Today Post::And then there were 12.

It was only a matter of time before someone would try and outspawn Octomum.

A woman in her 30s in Tunisia who has undergone fertility treatments claims she is pregnant with 12 babies, 6 boys and 6 girls. While it’s not impossible to carry such a large number of foetuses, British experts say that natural birth would be impossible, warning that the strain of carrying 12 babies could lead to the woman going into labour at 20 weeks. It is unlikely that a doctor actually implanted 12 embryos. Experts believe the woman probably took fertility drugs before she was artifically inseminated.

There are no words. Very few babies survive before 22-23 weeks and even at that stage, you need to have high quality pediatric care in order to keep the babies alive. Why on earth, would you risk it? And even so, who wants 12 babies? Octomum herself revealed in a candid documentary that she has basically ruined her own life and that of her children selfishly choosing to have so many babies at once.

Today Post::Boobs and bras

Confused about maternity lingerie? Khali Whatley, our good friend at Ma Mere is on board to give you some advice and the chance to get a free copy of her guide to choosing the right undies.

By the way, have you entered the caption contest to win a free maternity set?

The importance of a good maternity and nursing bra

There's so much to consider when you first fall pregnant that the last thing on your mind is your underwear. However most new mothers don't realise that wearing a bra with an incorrect fit or support system can cause complications during the later parts of pregnancy and into the nursing period. Therefore the beginning of your pregnancy is an important time to make sure that you have the right bra.

During your first trimester a network of lymph glands and milk ducts will start to develop in your breasts and a well-fitted maternity bra can make sure this happens correctly. Its important to be aware that bra underwires can affect the development of these ducts and glands inhibiting circulation, causing discomfort and even leading to infection. Maternity and nursing bras don't have underwires for this very reason.

So what's the difference between a maternity and nursing bra?

When it comes to features, they are basically the same. The primary difference is that a nursing bra has clips that allow breastfeeding. If you buy a nursing bra at the beginning of your pregnancy thinking it will last you until after you finish breastfeeding you will probably be disappointed.

Most women's breasts increase in size during pregnancy and increase again after their baby is born and mature milk is produced. Their ribcage also expands as their baby and belly grows larger and retracts again once the baby is born. These changes affect both the cup and band size – and therefore the bra that should be worn.

The lack of natural muscle support in the breast increases the chance of sagging or changes to the breast shape at this time, so the right bra can provide the necessary support to maintain your breast shape.

With all of this in mind, you should be prepared to purchase several different bra sizes during and after pregnancy. You'll probably buy fewer maternity and nursing bras than regular bras, which means they will be washed more frequently and therefore stretch and wear out faster. Hand washing and line drying (in spite of care instructions to machine wash) will prolong their life and make sure you get the support you need.

Would you like more information? Send Khali an email for a free copy of her Guide to Maternity Lingerie: khali.whatley[at]mamere.com.au

Today Post::Bad Idea Monday

Dear Baby Clothing Manufacturers,

Did you really think these baby tees were a good idea?

Since when did nipple tassles and tits references become appropriate for people who don’t even know what ‘tits’ or stripping are?

FAIL.

*For those of you that inspired to rage, Cotton On in Australia is to blame for the Tits/Shake Me/Easy tees. Send them hate mail. Nips comes from the UK.

Today Post::For the mother (I mean baby) that has everything.

Nothing says ‘ostentatious’ like this ultimate statement in the commodification of babyhood: The Juicy Couture pram.

Dubbed ‘royalty on wheels’ (*excuse me while I vomit*), for nearly AU $800, not only do you get a pram that is ‘ergonomically optimised’ with ‘foam insulated handles’ and four seat positions, you get an all-terrain vehicle that is decorated in a nauseating shade of Pepto-Bismol pink. But wait! There’s more!

Your $800 is well spent because you also have the option of a ‘faux fur footmuff”. WTF is a footmuff? You even get a ‘customisable luggage tag’. What better way for the label-obsessed yummy mummy to say ‘My child is an accessory’.

PUKE.

Today Post::How can you prevent a future unwanted pregnancy?

About 85% of sexually active women who do not use contraceptives become pregnant within a year. A woman can become pregnant while breastfeeding, from about 10 days after childbirth, and even during her menstruation. Withdrawal of the penis prior to ejaculation and periodic abstinence does not prevent pregnancy or spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Here you can read more about several forms of contraceptives.

You can prevent an unwanted pregnancy with:

• Total Abstinence
• Use of contraceptives

If you are sexually active and do not want to get pregnant, always use contraception.

Methods of Contraception:
No method of contraception gives 100% protection.
The male latex condom is the only contraceptive method considered highly effective in reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s). Birth control pills, Implant and IUDs do not protect against STD infection.

For the Woman
DIAPHRAGM is a rubber disk with a flexible rim that covers the cervix and must be used together with spermicide. It is available by prescription only and must be fitted for size by a health professional. The diaphragm protects for six hours and should be left in place for at least six hours after intercourse but not for longer than a total of 24 hours.

ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES protect against pregnancy by the combined actions of the hormones estrogens and progestin. The hormones prevent ovulation. The pills have to be taken every day as directed and do not work after vomiting or diarrhoea. Side effects of the pill can be nausea, headache, breast tenderness, weight gain, irregular bleeding, and depression.

DEPO-PROVERA is a hormonal contraceptive injected into a muscle on the arm or buttock every three months. The injection must be repeated every 3 months. The menstruation can become irregular and sometimes even absent.

IMPLANTS (such as Norplant or implanon) are made up of small rubber rods, which are surgically implanted under the skin of the upper arm, where they release the contraceptive steroid levonorgestrel. Their protection lasts from 3 to 5 years. Side effects include menstrual cycle changes, weight gain, breast tenderness and loss of bone mass.

IUD is a T-shaped device inserted into the uterus by a health-care professional. The IUD can remain in place for 5- 10 years. IUD's have one of the lowest failure rates of contraceptive method. Sometimes the IUD can be expelled and a woman has to check each month after her period with her finger if she can still feel the threads of the IUD. Other side effects can include abnormal bleeding and cramps, but this usually only occurs during and immediately after insertion.

FEMALE STERILIZATION is done surgically. The tubes are ligated, preventing the egg-cells from encountering the sperm cells and preventing any future pregnancies. It is a permanent form of contraception.

EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex in order to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. A woman must take 1 Norlevo and a second pill 12 to 24 hours later. Beside Norlevo, most combination (estrogens and progesterone) birth control pills can also be used. Take within 72 hours of unprotected sex. One dose 100 µg ethinylestradiol + 500 µg levonorgestrel (2-4 birth control pills), 12 hours later a second dose.

MORNING-AFTER IUD must be inserted within 5 days of unprotected intercourse. The IUD can stay for 5 to 10 years.
For the Man

CONDOMS are usually made from latex rubber and can be used only once. Some have spermicide added to kill sperm. They act as a mechanical barrier, preventing direct vaginal contact with semen, infectious genital discharges, and genital lesions. Condoms are the most effective method for reducing the risk of infection from the viruses that cause AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STD's). It is important to put a condom on properly before intercourse

MALE STERILIZATION also known as vasectomy, is a quick operation performed under local anaesthesia with possible minor postsurgical complications, such as bleeding or infection. The ability to get an erection and an ejaculation does not disappear. The sperm cells are just a very small part (1%) of the fluid and a man will not notice any difference in ejaculation. The body will absorb the sperm cells.

Rates of Effectiveness of Different Contraceptives:

Estimated Effectiveness
Male Latex Condom 86%
Female Condom 79%
Diaphragm with Spermicide 80%
Oral Contraceptives Over 95%
Injection (Depo-Provera) Over 99%
Implant (Norplant, Implanon) Over 99%
IUD (Intrauterine Device) 98-99%
Surgical Sterilisation Over 99%
Emergency Contraceptives 75%

Today Post::Norlevo

Norlevo (0.75 mg levonorgestrel) is a new emergency contraceptive tablet available from Laboratoire HRA
Pharma. This product is the same as Plan B and patients are to take one tablet as soon as possible (i.e. within
72 hours following intercourse), followed by another tablet 12 hours later. Common side effects include nausea
and vomiting. If vomiting occurs within 1-2 hours after the first tablet is taken, the first tablet must be repeated.
Norlevo is considered a non-prescription requiring product that will be kept behind the pharmacist's counter.
This product will only impact those plans that cover Plan B and similar non-prescription products. Price and
availability of Norlevo are currently unknown.

Today Post::Bumpaholics Anonymous

Hello, My name is the The Baby Bump Project and I’m a Bumpaholic.

It wasn’t long before a new annoying term about pregnancy would enter the cultural zeitgeist.
‘Bumpaholic’ is the concoction of Women’s Health magazine (US) in which they discuss women who love being pregnant. Apparently, some women love being pregnant so much that they are having babies strictly for their own narcissistic pleasure: they crave the adoration from other people and feel more ‘liberated’ (don’t even get me started on how much I hate the way that this term is misused) by their pregnancy curves.

Aside from the fact that ‘bumpaholic’ is a nauseating term, I would have to say that I wholeheartedly dispute the perception that the reason for a rising birth rate is because women love being pregnant so much. First of all, I think most women would agree that if you work full-time as a stay-at-home-mum or in paid employment, having lots of children is not easy unless you have money to burn on hired help. Secondly, I get super annoyed by ‘I love being pregnant because I can eat anything I want’ myth that is continuously perpetuated when it is so ridiculously clear that today, eating ‘anything you want’ in pregnancy is a cultural/medical no-no. In light of moral panics about obesity, I think you can ask any woman and she will tell you that the days of ‘eating for two’ are well and truly over. As I found in my own research, the majority of women I interviewed felt ‘fat’ at every stage of pregnancy and post-birth an! d while these women by no means ‘hated’ being pregnant, they certainly were not eating whatever they could get their hands on. Pregnancy was far from ‘liberating’ when it came to body image.

I think it’s kind of odd to say that women are having more babies because they are obsessed with being pregnant rather than making the quite reasonable assumption that a woman is having more than one child because…she likes children? or loves being a mum? Feel free to correct me, but pregnancy isn’t a walk in the park. I think that while many women do enjoy pregnancy, many other women merely look at pregnancy as just a hurdle to overcome for the sake of the really precious outcome. I mean seriously, why would women give birth at all considering the pain that often accompanies it? Clearly, the end utterly and completely justifies the means!

Does this mean we need a new 12 step program? I can see it now: Bumpaholics Anonymous.

Today Post::Breastfeeding baby doll

Oh man. Goodbye Barbie, Hello ‘Glutton Baby’ (Bebe Gloton, in Spanish).

Now it’s no longer good enough for children to pretend to play house with a baby doll: children can now have a doll that they can breastfeed (and I assume this is targeted at little girls). The child wears a bra-like halter-top with daisies over the nipple area. When the doll is lifted to the flowers, it makes a suckling motion and sound.

Um…I don’t know…The doll is supposed to spread the message that breastfeeding is natural…I can’t help thinking that the daisies on the halter top look like pasties.

Today Post::Tokyo preggos go nude

It’s hard to believe that back in 2006, the image of Britney ‘doing a Demi’ for Harper’s Bazaar was actually banned from display in Tokyo subway stations for being ‘too stimulating’. A censored version with a big black band hovering over Brit’s bump was used instead.

Being naked and pregnant, however, has suddenly become more popular with Japanese women. Apparently, a Japanese pop star called Hitomi posed naked and pregnant in an album photo in June 2008. According to local media, the picture was displayed on large billboards over busy streets in Tokyo and the related photo book became a bestseller, selling more than 10,000 copies in its first week of publication.

Now mums-to-be pay around 35,000 yen ($368.20) for a studio photo shoot, which takes less than two hours in “Ixchel.”

“Before this boom, women didn’t know where to go to take these kinds of pictures even though they wanted to. Because of media attention, they easily found our studio,” said Natsuko Takada, the owner of photo studio “Ixchel.”

This is really interesting because when I was in Tokyo in January 2007 I found absolutely no images of Japanese pregnant women who were showing skin. Maternity clothes were really dowdy and all of the parenting/pregnancy magazines targeted to young women used cartoons and other really childish images to talk about being a mother. Being a ’sexy’ mum was definitely not culturally appropriate. Interestingly, as I noted in a post at the time, the only images of motherhood that were even remotely ‘racy’ were of Euro-American pregnant models.

Today Post::Jenna Jameson: back in the buff

Porn queen Jenna Jameson is reclaiming the naked crown 4 months on from birthing her twins. On the same day that she shot this ad for PETA, she was also shooting a new spread for Playboy. She credits her strict vegetarian diet , "healthy" relationship and paddle-boarding for her quick bounce back. Yowza.

Today Post::Pregnancy in 12 months or your money back

Sometimes when I read about products related to pregnancy or fertility (after picking my jaw up from the floor) I seriously fear for the future.

Cambridge Temperature Concepts, a British manufacturer, is now offering women a MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE if their new product, Duo Fertility, (£495) does not result in a pregnancy after 12 months.

That’s right. If you don’t get knocked up, you get your money back.

So what is Duo Fertility? Well! Just when you thought conception couldn’t get any more un-sexy or more complication, this ‘intelligent’ fertility monitor measures your basal body temperature with such accuracy it can predict your ovulation up to six days in advance. According to the manufacturer:

“The sensor automatically measures and records your skin temperature, taking approximately 20,000 temperature measurements while you sleep (compared to just one measurement per day by most competing products). This allows easy detection of the upward shift in basal body temperature which is associated with ovulation.”

Um, sounds comfortable. But here’s the kicker:

“Data is transferred from the sensor to the DuoFertility reader wirelessly. You will then be able to see a simple display of your fertility status over the next six days on your reader, giving you plenty of time to plan a romantic evening in! You can consult the reader at your convenience - there is no need to have it with you all the time, and you don’t have to use it at any particular time of the day or week.”

Now, I know for couples dealing with infertility, planning and monitoring fertility is a part of daily life that most people don’t even think about. BUT it REALLY ANNOYS ME that the manufacturer is GUARANTEEING a pregnancy. On the surface this totally implausible offer has the potential to lead many women, already suffering debilitating anxiety over their inability to become pregnant, to believe that if they simply monitor their fertility with this device they will magically become pregnant. If you actually read the fine print in the terms and conditions of the offer it says:

“There may be medical reasons (such as lack of ovulation) which will prevent our Products from assisting you becoming pregnant, but with which the product may assist in diagnosis.”

What annoys me even more is that the company sells the product with the added bonus of free, ongoing consultation with fertility specialists. In reality, the company totally absolves themselves of responsibility:

“The consultancy services are for information purposes only, and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your doctor before using any Product(s), particularly if you are already under medical care. Always check with your doctor if you have any concerns about your condition or treatment. We are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly for any form of damages whatsoever resulting from the use, misuse or reliance on information contained in or implied by the information provided to you during such consultancy.“

What about the psychological trauma that results from using a device with the hope that you will get pregnant and then potentially ending up with no baby after 12 months of use?

ANNOYING.

Today Post::Angie's milk bar creepily immortalised

Straight from the man who brought you a sculpture of Britney Spears sprawled out on a rug on all fours giving birth to Sean Preston while holding a lion’s head and Suri Cruises’ bronzed baby poop, New York-based artist Daniel Edwards has decided to commemorate Angelina Jolie’s tandem feeding in bronze based on her W magazine breastfeeding cover from last year! .

The piece is called ‘Landmark for Breastfeeding’ and is meant to sit on a park bench. Edwards has depicted one of the babies to be of African descent in light of Brangelina’s adoption efforts and humanitarian work.

“Hopefully, my sculpture inspires an increase of wetnurses to assist women who have concerns about mastitis, or passing HIV to their infant,” he says of his vision for the creation.

Very deep. *rolls eyes*

Today Post::Nicole Richie: maternity designer?

Nicole Richie is now a maternity designer. She talked to PEOPLE exclusively about the new line for A Pea in the Pod, explaining that the collaboration works because "Pea in the Pod is such a known company for pregnant women. They carry great lines, and so when they asked me to create a line for them, I was really excited and eager to do it." The collection hits stores on Friday.