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• Pregnant Woman Attacks Bartender

  This is a super extreme case, and I'm totally not justifying this woman's actions at all, so make no mistake about that. I don't think anyone would recommend drinking in pregnancy to the point where the bartender cuts you off, or getting violent and seriously hurting someone as a solution, so what happened here is totally not right. But when I read the story, I couldn't help but think about how people are always giving you dirty looks for drinking coffee or tsk-tsking about what you do when you are pregnant, and how the hormonal rage makes your eyes cross, and so on... Anyhow, a bartender refused to give a pregnant woman another drink...   Read More... Posted Feb 15 2008, 05:34 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, alcohol, pregnant, coffee, violence, hormones, starbucks, alcoholism, arrest, drinking during pregnancy, fight, latte, rage

• Lots of People Are Abused As Kids--So Why Do Only Some Develop Depression?

  Sadly, having a hard-knock life and being abused as a kid is not entirely uncommon. But only some people develop serious depression out of this, while others seem reasonably unscathed. How come? Researchers looked at genetic variations to see how regulation of the stress response could make a difference. If your nurture fails, can nature help you out? Some adults had... Read More... Posted Feb 07 2008, 12:02 PM by Kelly Mills with | with no comments Filed under: research study, depression, child abuse, hormones, treatment, nature versus nurture, genes, genetic variations

• I Think I Going To Post On Pregnancy Memory Loss--Did I Do It Already?

  In general I hate to concede anything to "pregnancy brain"-- it reminds me of when you are in a fight with someone and they ask if you are on your period or something. But some researchers just did a study on memory loss during pregnancy, and they found that "pregnant women do experience a slight loss of memory--and in many cases, the forgetfulness continues after birth." It seems that the memory loss is subtle, but most pronounced on new or unfamilar stuff, like why you thought getting pregnant was a good idea in the first place. So what causes this little knocked up amnesia? Researchers... Read More... Posted Feb 06 2008, 05:28 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, research study, birth, hormones, sleep deprivation, delivery, postpartum, memory, pregnancy brain, mental abilities

• Supportive Homelife During Preschool Means Girls Hit Puberty Later

  If you'd like the Barbie dolls to be the only young things in the house sporting boobs any time soon, I guess it's time to work on being supportive and happy and economically good, because researchers say your parental investment during the preschool years will make a difference. According to a new study, girls who grow up in households with marital conflict, depressed dads, and less supportive parenting hit puberty earlier than peers in stable, supportive homes. The idea is that early childhood experiences can influence sexual maturation rates in girls, and early puberty has been linked with mood disorders, substance abuse, teen pregnancy and reproductive system cancers. It has also been tied to earlier instances of eye rolling and the phrase, "Oh my gawd, you are ruining my life!" There's other factors involved in the age of onset of the hormonal roller coaster. Read More... Posted Nov 19 2007, 11:32 AM by Kelly Mills with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: preschool, research study, puberty, hormones, adolescence, supportive parenting

• New Study Shows You Can Get Knocked Up When You Least Expect It

  A new study has found what many of those who stared at the home pregnancy test in horror already knew: There's a big ol' window when you can get pregnant. People were previously told that the fertility window for trying to concieve (or trying not to conceive) was between days 10 and 17 of a woman's cycle. But guess what? Turns out that was only true for 30 percent of women. "In fact, the researchers found, there is hardly a day in the menstrual cycle during which some women are not potentially fertile." Ooops! Hey, it wasn't that fancy dinner, a few too many glasses of wine, and a movie with Johnny Depp that did this to you, it was misinformation. The deal is that even women with cycles so regular you could set a clock by 'em... Read More... Posted Nov 15 2007, 05:22 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, research study, accidental pregnancy, hormones, fertility issues, cycles

• Short People Make Themselves Sick

  As if short people don’t have enough problems – the pant lengths, the nicknames, the unpredictable belligerence and defensiveness. A big study of them in the U.K. has determined that short people are likely responsible for much of their own misery. Read More... Posted Oct 19 2007, 02:02 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: research study, growth attenuation, hormones, Madeline Holler

• Pregcellent: Love-Fest Or "Ugh, No Way"

  Hormones are a funny thing, and no, not "ha ha" funny, so don't even think about laughing because we are feeling a little emotional right now and we don't need that kind of crap... Okay, hormones. They make some pregnant ladies cringe at the thought of sex, while others find the libido goes to a whole new level. And some (a few of the bloggers here, in fact) just get really into porn for a change. While we sometimes find the logistics of pregnancy bump-and-grind amusing, we're curious about your bedroom habits. Or kitchen habits, I guess, if it's like that. So where did you or do you come down on the issue?   Read More... Posted Oct 17 2007, 06:40 PM by Kelly Mills with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Sex, porn, hormones, pregcellent, pregnancy sex

• Do Some Moms Love More Than Others?

  You know how the love your feel for your child, especially the newborns, is inexplicable, other-worldly, spiritual, so incredibly unfamiliar that you catch yourself describing it as “magical”? Well, get over yourself. That love is chemical, plain and simple. At least that’s what scientists concluded from this study on oxytocin “the hormone of love” and the mother-child bond. Oh, great. They have not only taken the mystery out of love, they’ve quantified it. No I love you more! No I love you more! Quit arguing and submit blood samples! Read More... Posted Oct 16 2007, 07:52 AM by Madeline Holler with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: research study, hormones, Madeline Holler, bonding, oxytocin

• Test Taking Ability Correlated With...Finger Length?

  When someone pulls out a ruler to measure a part of your body, do you start to feel inadequate? Now kids can share that pain. A recent study found that the finger length of kids between the ages of six and seven correlated with performance on standardized academic tests. Boys with short index fingers compared to their ring fingers did well on math tests, and girls with same-length index and ring fingers did well on verbal tests. No word yet on what my very long middle finger means, aside from the fact that other motorists seem to be bothered by it. The digit length is believed to be linked to hormones, which play a role in brain development. Testosterone purportedly influences mathematical and spatial ability, while estrogen is argued to affect the areas of the brain used in language. Finger length serves as a marker of prenatal hormone exposures, and potentially inborn academic abilities. Curse you, hormones! I blame everything on you. So instead of doing flash cards, this year we will be working on finger stretching. Because I want my child to have the brightest possible future at Harvard.   Posted Jun 01 2007, 08:04 AM by Kelly Mills with | with no comments Filed under: research study, academics, hormones, academic abilities, standardized tests

• Pregnancy: 2nd Trimester the Feel-Good Trimester

  Waves of euphoria. Peaceful loving feeling,  Honeymoon period.  Feelings of fullness and love and peace.  When I hear women talk about these things regarding pregnancy or breastfeeding, I tilt my head and think "huh" (when I'm in a good mood) or "what a farkin lunatic" (when in a bad one).  Nevertheless, I know there are plenty of nice ladies out there who enjoy pregnancy like it was the culmination of life's mysteries.  To say I'm a "cranky" pregnant lady is like describing the Iraq War as a "diplomatic disagreement."  Just ask my ex-husband.  Kidding kidding.  We're still married. According to this article, there are many reasons to love the 2nd trimester of pregnancy.  Like the drinking and the loving.  No no. That's not what she says.  Actually she suggests daydreaming, relishing the libido, and fitting in the fitness.  I think reading this article is a great idea if you're a cheerful pregnant lady.  But if you're cranky like I was, I think swearing and eating potato chips will be much better for your soul. Posted May 03 2007, 04:52 PM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: pregnancy, babies, hormones, pregnancy and depression. 2nd trimester

• Study: Teen Moodiness is Due to.....Hormones (Duh!)

  Well this certainly explains a lot.  Not that we didn't already know that teenagers are often moody, and at times for no apparent reason, and that it's been explained away for years as having to do with hormones.  But here's a closer look.  At least, it explains a lot for teenage mice.  Apparently, though, a hormone called THP (also called allopregnanolone) that normally has a calming effect on adults and young children, has the opposite effect on teenagers.  Uh, teenage mice, that is.  The THP is released in the body several minutes after a stressful event, and normally has a tranquilizing effect (I think I need more of this), but in adolecsence, there are more receptors present that accept the hormone in brain cells, and as a result there is an anxious rather than calming effect when the THP moves into place in the brain. In other words, what is calming for adults and younger children drives teenagers nuts.  Hmm.  I think I see that.  Not that this information changes anything, but it does help to understand what is going on.    Posted Mar 14 2007, 02:06 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: teenagers, puberty, hormones, moodiness