Moms Get High on Baby's Smile

A study of 28 first-time moms revealed that seeing pictures of their babies' smiles activated parts of the brain that signals a hormone called dopamine. When a mother sees their baby smile, they get a rush of dopamine, the same chemical rush that occurs when people use cocaine or nicotine. The study helps explain how the brain fosters maternal devotion, effectively making mothers addicted to their babies. An excerpt from the article explains the other side of things:

The study may also shed light on postpartum depression, which affects one in 10 new mothers, says Louann Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of California-San Francisco who was not involved in the study. In depressed women, dopamine levels may be too low for women to respond to their babies, Brizendine says. Antidepressants, which replenish dopamine levels, often help these women.

The results of this study are interesting, but it is only with 28 mothers. But seriously, those little dimpled baby cheeks are too cute not to get you high. Click here to read the full article.

Mindfulness and the Art of Choice

Our very own Dr. Karen Sherman has a new book out titled, "Mindfulness and the Art of Choice: Transform Your Life." Dr. Sherman was recently featured on the Reader Views website, which offers a review of her book, a video overview of what you can get out of her book, an interview with Dr. Sherman, and you can listen to the audio interview with Dr. Sherman. Here's a brief snippet of their review of her book:

There are many books on the market that cover the same issues as Dr. Sherman, however, there isn’t one that is as concise and to the point as "Mindfulness and the Art of Choice" is. In less than 100 pages she helps the reader become aware of personal issues/reactions embedded in the memory. Within a few simple exercises we can change the feelings associated with the situation. At the same time we can move away from recreating those same feelings in another situation. It may sound like a difficult task, and it could be. However, Dr. Sherman simplifies everything for us through her explanations and exercises--to a point where "Mindfulness and the Art of Choice" becomes truly a self-help book.

If you weren't aware, Dr. Sherman is a regular guest on the Hitched Podcast and can also be found on the Hitched website here.

Would You Hire Your Husband?

The number of women starting and owning their own business has been consistently growing for a number of years. So it's not surprising that more women are asking the question: Should I hire my husband? The NY Times has an article offering several wife/husband teams. The article even addresses the concern of wives making their husbands feel emasculated in the workplace. One wife in the article believes that men measure themselves in the amount of money they make compared to women. So for and her husband, one year he makes more money and then the next year they switch it and she makes more money.

Would you ever own a business with your spouse? Men, would you be okay working for your wife and not being in charge?

That's Probably A Sin

An Italian couple in Rome were caught having sex in a confessional box while the morning mass was taking place. They were arrested for obscene acts after they had been drinking all night and taken their love a little too far. The couple later met with the local bishop to repent and were given forgiveness for their act. After the incident was behind them, the bishop celebrated a "mass of reparation" in the cathedral where the confessional box incident took place to make up for the sacrilege. Click here to read the full AP report.

Hospitals Do Poorly on Breast-feeding Support

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave U.S. hospitals an average score of 63 out of 100 for their support of breast feeding. The report says the states in New England and the West Coast had the highest scores, while hospitals in the South recorded the lowest scores. Of those states, Vermont and New Hampshire were tops, both with a score of 81, while Arkansas sat at the bottom with a 48. The MSNBC article says:

Breast-feeding is considered beneficial to both mothers and their babies. Breast milk contains antibodies that can protect newborns from infections, and studies have found breast-fed babies are less likely to become overweight than those fed with formula.

Have you had a recent experience like this? How would you grade your hospital's breast-feeding support?

Limited Edition Lingerie

If you're looking for a little something special to surprise your wife with, a German web retailer Edition12 is releasing limited edition lingerie. Each lingerie collection is sold with only 120 pieces available, while all lingerie is only available for one month and each piece has a unique number assigned to it. The only problem is that being a European company, they run on the Euro, which is kicking the butt of the U.S. dollar. So the $190 euro lingerie will run you roughly $298 U.S. bones. The good news is that they offer free shipping worldwide. Enjoy!

Marriage Counseling Online

You thought eHarmony was just for people looking to hook up? Well, it used to be, but now they've added eHarmony Marriage, an online program to help couples work through their troubles. This article from The Christian Science Monitor says couples get started by filling out a 40-minute online questionnaire covering issues ranging from finances to housework, trust, family relationships, and spirituality. Each partner answers separately. Their responses generate a computer report outlining their strengths and weaknesses as a couple. Couples pay $150 for the program, which typically takes six to eight weeks to complete. This sounds like a good first step for couples to take if their marriage is in trouble, of course, after reading through our archives of articles! Les Parrott, who created the program says this computerized therapy isn't a replacement of face-to-face counseling, however. Is this something you'd consider?

The Story of a Marriage

A new novel by author Sean Greer tells the story of a young housewife and her life in the 1950s. The novel is titled, "The Story of a Marriage" and is shaped by the era including racial desegregation and the execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (American citizens who were executed after having been found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage in relation to passing information on the American atomic bomb to the Soviet Union). NPR has an audio interview with the author and also an excerpt from the book (click here). Here's a little piece from the excerpt:

We think we know the ones we love.

Our husbands, our wives. We know them--we are them, sometimes; when separated at a party we find ourselves voicing their opinions, their taste in food or books, telling an anecdote that never happened to us but happened to them. We watch their tics of conversation, of driving and dressing, how they touch a sugar cube to their coffee and stare as it turns white to brown, then drop it, satisfied, into the cup. I watched my own husband do that every morning; I was a vigilant wife.

Perfect Husband Tips

Best Life magazine author Hugh O'Neill has written an article giving numerous tips on how to be the perfect husband. Do these tips work? Apparently for O'Neill they do, considering he proclaims to be the world's best husband. I actually think it's pretty cool that he makes this claim. Why not be prideful in being a great spouse? Anyway, here are some of his tips:
1. Kill the words "never" and "always." O'Neill explains that they're gas on fire words.
2. Save and focus your "husband" attention at pivotal times throughout the day. For example, when you come home from work and meet up with your spouse, that's a good time to focus your energy on being a good husband.
3. Laugh at your wife's attempts at humor. O'Neill says it's a sign of respect.

O'Neill has more tips, but you'll have to click here to read them. Also, what's your best tip for being a good spouse? Click here are start a discussion.

4 Parents Sue Baby Bottle Makers

Four Ohio parents have filed a federal lawsuit against Evenflo, Avent America, Handicraft, Playtex Products and Gerber Novartis claiming the bottles were made from a harmful chemical and that the companies knew that a chemical were associated with health problems but didn't disclose the risk. The chemical, bisphenol A (BPA) was identified by the U.S. National Toxicology Program in April showing "some concern" that the chemical caused changes in behavior and the brain, early puberty and possibly precancerous changes in the prostate and breast. This report prompted Wal-Mart to stop selling bottles with BPA by early next year and Toys R Us has said it will purge its shelves of BPA-containing bottles by year's end. Saying all that, here's what the article from the Washington Post says:

Many of the studies that have reported higher levels were conducted under unrealistic conditions, said Dr. Norris Alderson, the Food and Drug Administration's associate commissioner for science.

"Although our review is ongoing, there's no reason to recommend consumers stop using products" with BPA, he said.