybe it's professional bias-I'm a food writer after all-but I do think that a cookbook, when well-suited to the recipient, is the ideal gift. Cookbooks offer inspiration, comfort, new perspectives, nostalgic gratifications, company in the kitchen, and just about the greatest sense of possibility you can give a person.

Plenty of publications make lists of "favorite new books of the year." Because there are so many brilliant old books out there awaiting rediscovery, I thought

I caught a short segment on The Dr. Oz show last week discussing the proposed San Francisco ban on circumcisions and some semi-recent studies connecting circumcisions to reduced risks for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), like HIV/AIDS. With so many readers facing the highly sensitive decision about whether or not to circumcise their son, I decided to consult a panel of experts to clear up a few misconceptions.

Headlines making claims like, "The government is cutting our right to circumcisions," lead us to believe there's a big conspiracy going on. Really, it's just a guy in San Francisco gathering signatures and hoping to get a ballot measure together by next November. He's part of a growing group of citizens who feel strongly that circumcision on babies is unnecessary cosmetic surgery that permanently alters their bodies without their permission. They think parents should let babies wait until they're adults and make the choice for themselves.

Read more from Fit

When you're pregnant or a new mom, it's more important than ever to take a step back during the holiday season and think "stress less" as often as possible. Our 2010 holiday guide will help you navigate these hectic, festive days with ease as you watch your baby bump grow and wonder what next year will bring!

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

• Try one of our healthy and delicious recipes to help you and your developing baby stay healthy this season. Plus, the dishes are ideal for taking to any holiday bash.

• Enjoy one of our yummy "mocktails," which offer some pregnancy-friendly nutrition and plenty of holiday fun.

TRADITIONS

• Moms from around the country share their touching stories about their baby's first holiday.

• Fit Pregnancy wants to hear from you! Describe to us what holiday traditions you would like to start or continue with your new family.

OFF TO GRANDMA'S HOUSE

• Our holiday travel advice for new parents can make hitting the road (or flying the

from Fit Pregnancy's Ask the Labor Nurse:

It's cliché, but true: You'll never be more grateful than you are for your children. It doesn't matter if your baby is still on the way, recently born, a toddler, teenager or adult; if they're keeping you up all night teething or up all night worrying; taking their first steps ever or their first into adulthood. Major gratitude is the biggest part of parenting. It's the art of the deal.

You'll be grateful to endure their entry into the world and the way they'll totally dismantle your heart. For the chaos they'll wreak on your nice tidy life and all the sweet, sticky, silly, mess they'll make of your carefully tended sense of self. They will turn you inside out and make you question every certainty you've ever had about who you are, who they are and who your partner, parents, friends and family are. They're going to tear you up and…you'll never be more grateful for anything in your whole life.

You'll be grateful when they finally stop

A peek into how far we've come in health care and how far we have to go. From Fit Pregnancy's Ask the Labor Nurse:

I must have been the only person in America who hadn't seen Mad Men. That is, until last weekend when rain and lack of motivation found me lying on the couch with my laptop and a pile of Season One DVDs. No surprise that it's just like everybody's been telling me - phenomenal. I'm totally hooked - the characters, those clothes, the furniture and that hair. It's love.

Mad Men is an anthropologic peek at how life really was for women not that long ago. It may seem like ancient history to some of you who are pregnant now, but it really wasn't all that long ago. The first season, set in 1960, was the year Jennifer Grey (Dirty Dancing, Dancing with the Stars), Julianne Moore, Valerie Bertinelli, and I were born. We grew up with the revolution that spawned The Women's Movement and helped create the evolution of women's health. Go ahead and thank your mother, older