The long awaited next book in the “shopoholic” series has arrived!! All of the books are cute and it’s fun to see how Becky Bloomwood is going to get herself out of trouble each time. Here are the Author’s thoughts:

SHOPAHOLIC & BABY was a really special book for me to write. First, because it’s a return to Becky Bloomwood, a character I love and identify with so much. Secondly because it deals with such an exciting time in anyone’s life — having a baby!

I had a new baby recently myself and could totally remember all the craziness that goes along with pregnancy, especially the baby shopping! I went insane with online shopping for nursery accessories as my due date got nearer and nearer — our poor postman nearly broke his back with all the packages!

But the book isn’t just about shopping — its about Becky and Luke and the strain on their relationship when Luke’s ex-girlfriend makes a reappearance on the scene. I don’t want to give the plot away, but let’s just say she’s tall, thin, glamorous, knew Luke way before Becky did — and can speak Latin. No wonder poor Becky gets freaked out!

Being Becky, she’s dealing with a million other things at the same time, from house-hunting to saving a failing department store to giving her sister Jess boyfriend advice… not to mention prenatal classes! (Her first priority in labor, she tells the teacher, is ‘Look good’.)

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An interesting study was released yesterday concerning the long term effects of using steroids on preemies to strengthen their lungs. Most of the babies in our hospital received 1 or more courses of steroids to help them start to repair the damage and inflammation, the ventilator had done to their lungs.

My concern at the time was that some children in the past, who has received the treatment, had gone on to have many other issues, not related to breathing. I was assured that the dosing schedule for the babies had been modified over the years and that past problems were attributed to high doses for too long.

Preemies between 28 and 32 weeks are not harmed by a treatment no longer used to help their lungs mature before birth, according to findings of a study in this month’s Pediatrics. Even though previous observational studies suggested that repeated courses of steroids in the womb may result in brain damage, this study shows that the babies’ brains are virtually unaffected.

“The consensus in recent years has been to no longer give women in preterm labor more than one course of steroids because of possible adverse effects, but it means more babies are born needing ventilation,” said Sanjiv Amin, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical center and author of the study. “These findings may give us back a tool to help give these fragile babies a better chance of survival.”

Before concerns arose in 2000 about safety of multiple courses of steroids, many mothers in on-and-off preterm labor received several rounds before delivering. Now, when mothers go into preterm labor, obstetricians will often administer only a single course of steroids to help strengthen the baby’s lungs upon birth. But if the birth is successfully held off for more than seven days, the mother does not receive another course of medication and the baby’s lungs may not be protected.

This is regrettable, because one of the biggest challenges for babies born preterm is breathing on their own. Many develop respiratory distress syndrome because their lungs have not developed a protective film over their air sacks, called surfactant, which aids in the transfer of oxygen and decreases the work of breathing. Because of that, they may receive medications and supplemental oxygen, which can cause problems of their own. Some infants develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a scarring and inflammation of the lungs, from the oxygen treatment. Others can begin to leak air through the lungs and into the body cavity. Any of these complications, especially coupled with an infection, can be life-threatening.

Previous studies showed neurological complications from multiple courses of dexamethasone, a steroid prepared with sulfur. However, clinicians do not commonly use that steroid anymore and have largely switched to sulfur-free steroids, such as betamethasone. This study was based on infants who received betamethasone prior to birth, and they did not show the same adverse effects as previous studies.

“Perhaps these babies didn’t react the same way as in other studies because the timing of brain maturation is different. It could also be because these babies received a different kind of steroid that did not contain sulfur,” Amin said. “Preliminarily, it looks like we might be able to use multiple courses of steroids, but we need to do more studies to make sure the treatment is safe and effective.”

The study, which was performed by analyzing data collected in the University’s neonatal intensive care unit at Golisano Children’s Hospital at Strong between 1996 and 1998, included 174 babies who were born at 28 to 32 weeks. Their brain functioning was measured by a neurological assessment given within 24 hours of birth called the auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR), a non-invasive test that measures the brain’s response to sounds.

“We considered ABR a window into the whole brain,” Amin said. “And it doesn’t look like the brain is affected in infants who received multiple courses of betamethasone steroids.”

There were no significant differences in the brain’s responses to the testing between the 50 babies who received one course of steroids and the 29 who received two or more courses, even when controlled for gestational age, birth weight, race and exposure to illegal drugs. There were also no significant differences between the 51 infants who received no steroids and those who did. The only medical difference between those infants who received one course and those who received more was that the ones who received more were less likely to need mechanical ventilation the day they were born.

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Durex Canada has taken the unusual step of recalling its Confirm Clearly pregnancy test after receiving a spate of complaints about false positive and “inconsistent” results from the home kits.

In a “higher than expected” number of cases, women thought they were pregnant after using the product, only to be disappointed — or relieved — by more convincing evidence later, the company said in a letter released by Health Canada Tuesday.

“These women … either had their menstrual period or saw their doctor, who determined that the woman was not pregnant,” said the alert from Durex.

The company said it had suspended all sales of the Confirm Clearly Smart Pregnancy Test and Confirm Clearly Refills and is removing them from stores. Consumers with unused products can return them for a refund, the firm said.

Defects in the test kits may be causing the false positives, although rare medical conditions and certain drugs can have the same effect, the statement said.

“It is therefore very important that any woman suspecting a pregnancy consult with her doctor to confirm the pregnancy and initiate the appropriate prenatal care, if necessary, as soon as possible,” the alert said. “It is not expected that these defects are likely to cause serious adverse health consequences.”

The recall was taken voluntarily and Durex informed Health Canada about its actions, said Jason Bouzanis, a spokesman for the regulator. Health Canada asked the manufacturer to publicly announce the move “to ensure that all Canadians would have access to information about the recall.”

But the letter was posted only on the government department’s Web site and no news release or other statement was released directly by Durex.

A company spokesman was not available for comment yesterday, although a toll-free number was available for consumers to discuss the recall.

Could you imagine the stress these tests have caused many families. The exictement of thinking your were finally pregnant…or the fright wondering what you are going to do if a new baby wasn’t in your plans.

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Today, over at momsquawk they are discussing this story where a mom found out she was pregnant with triplets after going through fertility treatments.

My mouth fell open. My husband had to steady himself against the wall. There was no jumping for joy at the tiny heartbeats. I continued to stare in disbelief at the monitor. How could I possibly carry three babies to term in my 120-pound body? And what would happen if I couldn’t?

“Sometimes one or two of the fetuses can fade away after a few weeks,” the doctor said. “But in your case, all three heartbeats are very strong. I think we need to talk about a reduction.”

“A reduction?”

“You need to consider reducing to one or two fetuses. In triplet pregnancies the babies often are born very premature with a lot of complications. You may be saving the lives of the other two by eliminating one.”

How can the same doctor that helped this family become pregnant with multiples suggest they terminate one or two of the babies.

Once you elect to go through such a aggressive form of fertility treatment, the chance that you may be pregnant with more that one baby is increased dramatically.

It is a miracle for three babies to fertilize, implant and survive. At that point you are having 3 babies unless something naturally happens.

It is also wrong of this doctor to scare the parents into thinking that these babies cannot be delivered successfully without complications or issues later. There were many multiples in the hospital when my son was born. Every outcome was different because each no two pregnancies are the same. Your health before you were pregnant, diet, exercise, stress level, race, gender and complications all play a role in the outcome.

The doctors told us our son may not walk or talk. They had to tell us the worst case scenario due to the fact he was born so early. It didn’t matter to us - he was the only son we had.

In this case, the parents decided to consult many specialists, with one telling them:

The chances of having severe complications in a triplet pregnancy are only 2 percent greater than with twins once you pass the 26-week mark. Babies born earlier than 26 weeks, which happens in roughly 14 percent of triplet pregnancies, almost always suffer serious handicaps, and many die. Then again, the reduction procedure itself carries the risk, however small, of terminating the entire pregnancy.

I know there are risks involved, but every day women carrying single babies go into preterm labour and deliver at 22,23,24 weeks gestation. There are always risks when you are pregnant!

On Christmas Eve all three babies were born, at exactly 26 weeks gestation, each weighing under 2lbs. They were frail but alive!

During their second and third months, the boys grew from scrawny, fragile beings into fully formed little babies. We rejoiced at each milestone — the first time we could hold them (2 weeks), the day they could breathe without the ventilator (4 weeks), the first real bath in a plastic tub (8 weeks), the move out of the incubator and into a joint crib (10 weeks), when they could drink my breast milk comfortably from a bottle (11 weeks), and, finally, the day they were discharged (3 months).

These boys are 4 now, all thriving in preschool and developing well.

This family has never looked back at what could have been, all they know is that they didn’t do what everyone advised them to do.

Special babies and given to special parents. The road may be long, but in the end you will have a bigger appreciation for what you have been blessed with…special needs or not.

Sometimes you need to trust yourself and pray for the best.

Related Articles:

• Born Too Early: A Mom’s Story Pt.1
• Born Too Early: A Mom’s Story Pt.2
• Home and Healthy, the 20oz baby
• Amilia Taylor: Miracle 22 Weeker Finally Goes Home

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According to a new study out of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, the best option is to give the child some ibuprofen.

The research examined 300 kids aged 6 to 17, who had been brought to the hospital for a variety of complaints, ranging from broken bones to bruises.

Each was randomly given three common kinds of medicine - acetaminophen, codeine and ibuprofen - to see which provided the most pain relief.

After half an hour, doctors assessed their levels of pain and discovered that in most cases, those given the ibuprofen reported their hurts were the most eased. They asked again after an hour and a third time after two hours. In each case, the drug seemed to be doing its job better than the others.

Both acetaminophen and ibuprofen are effective in fighting fevers, while codeine is a narcotic and is only available by prescription.

Study author Dr. Eric Clark of the University of Ottawa claims previous research has pitted both of the former drugs against each other, but his is the first that compares all three.

Some physicians suggest ibuprofen works best because it’s the only one that specifically targets inflammation.

Ibuprofen is sold over the counter under such common names as Advil and Mortin, while acetaminophen is widely available under the moniker Tylenol.

Ibuprofen is known to cause stomach upset in some people, while its medicinal counterpart does not.

? If you are buying a liquid version make sure that it is clear with no food colouring in it. Pregnant women are still advised to take Tylenol for pain - not ibufrofen.?

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This baby care timer is a great idea for new parents who have too many things to remember. When I brought my son home from the hospital, I was overwhelmed by all of the things I needed to remember. I tried to write down feedings, diaper changes and naps, but I was never able to do it consistently.

ITZBEEN™ Baby Care Timer was invented by a new mom and dad who found themselves sleep-deprived and needing help to remember baby care details like when their baby last ate or napped. They tried charts and journals, but thought there had to be a better way. So they invented one. And alas, ITZBEEN™ was born. ITZBEEN™ has four timers that count up with the touch of a button, and a host of other helpful features, all designed with the needs of a new parent in mind.

I found it at CheekyMonkey.ca for $29.99 U.S.

Mark Ruffalo and his wife Sunrise Coigney are expecting their third child together.

Ruffalo and 34-year-old Coigney - the owner of chic Los Angeles boutique Kaviar and Kind - wed in 2000 and have two children, five-year-old son Keen, and one-year-old daughter Bella.

The 39-year-old actor said last week the couple were trying for a third child saying, “I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t happen real soon… We’re seriously in heaven with the kids.”

We wish them luck with the pregnancy, although they are probably old pros at this stuff by now!!

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PHOTOCREDIT:WIREIMAGE

This commercial is super cute! This dad is letting his little girl put makeup on him as they have a tea party. It was originally sent to me by a friend through e-mail and I had to post it.

The only that I don’t understand is…what all of this has to do with Sprite??