(Getty/ABC News)

Finally there has been a great non-bias report on the truth about c-sections in the mainstream media. The thanks goes to ABC World News for the coverage. They covered the topic of the Elective C-Sections and the pros and cons of C-sections both last night in a segment and they have great follow up articles posted on their site. They led way into the segment by stating that “In the last decade, the number of cesarean sections — or C-sections — performed in America has nearly doubled.” They point out the risks to the development of babies’ respiratory systems due to the high rate of babies surgically born before 39 weeks and further outline the Pros and Cons of C-sections. Check out the articles for all of the good information.

I have been thinking about various ways to help my mothers’ partners feel a bit more at ease and aware about their partner’s pregnancy and the road to parenthood ahead. While it is quite easy and more common to find resources for women, it is not necessarily the case the other way around. The other day while taking a quick peek at my local thrift shop, I came across a book called ‘The Expectant Father’ Facts, Tips, and advice for Dads-to-be. In regard to its content, it is similar to the respected guide book by Penny Simkin, The Birth Partner, but it is simplified and orchestrated for the male audience.

Coming across the book got me thinking. I would like to further explore not only the questions & concerns that father’s to be may have, but learn in what formats they feel would further allow them to digest the information. I have noticed that some father-to-be books write from the sports and humor perspective while some have quite amusing sketches and drawings. I would love to hear feedback from both my male and female readers. What has been your experience with father books and resources to help prepare for childbirth and parenting? Do you have particular favorites, opinions on what informational delivery method would work best for you, etc?

Above are a few books that I have either read or will be reading soon that may be of interests to fathers-to-be.

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We have all heard the phrase that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”, but now researchers have discovered that apples may just help keep asthma away from your unborn child. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that out of the 20 million Americans who have asthma, about 6.2 million of those are children. While there are other contributing factors to the development of asthma, such as poor indoor air quality, this discovery is a great advancement in childhood asthma prevention.

The study which was published in the journal Thorax, found that the children who were born from women who ate more than 4 apples (hopefully organic) a week , had 37 percent less wheezing than those whose mothers did not and were 53 percent less likely to have doctor-confirmed asthma.

Dr. Devang Doshi, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. commented to Healthday News on this study and said, “This was a good study, but we need a lot more evidence still,” he continued on to say, “The general consensus is that women should consume a good, well-balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and not to overindulge in any one food.”

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The Vatican released to the media wire later last week that birth control pills are the main cause for male infertility and pollution. Pedro Jose Maria Simon Castellvi, president of the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, released a statement that basically alluded to the release of a large quantity of hormones entering the environment through females’ urination. Flavia Franconi, of the Society of Italian Pharmacology, also commented on this claim saying that the same hormones found in the pill such as oestrogen, is evident in plastics, disinfectants and meats.

There are several organizations that disagree with the Vatican’s claim, and though I personally try not to publicly disclaim my religious and spiritual views by agreeing on various groups’ statements, this report that the Vatican has release sound valid to me. What do you think?

As the pill becomes more and more common, and various generations of girls and women grow, there are startling occurrences such as early signs of puberty, cancer rates, emotional disorders, etc. that seem not as nature attended. Now I know extra hormones are being pumped into the air from some source, and no one can identify all of the sources yet. But I know whenever I see commercials for pills that only give women 4 periods a year or hear women more and more unaware the way and purpose of our cycles, I cannot help but think that our society’s overuse of the pill has made it into the synthetic artificial time keeper of our bodies. The fact is, the true time keeper is the woman.

Here is a good link to help you reconnect with your fertility calendar. Regardless of whether you are on the pill, off, are saving yourself for marriage, you should know ,have a strong sense of how,or a refresher
of how your body and reproductive clock works:

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It’s likely that we are all a little bit tired from the holiday hussle and bussle. The average American already has a hard time getting an adequate amount of sleep as it is, let alone new parents. It’s an obvious fact, if your new born is not sleeping well, then you are not sleeping well. Here are a few tips to help you, your partner and your baby achieve a restful sleep:

For you and your partner:
1. Develop a night time strategy where you and your partner can either alternate feeding responsibilities (Mothers, you can express your milk and have bottles ready for your partner to feed the baby while you are sleeping) or if the baby is solely breastfeeding, some new partners find it easier to sleep in a spare area or sofa so that they are able to be rested and help out more so during the day.

2. During the day, grab a nap whenever the baby sleeps.

3. Get some fresh air during the day and maybe even go to a mommy and baby yoga class. Fresh air and restorative exercise and practices such as yoga and pilates, combats stress and helps to relax your nervous system.

For your baby:
1. Did you know research shows that babies who are exposed to daylight after 2pm sleep better at night?

2. Both bottle-fed and breast fed babies are able to sleep better when they are fed right before your bedtime. This helps to prevent them from waking up during the night due to hunger.

3. If you are really in need of extra assistance try looking into to infant and toddler sleep consultants such as The Dream Team. They have a great website with many helpful tips and services.