Best of the Web

11.13.09 Hits of the week

• A preview into a day in the life of the OctoMom and her 14 children as they’re being filmed for a TV show abroad. Remember when the world first learned of the amazing birth of her octuplets?

• Just a reminder: If you have a Maclaren stroller, there's been a national recall of several umbrella-style models due to the risk of finger amputation. And it looks like the potential danger was a problem for a lot longer than first reported, a newspaper reveals.

• Sesame Street turned the big 4-0 this week. The forever-young show has been on Fit Pregnancy's list of best TV shows for years now.

• The hidden secret of breastfeeding: moms loving the calorie burn. In addition to helping women get back into their favorite jeans, nursing also offers lifelong benefits to baby.

• An Australian TV ad for diapers features a "poop explosion." With the holidays approaching, now is a good time to brush up on the tricks of the trade when it comes to changing a baby mid-flight on the way to grandma's house.
   
• Another writer enters the debate: Where is the right place to deliver—home or hospital? (Although keep in mind that some places make a decision for you.) There is more than one way to give birth—here's how to increase your odds of having the delivery you want.

• Home fetal heartbeat monitors may deceive, doctors warn. Recently, Crib Notes reported on experts issuing new guidelines for the use of electronic fetal monitors during labor.
   
• Researchers suggest parents should not dress their kids in designer clothes because it curbs their ability to develop through play. When it comes to baby clothes, here's our list of what you need, how many of each and our picks for fave items. Plus some fall style looks for the mom-to-be.

• If you're overdue, here are some tips on how to get the labor party started. As our Ask the Labor Nurse blogger writes, those last weeks of pregnancy can be the longest weeks of your life.

• Because facts and fiction often mix, check out the uncovering of some pregnancy myths. And here are some more old wives' tales debunked to help put your mind at ease.

• Etsy has plenty of holiday baby gift ideas for crafty moms. If you had something else in mind, browse through our last holiday gift guide to prep you for those early shopping days.

• You don’t see this every day: Florida woman may sue for unlawful arrest after police detained her while in labor.

Maria Vega is Fit Pregnancy magazine's copy editor.