Photo by Loops427

There's a new study on twins .... but before I tell you any more, let me first say that this news should in no way panic moms expecting twins in which one or both babies are boys. That's the doctor who did the research himself talking, not me.

But I found this report sort of interesting in terms of the famed "boy disadvantage" we've heard about.

What's the "boy disadvantage"?

Well, it means singleton boys are more likely than girls to be born prematurely, need a cesarean delivery, or have newborn health problems. That's all well known.

And the latest study published in the nation's top gynecological journal suggests that having a male twin may also raise the odds of complications, according to Reuters.

Photo by livewiresav06

I felt guilty taking my two-week old firstborn to a friend's party where there were lots of snuffly little kids around. Our pediatrician had specifically said to wait at least a month to six weeks before exposing him to germs, and as a new mom, I took his words as gospel.

When my daughter was born, I was strolling the aisles of Target and visiting friends within days with no guilt whatsoever. If she was going to catch anything, it would be something from her germy big brother.

I recently visited my friend and her 1 week old, and even though she's been through it all with an older son, she doesn't plan to take her new baby out anytime soon, especially with the Swine Flu going around. So it seems like it just depends on the mom.

Some of the responses from moms who were asked when they took their newborn out in public in Answers made me giggle:

Photo by abjbrewer

Some of us may not remember Baby Fae. I recalled the name, but when I read that this week marks the 25th anniversary of her landmark surgery, I had to do some digging to refresh on who she was and what it was all about.

I was just a little kid when the baby, Stephanie Fae Beauclair, was born, certainly many years from momhood myself. But now that I read up on it I wonder if the perspective I had back then would have been different from the one I have now.

According to the National Ledger, Stephanie Fae Beauclair was a premature baby and suffered a condition known as hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, or a partially developed heart. It was untreatable.

Photo by TwinMommy320

The November issue of Parents magazine explains why we can predict a lot about the way our baby thinks, behaves and develops based on his or her sex.

Okay, so this explains my son's love of head butting a lot!

Here are some of the biggest differences:

Photo by Mama_Lissa

Both my kids recieved either an 8 or a 9 APGAR score immediately after birth. I'd have to look it up to be sure. All I cared about what that they were crying and moving and alive.

But your doctor will do a little test to make sure your baby is perfectly okay. This is called the Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance, and Respiration score, or APGAR.

The test, given immediately and five minutes after birth, was designed to quickly evaluate a newborn's physical condition after delivery and to determine if any extra medical or emergency care, such as CPR, is needed.

Click to see the APGAR in chart form or here's the rundown:

Photo by if_only

The moms in Stay at Home Moms are talking about their scariest moments as parents, things that made them stronger as a family and ever grateful for their children. I can't believe some of the things CafeMoms have gone through ...

-- When I was pregnant I was sitting in standstill traffic and someone came flying off of an exit ramp and hit me going 60 mph. I was in the hospital for a few days but luckily they didn't have to take her early.

-- After I had my son he wasn't breathing and it took them about two minutes to get him to start. It was complete TORTURE!! 

Photo by JackieB33

Your new baby will do all sorts of things that delight you, as well as all sorts of things that will just scare you to death. A lot of them may be perfectly normal, new baby things that you just never knew about or expected. But some things might be more serious. Case in point: One mom in Newcomer's said her 8 week old forgets to breathe every once in a while.

"He takes a huge breath and makes a noise and the same face he makes if water drips on his face in the tub (which I heard is because babies automatically hold their breath)," says mrsjedwards. "Today he did it while he was sleeping sucking on a binky. He woke up startled, making the face and taking a huge breath."

mitch576 believes this is sleep apnea. It's actually common and treatable, but her now 6 year old, weighing only 34 pounds, almost died of this. As long as you recognize it, you'll be fine. So if you spot this in your newborn, mitch576 says you need to:

This baby story ends happily ... but it started out with CafeMoms using terms like "Absolutely ridiculous!" "What is this world coming to?" and "That is absurd!"

What happened the other day was a 4 month old baby was denied health insurance for being "too fat."

Oh, there's no question the boy is big. He's 17 pounds, putting him in the 99th percentile for weight. But, it's still not that big. When Alex's family applied to the Rocky Mountain Health Plan for insurance coverage, they denied the child based on a policy that they reject anyone who is over the 95th percentile.

We're talking a healthy, breastfed baby here! Click for a photo of Alex Lange.

Photo by RanaAurora

You may have discovered that you spend a lot of time in the pediatrician's office. Or maybe I'm just making an assumption about you because when my kids were infants I was there ALL THE TIME.

It was the worst. My son seemed to get sick every other week those first few months. As a new mom, I always played it safe and took him in. You never really know how sick a baby is, because even a little discomfort makes them wail.

My pediatrician wasn't far, but there was always traffic. Add an extra 20 minutes to the 40 minute round trip. That wasn't nearly as bad as the waiting once I lugged the infant carrier up two flights of stairs to the office. If I got in and out in an hour and a half, that was a good day. One time I was there for three! My doctor was consistently backed up, one of the reasons I eventually switched practices.

A CafeMom friend asked me the other day why the Daily Buzz is talking about the swine flu so much. Really good question! I had to think on that a bit.

It has nothing to do with being pro or con, but rather confusion over the mixed messages about the risks from the vaccine versus the illness itself. So, the more we talk it through and look at it from all angles, the greater the hope that we can figure out what works best for our own families and kids.

I think Neonds13, owner of the Educate Before You Vaccinate group, summed it up best in her recent Healthy Living Buzz interview: