Strollerderby : iceland

Morning News: Doctors Who Delivered Octuplets Say 'Don't Look at Us'

Madeline Holler — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Doctors who delivered the California octuplets have come forward to defend their role in the pregancy. Which is to say, we're not responsible. They told the LA Times that they explained to her she could have a selective reduction in order to carry fewer children but that she decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. Here's the really interesting part:

She met with the doctors after she was already 12 weeks pregnant. This leaves everyone to speculate just how she got pregnant with so many. Fertility researchers are scrambling to get the word out that eight babies isn't a medical triumph and that eight babies is not a goal anyone should want.

The Illinois Senate voted to impeach (now former) governor Rod Blogojevich. Before the vote, he accused lawmakers of having it out for him because of his heartfelt desire and actions to get better health care to senior citizens and children, essentially saying he did it for the children. Blogo didn't change any minds. The vote to impeach was unanimous.

Women's health advocates were outraged when family planning funding was taking out of the stimulus bill -- a move that was made to placate Republicans. But sources say that family-planning aid will be written into law as soon as next week.

Good news if you're into Michelle Obama for what she's done rather than what she's worn. Feminist leaders say she'll be a trusted voice for minorities while reshaping how whites see women of color and how society regards its obligations to working parents.

Iceland's new prime minister, who took office after a mass government resignation, is the first openly gay leader of a country. The former flight attendant will serve as interim PM until elections in May. Cold as Iceland is, it's experiencing a huge meltdown financially and the normally docile citizenry has finally gotten pissed amid the turmoil.

If you thought Elisabeth Hasselbeck had been looking somewhat bedraggled for the past couple of months, you were right! Only no judgment, because America's favorite chattering mother is pregnant! She told the ladies on The View yesterday. An angel descended. The set glowed.

Science finally tells us what armpits smell like. For women, it's onions. For men, it's cheese. Rub them together you've got a lovely tarte flambee!

Photo: SignonSanDiego.com

Mom Stuns Docs With Extra Baby, Stuns Us With Ambitious Feeding Plans

Pulling the Plug on Plural Pregnancies

They Say: Crack Babies? Not Such a Big Deal

Damned if You Do, Doomed if You Don't (Breastfeed, That is)

No Great Outpouring for Quintuplets

Babble Podcast for January 26, 2009 (now with a working player)

They Say: Duh...Common Chemicals Lower Fertility

They Say: Incest Is Best?

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:30:00 GMT

If you want to increase your chances of having a healthy baby, you might want to look at some of the branches of your own family tree. No, really.

It turns out that third and fourth cousins tend to have lots and lots of babies when they hook up. Procreating with anyone closer than a second cousin is still a bad idea, according to this research out of Iceland.

For those of us who wouldn't be able to pick a third cousin out of a line-up, the idea that having sex with one doesn't exactly feel like it would be incestuous. Still, it's good information to have, I guess. Maybe this tidbit of info has more impact in Iceland, where you have to find something to do indoors all winter.

photo: scientific american

Family Vacation: Penis Museum

Madeline Holler — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:31:00 GMT

Isn't it time your kids knew more about penises? But how to go about their penis education ...

Make a family vacation of it! There's a man in Iceland who has built a small but popular museum dedicated to the display of the male organ from all species. (That's him in the picture stroking a stuffed elephant penis.)

There's one version of the male organ that is conspicuously absent from the collection: human.

But don't worry. Several fans of his collection have willed him theirs. Though one 90something guy might not go through with it. Seems aging has brought on a bit of shrinkage and his once proud member isn't what it used to be.

Still ... fun for the whole family!

Photo: Reuters