Baby-Making

ART Twins May Have Higher Risks Than Naturally-Conceived

Parents-to-be should be made aware (but not alarmed) -- an Australian retrospective study concludes twins who result from ART (as opposed to unassisted conception) are at greater risk for health outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and death.

The researchers looked at all twins born in Western Australia from 1994 to 2000. The double difference in risk rates is specific to "spontaneously conceived twins of unlike sex" -- when compared against all spontaneously conceived twins, including identicals, the risks were similar.

The question of 'why' is the mystery. Michele Hansen of Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, study author, proposes that the things that are causing the parents' infertility and/or components of the ART procedure may be to blame. She also notes that the hyper-vigilance of new, formerly-infertile parents may contribute to increased incidence of hospitalizations in the baby's earliest years.

Fertility Treatment Twins More at Risk for Hospitalizations - Forbes.com

What She Said: Being An Older Mom

In her op/ed, New mothers and menopause, Roberta Martone Pavia brings up a topic that not many Mama Wannabe's in their 40's (and even some in their late 30's) will want to hear: Being an 'older' mom provokes a special kind of hormonally-induced madness.

If you're in your 40's and heading to monthly or weekly exams at an OB, chances are good that you conceived with the help of a fertility specialist. It's also likely that nobody in that specialist's office uttered a single negative comment, not even a funny one, about what may lie at the end of your hopeful path. That's okay. Nobody expects baby-making docs to talk about potential negative consequences of their work. After all, the benefits of parenthood really do outweigh the rest. Really.

But -- for all you latecomers or those who've been struggling at this family-building stuff for years longer than many, take heed. Yes, having a baby is a beautiful thing, and when you really, really want one, nothing beats it for a supreme life event. And it's also hard as heck if your pregnancy party starts with a body that's naturally ready to shift into hot flashes, insomnia, and other hormonal overdrive effects.

Be sure you have a cadre of understanding loved ones around you.

Secondary Infertility: Dear Body, What's with the sudden attitude?

On a NYT column (Motherlode, by Lisa Belkin) that may at times be painful to read if you're spinning helplessly in infertility's vortex, guest blogger Kelcey Kintner reveals the conflicting emotions and stigma that come with secondary infertility.

Belly Envy