Today Post::Teen Vogue debuts teen pregnancy

You might not believe it but the model on the left, Jourdan Dunn, is pregnant. And 19. When Teen Vogue editors booked her for the gig they didn’t know she was pregnant until she revealed the news for a feature on she and her fellow model friend Chanel Iman (on the right). While the pregnancy is not explicit, it is heartening to know that Editor-in-Chief, Amy Astley said the editors of the mag had no intention of pulling her from the Nov edition.

“Teen pregnancy is a difficult, real-life issue that Teen Vogue readers (with an average age of 18) are mature enough to be exposed to,” Astley said in a statement. “Teen Vogue felt it was important to support, not punish, Jourdan Dunn, who contributed to a beautiful photo shoot and who will surely have an ongoing and successful career in fashion.”

But, I wonder, if Jourdan was visibly pregnant would they still have put her on the cover of a ‘teen’ magazine given all of the moral panics about teen mums? Jourdan is almost eight months pregnant now and due in December so obviously the shoot was done very early in her pregnancy. As I noted in an earlier post, Jourdan and her belly were featured in a sort of Gladiator-esque pregnancy corset by Gaultier during Paris Fashion Week.

Of her pregnancy, Dunn has said: “All I could think about was what my mom was going to say, my agency, my boyfriend. When I told my mom, she started crying and blaming herself. She got pregnant with me at the same age, and she said, ‘I don’t want you to have to go through what I did.’”

Sure it is great that Vogue editors didn’t want to ‘punish’ Dunn for her pregnancy but one wonders whether the realities of young parenthood are made clear to the readers of Teen Vogue in the issue. Dunn is a beautiful woman but pregnancy for celebrities or in the world of fashion is invariably enrobed in glamour and it might have been more useful or perhaps progressive on behalf of the magazine to allow Dunn to express some of her worries about parenthood in order to educate other young women as opposed to pretending that everything is great.

Today Post::Scary.

Happy Halloween!

Today Post::Love your cervix

Have you ever wondered what your cervix looks like? How about after you’ve given birth?

Then you MUST check out The Beautiful Cervix Project created by a student midwife. This is an ode to being a woman, where cervixes aren’t objects of a medical gaze, but objects of beauty in their own right. The creator not only photographed her own cervix throughout her menstrual cycle, but also has loads of photos of cervixes at different stages of life.

Today Post::Octomum drops her weight

Photo credit: splashnewsonline.com

Holy mother of octuplets! Have you seen Octomum!?

Like a pregnant version of a linebacker, Nadya hit 270lbs during her pregnancy and now she’s back into her pre-baby jeans after a weight loss of 145 lbs without a trainer or surgery.

Losing 40 pounds immediately after delivering her octuplets, Suleman says she felt compelled to join a local gym after their birth. There, she fits in thrice-weekly midnight workouts (while a nanny watches over her sleeping children) with strength training but no cardio. “I get enough of that with the kids,” Suleman, who gets by on three hours of sleep, tells Us.

Well, can’t say that working out at midnight seems very healthy but I suppose it’s better than dropping straight into the plastic surgeon’s office.

Today Post::Caesarean = rape?

Image credit: www.caesarean-art.com

As we all know, the caesarean rate (emergency and elective) has risen dramatically over the past decade in most of the industrialised world and ‘natural’ childbirth has become something of a vestigial organ.

For many women, a caesarean is not only painful but also traumatic. Somehow birth has become only about a healthy outcome and not necessarily about the process or the woman actually giving birth. There is now a growing subculture of women who compare their caesarean births to rape given the lack of control they felt they had over their bodies, the antagonism of hospital staff towards their birth choices and of course, feelings of violation. Recent articles about birth rape are linked to the story of an Arizona mother, Jessica Szabo, who wants to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) but is being refused by her local hospital. The hospital argues that all VBACs must have an ‘elective caesarean’. In fact, she’s so mad that she has written ! the following message on her minivan:

“Page Hospital enter my body without my permission … sounds like rape to me!”

There is even an anonymous website devoted to caesarean-inspired art evoking the trauma and pain some women associate with the procedure. Truly haunting (see above).

What do you think?

Today Post::Breastfeeding is awesome in New Zealand

Check out a super new public breastfeeding campaign in New Zealand.

“Although New Zealand has breastfeeding rates that are consistent with other OECD countries, rates are low at six weeks, especially among Māori and Pacific women," said Ministry of Health Deputy Director Margie Apa. She went on to say that barriers to breastfeeding, including "lack of breastfeeding support and information, mothers returning to paid work and finding it hard to continue breastfeeding, and negative attitudes to breastfeeding from the general public and family members" tend to more adversely affect minorities, teenage parents and low-income moms.

Small country, so progressive.

Today Post::Kendra: TMFI

Ah Kendra. Miss ex-Playboy has opened up to In Touch about all things pregnant, including her discovery that her breasts are leaking milk to which she responded by screaming and likening herself to a cow.

How much weight have you gained so far?
Kendra Wilkinson: I have gained 40 pounds. I still have a month-and-a-half to go. I was 110 or 115 and now weigh 150.

How do you feel about the weight gain?
KW: There are things I love about it. I love that my hips are growing, even though it hurts. I want that butt and am starting to get it, so I'm excited.

What have you been craving?
KW: I've been eating a lot of breakfast — eggs, bacon and cheese sandwiches with wheat toast, a lot of waffles with peanut butter. Peanut butter is my biggest craving. I actually put bananas and syrup all over it, too.

Even though I don't usually eat much meat, I've been eating a lot of ribs with barbecue sauce and steak. Also, my craving for chocolate came back. I never ate it before because it gave me migraines.

Has it changed your sex life?
KW: Yes, it's changed our sex life — for the worse [laughs]. I am a wild girl in bed and I can't really be that wild anymore because I have limits now. I have 40 extra pounds in my belly, so I get tired easily.

But no, of course, it's still great. I have a great man in bed, he definitely knows how to please me. But, yeah, we'll be better after when we have more energy!

Do you feel prettier pregnant?
KW: I have never felt this beautiful! The one thing I love about being pregnant is my skin, I used to have the worst acne. My whole life it's been horrible — on The Girls Next Door, it was disgusting. This is the best skin that I have ever had in my life!

What's the best thing about being pregnant?
KW: The greatest thing is probably just feeling like a queen. Everybody does everything for me. And Hank is always just giving me unconditional love — that different type of love that I've never felt before.

Today Post::Foetal fascinations

So, I’m sure all of you pregnant gals out there have been wondering how you can commemorate your foetus’ first photo more spectacularly than just shoving the thing in your purse and yanking it out for every person that notices that you’re pregnant.

How about a turning your ultrasound image into a decorative canvas? Or a personalised ultrasound postage stamp? Or, my personal favourite: CUFFLINKS.

Has the world gone cuckoo? Cufflinks? Seriously?

I think I need a little lie down.

Today Post::Baby bumps on the catwalk

Hello, again. Excuse my absence, I’ve had a serious case of essay-marking-itis. Basically, that entails me sitting in an office for 12 hours a day marking essays until my hands crumple with fatigue from typing.

Anyway, looks like pregnancy chic was making it big at Paris Fashion Week….

Singer Roisin Murphy, who also happens to be 7 months pregnant, wore the peach coloured tutu (above) to a Paris fashion show. It was designed by Victor & Rolf.

Speaking of wacky pregnancy fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier created a pregnancy corset for pregnant British model Jourdan Dunn.

Um, not so sure about the pregnancy corset but definitely not so much on the tutu.

Today Post::Owen Drilling

Lisa’s son owen “helping” get the baby out at 40+ weeks. July 2009.

Today Post::Heidi does pregnancy covered in chocolate

Oh Heidi. It appears that the Kluminator not only has an entire book devoted to her beauty, Heidi revealed on Ellen that she also appears naked and pregnant and dripping in chocolate sauce.

The model, snapped by famous photog Rankin, said:

“We were doing our normal shoot and afterwards he said, ‘Let’s do some pictures for the book.’ I said, ‘I would love to be covered in chocolate.’

“So someone ran out to the store and got, like, I think, seven or eight of those squirty chocolate things and they just squirted it all over me and he took the photo.

“It was yummy… especially when you’re pregnant.”

Wondering how she got the chocolate off? “I licked half of it up.”

Oh and weirdo Ellen gave Heidi a pair of baby high heels because she’s convinced Heidi is having a girl. Um, me no likey.

Today Post::Moral panic Friday

So, here’s a game I like to play that I call ‘how to ruin your baby’s life before it’s even born’.

Just go to Google News and type in ‘pregnancy’ and see what headlines you get:

• Smoking in pregnancy risks psychotic children

• Obese women have higher risk of giving birth to baby with heart defect

• Stillbirth in first pregnancy raises risk for subsequent pregnancy

• Anti-depressants pregnancy risk

I actually miss the days when a news search about pregnancy immediately brought up fluffy stories about celebrities and maternity clothes.

Today Post::The Basis of the Justisse Method

Cervical Mucus Cycle Wheel

The basis of the Justisse Method is the observation of cervical mucus in the menstrual cycle. Basal body temperature, cervical changes, and other cycle events and signs of fertility are used to support the information provided by cervical mucus observations. All events and signs are important in understanding reproductive health and fertility.

The 1st day of the cycle is the 1st day of menstruation. Menstrual flow lasts about three to seven days. A healthy menstrual flow begins as heavy or moderate and subsides to light or very light.

After menstruation, you will usually notice a few days where the sensation at the vulva is and no cervical mucus is observed (except in shorter cycles).

After those dry days, you may notice some discharge at the vulva. You may notice it on your undergarments or as a sensation of extra smoothness or lubrication when you wipe yourself after going to the bathroom. You may first notice a sticky white mucus discharge. After a few days, the discharge becomes clear and/or stretchy, accompanied by a sensation of lubrication or slipperiness at the vulva. The last day of mucus that is clear, stretchy, or lubricative is called the Peak Day.

Following the Peak Day, there is a dramatic change. The mucus changes to a sticky white discharge or disappears altogether. The sensation at the vulva returns to dry. From the 4th day after peak until the beginning of the next menstrual flow, you will notice you are dry.

Fertile days include the menstrual flow and all mucus days, from the first day mucus appears through to the Peak Day and for 3 days following.

Infertile days include the dry days after menstruation and from the fourth day after Peak Day until the beginning of the next menstruation.

In the diagram of the "cervical mucus cycle wheel" you will notice that the days between the Peak Day and the onset of menstruation are numbered from 1 to 14. No numbers appear from the start of menstruation and up to and including the Peak Day. This is because the phase before Peak Day may vary in length. The phase after Peak Day is stable in length. Fourteen (14) days is the average length of this post-Peak-phase. Peak Day correlates very closely with the time of ovulation.

Occasionally women experience a cycle that is shorter cycle than they would normally expect. When this happens, ovulation may occur earlier in the cycle. The clue to an early ovulation is that there are no dry days following menstruation. Instead, mucus will be present during the light and very light days of menstrual flow. Taking this possibility into consideration, and being aware that you cannot predict when a cycle will be short, the menstrual flow is considered fertile. However, the light and very light days of the menstrual flow can be observed for mucus as any other day. If there is no mucus on the light and very light days then these days are infertile.

All days of menstruation are considered fertile until a woman can confidently identify her light days of bleeding as dry. As well, she must be confident that her bleeding is a true menstrual bleed and not another type of bleeding. When she is confident of these two things then she may consider days 1-5 (the first 5 days) of her menstrual cycle as infertile. Such confidence generally comes after having charted for at least one year.

The Count of 3 after Peak Day is necessary because ovulation can possibly occur on those days. On average, ovulation occurs on Peak Day. However, statistics have shown that ovulation can occur on the first, second or third day after peak, or the day before Peak. Even though you are dry on the days after peak your vaginal environment is still alkaline enough to support sperm life. Thus if ovulation were to occur on one of those dry days within the Count of 3 intercourse might result in a pregnancy. That is why those days are considered fertile, and it is important for a woman who is avoiding pregnancy or wanting to become pregnant to consider this.

Today Post::Pregnancy Complications

Pregnancy complications are difficult events, or happenings, that can take place in different phases of a pregnancy. Some actually happen after you give birth. Many times, they are unpredictable. Knowing all possible risk factors that may apply to your own health during your pregnancy is a surefire way to help prevent possible complications.

Placenta previa is a rare, but serious condition that can occur. This is when the cervix is blocked by the placenta. It can be harmful to both mother and child. There are a variety of problems that you can encounter while pregnant. Some are related to genetics; such as Trisomy, and others in which can be treated if detected early enough. Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is a pregnancy complication that should be tested starting from your first prenatal visit, and continue on throughout. Anxiety during pregnancy is a common complication that can start as early as conception.

Today Post::Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Symptom	When It Occurs	What Causes It to Occur During Pregnancy	Other Possible Causes
A missed period	Around the time that your period is due.	Rising levels of progesterone fully suppress your menstrual period.	Jet lag, extreme weight loss or gain, a change in climate, a chronic disease such as diabetes or tuberculosis, severe illness, surgery, shock, bereavement, or other sources of stress.
A lighter-than-average period	Around the time that your period is due.	Your progesterone levels are rising, but they are still not high enough to fully suppress your menstrual period.	May also be experienced by birth control pill users.
A small amount of spotting	Approximately 1 week after conception.	This type of spotting may occur when the fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall about a week after conception has occurred.	May be experienced by users of birth control pills and women with fibroids or infections. Some women routinely experience midcycle spotting.
Abdominal cramping (periodlike cramping in the lower abdomen and pelvis and/or bloating and gassiness)	Around the time that your period is due.	Abdominal cramping may be triggered by the hormonal changes of early pregnancy. Some women describe this cramping as a feeling like their period is about to start.	PMS, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome.
Breast tenderness and enlargement	Breast tenderness can set in as early as a few days after conception; It doesn’t typically last beyond the first trimester.	Breast tenderness and enlargement are caused by the hormonal changes of early pregnancy. You may also notice some changes to the appearance of your breasts: the areola may begin to darken and the tiny glands on the areola may begin to enlarge.	Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), excessive caffeine intake, or fibrocystic breast disease.
Morning sickness (a catchall term that is used to describe everything from mild nausea to severe vomiting that can lead to dehydration)	2 to 8 weeks after conception.	Scientists believe that morning sickness is somehow linked to high levels of progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), but they aren’t sure of the particular mechanisms involved.	Flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses.
Food aversions and cravings (e.g., a metallic taste in the mouth and/or a craving for certain types of foods)	2 to 8 weeks after conception.	Food aversions and cravings are triggered by the hormonal changes of early pregnancy.	Poor diet, stress, or PMS.
Heightened sense of smell	2 to 8 weeks after conception.	The heightened sense of smell that many pregnant women experience is the result of the hormonal changes of early pregnancy.	Illness.
Increased need to urinate	As early as 2 to 3 weeks after conception.	The increased need to urinate is triggered by increased blood flow intake.	A urinary tract infection, uterine fibroids, or excessive caffeine to the pelvic region and by the production of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) during early pregnancy.
Constipation	As early as 2 to 3 weeks after conception	Progesterone relaxes the intestinal muscles, resulting in varying degrees of constipation.	Inadequate intake of high-fiber foods or inadequate consumption of fluids.