plus 4, Triple the joy: Plainfield couple's pregnancy - Batavia Sun

Triple the joy: Plainfield couple's pregnancy - Batavia Sun
Gregory Kane: Baltimore City Council targets Christian pregnancy ... - Washington Examiner
NYSC forces pregnancy tests on members - NEXT
Smoking in pregnancy cuts blood flow to the fetus - canada.com
Want to get pregnant? Just relax - canada.com

Triple the joy: Plainfield couple's pregnancy - Batavia Sun

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 09:57 PM PST

PLAINFIELD – Odds are, nobody else in this area will get the gift the Kaempf family is waiting for this Christmas.

That's because the rare, precious package set to arrive this week, is a one in 200 million long shot.

On Thursday, Elaine and David Kaempf of Plainfield will be the proud parents of identical triplets, girls conceived naturally after the Kaempfs were told they likely could not have children without fertility treatment.
In fact, they already have 1-year-old fraternal twin boys, conceived with in vitro fertilization.
After the boys were born, Elaine said she and her husband talked about trying to have another baby.
"It was a big issue for us, because we didn't think we could go naturally," said Elaine, a construction project manager at Edward Hospital in Naperville.
They discussed whether to try in vitro again or adopt, or try on their own for a year or so.
Neither of them realized at the time their daughters were already growing in Elaine's womb.
"I was like, I'm just really getting fat. Why am I getting so fat?" Elaine said.
The babies formed as one egg split into two, and then one of the eggs split again.
The girls are all on one placenta, each in her own sac.
The odds of having triplets conceived naturally are 1 in 8,100, according to Hellin's Law, a formula for calculating the ratio of multiple births. The odds of natural, identical triplets range from 1 in 160,000 to 1 in 200 million.
"Sometimes when you're undergoing infertility treatment it can help the process. Sometimes it might improve the situation of having a natural conception," said Dr. Lee Yang, one of Kaempf's doctors.
The babies will be born through a scheduled C-section at Edward Hospital in Naperville. Although they're arriving about a month before their due date, Yang estimated the babies will probably stay in the hospital about one week.
Now referred to as Baby A, Baby B and Baby C, the Kaempfs have decided on names for each one based on their in-utero personalities: Emma Jolie, Ainsley Anne and Samantha Marie. Friday Yang inspected the babies with an ultrasound. The babies weigh between 4.5 pounds and 5.1 pounds. They will probably be able to breathe on their own but may need short-term help with feeding, Yang said.
The Kaempf triplets will be the fifth set delivered at Edward Hospital this year. Through October, Edward has also delivered 101 sets of twins.
In 2008, Edward delivered 131 sets of twins and five sets of triplets.
Within the last seven years, Edward has delivered two sets of quadruplets (in 2002 and 2006) and one set of quintuplets (in 2004).
The Kaempfs have rearranged their home to make room for the babies, moving an office to the basement and freeing up one of four bedrooms for the girls.
From Elaine's perspective, this pregnancy is entirely different than her sons'. She gained about the same amount of weight, but is more fatigued and on limited bed rest.
"I don't sleep at all. Ever," she said.
But the physical limitations paled in comparison to Elaine's emotional buzz over the three babies on the ultrasound screen in Yang's office.
Her initial reaction when the doctor first confirmed her pregnancy – and told her there were three – was shock and uncontainable excitement.
"I just wanted to tell everybody," she said. "Ever since I was little I had dreams of having twins. It's almost like I knew."
But the Kaempfs never dreamed their family would get this big.
"We thought ... one (child). That was it. But we're happy. Everybody's thrilled," Elaine said.
She writes about her experience online, at miraclemultiples.blogspot.com .

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Gregory Kane: Baltimore City Council targets Christian pregnancy ... - Washington Examiner

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 06:22 PM PST

Think of the Baltimore City Council in session as an episode of a reality television show that might be called "Democrats Gone Wild." The legislative body has 15 members elected from districts throughout the city and one president elected at large. All are Democrats.

Last week, Baltimore distinguished itself by having one of the few city councils in the nation to enact a law that, in essence, harasses pregnancy centers that provide neither abortions nor birth-control referrals.

Yes, you read that right: In the eyes of the Baltimore City Council, people who run pregnancy centers that don't kill unborn children -- or advocate killing them, or refer pregnant women to places that do -- are the bad guys. Those bad guys must now, under penalty of a $150 daily fine, post signs in English and Spanish saying, according to one news story, that "they do not provide or make referral for abortion or birth-control services."

Baltimore's City Council members voted 15-3 to pass this nonsense. That three Democrats had the guts to hold out and go against the tide shows that there may be hope for this party yet, but the action of what may be appropriately called the "Dirty Dozen" still boggles the mind.

Not that I'm surprised by such acts from this particular legislative body.

For years, Baltimore's City Council had a reputation of being weak, a mere rubber stamp for the mayor. Notable exceptions were former council President Lawrence Bell and, believe it or not, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley when he was still a lowly city councilman, but the legislative body was so lacking in backbone that I dubbed it the "Punt on First Down Crew."

Even that doesn't quite describe how wussy it was. This bunch didn't just punt on first down. It punted on first and 5.

Bodymore, Murderland's council has now gotten past its "Punt on First Down" phase. (Some say the presence of the first female mayor caused some council members to finally find their backbone.) But with the new law harassing pregnancy centers that provide counseling, clothing and food for mommies-to-be, the council has become simply revolting.

What reason is given for this law? Read what council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, the chief sponsor of a law that would have made even Josef Stalin wince, had to say:

"[Rawlings-Blake] called the measure a victory for women's well-being," one news story said (emphasis mine). "She cited a study by an advocacy group indicating that women have been misled at pregnancy centers that provide counseling, clothing and food for expectant mothers, but not abortions."

Quoting Rawlings-Blake directly, the story added: "It's a step towards making sure women have the information they need to make the right decision for their health and their future."

That disgusting odor you just whiffed would be the stench of the bat guano wafting south from Baltimore. Can we believe Ms. Rawlings-Blake?

Several years ago, Kenneth Harris -- a Baltimore city councilman who was fatally shot in a robbery last year -- learned that the school system paid contractors for repairs on schools that were never done. Harris made it clear to the school board that he would use his power as chairman of the council's education committee to see that taxpayers got some answers about why their money was being wasted.

He never got the chance. The very next week, Ms. Rawlings-Blake used her power as council president to strip Mr. Harris of his committee chairmanship. It was all in the name of having a more effective legislature, Ms. Rawlings-Blake assured Baltimoreans.

I didn't believe her then, and I don't believe her now. The aim of this law is to harass faith-based, anti-abortion pregnancy centers. It's targeted at them exclusively; that's why Planned Parenthood of Maryland is so pleased with it.

A law that applied to everyone involved in the business of advising and counseling pregnant women would require the Planned Parenthood folks to post signs giving details about the views of its founder, Margaret Sanger, on things like eugenics and forced sterilization.

And, according to Edwin Black's book, "War Against the Weak," Sanger "associated with some of America's most fanatical eugenic racists" and "surrounded herself with some of the eugenics movement's most outspoken racists and white supremacists."

A law requiring such disclosure would be just as silly and unwarranted as the one the Baltimore City Council just passed. But the Montgomery County Council is also considering such a bill. Will the District of Columbia follow?

Examiner Columnist Gregory Kane is a Pulitzer-nominated news and opinion journalist who has covered people and politics from Baltimore to the Sudan.

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NYSC forces pregnancy tests on members - NEXT

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 03:52 PM PST

One of the things that Lawal Taiwo (not real name) had to do when she reported at the camp for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos State was to go for a pregnancy test. Ms. Taiwo, said the exercise, which is mandatory for female youth corps members, was characterised by coercion and neglect, especially as the test was process was conducted in the open.

"They (male corps members) had the opportunity to easily take a peep at all us undressing as the registration process was taking place in a hall right in front of the make-shift shed and all young ladies were forced to squat and urinate into small bottles," she said.

"Before being allowed to start the registration process, all females were requested to line up behind the lecture hall (in which the registration process was going on). I started queuing at about 8am but was unable to urinate due to the unhygienic and inadequate sanitary conditions. What awaited all females were three holes dug into the ground, merely covered up from one side by dirty mattresses." The National Youth Service Corps scheme, which was established in 1971 to unify Nigeria after the civil war, has run into several controversies. One of the more recent ones is the rule for conducting pregnancy test for female participants.

Anyone who refuse to go for the compulsory test or is found pregnant in the course of the test is summarily sent out of the camp.

Another female participant at the Lagos State camp, who spoke under anonymity, said the experience was the first time she had a pregnancy test.

"I have never taken a pregnancy test in my life and the memory of it will stay stuck in my mind forever," she said. "The test was conducted in such a disgusting condition. When a woman takes a pregnancy test, she should be able to do it in the privacy of her home,

or in a decent clinic. Not in a field behind a campsite."

"The tests were conducted all day.

They started the pregnancy tests early in the morning and would end each evening once registration was closed for the day. We would line up in the sun, just for the test," another lady who just passed out of the camp, Joyce Nweze said.

Joyce Madaki, the spokesperson for the Lagos State NYSC confirmed the test, but said she could not speak on it except with the directive of the state coordinator of the scheme.

"I will have to talk to the state director and if he asked me to grant an interview, then I will and if he said I shouldn't I will let you know, but just note I am not permitted to talk to the press on my own," she said.

Policy against women?

But women activists are not amused at this practice. The Executive Director of Project Alert, a group promoting rights of women, Joshepine Chukwuma said any test that is gender based is wrong.

"If pregnancy tests are conducted for women, then what would they now conduct for men? Such test were supposed to be conducted at one's will and not be forced and not under an unconducive environment." Anns Ajayi, a secondary school principal and self-proclaimed gender rights activist in Osun State said that, "It is all trash. Tell me what women have done again? I think the present NYSC director General should cover his face in shame and just resign. This has never been mentioned in the scheme and it was not part of the law that established it." Ms Taiwo, whose test came out negative, said she would not have participated in the process if not for the need to serve her fatherland.

"Though I understand pregnant women and especially nursing mothers not being allowed to serve during this period, I do not find it appropriate to force all prospective female corps members to be treated like animals, to have to pee on command and be harassed by NYSC officials," she said.

Missunderstood requirement

Going by Decree 24 of 1993, the requirement for participating in the scheme do not include any special gender test but a general medical test that was expected to be carried out by the participants's school or a military hospital.

A Millenium Development Goals instructor at one of the orientation camps, Felix Akinmejiwa said the tests were introduced for good reasons.

"The tests are necessary, not just the pregnancy test, but it matters the way it is conducted. I find it hard to believe that Lagos camp could have conducted theirs in such a dirty environment, I think there should be an investigation into this," he said.

"The truth still remains that some corps members lied about their status, and what they don't know is that it is all for their good. How would someone be pregnant and still be climbing ropes? I mean all their Para-military training? It is for their good."

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Smoking in pregnancy cuts blood flow to the fetus - canada.com

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 11:56 AM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Smoking during pregnancy reduces blood flow to the developing fetus and, in turn, retards growth, new research suggests.

"We have known for 50 years that infants born to mothers who smoke during pregnancy have lower birth weights," lead investigator Dr. Malene Rohr Andersen, from Gentoffe University Hospital in Hellerup, Denmark, said in a statement. "But this study provides a possible explanation of why there is restricted blood flow to the fetus," she added.

Andersen's team studied 266 pregnant women, of which 182 were non-smokers, 43 were smokers, and 41 were ex-smokers.

According to a report in the medical journal Circulation, compared with newborns of non-smokers and ex-smokers, those of smokers weighed less, had smaller head sizes, and were shorter.

Smoking was associated with a 47 percent drop in the fetus in levels of a key protein that helps blood vessels to relax and blood flow to increase called endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). "This study is one of the first to show a biochemical measurement of what is going on to cause the lower birth weight," Andersen said.

Smoking was also associated with an 18 percent reduction in plasma levels of "good" HDL cholesterol in the fetus.

In terms of future research, Andersen said her group hopes to determine whether compromised blood vessel function in fetuses of smokers translates into atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) later in life.

SOURCE: Circulation, February 17, 2009.

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Want to get pregnant? Just relax - canada.com

Posted: 29 Nov 2009 08:53 PM PST

WASHINGTON -- Old-fashioned, common-sense advice to just relax may actually work to help some women get pregnant, doctors reported on Monday.

For years women seeking to get pregnant have been advised by friends and family to stop stressing about it -- an idea that not all obstetricians and gynecologists have embraced.

But research presented at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Atlanta suggests there may be something to it.

Alice Domar, who runs a fertility center in Boston and also works at Harvard Medical School, found that women who took part in a stress management program while having a second round of assisted fertility treatment had a 160 percent greater pregnancy rate than women getting IVF alone.

"Reproductive health experts have long wondered about the impact that stress may have on fertility, thus impeding a woman's ability to conceive," Domar said in a statement.

"This study shows that stress management may improve pregnancy rates, minimizing the stress of fertility management itself, improving the success rates of IVF procedures, and ultimately, helping to alleviate the emotional burden for women who are facing challenges trying to conceive."

She and colleagues randomly assigned 97 patients at the clinic to take part in a 10-session mind/body program while undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatments.

The program had no effect on how many women conceived during the first try, Domar told the meeting, with 43 percent of the women getting pregnant.

But for women who failed the first time and were having a second try, 52 percent who took part in the mind/body program became pregnant, compared to only 20 percent of those who did not.

"It's clear based on this carefully designed study, that a holistic approach to infertility care leads to better outcomes for patients," said Dr. R. Dale McClure, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

But a second study found that while complementary and alternative medical therapy was popular among couples getting infertility treatments, it did not make women any more likely to get pregnant.

A team at the University of California, San Francisco questioned 431 couples undergoing infertility therapy and found that 28 percent had tried some kind of alternative medicine, mostly acupuncture or herbs, but they were not any more likely to achieve pregnancy.

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