ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gif ParentDish http://www.parentdish.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Do Celebrity Moms Make You Feel Like a Failure?http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/19/do-celebrity-moms-make-you-feel-like-a-failure/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/19/do-celebrity-moms-make-you-feel-like-a-failure/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/19/do-celebrity-moms-make-you-feel-like-a-failure/#commentsFiled under: ,

Angelina

Six kids? Check. Hot partner? Check. Ability to make other moms feel inferior? Check. Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Parenting is so hot in Hollywood right now. And strollers, belly bumps, baby names, and everything that comes with it have reached rock star status. As feminist author Erica Jong pointed out in a recent Wall Street Journal piece:

"Movie stars proudly display their baby bumps, and the shiny magazines at the checkout counter never tire of describing the joys of celebrity parenthood. Bearing and rearing children has come to be seen as life's greatest good ... Nannies are seldom photographed in these carefully arranged family scenes. We are to assume that all this baby-minding is painless, easy and cheap," Jong writes.

We have to admit, we're suckers for what Jong calls "an orgy of motherphilia" too. We're gaga over our recent photo shoot with Kourtney Kardashian and son Mason, we're constantly curious about which celebs are newly pregnant (congrats, Pink!) and what toys and clothes they're buying for their bambinos.

Celebs -- they're just like us! Only they're not. And comparing our lives to theirs can be harmful. Celebrities present us with unreasonable expectations for what it's like to be a parent.

When you read about them in magazines, you see them looking fresh-faced and well-rested, in their skinny jeans only a few weeks postpartum, and jet-setting or having a date night. What you don't see is all the help they get -- the caregivers who watch their children so they can work, travel, date, and sleep in; the trainers they work with to get their bod back ASAP; or the personal chefs they've hired to make yummy low-fat meals.

Most moms we know would kill for someone to make them any meal, let alone a gourmet, fat-flushing entrée.

Read the rest of the story on Parenting.com.

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]]>the editors at Parenting.comFri, 19 Nov 2010 12:46:00 ESTWhy Breast-Feeding Makes One Mom Squeamishhttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/20/why-breastfeeding-makes-one-mom-squeamish/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/20/why-breastfeeding-makes-one-mom-squeamish/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/20/why-breastfeeding-makes-one-mom-squeamish/#commentsFiled under: ,

breastfeeding picture

Not every mom loves breast-feeding. Credit: Getty Images

I nursed E for a year.

Exclusively. Not a single drop of formula ever touched her lips; she was weaned to cow's milk after her first birthday. But -- and this isn't something you'll hear many moms who chose to nurse say -- I never really wanted to.

And now that I'm pregnant with No. 2, even though I have a solid year of breast-feeding under my belt (or, more accurately, my bra), I'm having the same doubts about nursing I did the first time around.

When I was pregnant with E, the thought of breast-feeding grossed me out. I knew it was better for the baby, that it would help with the bonding process, that there were significant health benefits for me.

I'm a very private person, however -- I don't like to be naked even when I'm alone. I'm uncomfortable with bodily fluids, messes, things that leak and public exposure. No matter how many times I tried to envision peaceful moments with a new baby cradled in my arms and nourishing her with my breasts, all I could picture was a dairy cow. Moo.

Pregnancy was enough of a physical sacrifice. I just wanted to be myself again, not a baby incubator or a milk-making machine. Still, I did the research and committed to six weeks -- the minimum amount of time, my doctor assured me, necessary for important antibodies to get transferred from me to the baby.

Read the rest of the story, by Jenny Feldon, at Parenting.com.

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]]>babiesbreast-feedingbreastfeedingfeeding babiesFeedingBabieslactationmomsmotheringmothersnursingparentsthe editors at Parenting.comWed, 20 Oct 2010 09:04:00 ESTPregnant? Get Your Flu Shot!http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Syringe flu shot picture

Don't avoid the needle, moms-to-be. Credit: ZaldyImg, Flickr

If you're expecting, be sure you're first in line to get a flu shot this year.

The flu vaccine has been recommended for pregnant women for years, so why the added urgency this flu season?

Last year's H1N1 outbreak brought to light how hard the flu can hit pregnant women, and new research indicates that immunity is passed down to your baby.

In fact, 10 leading health organizations, including the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have co-signed a letter urging health care providers to recommend the flu shot to pregnant women and those trying to conceive.

Although the flu is generally considered a harmless bug that everyone gets, complications can arise, and when they do, they can be especially devastating to pregnant women and their babies. Also, pregnancy can compromise the immune system -- pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized for flu complications than their non-pregnant counterparts -- so when the flu hits, they can get really sick.

Read the rest of the story at Parenting.com.

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]]>flu shotflu shot and pregnancyFluShotFluShotAndPregnancythe editors at Parenting.comTue, 12 Oct 2010 12:33:00 ESTWould You Feed Another Woman's Breast Milk to Your Baby?http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/30/would-you-feed-another-womans-breast-milk-to-your-baby/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/30/would-you-feed-another-womans-breast-milk-to-your-baby/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/30/would-you-feed-another-womans-breast-milk-to-your-baby/#commentsFiled under:


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Can't pump enough breast milk? One mom offered to do it for her pal. Credit: planet_oleary, Flickr

Breast-feeding is such an intimate act -- but blogger Taylor Newman shares her story of feeding her baby another woman's breast milk on Parenting.com:

I'd caught wind of the heated breast milk debate/divide (who could miss it?) before becoming pregnant; I knew about the benefits of breast-feeding and breast milk, and also about the countless healthy, happy formula-fed babies out there in the world, enjoying life.

I was formula fed myself, and haven't suffered from any IQ or immune system deficits, so while I appreciated from the get-go all that breast-feeding has to offer, I didn't get swept up in the politics of it.

I felt in the beginning of pregnancy, in that early stage of constant nausea and soul-crushing fatigue, that nine months was a long time for one's body to host another being, and thus found myself leaning toward formula feeding in the interest of regaining a level of physical autonomy as soon as possible. Once into the second trimester, however, bumping along nicely and adjusted to the idea that my autonomy -- physical or otherwise -- was long gone (forever), and feeling okay about that, I decided I'd give breast-feeding a whirl.

There's been an interesting little twist of events in our story, recently. I have a standing weekly play date with a good mama-friend and her 18-month-old son. We're the same age, embrace the same general parenting style, have similar senses of humor -- you get the idea (a good friend). She's breast-fed her son exclusively, though, is still nursing, and offered to pump for Kaspar. I was floored. Pumping was a serious drag for me. I'd sit with that thing for forty-five minutes and get three ounces if I was lucky, but my friend here can pump that same amount in five minutes flat. Still, I was stunned by the offer. "You'd pump for him?" I asked in disbelief, to which she confirmed, "I'd be happy to."

So, Kaspar's getting breast milk and formula again, and to be honest it makes me feel good -- really good -- to know he's benefiting from all of the healthy stuff breast milk has to offer.

I'm feeling lucky for our inside supply.

Read the rest of the story here: Would You Feed Another Woman's Breast Milk to Your Baby? (I Am!)

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]]>Breast feedingbreast milkbreast milk bankBreastFeedingBreastMilkBreastMilkBankmilk bankMilkBankop-edpumping breast milkPumpingBreastMilksharing breast milkSharingBreastMilkthe editors at Parenting.comThu, 30 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EST