SubscribeTopic: FEEL
Help For Moms: UK Assigns Midwife To Every Pregnant Woman
If you’re pregnant and you live in the UK, you’re in luck. That’s because the National Health Service (NHS) plans to provide expectant moms with a midwife before, during and after labor. The initiative is meant to help combat postpartum depression – and I must say it’s an amazing idea.
Here in North America, many moms I know have hired a midwife or doula for the same reason – many find doctors to be too clinical or simply too busy to give them the attention they crave – and so they’re dishing out thousands of dollars to have someone support them through labor and delivery (and everything that follows). More »
What My Mom Taught Me: Real Health Advice From Real Mothers
It’s easy to point fingers at “bad” mothers who make questionable choices about the health of their kids (ahem, Tanning Mom), but the truth is that many of us learned what we know about nutrition, fitness, and taking care of our amazing female bodies from none other than our own mother. And even if you didn’t have a mom full of great advice, it’s never too late to hear what other great mamas have to say. So, as Mother’s Day approaches, here’s some really valuable, real-world health advice from Mom. More »
Why You Shouldn’t Have Sex When You Don’t Want To
Go take a look inside a few women’s magazine on the newsstands right now, and I guarantee that in at least one of them, you will find the following admonishment: to have sex even when you don’t want to, because it’s good for you.
The more insulting versions of this sentiment are that you should have sex when you don’t want to because it’s good for your partner (they’re typically referring to your male partner), or because it’s good for your relationship.
Well, I’m here to tell you this: Having sex when you don’t want to isn’t good for anyone. Not your partner, not your relationship, and most of all, not you. So you shouldn’t do it. More »
Confessions Of Motherhood: 10 Unhealthy Things I Swore I Would Never Do (But Did Anyway)
Before having kids, I had very idealist visions of what our lives would be like. Our family would be the perfectly healthy family. What we ate would be carefully scrutinized. Fresh fruits, tons of veggies, lean meats and whole grains would be on the table at every meal. What we did during our leisure time would also be closely mapped out and monitored. Lots of fresh air, exercise and family outings like picnics, hiking and biking together would consume our weekends. And of course, things like keeping the kids spotless and myself looking hip and put-together every day made the list too.
Yes, I had high expectations for being the perfect and healthy mom. And I’ll admit, I even went so far as to judge other moms who weren’t all that healthy (because, you know, before you have kids, you think you know everything about parenting). To those moms that I judged, I apologize. To my former neurotic self, I apologize, too. Because not only did I not follow-through with most of those rules, over the course of the last 15 years, I did some pretty unhealthy things that I swore I would never do. More »
Mom’s Disturbing Face Makes Us Wonder: Does Excessive Tanning Mean Mental Health Issues?
Yesterday’s story about the New Jersey mom who was accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth had a lot of you enraged. Aside from questioning what type of parent Patricia Krentcil must be, some questioned her state of mind–just look at her, right? She’s only 44, but could easily pass for decades older. Clearly she is not taking good care of her skin–and possibly her daughter’s, but does excessive tanning mean she must have mental health issues? You tell us. More »
My Postpartum Depression: From Feeling Like A Horrible ‘Monster’ To Empowering Women
Katherine Stone will be the first person to tell you that most people don’t know enough about postpartum depression. In fact, she admits she didn’t know much about it either. That’s why, when it hit her after the birth of her first child nine years ago, she was completely caught off guard. She went from feeling “normal” before her pregnancy to feeling like a horrible “monster” afterward. She even admits to having thoughts about being so inadequate that she worried she may drown her son. More »
Slacker? Blame Dopamine, Researchers Say
The way our brains handle the neurotransmitter dopamine can help determine how motivated or willing to work we are, according to a new study. In other words, the difference between slackers and overachievers could be explained by their relationships to this crazy brain chemical. Does this mean dopamine based treatments for raising motivation are on the way? More »
Facebook Could Save Your Life, Thanks To New Push For Organ Donation
During a late-night trip down Facebook Memory Lane (come on, we’ve all done it…possibly after a few glasses of red wine), you may find out the following information about your old friends: their relationship status, where they work, what they’ve eaten for brunch lately (thanks, Instagram!), and, in the very near future, whether or not they are an organ donor. More »
My Abortion Was A Procedure, My Miscarriage A Loss
As long as I can remember I have been staunchly pro-choice. And so when a broken condom led to an unwanted pregnancy, having an abortion was a no brainer for me.
I was young and single, a student who practiced safe sex and believed in a woman’s right to choose. When my period was late and my pregnancy test turned up positive, I immediately called my doctor and scheduled a D&C.
My mother drove me to the health clinic. When we arrived, anti-choice protesters hurled abuse at us before a nurse led us through the doors. A sonogram confirmed I was about five weeks pregnant. I looked at the image and saw a circle about the size of a pencil dot. I was given a local anesthetic and some nitrous oxide and, within minutes, the procedure was over. An hour or so later I was discharged. More »
9 Totally Inspiring Women Who Have Had A Miscarriage
Miscarriage is a pretty common experience to both mothers and women. Yet, despite the universality, the mishaps continues to get garbled in awkward, yet empathetic condolences from family and friends. The “it wasn’t meant to be” and “at least it was early on” have been pouring salt on the wounds of women who have miscarried for centuries, as from Anne Boleyn to Bethenny Frankel — a lot of women have been there. And while each mother and lady as the right to mourn her miscarriage on her terms, the loss of a child or what could have been a child has been a significant part of the lives of some very notable ladies. From 16th century history to the silver screen to powerful singers, women of all walks have lived through the disappointment– and kept going. More »
Creative Dad Jason Lee’s Best-Ever Gift For Mom Struggling With Cancer
hotographer Jason Lee, a.k.a. “Creative Dad” according to the recent flurry of headlines about him, is in the spotlight for his, well, creative photos of his daughters, Kristin and Kayla. The photos are amazing, but the part of the story that really makes me love this guy is that the project all started as a way for his mother, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, to see his daughters when she was too sick for physical contact. More »
Pimp My Health: 6 Ways To Beat Depression
Most of us get depressed from time to time. It’s normal. That’s why this week on Pimp My Health, we’re going to pimp your depression. Approximately 12 million women develop depression each year–twice as many as men, and one out of every eight of us will battle it during our lifetime. If you find yourself feeling down and tired with changes in your sleeping and eating habits, you should, of course, talk to your doctor about the possibility of depression. Along with some good medical advice, there are some natural remedies you can try to beat the blues:
ADD Is Over-Diagnosed…And A Convenient ‘Out’ For Lazy Parents And Teachers
I’m starting to wonder if it’s possible for doctors, teachers and parents to diagnose kids with anything other than Attention Deficit Disorder? According to a new study, the rate that kids are diagnosed continues to increase by 5.5% each year, but are there really that many more kids with ADD and ADHD? It seems like this has become a convenient “out” for many lazy teachers, doctors and parents who don’t know what to do with kids who don’t fit the “mold”. More »
Blood Test Could Soon Diagnose Depression (For Better Or Worse)
Depression was once thought of as more of a temperament than an illness—its causes unknown and inexplicable, or else resulting from mysterious things like ‘humors,’ moral conflict, artistic inclinations or repressed memories. Soon, it may be something diagnosed with a simple blood test. More »
Hilary Rosen And Ann Romney Are Both Wrong About Moms
And the mommy wars continue. By now we’ve all heard about the brilliant statement that Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen made when she said that Ann Romney, a stay-at-home mom, had “never worked a day in her life.” Twitter went nuts. Romney fired back. Rosen apologized. Even the Catholic League got their jabs in. But here’s the thing: They’re all wrong. More »
Brooklyn Decker Loves Fitness, Is Refreshingly Awesome In Women’s Health
One of my favorite inspirational quotes on days when I’m just feeling to slammed to work out is this: “Someone busier than you is running right now.” In May’s edition of Women’s Health magazine, actor and Victoria’s Secret model Brooklyn Decker proves that point with some surprisingly great advice about how to fit in a workout–and make it fun, too. More »
What ‘Fat Talk’ Does To Your Mental Health
Some people may think self-deprecating humor is amusing, but according to new research, all of those “I’m so fat,” and “I need to work out more,” statements may be destroying not only your body image, but your mental health as well. More »
Jason Russell’s Bizarre Naked Outburst Shouldn’t Make You Hate KONY 2012
It’s a sad day when someone is trying to do good in this world and instead, ends up with so much public scrutiny that it forces him into a mental breakdown. That’s what appears to have happened to Jason Russell, the man behind KONY 2012, and his bizarre naked outburst. Let’s just hope people don’t judge him and his mission because of this–especially when others are likely the ones who caused this action in the first place. More »
Pimp My Health: 7 Natural Ways To Boost Your Mood
We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t get crabby from time to time, but being in a bad mood is definitely the pits. Sometimes there doesn’t even seem to be a reason for it–we just walk around with a case of the blahs. But, armed with a little knowledge, you can let Mother Nature help you. So this week on Pimp My Health, we’re going to pimp your mood. Sure, there are the obvious solutions like getting more exercise, more sunshine and more sleep, but there are also some other great ways to lift your spirits naturally. Take a look! More »
Lindsay Lohan’s Hit And Run Proves She’s Not As Mentally Stable As She Claimed
Just two weeks ago Lindsay Lohan told Matt Lauer that she was clean and sober and heading in the right direction. She said partying wasn’t her thing anymore and she had given up on the nightlife that got her in so much trouble to begin with. Sounded good at the time, but then last night the struggling actress turned Playboy model struck someone with her car after leaving a club and is now being accused of a possible hit and run. More »
