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Lil's Top Three Favorite New Mom Shows!

LilSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:00:33 -0700

Set your DVR or put the kids to bed early so you can turn on the boob tube and enjoy some mom-me time watching LilSugar's three favorite new mom shows! After hearing all the hype about the networks' most anticipated sitcoms and dramas that centered around matriarchs, we tuned in and then narrowed down the choices to our top three must sees. Check out our picks! Drum roll please . . .
Second Runnerup: The Middle
Why we like it: Patricia Heaton is back on the small screen as Frankie Heck, a mom of three who has more than her share of realistic haggard-mom moments.
Why we love it: While all of the characters are lovable, Brick's creepy habits, from talking in a low voice to "soothe" himself to copping feels on his teacher, make him the center of attention. Just when a viewer's skin begins to crawl, the youngster tells his mom that she's his hero, and it's impossible not to melt.
Rating:

To see which shows got the second and top spots, read more.
First Runnerup: The Good Wife
Why we like it: We've all wondered why real-life women like Elizabeth Edwards and Silda Spitzer stood by their men despite being humiliated. Julianna Margulies's character, Alicia Florrick, give us a better understanding.
Why we love it: Alicia is both a strong and sympathetic woman. While her circumstance is one most women hope to never find themselves in, Alicia is someone we all can relate to, because despite the enormity of some of her issues, she also deals with the everyday stuff like protecting her children from the media, enduring an overbearing mother-in-law, and competing with co-workers half her age at the office.
Rating:

Best New Mom Show: Modern Family
Why we like it: The sitcom showcases three related families: a "traditional" couple raising three tween and teenagers, December/May newlyweds who have a young son, and gay partners with an adopted baby girl.
Why we love it: The show had us in stitches through its entirety. Each family has been so carefully crafted that there's no clear favorite. And, in all of the hilarity, there are sentimental moments interspersed that hit viewers in their heartstrings. Rating:

If you have strong opinions on other moms of the small screen, mosey on over to the Television Moms group on the LilSugar Community, a place to discuss the parenting styles and practices of the small screen's matriarchs along with the topical issues from recent episodes of shows.
Photos copyright 2009 ABC, Inc. and Photo courtesy of CBS

Desperate Housewives Rundown Season 6 Premiere "Nice Is Different Than Good"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:30:36 -0700

The season six premiere of Desperate Housewives opens with Mike's much-anticipated wedding and then takes us on a series of flashbacks to the weeks leading up to the big event.

With Edie out of the picture and a new housewife on the block, Mike's marriage isn't the only scandal happening on Wisteria Lane. To chat about the exciting season premiere, just read more.

Susan - She's been avoiding Katherine since she and Mike got back together but is forced to see her when she stops by Bree's house. Hiding behind Lynette, she manages to avoid a confrontation until a delivery man leaves Susan's wedding dress at Katherine's house, leaving her no choice but to go over and pick it up. When Susan stops by, Katherine opens the door wearing the dress - and teases her by cooking red pasta sauce dangerously close to the dress. It's obvious that Katherine is upset about the wedding, but Susan is determined that it be her special day. Susan might have more than Katherine to worry about with Julie back in town being courted by Danny, the new housewife's son.

Bree - Still estranged from Orson and toying with an affair with her divorce lawyer Carl, Bree struggles with her adulterous feelings. When Orson begs her to rethink the divorce and consider counseling, she realizes that "guilt is a small price to pay for happiness" and books a hotel room for a rendezvous with Carl - in clean sheets, of course.

Gaby - Carlos's niece Mariana is living at the house and pushing Gaby's patience. Gaby sees right through Mariana's tricks and tries to keep her teenage ways under control by monitoring what she wears to school and implementing a 10 p.m. curfew. Gaby sees a lot of her teenage self in Mariana and doesn't want her to have to go through the same struggles that she did, so she signs papers to legalize her and Carlos's guardianship over Mariana.

Lynette - Three months pregnant with twins and realizing she'll be 60 years old when they graduate from high school, Lynette is stressed out about the idea of adding two more to the family. In the waiting room at the doctor's office, she scares a young new mom-to-be out of her elation with details about saggy boobs, constant breastfeeding, and absent husbands. Later, she and Tom are together for the first ultrasound, and when she doesn't show any excitement for the babies, Tom confronts her. She breaks down and says she doesn't love the babies liked she loved their other kids. Tom assures her that once she holds them she will, but she doesn't seem too convinced.

Katherine - Crazed from losing Mike, Katherine is a mix of depressed and resentful. She and Susan still haven't spoken since the breakup, and she intends to get a public apology from Susan - at her and Mike's wedding. Susan refuses and locks her in a closet before the ceremony, but she manages to get out and meet them in the aisle after the ceremony. Even after Susan gives in and apologizes in front of the entire church, it's pretty clear that Katherine won't be letting go of her heartbreak, or resentment for Susan, any time soon.

Angie - The mysterious new housewife on the block (spitfire Drea de Matteo) brings her husband Nick and son Danny to Fairview. We see that, obviously, they left some dark past behind when we get a glimpse of some pretty gnarly scars on Angie's back. But Angie won't be the only one stirring things up since Danny seems to have a sordid past too. After he and Julie go on a date and get in a fight and he goes missing after Mike and Susan's wedding, we are left to wonder who mysteriously strangled Julie and escaped the scene.

What did you think of the season premiere? Was there enough crazy and intrigue to keep you watching another season?

Lactation Consultants Lead Babies to Mother's Milk

babysugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:00:08 -0700

Expectant mamas planning on nursing their newborn straight out of the womb are often surprised by the task - especially first time mothers. Some lucky mamas may slip into a nice natural groove while others, like myself, find themselves tortured by the pain. After a few agitated days of breastfeeding, I buckled under pressure and sought out a lactation consultant to advise me on my practices.

We shook hands and introduced ourselves as any strangers might do in a work place. But then we quickly got down to business. She asked me the details of my daughter's nursing habits - when, how long, what position and which sides, etc. To judge for herself, she asked me to put my daughter on the breast. In her small office, I sat in the most upright position with a nursing stool, a Brest Friend wrapped around my waist, and fed my newborn as my husband, mom and lactation consultant looked on.

To see how it all worked out, read more.
Quickly she pressed my infant's face harder onto the boob leaving her little room to pull off. After a few minutes of purveying the situation, the consultant scribbled a page worth of notes, handed me a pack of Lily Padz for my ailing tatas and weighed my baby. Almost instantly, she had the answer to my problem. After about 30 minutes of counseling, I thanked her and offered her a hug as if I had known her my whole life. I guess baring my breasts to a total stranger has that effect on me. But more than that, I wanted her to know how much I appreciated her helping me along the path to successful and (less) painless breastfeeding.

Did you seek out a lactation consultant?
Source

Have You Heard About Boob Jab?

BellaSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:00:55 -0700

Just when you think you've seen it all, a new cosmetic procedure comes along to out-weird the last. The latest one is referred to as the Boob Jab - that's jab, not job. As an alternative to breast implants, the Boob Jab is an injectable filler that can increase the breast's fullness by one cup size. A doctor numbs the underarm area, then injects a hyaluronic acid-based filler called Macrolane into the breast. The results are immediate, although some bruising is common. But here's the catch: the $4,000 procedure produces results, but they last only from 12 to 18 months. Over time, the body absorbs the filler, and the breasts need to be "topped off."

If you're itching to see what it's like to be a C-cup rather than a B-cup, this could be right up your alley. But I wouldn't be into this - I'm just not a fan of needles or injectable fillers in general. And on a larger level, I'm tired of the pathologizing of small breasts. Is it just me, or is the obsession with implants and the like getting out of control?
Source

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me? Mastitis

babysugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:30:09 -0800

In my days of baby preparation, I read tons of pregnancy books to soak up as much information as possible. Most of the texts offered up a small section dedicated to mastitis. Seemingly not that common, I skimmed over it and didn't pay much attention to the subject.

To see why that was a mistake, read more.

Ten days into motherhood, my mom, newborn, and I went on a beach walk on a heaven–sent sunny day. About a third of the way into the jaunt I was so achy, tired, and ill feeling that I had to rest my laurels. I assumed I was still lethargic from the labor and delivery, but it was actually the beginning of something much worse.

Early the next morning, I woke up with a fever and mad chills. Still clueless, I thought my night sweating may have been the cause so I robotically went into the nursery and fed my child as I shook uncontrollably. Then I knew something was wrong.

My husband called his mum who suggested I might have mastitis. I shook my head and vehemently denied the possibility. The books all said mastitis would be excruciatingly painful and show itself in a red blotchy manner on my breast, which was not happening.

But as I did my online research I learned I might be wrong. WebMD explains mastitis:

Mastitis usually starts as a painful area in one breast. It may be red or warm to the touch, or both. You may also have fever, chills, and body aches. If you have these symptoms, call your doctor today.

Admittedly I had the flu–like symptoms but was still in denial since my chest still felt and looked normal. To be safe, my husband and I went to triage that night where I was diagnosed and treated for mastitis. The docs gave me a prescription for antibiotics and told me to nurse my way through the pain. I kid you not!

Breastfeeding is tough enough, but add a hard swollen boob, fever, chills, and aches to it and you've got a first-rate nightmare on your hands. And so it was. The worst part about it was that the antibiotics could not be taken two hours before or after eating, which meant my eating periods were laid out for me, which as any new mom knows, you eat when you can, not when you plan on it. To help the growing boob pain, I walked around with frozen peas and corn in my bra. Classy. Very classy.

But alas, I survived to tell about it. And when I told people I had it, I quickly found out how very common it is. I'd say that half of all moms I know toughed their way through it - some multiple times!

If you're pregnant and planning on nursing, take measures to avoid getting the beastly ailment. Here are some tips from WebMD:

Before breastfeeding your baby, place a warm, wet washcloth over the affected breast for about 15 minutes. Try this at least 3 times a day. This increases milk flow in the breast. Massaging the affected breast may also increase milk flow.
If possible, continue breast-feeding on both sides. Ideally, start on the affected side; it's critical that you empty this breast thoroughly. If this breast is too painful to start with, try feeding from the healthy breast first. Then, after your milk is flowing, breast-feed from the affected breast until it feels soft. Switch back to the healthy breast and breast-feed until your baby has finished.
Pump or express milk from the affected breast if pain prevents you from breast-feeding. Nipple pain can be caused by the baby latching on to sore nipples.

Source

1, 2, & 3.

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:27:53 -0800

1. My boyfriend and I have been together for a little over 3 years now. We were eachothers first everything, I was even his first kiss. Well we've lost our virginity to eachother too. But we're in highschool. I am always hearing rumors about him cheating on me. But I trust him with all of my heart, but yet sometimes I still think about it. I really don't think he would ever cheat on me. He never flirts or anything. But I don't want to be one of those girls, that people tell stuff to and she doesn't believe them, but he really is doing the stuff she hears. I honestly can't see him doing it. He doesn't party or drink or anything. Today some guy told me " Oh someone told me they seen him at a party last year and they were making out with her, everyone knows but you" I really trust him, but these things are really starting to get at me. What should I do?

2. I have small breasts, and I don't feel sexy with them. I have a nice body, but I'm sick of seeing all these models and people with big breasts. My boyfriend says he's in love with them, but I still feel unatractive. I mean I know I don't have to worry about them, because he likes them the way they are, but still. I'm like 113, and have a nice bubble butt. So if I did have big boobs I'd look very akward seeing how small I am. But I'm just sick of always seeing big boobs. I have boobs. But not huge.

3. Cheerleading? Any one who does cheerleading, I'm starting to fly.I can't get over cradeling. It's not high at all, but when I get up there I freak. Any advice?

Handle This: Your Boyfriend Wants You to Get a Boob Job

DearSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Your chest has always been on the smaller side, and though you've complained on occasion about not being able to fill out a particular top, or looking too small in a bathing suit, for the most part you don’t mind being flat chested - at least you can go braless when necessary! Well it turns out your boyfriend has a different opinion.

After jokingly mentioning a few times that he would love to see what you'd look like with breast implants, now he’s actually offering to pay for a boob job. You’re totally shocked that he’d take it this far so how do youhandle this?

Source

You Asked: My Friend is Obsessed With Her Chest!

DearSugar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar--

My friend is absolutely obsessed with her chest size. She's no more than an A cup, but I think she is beautiful the way she is. I tell her this all the time, and I point out all the awesome outfits she can wear braless, plus she has a boyfriend who loves her and her small chest, but her insecurities about it are making her jealous and suspicious when it comes to his faithfulness. Granted his ex girlfriends have been a different body type than her, but they are still EX girlfriends, so it's obvious that they weren't cutting it.

She really wants to get plastic surgery, but I'm afraid she's putting too much faith that breast augmentation will change her self esteem. Surgery is only a temporary fix for a major self esteem issue. I can't even help her because I'm a 32 E, and anything I say doesn't register. I just don't want her to make a decision that could possibly be very dangerous. How can I help her see how beautiful she is?

--Concerned Carrie

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear Concerned Carrie --

It's great that you are being so supportive in trying to help your friend see how beautiful she is on her own. Plastic surgery is a huge deal and there can be many complications during and after the surgery, which I'm sure is why you don't want her to go through with this. Plus, you're right, getting this kind of surgery is not a sure fix for all your insecurities.

If telling her how perfect she is on her own isn't working, maybe you can fill her in on what it's like having big breasts. You can remind her how hard it is to find shirts and dresses that fit when you're bigger breasted, and how much your boobs hurt when you exercise or get your period. In addition, breast implants feel and look different than regular breasts and if you have an augmentation, you can run the risk of not being able to nurse your baby if you want to, or you can lose all sensitivity.

If she does decide to get the surgery, she'll meet with a plastic surgeon that will go through all the medical risks. When she finds out how much it will hurt, how much it will cost, and how long it takes to heal, she may have second thoughts. If she still wants to go through with it, and being small-chested upsets her that much, having this surgery might really make her feel better about herself and if that's the case, it's her body and her decision. All you can do is continue to be the supportive friend she needs.

Source

Think Pink: Lotions & Potions Boob Tube Lip Balm

BellaSugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:00:27 -0700

Whether you call them your girls, your twins, your knockers or something else, October is a good time to think about your breasts. Because it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we should all take a moment to check our ta-tas for lumps. (It really is an effective way to detect the disease.) All month, I've been finding "pink" products, and this one is a real hoot.

Lotions & Potions is a small company run by a woman in Chicago. It specializes in botanical, organic, handmade products such as this pink-tinted Boob Tube lip balm ($6). The vegan formula has jojoba oil and avocado oil to soften lips, plus it has a cheery pink grapefruit scent. Half of all sales will benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and there's free shipping if you spend more than $10. I haven't tried this lip balm, but judging on the concept alone, it seems like a winner.

Fab Body Guide: Swimwear For All Figures

FabSugar — Sun, 13 May 2007 12:22:22 -0700

Though it's still Spring, Summer is fast approaching so you should already be on the prowl for some new sexy swimwear! Last week I showed you some of my current favorite suit trends: metallic bikinis, cut-out one pieces, exotic suits, pin up styles and surfing wear. Life & Style featured some celebs in their suits according to their body types - so helpful! I for one always like to buy suits that accentuate my small B cup chest - so below I have chosen a couple suits that will give my boobs a little boost. So whether or not you can float above water, buy one or two new stunning bathing suits this season but be sure it compliments your bod!

To see my swimsuit picks to accentuate a small bust, read more

Vix Tropical Bikini, $130. A bandeau is the way to go - not all gals can wear these, but for the smaller busted it draws attention to this area.

Delia's Dots Cinched Bandeau and Skirtini, $50. The halter will help create cleavage and the polka dots are just so sweet!