Heidi Klum surprised everyone tonight by leading the parade at the annual Victoria’s Secret fashion show, which returned after four years on the road.

The sexy mama, who gave birth to daughter, Lou, just 6 weeks ago, was supposed to host the event, instead she took to the runway in a purple corset covered with a half gown with poufs of tulle.

{WENN}

Sarah Michelle Gellar was seen out in Beverly Hills on Friday sporting some skinny jeans and a loose fitting tank top.

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer star looks fabulous less than a month after giving birth to Charlotte Grace – her first baby with hubby Freddie Prinze Jr.

SOURCE

New research suggests that taking probiotics during their pregnancy may help women keep belly fat under control after pregnancy.

Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland enrolled 256 pregnant women in a study on weight gain, dividing them into three groups during their first trimesters.

Women in two of the groups received dietary counseling consistent with what doctors recommend for healthy weight gain and optimal fetal development.

They also were sent home with foods such as spreads and salad dressings with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as fiber-enriched pasta and breakfast cereal.

Women in one of those two groups also received daily capsules containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, the most commonly used probiotics — bacteria that help maintain a healthy bacterial balance in the gut. The third group received dummy capsules and received no dietary counseling.

All of the women were weighed at the start of the study and then again 12 months after childbirth.

Central obesity — defined as a body mass index of 30 or more and a waist circumference over 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) — was found in 25% of the women who had been given the probiotics as well as advice on what to eat.

Those not given probiotics didn’t do as well. Central obesity was found in

• 43% of the women who got dietary counseling alone
• 40% of the women who got neither probiotics nor dietary advice

The average body fat percentage in the probiotics group was 28%, compared with 29% in the diet-advice-only group and 30% in the third set of women.

“The women who got the probiotics fared best,” says Kirsi Laitinen, a nutritionist and senior lecturer at Turku. “One year after childbirth, they had the lowest levels of central obesity as well as the lowest body fat percentage.”

She adds that more research is needed to confirm the potential positive role of probiotics on belly fat. Additionally, she says her team of researchers will continue to track the women and their babies to determine whether giving probiotics during pregnancy has any influence on the health of the children.

Having 2 kids has been a big change around this house. I constantly look like crap. I wear my pajamas all day and rarely get a chance to wash my hair.

That is why I thoroughly enjoyed Oprah’s show yesterday on motherhood. Regular moms like you and I spilled to the talk show host about their dark mommy secrets.

I found the show therapeutic and loved hearing that all of the craziness that is happening at our house is being repeated in many other houses.

Here is what they said:

DIAPER STORIES:

• Vicki Glembocki, a mom of two, says she had a “pee incident” recently during a seven-hour drive with her kids. “I looked in the back, and the kids were sleeping, which was literally a miracle from God, but the problem was I had to pee,” she says. “So I’m thinking, ‘If I stop at a rest area, they’re totally going to wake up, and I do not want them to wake up.’ So I reach into the diaper bag, I pulled out a diaper and I peed into it.”
• Dee-Dee Jackson, a mother of five, has her own diaper confession. After running out of diapers in the middle of the night, she says she had to make her own. “What we had to do was use a maxi pad until the next morning,” she says. “It worked so well, we took our time the next day to get diapers.”
• Heija Nunn has a diaper tip that has served her well with her three kids. “You have to seed the house and car with diapers,” she says. “That way there’s always one to unearth in an emergency. Don’t put them in one spot—just scatter them.”

MOM CONFESSIONS:

• I’m embarrassed to say that I have completely forgotten to give my child dinner
• I confess that I have let my kids cry in their cribs while I sit with my husband and drink wine
• I confess to have thought more than once, what the hell did I do to my life – what the HELL did I do to my life?
• I don’t really give baths all of the time. I throw them in the jacuzzi thinking the bubbles will clean them off
• I have made a full lunch for my kids out of the snacks in my car.
• To be totally honest there have been times when my twins have gone 3 weeks without a bath.
• I confess my kids eat pizza for breakfast at least twice a week.

SEX AFTER BABY:

• Dooce’s Heather Armstrong talked sex and how it changes when you are a mom. “It took seven months [before I had sex after giving birth]. No one had told me that it was going to take that long after what the baby did to me,” Heather says. “Any guy who wants to have unprotected sex? Seven months without it. Just think about that for a minute. Let that number circulate in your head for a little bit.”
• Karen Walrond is a mom of a 5-year-old daughter says the definition of intimacy has changed for her marriage since her child was born. “Intimacy in our house nowadays is my husband and I touching ankles below my daughter’s sleeping form between us,” she says. “It’s really hard to get that loving feeling when you’ve got a 40-pound kid between you.”
• I certainly did not want to have sex because I didn’t want to create another one. No way I can’t do this again. I also felt like my body had been re-purposed. That area down there is now an out door – no longer an in door.
• What sex life – next question!
• I would so much rather sleep than have sex.

THINGS NO ONE TOLD YOU:

• No one ever tells you how gross or uncomfortable it is feeling your boobs on your stomach.
• I just wish someone would have warned my about the hemorrhoids. Just a little heads up. I could have used the warning.
• No one ever told me that boys wake up with woody’s. I go in there in the morning to get them up out of bed and they’re all pointing at me.
• One of the things no one told me about being a mom is that there is lice involved. Lots of lice. I wish someone would have told me how to get rid of the lice.

I love that these moms were so honest. The show was refreshing and uplifting because it’s nice to know that your not in it alone.

Laila Ali has been a professional athlete all her life. After giving birth to her son Curtis in late August, the new mom found herself needing to get back in shape. But how does a mother find the time and the energy?

Laila, who found out that being fit is good for both the mom and her baby, shares her get fit tips with new moms.

Before starting an exercise regime, check with your doctor. Here are some other exercise safety tips to keep n mind:

• Invest in a good support bra. Your breasts are going to be larger than normal from the milk production and will need a lot of extra support.
• Be careful of high-impact sports due to lax pelvic ligaments and joints left over from pregnancy. This is why core (abdominal work is key after pregnancy preventing lower back and joint injuries).
• Make sure you drink lots of water to replenish yourself, especially when breastfeeding.
• Listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired, go easy on yourself. Try not to push yourself until you feel ready.
• If you start to feel light headed and nauseous, or notice a change in the color of your vaginal discharge, consult with your doctor. You may be exercising too strenuously.

*And remember, losing baby weight takes time. Since her son was born in August, Laila has lost 15 pounds. She says she has 20 more to go.*

Such support helps yours uterus to contract faster, it gives excellent back support while breastfeeding and provides some extra support when lifting older child in and out of the crib.

Even though I am still a few months off of delivering #2, I am already looking for the best way to get back into shape after baby arrives.

The Belly Bandit wrap is an abdominal compression binder designed to help you get your body back to its former fabulousness post childbirth.

Not only does it help reduce uncomfortable uterine swelling, it aids in decreasing bloating caused by water retention, and gives additional support for Mommy’s weary legs & back. For you breastfeeding moms, there’s a bonus. The Belly Bandit will help you with your posture during feedings, and may help to reduce the all too common back & shoulder pain associated with breastfeeding.

Available in 3 different styles, this unique abdominal compression binder offers something for all moms.

The Original($39.95) is the no-frills ‘get-it-done’ model. It has all of the same benefits as the other versions, with less flash.

The Couture($49.95) is the trendy mommy Belly Bandit choice. It is fully covered lightweight fabric with a solid outer cover with an inside peek-a-boo print that’s simply fabulous to wear! This version was created for moms who want to feel extra cute while losing that post-pregnancy belly.

The Bamboo($59.95) is the eco-friendly version for the Green mommies. It is inherently anti-microbial, moisture wicking and is three times more durable than cotton. Fabric made from Bamboo is one of the softest, all natural, greenest, fibers around.

An estimated 50 to 60 deliveries occur daily at a government hospital in Manila, forcing staff to discharge new mothers as early as 12 to 24 hours after birth.

PHOTOCREDIT: REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo VIA YAHOO.COM

Today, the DailyMail is reporting that Joanne Watson is delighted to be pregnant again with the couple’s 14th babyThe slim 37-year-old says she loves being pregnant and is lucky enough to have regained her pre-pregnancy figure of 7st 5lb after the birth of every child.

With ten sisters and three brothers, the new baby will have plenty of siblings to play with at the family’s four-bedroom home, including Natasha, 19, Bradley, 18, Shanice, 16, Mariah, 13, Georgia,11, Caitlin, nine, Brittany, eight, Febrianne, seven, Charlie, six, Lillyarna, four, Nerilly-Jade, three, and two-year-old Arnie and seven-month-old Tallulah.

Wowsers! Good luck to her. Maybe the Watson’s are trying to keeping up with the Duggars…. Related Articles:

• Mom Of 13 Achieves Prebirth Weight in Just 5 days
• Michelle Duggar Talks Pregnancy Cravings
• Michelle Duggar Expecting Her 18th Baby

After the Census Bureau reported that 50 percent of all new mothers don’t return to work after giving birth some companies decided to get creative in order to keep their employees.

Over 80 companies have successfully allowed more than 1,000 babies in the workplace. On average the babies are allowed to be at work with mom until they are between 6 and 8 months or until they begin to crawl.

In the workplace, babies tend to be mellow and highly content. The workplace offers parental closeness, social interaction, physical contact, highly responsive care and high breast feeding rates.

Happy babies lower stress level and create feelings of camaraderie and a community among co-workers.

This initiative would definitely make it easier for new moms to breast feed longer. I wonder if there is a care provider on site to help out when you are busy with work stuff?

SOURCE
SOURCE

In the last few years, I have been surprised to hear how many new moms are gifted jewelery or other luxury gifts after delivery.

If new dads think that a bouquet of flowers will cut it. They are in for a surprise. Nowadays, many husbands are expected to buy expensive presents to thank their wives for dealing with pregnancy and “pushing” through labor.

Push presents, which are usually jewelry have gained popularity in the last few years. It just took one new mother to get such a gift, her friends embraced the trend and then passed the word on to their hubbies.

The tradition of husbands giving their wives gifts to commemorate the birth of a baby has some longstanding cultural roots. In England (search), the man is expected to buy the woman an elegant ring. In India (search), a husband bestows a set of gold jewelry upon his wife — offering more elaborate baubles for boy babies than girls. And recently, some of those customs have made their way over to the U.S.

Opinion Polls & Market Research

PHOTOCREDIT:Jean Schlumberger Lynn Bracelet Tiffanys.com $17,500

SOURCE