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09.02.11 Hits of the week

• In California, there is a new law in the works requiring breaks for babysitters. (As OC Moms writer Jill L. Reed so eloquently put it: "Does that mean you need a second babysitter to relieve the first babysitter?") When it comes to babysitters and nannies, one of our writers says the search for Finding Ms. Right reminded her of her dating days.

• As the old wives' tale goes, disasters lead to a spike in births, which means last week's Hurricane Irene saw a surprising number of newborns delivered along the East Coast. As our Ask the Labor Nurse blogger likes to remind moms-to-be: Babies ready to be born don't care about hurricanes and your mythical idea of a perfect birth—they're coming, like it or not!

• Actor Robert Downey Jr. and his wife are expecting their first baby together. Check out our Celebs page to read about other stars expecting at the same time as you.

• The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new Cesarean section guidelines to boost protections from blood clots, also known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Our Ask the Experts section has a more in-depth explanation about DVT and pregnancy.

• Quiz alert: How well do you know crib safety? Remember, there is now an official ban in place on the sale and resale of drop-side cribs.

• One writer talks about why she decided not to take prenatal vitamins during her pregnancy. Our experts recommend prenatal vitamins for all moms-to-be, but head over to our How to Get The Vitamins You Need section for other ways to get the nutrients your body may lack.

• Actor Matt Damon (father of four girls) really hopes his buddy, actor and father-of-two-girls Ben Affleck, has a boy this time around. Affleck and wife Jennifer Garner are expecting their third child. One of our writers shares her reverse experience in her Sugar and Spice article: having a girl after two boys.

• A new report finds that the U.S. newborn death rate is higher than 40 other countries. Seems like the nation is getting worse: The last report in 2009 ranked the U.S. in 30th place in infant mortality.

Maria Vega is Fit Pregnancy magazine's copy editor.