Sugary colas increase risk of diabetes during pregnancy

Women who drink five or more sugar-sweetened colas a week are more likely to develop diabetes when they become pregnant, according to a new study. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common complications of pregnancy and affects about 4 percent of all pregnant women, according to the American Diabetes Association. Though its cause is unknown, scientists know that women with the condition develop insulin resistance, causing an increase in blood-glucose levels.

A team led by Dr. Liwei Chen of Louisiana State University studied 13,475 women who are part of the Nurses’ Health Study II, an ongoing project involving more than 116,000 female nurses. The women, who were 22 to 44 when the study began, became pregnant during the next 10 years and 860 were subsequently diagnosed with GDM. Women were asked how often they consumed Coke, Pepsi, or other colas with sugar (with and without caffeine); and about their consumption of diet colas and other drinks.

About one-third of the women reported drinking 5 or more sugar-sweetened colas a week, and they were 22 percent more likely to develop GDM than women who had fewer than 3 sugar-sweetened colas a month. There was no significant increase in risk from consumption of diet colas or other drinks. “Based on these findings, I would advise patients to stay away from sugar-sweetened beverages’’ if they are trying to get pregnant, said Dr. Paul Robertson, professor of medicine at the University of Washington and president of the American Diabetes Association.

BOTTOM LINE: Women who regularly consume large quantities of sugar-sweetened colas before pregnancy are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

CAUTIONS: Cola consumption wasn’t tracked during pregnancy, but Chen said other studies suggest that pregnant women don’t change dietary routine.

source: http://www.boston.com/community/moms/articles/2009/12/07/sugary_colas_increase_risk_of_diabetes_during_pregnancy/

photo: http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ZdyW1sSvWQJvpM:http://sylviagarza.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/pop-cans.jpg

Nursting Mothers & the New Health Bill

Nursing Mothers Get A Break

Employers would be required to provide an unpaid "reasonable break time for nursing mothers" in the first year after giving birth. Women would be provided a private place, other than a bathroom, to use a breast pump. The provision exempts companies with fewer than 50 workers if the requirement would impose "an undue hardship," a determination left to the employer to make.

This provision was inserted by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., who in June introduced the Breastfeeding Promotion Act. Merkley is promoting breast feeding partly as a way to cut health costs. He cites studies showing breast-fed children have a lower rate of disease and illness in their lifetime.

But employers see yet another expense. "Every additional mandated rule further burdens employers who are struggling to keep jobs afloat," says Neil Trautwein, vice president of the National Retail Federation.

Twenty-four states already have protections for nursing mothers in the workplace, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120946217

Mary Agnes Carey, Phil Galewitz and Laurie McGinley

Babies and Chiropractors

By Tara A. Trower from over @ Mama Drama

I admit that when a doula first suggested that I go to a chiropractor I must have looked at her like she had two heads. Why would I do that? What good would that do?

But I quickly found the value in a good chiropractor during my first pregnancy. Unable to take much in the way of pain relief medication and suffering from debilitating pelvic pain in my fourth month, I sought out a chiropractor out of desperation. (My regular doctor recommended exercises that I not only couldn’t perform but seemed to be making my pain worse.)

A specialist in pregnant patients, my new found chiro also proved useful in helping rotate both my babies what later proved to be two speedy deliveries. But I still raised an eyebrow when he mentioned one day that he adjusted infants as well.

No. He doesn’t put them on the table and do the same snap, crackle, pop that adults get. It’s a much gentler version and I got to witness him put one 10 -month-old to sleep during an adjustment.

I talked to several chiropractors in town to find out the value in getting kids adjusted. They say, birth can be especially traumatic for infants and a good adjustment can help resolve a multitude of problems: reflux, nursing difficulty, colic, constipation, etc.

I finally decided to give it a try with Elizabeth last week. For the first two months of her life, it’s been pretty much a given that if she’s awake and not eating, then she’s pretty cranky. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose, and I had a high degree of trust in my own chiropractor.

While some pediatricians will concede that chiropractic care has some value, some do not recommend it at all. And virtually all pediatricians will remind parents that chiropractic care should not replace a primary care physician. Some ailments, especially infections, should be seen by a medical doctor. even so, alternative care is on the rise.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, survey data indicates that the number of chiropractic patients under 17 years of age has increased at least 8.5 percent since 1991, says the American Chiropractic Association. And a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study indicated that nearly 3 percent of children in the United States were treated with chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation in 2007, making it the most common form of doctor-directed complementary or alternative medicine used by children.

I have to say, a week after our first visit, Elizabeth has pulled herself together. She immediately started having more regular bowl movements, has decided that she likes more than one nursing position (she refused to eat any way besides the football hold.) and best of all has started making “happy noises” with a surprising degree of regularity. Even my husband said “we haven’t heard this before.”

I suppose its possible that with her approaching three months old that it was just time for things to start working, but given that fact that all three things happened within hours of our visit, I’m inclined to give the chiropractor his due.

source:
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/mamadrama/entries/2009/11/30/babies_and_chiropractors.html

From C-Section to Home Birth, and becoming a Midwife Inbetween!

This is powerful video details Lindsey's journey from the traumatic cesarean birth of first child, daughter Dylyn, to becoming a Doula, Childbirth Educator & Midwife in it's aftermath. It ends with the Home Water Birth of her son River.

http://vimeo.com/6885221

Lindsey Meehleis-Matthews is a Certified Doula (DONA), Certified Childbirth Educator, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Prenatal Yoga Teacher, & Midwife in Orange County, CA.


Here's Lindsey's birth philosophy: I believe that birth is a profound rite of passage that every woman should be able to experience with being surrounded by options, love, and support. But all and all, I think Gerri Ryan states this best, "Deep within every woman is the ability to birth. When she has confidence in her own abilities, the encouragement and freedom to tap into her innate wisdom, and has the loving support of family, friends and professionals who believe this too, she will truly have a satisfying birth experience."

Here's a link to her doula info: http://www.ocdoulas.com/lindsey_meehleis.htm

image from: http://www.ocdoulas.com/Assets/courtney_portrait.jpg

Uplifting Art: Bras for a Cause

Feeling creative? Great fun for a worthy cause - if you enter, send me a photo of your ArtBra!

Community artists and creative folks are invited to submit a decorative art bra to A Woman’s Touch for Uplifting Art: Bras for a Cause, an art contest and charity auction benefitting ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis.

What is an "art bra"?

It’s anything you want it to be. Decorate, design, embellish and create bras in a way that says "art", "beauty", or "celebration of women" to you. Use any medium you like (no perishables, please). We encourage you to submit a fun name, theme, or dedication with your submission. Anybody can enter, including businesses and organizations. Have some fun with it!

Submissions must be accompanied by an entry form, and are due by January 9, 2010. Early submissions are encouraged, and may even be featured online or media or public relations for the event. Please see our Design Guidelines & Contest Rules for more information.

ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis provides free personalized information and support to people affected by breast cancer. Created to complement the work of health care providers, ABCD offers breast cancer support through its signature One-to-One mentoring support service, and provides a variety of resources for breast cancer patients and their loved ones. To learn more about ABCD and their current programs, call 414-919-9222, or visit them online at http://www.abcdbreastcancersupport.org.

For more information about Uplifting Art: Bras for a Cause, please see our Design Guidelines & Contest Rules, or contact the Milwaukee location of A Woman’s Touch at:

200 N Jefferson Street, Suite 101, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Phone: (414) 221-0400 * Email: awt.milwaukee@gmail.com

http://www.awomanstouchonline.com/upliftingart.php

Canadian Home Birth Study Finds Home Birth As Safe or Safer Than Hospital Birth

by Jennifer Margulis, Mothering Magazine's website (emphasis theirs)

A study by Canadian researchers published in the September 2009 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) concludes that planned home births with a midwife in attendance have comparable or better outcomes than hospital births in British Columbia, a province of Canada with some 4.4 million inhabitants.

The researchers studied over 2,800 planned home births attended by the same group of registered midwives over a 4-year period.

They found that women who planned home births had lower rates of invasive and negative interventions than women who had planned hospital births, whether the hospital births were attended by a midwife or a doctor.

Women birthing at home were less likely to experience:

• Electronic fetal monitoring
• C-sections
• Episiotomies
• Augmentation of labor with oxytocin or amniotomy (artificial rupture of the fetal membranes)
• And the use of drugs during labor, among other interventions 


While there were at least six infant deaths in the hospital births, there were no infant deaths among the women who gave birth at home.

Mothers who had a planned home birth had far fewer severe tears or postpartum hemorrhage, and health problems for the mother was much lower among women who had home births. Home birth proved safer in almost every category measured.

Newborns born at home had fewer incidents of:

• Birth trauma
• Meconium aspiration
• Need for resuscitation at birth
• Need for oxygen therapy beyond 24 hours. 


However, they were at a slightly higher risk to be admitted to the hospital after birth. The researchers hypothesize this was for jaundice treatment, for which the newborns born in the hospital would simply stay longer.

This was a highly controlled study of all comparable births attended by the same group of midwives and comparable physician-attended hospital births.

Despite this study and dozens of other large studies showing home birth is safe, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) cites safety reasons for its continued opposition of home birth.

This Canadian study adds to the growing evidence that the widespread American bias against delivering babies at home is not guided by science but by politics, business interests, and misinformation.

http://mothering.com/canadian-homebirth-study

photo: http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:gD87BJ1d6eHOhM:http://www.attachmentscatalog.com/images/born_at_home_lavender.jpg

Infertility Stories: In the Know Short Film Winners

One in eight couples experience infertility issues, and they often feel isolated and alone on this challenging journey.


RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association, and the pharmaceutical company EMD Serono joined together to solicit film diaries from couples struggling to conceive.

The goal was to diminish the stigma attached to infertility and inspire hope and encouragement through shared stories.

The In The Know Short Film Competition call for entries was held earlier in the year, and here are the three families who sent the most compelling films:

www.fertilitylifelines.com/film/

Momversations: Depression

An honest conversation about a painful subject:

http://www.momversation.com/episodes/depression-hurts-overcoming-depression

New Study Ties Some Antibiotics to Birth Defects

The first large scale study looking at the use of antibiotics during pregnancy has found a "surprising" link between antibiotics prescribed for urinary tract infections and birth defects.

The findings indicate that "mothers of babies with birth defects were more likely than mothers with healthy babies to report taking two types of antibiotics during pregnancy: sulfa drugs (brand names include Thiosulfil Forte and Bactrim) and urinary germicides called nitrofurantoins (brand names include Furadantin and Macrobid)."

These antibiotics predate the FDA's current testing requirements and have been used for decades with no studies conducted on whether or not they are safe for moms-to-be. "The FDA now grades all drugs for safety to the fetus based on available research, but rigorous studies are so lacking in many cases, that no antibiotics get the highest grade of ''A.''

The challenge is that bacterial infections left untreated can affect the fetus so antibiotics should not be avoided altogether. Information gathering and conversation with health care providers is warranted on the mom-to-be's part.

The FDA has proposed changes to prescription drug labeling that would require more complete information for women of childbearing age, pregnant women and those who breastfeed.

The study appears in November's Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

read the complete AP article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/02/health/AP-US-MED-Antibiotics-Birth-Defects.html?em

There's a discussion thread on this topic over at Mothering.com
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=66916

CranioSacral for Mamas-to-be

For mamas-to-be just one of the things CST can do is help relieve tension in the pelvis (and uterus), which eases the ligaments and muscles and reduces or eliminates pain in the back and hips.

This bodywork is so relaxing and gentle that it may feel like nothing is going on and the next thing you know you’re waking up from a long nap! So many times folks say to me “I never fell asleep during a massage before," and the next day I get a phone call saying that they've never felt better. That's the wonder of CranioSacral Therapy.

The craniosacral system is the brain (sitting in its cranium or skull), the spine, the tailbone (sacrum), the craniosacral fluid (CSF) and three layers of membranes and tissue. The CSF moves up and down this pathway between skull-spine-tailbone path with its own slow pulse, similar to the pace of the heart beat or the movement of the breath.

This fluid flows rhythmically up and down the spinal column and through the cranium and sacrum, which creates a nearly imperceptible pulse that resonates throughout the body. At times of deep relaxation, this pulse slows and reaches a therapeutic resting place called ‘stillpoint.’ After reaching this point, the body is revitalized – kind of rebooted!

By softly holding the head, spine, sacrum or other places on the body (like the feet) the CST therapist determines what parts of the body are and are not moving with the rhythm of the CSF. The places that are not moving, the restrictions, are addressed with a light touch, palpation or a gentle movement, maybe a rocking, to bring release to the restricted areas of the body.

This light touch, about the same weight as a nickel, facilitates the letting go of tension in the muscles and ligaments so the restricted areas can then move and the CSF rhythm to flow. This flow brings balance and alignment of these structures, which facilitates healthier pregnancies, smoother deliveries, happier Moms and healthier babies.

Just Because...to be shared with any guy who ignores Mother's Day, birthdays, etc.

Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries are about appreciation and gratitude. These days acknowledge accomplishments achieved and challenges met as we roll from year to year; they recognize and honor the large and small successes of daily life and of obstacles overcome and joys shared. Celebrations mark occasions and efforts that deserve honor and special attention, remind us of who and what are important and of our common goals and dreams. They weave us together and replenish our individual and joint wells of strength so we have emotional resources and deep relationships to draw upon when the rough times abound.

When these special days or events don’t receive their due, it becomes a slight of omission, which creates a scratch on the Heart and over time these scratches accumulate and become a wound. The wound gives purchase for other slights to land upon, that otherwise may well have just slid away. These slights accumulate and eek deeper into the heart and soul. A wound ignored can turn debilitating. If tended to begin with, it heals.

Last year, when I was managing a flower shop guys would come in and tell me they needed flowers because they’d screwed something up with the woman in their life. How much trouble I’d ask? Whether they said a little or a lot, I sent them out the door with something sincere and heartfelt rather than grand and verbose: one rose instead of the 2 dozen he came in thinking he needed.

As I wrapped their flower/s, I’d tell them that the best occasion for flowers is no occasion: the best occasion is just because. Then it’s spontaneous, it has come from the heart: it’s just because you wanted to do something to bring someone joy. That’s what we want, and need: sincere gestures of love and appreciation. They don’t have to be grand and opulent and over the top (those are saved for turning 50 or being together 25 years!) Go for a pot of tulips, lunch out in the middle of the week, a magazine, a hug in the grocery store - well, maybe Home Depot - that's a lot more likely!

All of us, mothers, dads, kids, need types of acknowledgment, the special days and the just because ones.

CityMommy.com is coming to Columbus...

...or Columbus/Central Ohio is coming to CityMommy.com! Whichever, Columbus will soon have its own section within this national online community.

One of the most visited aspects of this site is the Directory, and I’d love your suggestions about places in your neighborhood or community you’d like to see included.

Below is a list of the areas along with the types of businesses and services to be listed. Send suggestions (business name, address, phone, web page, etc.) to : mamasbody@gmail.com and put CM Directory in the subject box, and please be sure to note your neighborhood or town.

Thanks, and look for the CityMommy.com/Columbus page soon!

p.s. If your neighborhood isn't on the list or if there's something you'd like to see added to the Directory - let me know!

Neighborhoods/Communities

Bexley

Canal Winchester

Clintonville

Delaware

Dublin

Gahanna

German Village

Grandview Heights

Grove City

Hilliard

Lancaster

Marysville

OSU/Campus

Pickerington

Short North

Upper Arlington

Victorian Village

Westerville

Worthington

Directory Headings:

Alternative Medicine

Amusement Parks

Announcements & Stationery

Baby Gear

Baby Gifts

Bakeries & Desserts

Birthday Parties

Children’s Book Stores

Children’s Dentists

Children’s Furniture/Décor

Children’s Hair Cuts

Children’s Shoe Stores

Classes & Lessons

Cloth Diapers

Counseling & Support

CPR & Safety Classes

Date Night Spots

Exercise & Yoga

Fertility

Food Delivery

Green Parenting

Hospitals

Kid Friendly Restaurants

Kids Clothing

Kids Resale Shops

Libraries

Massage

Maternity Clothes

Midwives, Doulas, Lactation Counselors

Mommy & Me Classes

Mommy Jewelry

Montessori Schools

Museums

Music Instruction

Nannies & Childcare

Parks & Playgrounds

Pediatricians

Photographers

Preschools

Schools

Shopping Centers & Malls

Summer Camps

Toy Stores

Tutoring

Zoos & Animals

Columbus Night Skyline photo by Demand Studios

What I'm Reading

"Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven - A Gutsy Guide to Becoming One Hot and Healthy Mother!"

by Rory Freedman & Kim Barnouin



What a perfect follow up to "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch," the bestselling it's-not-going-to-happen-unless-you-do-it-so-get-off-your-butt & get-healthy vegan how-to guide.


Freedman and Barnouin are feisty vegans. Their previous professional incarnations were in the modeling world and they have metamorphosed into nutrition experts and best selling authors. Freedman has studied nutrition for 15 years. Barnouin is a mother, and has a Masters of Science in Holistic Nutrition. They could both have PhD's in tough love, sassy straight talk and irreverent humor. Primarily they are all about being healthy and having a healthy pregnancy. My kind of gals!

I'd quote from a page or two here, but their book has the most foreboding copyright warning I've ever encountered! " ...may not be reproduced ...in any form...now known or hereafter invented"! You can go to Amazon, etc. and read clips.

Between the bawdy humor and the straight talking nutritional advice, I'm loving these gals. This is not a touchy, feely "What to Expect..." These gals pull no punches and would probably grab a cigarette out of your mouth and extinguish it in your latte if your baby bump was showing and they passed you on the street. Bottom line - good, accurate, sensible info delivered in a highly readable, laugh out loud manner. Check out their website: skinnybitch.net

p.s. Thanks to candidchatter aka Heidi Reid for the photo

Bodywork 101

If you are pregnant or trying to conceive, you are probably more focused on your body, it's pieces parts and inner mechanisms than ever before. Bodywork is a way to work with your innate design, to help you bring forth this new life as healthy and joyfully as possible.

Bodywork (specifically pregnancy massage and CranioSacral therapy) helps your body maintain your innate balance and health through this time of profound emotional, structural and energetic change. And, it just plain feels so good!

Pregnancy massage focuses on the changes your body sustains during pregnancy, such as the way your posture changes as your center of gravity shifts with the baby's growth, the changes in your circulatory system as blood flows adjusts to the needs of this growing child and the ways your muscles need to work more and differently.

Statistically, pregnancy massage has been shown to enhance the function of Mom's immune system, reduce Mom's blood pressure/heart/respiratory rates, contributes to fewer prenatal and labor complications, reduce fear and anxiety and contributes to reduced labor times.

Craniosacral therapy is an extremely gentle yet powerful modality that helps balance your body and your energy. One of the main goals of CST is to improve the mobility of your pelvis so that your baby will be able to move into an ideal birth position.

Mama's Body - intro

Mama's Body

it's about the childbearing year (conception, pregnancy, delivery, & postpartum)

and using bodywork to help mama and baby flow through the journey of being born and the adventure of life