A shout out to teen moms! What it is really like to be pregnant

One of the first things that went through my head when I found out I was pregnant, besides "Oh no!, what is my mom going to think?" was "great, I'm going to get fat." 

Some people say that pregnancy is such a beautiful thing. I believe the fact that a little person growing inside of you is beautiful, but the many changes a woman's body endures are not.

Here are some things I learned about what it is like to be pregnant and some lessons for what you might learn about your body during pregnancy

 Lesson 1: Babies love pickles.

For the first 4 ½ maybe 5 months of pregnancy the baby is still so small that a little “baby bump” is all people see. It is hard to differ between an actual baby inside of you and a little tummy fat. Also, the baby needs food! Being pregnant made my appetite increase a lot! Women often find themselves eating very strange things that they never liked before just because the baby needs the protein or iron or whatever is in the food. For me, it was fruit and random vegetables with sugar. It wasn’t normal pairs though like strawberries and chocolate. I put whip cream on every fruit and veggie I saw in my house. My favorite was whip cream and pickles. It’s not just a rumor that pregnant woman cave pickles because I did too!

Lesson 2: Must love TUMS

Some common pregnancy symptoms that I had and did not enjoy were morning sickness and heart burn. These were not fun! I would feel completely fine and then out of nowhere get an upset feeling in my stomach and be rushing to the bathroom to vomit. No matter what I ate, spicy or not I would get heart burn. I even started carrying around a bottle of TUMS.

Lesson 3: Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it can

Later on in pregnancy the weight of the baby really starts to take a toll on your body. Your back arches like a Pringle and aches all the time because it is trying to help support the weight of the baby. Your hips start to shift and become wider. Also, if the baby is carried high, there is a greater chance of your ribs getting kicked, pushed, and even bruised. During the end a woman’s body has already gone through so much, she is uncomfortable because having a large belly makes it hard to do pretty much everything even sleep, and she is just ready for the baby to come out!

Lesson 4: It’s all worth it

And then there is child birth. I am not even going to get into the horrifying details of that because I think you all can imagine how terrible it can be. In the end though, seeing my baby made it all worth it, because a mother’s love for her child is unlike any other love out there.

For all of the other young moms out there: here are some tips or resources for going through the long process of pregnancy: list 5 tips or resources 

1. Get TUMS 
2. Paint your toe nails before you get too big or you won’t be able to reach them 
3. Take relaxing bubble baths if you’re feeling uncomfortable  
4. Give into the crazy cravings or they get worse!
5. Call Teen Link if you ever want someone to talk to or support you. Teen Link is a confidential and anonymous helpline for teens answered by teens. Once you have your baby it takes up a lot of your time/all of your time, sleep, and energy, so it is nice to be able to call somewhere and actually talk to another person who will really listen. To call Teen Link dial 1866-833-6546 or you can also use the online chat by visiting the Teen Link website www.866teenlink.org.

This week...news, movies, music and more.

New Releases:

8/24 Music
JP, Chrissie & The Fairground Boys - Fidelity!;  Ra Ra Riot - Orchard; Dead Confederate - Sugar; Mogwai - Special Moves; Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony;  Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters - Spread The Love; Sword - Warp Riders;  Red Horse - Red Horse; Little Big Town - Reason Why; Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - Je T'aime...Moi Non; Usher - Versus; Fantasia - Back To Me;  Margaret Cho - Cho Independent; Blind Guardian - At The Edge Of Time; Eels - Tomorrow Morning; Linkin Park - Catalyst (Limited Edition); Devil Wears Prada - Zombie EP; Never Shout Never - Harmony; Bad City - Welcome To The Wasteland; Antony & The Johnsons - Thank Your Love; Randy Rogers Band - Burning The Day; Lang Lang - Lang Lang Live In Vienna; John Scofield - 54

8/24 Movies
Withnail & I (Blu-Ray); Time Bandits (Blu-Ray); Survival Of The Dead; 5 A Day; NCIS: Season 7; Patty Duke Show: Season 3; Pixies - Acoustic & Electric (Blu-Ray); Electric Light Orchestra - Live: The Early Years (DVD); Gossip Girl: Season 3; City Island;



In theaters now:

The Expendables - A family reunion of action stars, heavy on the fighting, explosions and one-liners. Here's what the critics have said:

"It makes good on the old-school action it promises, but given all the talent on display, The Expendables should hit harder." - Rotten Tomatoes

"If ever there was a movie that was all about the action scenes, ‘The Expendables’ is it." - Screen Rant

Vampires Suck - Yet another spoof in the same vein as "Scary Movie", "Date Movie", and "Epic Movie". This one however takes a stab at Hollywood's (and the public's) recent obsession with movies about vampires but specifically targets the Twilight trilogy.
And the verdict from reeladvice.net:
Why you should watch it:
- if spoof movies are your thing as it brings nothing new to the old ways of the genre
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- if spoof movies aren't your thing as it brings nothing new to the old ways of the genre


New in the theaters this Friday:

Avatar: Special Edition: Not to be confused with the "director's cut" version of the movie that will be released sometime in the future on DVD, this version of the original movie that made BILLIONS in its first go-round includes an additional 8 minutes of new footage.

"I'm trying to use the technology to keep people interested and enthused about the 'Avatar' universe, because it's going to be a long time before we get another 'Avatar' movie done," the filmmaker said in a recent interview.


And apparently there are plans for at least two sequels and a book.
Click on the link to se the "new" trailer: http://www.movieweb.com/news/NE3O9gdvVyhr67

 The Last Exorcism: the latest horror/terror flic about demonic possession shot in a  faux documentary style that takes place in the south. Lots of chills, bible-thumping, and supernatural...stuff.

And the review from twitchfilm.net - "The scare sequences are well executed and very effective, the imagery striking home all the more because of the naturalistic manner in which it is shot. But, that said, it is very much a horror picture of the slow burn variety, not the smack-you-in-the-face series of jump scares that the trailers promise."

In the news

FROM National Public Radio: "With Birth Control Pills, New Isn't Always Better"
by Richard Knox

"Be wary of claims that a potent pill will solve all your problems — it's probably not true. "

Bayer HealthCare, the leading maker of birth control pills, is coming out with a brand new pill. Natazia, as it's called, contains a form of estrogen that's never been used in an oral contraceptive.
It also has a novel dosing regimen. Women on Natazia will take four different combinations and doses of hormones or sugar pills each month.

The new launch coincides with growing problems for Bayer's last new contraceptive, Yaz...

To read the rest of the article click on the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129258505&ps=cprs

OR listen to the podcast: http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=129258505&m=129370677

  
9/11 families, others rally in favor of NYC mosque 
If you've been following the controversy that's been building across the country about the Islamic community center and mosque set to be built near Ground Zero, this article brings us up to date with some changes in what has been, til now, been a very contentious issue.

From The Seattle Times: 
'The planned mosque and Islamic center blocks from ground zero got a new boost Wednesday from a coalition of supporters that includes families of Sept. 11 victims.
New York Neighbors for American Values rallied for the first time at a municipal building near ground zero.

"I lost a 23-year-old son, a paramedic who gave his life saving Americans and their values," Talat Hamdani said, and supporting the Islamic center and mosque "has nothing to do with religion. It has to do with standing up for our human rights, including freedom of religion."
Among the nearly 2,800 people killed when the World Trade Center was attacked in 2001 were more than 30 Muslims, she noted.

Opponents of the Islamic center project argue it's insensitive to the families and memories of Sept. 11 victims to build a mosque so close. Supporters cite freedom of religion.'

Read the rest of the article by clicking on the link below:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012718009_apusnycmosque.html

Teen and Pregnant- an Epidemic?

 So let's talk once again about everyone's favorite subject.....No, not Twilight....everyone's OTHER favorite subject: SEX! More specifically, what happens when birth control goes wrong?! That goes to say, birth control IS being used...right? Because if it isn't, read on! 

   

     

I've been watching MTV, in the middle of homework breaks (you know how that goes!), and have been very intrigued with the shows like "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom." These shows, if you haven't been keeping up to date with what MTV deems as "cool" to put shows on the air, follow the lives of girls who are teen moms or are about to become moms. 

The shows cover how the girls deal with the news, their personal lives, education, family, friends, and the stresses of having to deal with the consequences of their actions. 

I was thinking to myself while watching:

• What do people think of these shows? 
• Are they advocating safe sex? Or perhaps glamorizing young pregnancy? 

A psychologist, Dr. Drew, appears on these shows to counsel these girls and at the same time promote safe sex. 

• Do you think the message is getting the point across by showing real life examples of the consequences of not using any form or birth control? 
• Do you think by putting so much emphasis on the lives of these girls that it really deters people from making bad choices?  

Sarah Palin's daugher was a prime example of teen pregnancy and now she is in the media promoting abstinence. She was interviewed (Watch it Here) and spoke about how she wants other to learn from her mistakes. The article says, "Palin Promoting Abstinence in New Campaign, 'Regardless of What I Did Personally.'"

My question for all these girls sharing the stories of their lives is do you think it will be really heard? People are saying how can someone like Bristol Palin who is a teen mom really promote abstinence when she, herself, did not follow her own advice? What do you all think? 

Since she has experienced the consequences do you think it now makes her a good role model and a warning all at the same time? 

I hope either the shows, or role models will have an effect on the teen pregnancy rates because they have gone up in both of the last two years. 

I guess TV is actually reflecting real lives for once, for the worse maybe? or for a chance to learn? You decide...

Teen Link