A Week in the News - 26th September 2014

As the fallout from the Scottish referendum continues to feature in the headlines, it will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months as more powers are mooted for all of the countries in the union. We have also seen the progress of American, and now potentially British, attacks on ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria. The continued worry over Western people being held hostage by ISIS is a concern and it is of course a worry how these extreme views still dominate some sections of society in the Middle East. Our focus moves onto the stories that have caught our eye over the last couple of weeks in the world of babies and pregnancy.

Bumpies and Maths

Have you taken a bumpie? It is becoming an increasingly popular way of sharing your pregnancy with your family and friends, and potentially people across the world. It could be your own way of doing a 'Demi Moore'. One writer for the Telegraph believes that women only take bumpies to fish for compliments and it is as simple as that. Do you agree, is it something that you would do just for a compliment, or do you enjoy sharing what you are doing and how you feel with your friends? If you're sharing it with the whole world then I can sort of understand that view, but if you just want to share a picture with close friends and family is there really any harm?

According to a report in the Daily Mail your maths skills are decided in the womb. Apparently hormone levels in the womb can decide how skilled you are at maths, so if you struggle with fractions it might be time to blame your mum! That being said, it was only a study on children and they are not sure whether the issue continues into adulthood. Yet again it seems to be the question of nature vs nuture though, if you practice your mathematics enough, then surely you can do well?

Winter Babies and Sperm Donors

Were you a winter baby? If you were then you may have started crawling earlier than those born in the summer. The argument is that a baby born in the winter begins to crawl in the summer, so they spend longer active during the day, wear less clothes and also stay on the floor longer. This encourages babies to crawl, whereas in the winter with less natural light and more clothes on babies will have less opportunity to get crawling. Is this something you have recognised in your own children?

If you were in the position where you were considering using a sperm bank to have a child, what would be important to you? To those who use the system, it is brains, not looks which are a priority. Would you agree with this? It is an interesting decision to make, and one which I'm sure would bring up ethical questions along the way.

See you soon!

About the author

James Brighton

Since 2011 James has been in charge of working with and organising all our writers to put together Pregnancy.co.uk and Babies.co.uk. Anna, his girlfriend, knows he will be an encyclopaedia of knowledge if she ever falls pregnant!

Click here to read my full biography.

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