lilsugar

Less Attractive Men Are More Fertile

lilsugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:32 -0700

If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life never make a pretty woman your wife, or so the song goes, but if a woman wants children should she sleep with an unattractive man? Researchers at the University of Oxford and University College London have determined that men deemed handsome produce less sperm during sex than their not-so-hot counterparts.

According to their study, good-looking guys tend to release fewer sperm per romp in the sack to increase their chances of spreading the wealth among more women. Less-attractive men release more sperm per sexual encounter due to their assumed less frequent fertilization opportunities. Other species, like chicken and fish have been found to have similar characteristics as their human counterparts.

How a male negotiates this trade-off depends on how easy he finds it to attract females. The more attractive a male is, the more females will be willing to mate with him, reducing the value of each mating to him. This means it is optimal for him to contribute fewer sperm per mating. Although this reduces fertility per mating, it maximizes the number of offspring he sires overall.

What's your opinion on these findings?

Lil Links: Mira Sorvino Has a Baby Boy!

babysugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:00:01 -0700

Mira Sorvino welcomes a baby boy! - Celebrity Baby Blog
Rich moms have boys and poor moms have girls - ParentDish
Great baseball baby names - Parenting
Karen Duffy talks about being an older mom - Cookie
July is National Ice Cream Month! - Alpha Mom
Do your kids eat Splenda? - CafeMom
Levi and Camila zero in on Target - Celebrity Baby Scoop
How to clean green - Health
Chocolate tofu pie - Boston Mamas

Did You Use Self-Tanner While Pregnant?

babysugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:00:58 -0700

Vain mamas-to-be maintain their appearances during their nine months by keeping up their hair color, exercise routines, manicures and pedicures. When it comes to their complexions, some expectant ladies shield themselves from the sun as the skin becomes more sensitive and prone to burn. Self-tanning cream can accelerate the motherly glow for those women. While some may question the dangers of applying such lotions or sprays while carrying a child, others deem them safe. What's your take on self-tanning lotions during pregnancy?

Cyber Babes: Study Shows Kids Are Well Connected

lilsugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:14 -0700

Even the littlest kids are well connected. According to a recent study by Nielsen Online, more children are catching the wave and surfing the net than ever before. Sixteen million US children between the ages of two and 11 were online in May of this year. That is an 18 percent increase in the number of lil ones over the past five years, while the percentage of all US Internet users increased by 10 percent in that same period. Children are being exposed to technology at earlier ages because they often sit on a working parent's lap or have access to computers at home or in school. The average two to 11-year-old spending more than 11 hours online, a 63 percent increase over the past five years. According to the survey, boys spend seven percent more time online than girls, but girls view nine percent more Web sites than boys. Though the study did not address actions parents are taking to monitor their children's Web time, there are several kid-friendly email services and parental spyware tools that can be used. Do you limit your youngster's screen time?

Are Your Friendships Affected by Your Children?

babysugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

A bit of fear creeps in when I am introducing my kids to my friends for the first time. I hope that my babes will adore my buddies (and vice versa), but there's no guarantee. I have experienced the awkward moment when my daughter wigged out as my girlfriend tried to hold her. And, watched as my child tried to strike up a conversation with friends only to have them snub her and return to other topics of interest. To be fair, they are generally self-proclaimed "no children" kind of people.

Though reactions can be chalked up to moodiness or bad timing, the bond (or lack there of) between a mom's kiddos and her friends can have a lasting impression on the adult relationship. Mamas may feel more at ease knowing her tots are surrounded by those who adore the wee company. She may stray from those that are only interested in adult time, which can be sparse. Do the relationships between your children and your friends affect your friendships?

Photo courtesy of New Line Cinema