The second most likely diagnosed disease during pregnancy behind breast cancer is thyroid cancer. We don’t hear about thyroid disease very often, but an estimated 20 million people have been diagnosed with some form of thyroid disorder. Pregnant women with undiagnosed or inadequately treated hypothyroidism have an increased risk of miscarriage, preterm delivery, and severe developmental problems in their children.

The risk of hypothyroidism goes up during pregnancy and even after delivery, so the next time you have a prenatal visit, make sure to talk to your O.B. about your thyroid.

Click here to read, Thyroid Disease and Pregnancy, an online brochure from the American Thyroid Association.

Maternity Must-Have

If there is one thing that’s certain it’s this: Being pregnant is not the time to lose your sense of style. In fact, it’s the perfect time to push the limits of your style creativity. Thanks to forward-thinking, hip designers you can do that.

This 100% Make Love Not War funky maternity tee from Spunky Sprout will make your belly stand out in the crowd and put a little pep in your step when you’re out and about.

Find the tee on spunksprout.com. Price: $56.00

What I am getting at is there is a noticeable dearth of positive information, resources, books, periodicals, and websites about black mothers on the Internet, save a few random, self-published sites by a minute smattering of black mothers and a few books that show up in online bookstore inventories. When I simply searched for print magazines for black mothers, I found nothing. That I can handle. But when I searched for websites tailored to black mothers, black mothering, and black motherhood (something that in my mind should exist), I found mostly academic studies and statistics about what is wrong with black mothers and how “bad” black mothering adversely affects black children.

That was then. Now more than five years later, things have surely changed. There are countless black mom bloggers, group blogs for mom bloggers of color, and sites geared specifically to moms of color. It’s a brand-new day and I am thrilled that I stuck around to see the transformation.

One of the newest blogs on the block is one you’re sure to love. It’s called Moms of Hue and was started by two extraordinary women, Renée Ross and Kristina Daniele. When you’re looking for a great group blog to read, I highly suggest adding them to your feed reader!

On the Net: www.momsofhue.com

Below are four questions about infant mortality I hope you will answer or either pass along to your readers. Answers are after the jump.

1. QUESTION:

What is preterm birth?

a. Preterm birth is childbirth occurring earlier than 39 completed weeks of pregnancy
b. Preterm birth is childbirth occurring earlier than 40 completed weeks of pregnancy
c. Preterm birth is childbirth occurring earlier than 37 completed weeks of pregnancy

How many babies in the United States are born premature?

a. 1 in 5 babies
b. 1 in 12 babies
c. 1 in 14 babies

3. QUESTION:

Which women are at the greatest risk of preterm birth?

a. Women who have had a previous preterm birth
b. Women who are pregnant with multiple babies
c. Women with a short cervix
d. All of the above

4. QUESTION:

True of False: Can preterm birth can be predicted?

1. ANSWER:

The correct answer is C: Preterm birth is childbirth occurring earlier than 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

2. ANSWER:

The correct answer is B: 1 in 12 babies are born premature in the United States.

Prematurity is the number one cause of death among newborns in the United States. According to the March of Dimes, prematurity has risen 36 percent since the early 1980s.
Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are defined as premature and can face weeks or even months in the hospital. While most go on to lead healthy lives, many suffer serious lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation and learning problems, chronic lung disease, and vision and hearing problems. Half of all neurological disabilities in children are related to premature birth.

3. ANSWER:

The correct answer is D: All of the above. Researches have determined that these three groups of women are at the greatest risk of preterm labor and birth. Other possible risk factors include: late or no prenatal care, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, certain infections during pregnancy, a history of domestic violence, lack of social support and stress and a history of cigarette smoking, alcohol use, or illicit drug use during pregnancy.

ANSWER:

True! There is an FDA-approved, noninvasive test that provides healthcare providers with valuable information regarding a woman’s risk for preterm birth. The presence of fetal fibronectin is the single strongest independent predictor of preterm birth at less than 32 weeks.

Collection for fetal fibronectin testing (similar to a Pap test) can be performed in a healthcare provider’s office or the hospital. The test measures the amount of fetal fibronectin–the glue-like substance that holds the baby in the womb—in the vagina. Between weeks 22 to 35 of a pregnancy, fetal fibronectin should be almost undetectable. A negative test result reveals a less than one percent chance a woman will deliver her baby within the next 14 days; a positive test result is the single, strongest independent predictor of premature birth before 32 weeks. The fFN test enables physicians to improve outcomes by determining who is most appropriate for medical intervention while sparing many women from unnecessary treatment including powerful steroid drugs and hospitalization. To learn more about the fFN test visit www.fullterm.net and to become a fan on of the fFN Test on Facebook visit www.facebook.com/fFNTest.

During my third run-through of the magazine I was finally struck by a medium-sized sidebar Q&A interview, nearly hidden, on the bottom left side of a page placed in the middle of the issue. I remember clearly that two distinct things immediately grabbed my attention. One: the woman being highlighted was a black mother and two: there was a photo of her, microphone in hand, grasped to perfection, smiling and confidently giving a speech to an audience that I couldn’t see but could imagine was undoubtedly packed to capacity.

After closely reading the entire interview — which was far too short to satisfy my curiosity — I discovered that this woman was a motivational speaker and also a home schooling mom. As a home schooling mother too, her responses in only a few words piqued my interest and I knew then that I wanted to feature her life and story in Mommy Too! magazine. Although I was excited about the prospect of highlighting a black mother who I could tell was creating her life’s dream and succeeding at her calling, little did I realize that I would meet one of the most extraordinary women I’ve met in my life and will probably ever meet during my entire lifetime. Her name is Bonnie St. John, a truly extraordinary mom.

Generally when I write about the lives of people and report about what makes them interesting, I purposely avoid using adjectives that may taint the greatness of their work or at the other end of the spectrum give banal platitudes for that which they have accomplished. After learning more about Bonnie St. John there was no way possible that I could use watered-down, trite words and phrasing to describe how extraordinary she truly is. After all, she graduated from both Harvard (Cum Laude) and Oxford, was a Rhodes Scholar, an Official on the White House National Economic Council, an award-winning IBM sales rep as well as the author of not one, but three books, a business owner, and now tours the country as a motivational speaker to corporate clients, universities and associations throughout the world and is a well sought-after coach.

As if these accomplishments aren’t enough, she is also the holder of a silver medal in downhill skiing which she won in the 1984 Winter Paralympics in Innsbruck, Austria. And did I mention that she accomplished all of these extraordinary feats with only one leg? St. John became an early amputee at age five, but you wouldn’t know it based on the things that she has already achieved in her life.

With this amazing and heavy list of accomplishments, one might prematurely imagine that St. John is far beyond the daily trials and rigors of everyday motherhood that we all face, but she isn’t and makes no airs to that effect. In speaking candidly with her one recent morning via telephone, she in New York and me in North Carolina, I learned a valuable lesson; one that I have sought to implement in my own life. With a gentle yet fully in control and confident manner, she spoke matter-of-factly about pushing through obstacles and taking risks and doing what’s right for you. I took this to mean that she has herself lived these inestimable lessons and has applied them aptly to her life’s experiences. In all, she is like every one of us — an everyday mom who has to put life events and responsibilities into priority lists. But she views life differently than most and although there may be obstacles in her life as a woman, as a mother, as a business owner, as a human being, she pushes through until she reaches an effective outcome. “Doing all of these things you can be successful,” St. John says.

Being a champion is Bonnie St. John’s motto not only because she gracefully dons the golden sash of authentic success, but because she has masterfully tweaked her role as a single mother to maximize the life and opportunities for her daughter while still remaining true to her entrepreneurial spirit and drive to succeed. One way in which she has accommodated both she and her daughter is by home schooling.

A mom who travels frequently for her own speaking, writing and coaching business, an entrepreneurial risk she admits taking to stay at home with her daughter, St. John decided when faced with the education issue that the best option was home schooling although it wasn’t her first choice.

Before the momentous decision to home school when her daughter was still enrolled in kindergarten, St. John light-heartedly recalls the many times her daughter was marked truant for being out of school when she traveled with her on business trips. To avoid her daughter being labeled perpetually absent the obvious choice at that point for St. John was home schooling. “I was driven to it because otherwise I had to change my career,” says St. John. “I chose home schooling for purely selfish reasons.”

Although stressing and admitting to choosing home education so that she could simultaneously concentrate on her business while also ensuring that her daughter receives a stellar education, St. John soon realized that her work with its wealth of opportunities provided an enriching education in itself. Traveling and seeing new places and meeting new people afforded St. John the opportunity to incorporate her work with daily learning lessons for her daughter. In fact, one of the main points that St. John emphasizes is the importance of allowing children to benefit from their parents’ career. “Teach your child values by using your work,” she says. “Teach them the value of hard work, excellence, passion and how to make a difference by letting them help you and by expecting them to contribute. For example, take them to work with you.”

This principle of incorporating children into parents’ careers is one element in the overarching theory that St. John has developed called the “blending principle”. Explained in greater detail in her latest book, Getting Ahead At Work Without Leaving Your Family Behind, St. John stresses the point of blending family and work. Most experts talk about balancing work and family but according to St. John, balancing doesn’t always cut it. “I don’t call it balancing work and family because balancing implies that you have to give up something to get something,” says St. John. “Work and family are not mutually exclusive.”

A busy, home schooling mother who is frequently featured on several national and international news outlets such as the Discovery Channel, Lifetime and the BBC and who stays busy coaching her clients and inspiring roomfuls of people, Bonnie St. John is quick to emphasize that mothers should take the necessary time to nurture themselves. “You should always do something that’s just for you so that you can have something just for you,” she says.

On the Net: www.bonniestjohn.com

For those of you who are so lucky to be carrying a little one right now, Motherhood Maternity and A Pea in a Pod have you covered with cute, sassy, stylish, and inexpensive maternity wear for fall.

Purple rib henley with rhinestone buttons ($19.98) layered under black marled sweater vest ($34.98) paired with destructed boot cut jeans ($44.98)

Black matte jersey party dress with beaded bodice – $44.98

Sapphire cowl neck modal jersey top ($85) and black sequin skirt worn ($195) with black princess coat ($315)

Oh, and by the way, Nicole Richie has a fab new exclusive collection of maternity wear at A Pea in a Pod. I like the look of the flowy tops and long skirts.

You can access the Amazon registry here! And you can read more about this wonderful effort from fellow moms at OneDollarGive.com.

You’ll like their beauty picks, Fab in a Flash, and Cheap & Chic sections. The Essence editors did a fabulous job picking products that will make us look beautiful, but won’t make us break the bank!

The cover story featuring Tyler Perry (pg. 113) is also a nice read. Even though I didn’t learn anything new about Perry, it’s always beneficial to feed off his success and analyze how his mind works. I love that he hasn’t forgotten where he came from and is forever grateful for the blessings that have been bestowed upon him. He always has a lot of wisdom to impart upon his fans and I soak it up whenever I read something from him. 

There is also an uplifting piece called Turn Your Life Around (pg 135). It gives an abundance of advice and anecdotes about ways to make life-altering transitions for the betterment of your life. 

——

On another note, I am now a contributing editor to Mahogany Butterfly’s Beloved section which is all about motherhood. Be sure to visit. I will cross-post links to a lot of the articles here so you won’t miss a thing 

Jennifer James, Editor

I’m so glad our first lady disapproves that Ty, Inc is profiting off dolls they have named after first daughters Malia and Sasha. The dolls don’t look anything like the Obama girls. I guess they think all black girls look alike. Shameful!

“We believe it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes,” Ms. Obama’s spokeswoman said.

Read more on Chicago Business.

- Jennifer James, Editor

Here’s some sage advice from Jill to other moms:

It’s so hard to believe, it’s hard to have faith, especially when things aren’t working out. It’s difficult and a challenge when you continuously ask for what you want and need in your life or at least what you think you want and need in your life, but that’s when you have to believe and have faith the most. Who knows how the blessings will flow or at what time or what hour those lessons are going to come. So I’d simply share to learn to be grateful for everything. When you give up, when you start to believe again, when you’re crying, when it hurts so bad, when you’re too embarrassed to face anybody— whatever—just be thankful because I believe that’s all God really wants from us is to be appreciative. It’s been my way of thinking and I’m hoping to teach this lil’ one these things.

Read Jill Scott’s interview about her pregnancy and motherhood on Essence.com.

I saw this gorgeous belly cast today — all decorated in beautiful mosaics — on a blog and it re-ignited how much I regret not savoring my own pregnancies.

We have added belly casting kits to our store so you don’t have to search the Web for the best ones out there.

• Proudbody Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit ($33.44)
• Belly Vita Imprint Kit – Pregnancy Belly Cast Kit ($57.88)
• Pregnancy Henna Art Kit ($22.75)

+ Here are a few archived posts about belly casting:

• Baring Your Growing Belly
• Cherish Your Preggy Belly With Belly Vita
• Belly Casting

If you do a belly cast, please send pictures for our belly gallery to mommytoo {at} gmail.com.

Jennifer James, Editor