I was sixteen when I stood at a podium before my graduating class. With a tassel dangling in my peripheral vision, I delivered a speech on dreams and the audacity to pursue them. Audacious because beneath my graduation gown was a belly bulging, ripe with a life on the verge of beginning. Ironic because some might say that by choosing to grow that life when I was but a baby myself, I was bringing my own life to a screeching halt. I suppose that I was, in some ways. But mostly, I was beginning a whole new chapter.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a rather humorous conversation that I recently had with a long-distance friend via text (with her permission). I hope you find it as entertaining as I do. While the names have been changed to protect anonymity, the story is completely true.

Senator McCain visited Oro Valley this past week. During his initial remarks on a host of topics, he twice mentioned foreign visitors over-extending their visas, and we are not able to track them. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is making it easier for teenage girls to get over-the-counter birth control, by allowing Plan B One-Step emergency contraceptive to be sold without a prescription to women 15 years of age and older.

(BPT) - What if you could program the future of your child’s health as simply as you program your alarm clock? Push a button, choose a selected wake-up time, click and you’re done. It’s not quite that simple, but studies show that what a woman eats just before and during pregnancy will impact the health of her child for the rest of his or her life. It’s an area of research called fetal programming.

(NAPSI)Cancer is one of the most widespread diseases and the leading cause of death worldwide. Nearly one in 24 Americans are living with some form of cancer, so chances are you know someone with the disease.

In a classroom in Tucson, young mothers all gathered together, taking a moment to relax while their babies played on the floor with employees from Teen Outreach Pregnancy Services.

At the March of Dimes, we promise to work tirelessly toward the day when all babies are born healthy.

In order to continue to provide services and educate the public on the importance of decreasing the number of premature births taking place each year, the March of Dimes hosts fundraisers aimed at getting those most affected to participate.

Zane Kirkendall was born three months premature, and at 13 inches long, weighed just one pound, six ounces. Described by doctors as a fighter, the infant survived for 13 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before his underdeveloped lungs gave in.

In Arizona, 85,000 babies were born last year and the March of Dimes helped each and every one of them through 75 years of research, vaccines and breakthroughs.

(BPT) - In the year 2000, Lisa Wollman, a young, vibrant woman in the prime of her life, was pregnant with her second child, and like many expectant mothers, was experiencing changes in her mood and body. However, she knew something was not quite right. Lisa started experiencing anxiety and insomnia, which had not occurred during her first pregnancy. After visiting multiple doctors, Lisa was told her symptoms would subside post-pregnancy, however several weeks after giving birth, she began experiencing other unusual symptoms, including excessive facial hair growth, acne and depression. These signs and symptoms prompted further doctor visits ultimately leading to the diagnosis of Cushing’s disease, which affects approximately one to two people per million annually.

(NewsUSA) - Most of us know that oral hygiene is critical to healthy teeth, white smiles and first impressions. But not nearly as many are familiar with the extreme consequences of what can happen if you don't take care of your mouth.

(NAPSI)—Eighty percent of pregnant women suffer from morning sickness, which, despite its name, can take place mornings, afternoons or any time of the day, sometimes even several times a day. In fact, more than half of all pregnant women have experienced three or more episodes a day.

(BPT) - The big news that a baby is on the way is a time for celebration, excitement and planning. Many couples choose to keep this information quiet for the first couple of months, so they can celebrate the upcoming change in their life together. But sometimes, morning sickness for the mom-to-be can let the news out of the bag earlier than intended.

(NewsUSA) - Most of us know that oral hygiene is critical to healthy teeth, white smiles and first impressions. But not nearly as many are familiar with the extreme consequences of what can happen if you don't take care of your mouth.

(BPT) - When Paula Van Riper felt a slight but annoying ache in her thigh 13 years ago, she was prompted to visit her doctor. No one expected to find a large mass of abnormal plasma cells in her femur, caused by multiple myeloma – a rare form of blood cancer that can lead to the formation of tumors in the bone marrow. Affecting more than 71,000 Americans, multiple myeloma ranks as the second most prevalent blood cancer after non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.¹ According to the American Cancer Society, 21,700 additional cases were diagnosed in the U.S. last year.²

(StatePoint) For parents of newborns, those first months can be exciting, challenging and even a little frightening. While your instincts will kick in to guide you through many parenting challenges, when certain issues arise, it’s important to seek help from your best-informed resource: your pediatrician.

Over the past decade, there’s an alarming trend taking place that organizations like the March of Dimes are doing whatever they can to educate pregnant women about the dangers of give birth too early.

It’s no secret that our teenage daughters are under stress to look a certain way, dress a certain way, wear a certain amount of makeup and given societal pressures, be obsessed with weight.

For most parents, the birth of a new baby is a blessed day, but for some, it can quickly turn tragic, especially when the new bundle of joy comes early.