Pregnancy is a time when women are responsible not only for their own health but the health and well being of their unborn baby. A new report shows the first documented link between fetal death and a mother's pregnancy-related gum disease.

The patient, a 35-year-old woman, delivered a full-term stillborn baby in Santa Monica, CA. During her pregnancy, she had experienced severe gum bleeding, a symptom of pregnancy-related gingivitis, according to the report published in the February issue of Ostetrics & Gynecology.

Dr. Edgard El Chaar, MS, DDS, a leading periodontist in New York City, said this is serious warning sign for expecting mothers as well as women who are considering pregnancy:

"This issue should be taken very seriously by the entire medical community. Medical professionals should encourage all women who are pregnant, or looking to become pregnant, to be evaluated by a board-certified periodontist who is qualified in the diagnosis of gum disease and related conditions, and intervene with the proper treatment protocol."

Bleeding gums are common in pregnant women, with an estimated 75% of pregnant women experiencing the issue. Gingivitis, especially common during the second to eight months of pregnancy, can cause red, puffy or tender gums that bleed when you brush. This sensitivity is the body's exaggerated response to plaque and is caused by an increased level of progesterone in the system. If left untreated, the bleeding can allow bacteria into the mother's body to infect the fetus.

Learn more here about Women and Gum Disease.

Plus-Sized and Pregnant Next Nine Months

When I got pregnant with my first child, I was skinny. This time around, I started out, well, a bit on the plump side. I've been meaning to do real serious work-outs, but then pregnancy came before I could even register at the gym. Although I still don't see myself as plus-sized, I feel quite conscious and wished I could have shed off a few pounds before this second pregnancy. [...] Read More


What Pregnant Women Should Avoid and Pregnancy Paranoia Next Nine Months

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Frank Oppermann Don't do this, don't do that. Avoid this, skip that. The list of things that are supposed to be unsafe for pregnant women gets longer and longer. It must be a major miracle that we were all born alive and well, because I'm sure our mothers never got to know of these things. Here's a fun, but informative article from the NY Times that [...] Read More


Plump Moms Have Smarter Kids Next Nine Months

If you've got a little bit of, er... padding on your hips, here's something you'd be glad to know for not having a perfect hourglass-shaped figure: women with a lower waist-hip ratio have been shown in studies to be smarter and have smarter offspring. It is believed that the fetus benefits from the polyunsaturated fatty acids (important for brain development) deposited on the mother's hip fats. So yes, being a little [...] Read More


Exercise and Pregnancy Well Woman Blog

Should y ou exercise when you're pregnant? The answer is yes, providing you have no medical conditions that would make it dangerous. According to an article in the Jamaica Gleaner: A study carried out by Dr. Clapp, involving 500 pregnant women, revealed that those who were involved in exercise delivered a healthier baby with a stronger foetal heart rate. Even more fascinating is the fact that of the women who exercised, their [...] Read More


Flu Shots and Pregnancy Well Woman Blog

okay to get your flu shot when you're pregnant? According to ArcaMax, it's not only okay, but an excellent idea to protect the health of your baby: U.S. researchers say giving flu shots to pregnant women may kick-start their baby's immune system. A newly developed technique known as MHC tetramer staining has facilitated the detection of antigen-specific T cells, Columbia University Medical Center said Friday in a release. Families.com advises: Pregnant women are [...] Read More

When it comes to dirty diapers, there are baby wipes and then there is this one:

Elements Naturals is the first 100% compostable baby wipe on the planet, making it a great choice for parents who want to do what's best for the environment when resuable cloth wipes aren't a convenient option for their lifestyle.

After learning she was wiping her first baby with a product consisting of wood pulp, rayon, polyester, plastic, parabens, and harsh chemicals, Elements Naturals was created by an Oregon mom who wanted to find a gentler solution for both her baby and the earth.

Elements Naturals are 100% natural and produced from annually renewable materials. Made from 100% Ingeo fibers, the world's first man made fiber created from a natural material that is plant-derived, not oil-based, Ingeo fibers are free of chemical additives, synthetic materials and chemical surface treatments.

Why are these better than biodegradable options? Compostable products break down as valuable nutrients into the soil, aiding the growth of trees and plants while biodegradable products willl l break down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass within a reasonable amount of time in the natural environment. Elements Naturals wipes will typically degrade in 30-120 days in an industrial composter, depending on the product size and material used while biodegradable wipes might degrade in months or hundreds of years.

The best part, they're larger and thicker than traditional wipes to clean the messiest diapers. The wipes retail for $5.95 for 80 wipes.

They're sold at select Whole Food Stores, Diapers.com, Sproutbaby.com, www.elementsnaturals.com and natural stores through out the country.

Baby Names Next Nine Months

Picking that oh so perfect name for your new baby is one of the hardest decisions ever. Plus names go in cycles. Michael is always a popular name for boys. Then there are girls' names, like Ashley, which was popular ten or so years ago. If you need a little help while you try to find that perfect name for your perfect baby, search through the Baby Name Database over [...] Read More


Baby Name Suggestions from Nymbler Next Nine Months

In the past few weeks, we've used countless online databases of baby names to come up with possible names for our baby. I never imagined how tough it could be to wade through so many names! Thousands and thousands of names to choose from, it's almost impossible to wade through each one of them and whittle the choices to a handful. One website I found really cool, though, was Nymbler. Nymbler [...] Read More


Choosing Your Baby's Name Next Nine Months

What factors do you consider important when choosing baby names? Something cool? Something classic? Something that starts with a specific letter? Something unique? Something popular? Well, I don't know about you, but here are some things I consider important: 1. It should sound nice, something that rolls off the tongue easily, and goes well with our surname. 2. The spelling shouldn't be too complicated. Having an unusual full name myself, I know how [...] Read More


Sci-fi Baby Names The Parenting Weblog

photo How unique do you want your child's name to be? If you find Joseph or Maria or Anna a bit too boring, then Robert Schnakenberg might just have enough names to interest you. The book Sci-fi Baby Names: 500 Out-of-this-World Baby Names from Anakin to Zardoz as the name suggest, contains 500 names that might interest you to name your baby. The book is divided into traditional, masculine, feminine, power, intellectual, [...] Read More


Nicole Kidman Has Baby Girl On Monday & Names Her Sunday The Celebrities Weblog

OK, the latest nicole kidman kid arrived on Monday, and has been named Sunday. There have not been any reports on what the child's last name will be. I have no idea if there is any special significance to the name or if it was chosen simply because it is very different and will stand out from run of the mill names such as Hortense. The only other use of a day of [...] Read More

Had enough chocolates and flowers? Want to celebrate a more holistic, outward-looking type of love?

Imagine expressing one's love, and perhaps teaching one's children about love, by giving a gift that saves a baby's life.

You can with Safe Motherhood Kits from IMA WorldHealth.

In the developing world, childbirth often ends in tragedy, for mothers and babies. According to the UN's World Health Organization (WHO) one of the leading causes is infection, often from unsanitary conditions. These infections and deaths are preventable.

Safe Motherhood Kits women in developing countries give birth safely by providing them with clean and sterile supplies, training on how to prevent infection, and warm clothes to protect their newborns. A kit for one safe birth costs just $25. To give a Safe Motherhood Kit, go to IMA WorldHealth and designate your $25 contribution for "Maternal and Child Health." Or call toll-free at 1-877-241-7952.