Pride Angel

A TV production company ‘Garden Productions’, have approached us, as they are in the process of making a new groundbreaking documentary series for Channel 4.

The series is concentrating on people who are about to make a very significant life-changing decision and they are keen to explore the area of fertility and parenting within the series.

As part of their research they would very much like to reach out to couples and individuals who are thinking about starting a family through sperm donation, IVF or egg sharing, but are still at a point where they are not entirely sure if they want to proceed and may be exploring other methods as well.

At this stage they keen to reach out to couples (both same sex and heterosexual) and single people who are still deciding and are yet to take the first steps. Samantha from Garden Productions thought that Pride Angel would be a good place to let people know about her research.

Samantha would be really happy to speak with any interested people in more detail about the project and about how the programme works, all of which will be in confidence. There is no obligation to take the process any further once you have spoken with Samantha, so please feel free to contact us at Pride Angel for more information or with any questions.

Finally, a note about ‘Garden Productions’. They produces a wide range of interesting, sensitive television programmes including Channel 4's ‘24 Hours In A&E’ and they’re really excited about this new groundbreaking project for Channel 4.

Read more about parenting options at www.prideangel.com

Women who diet during pregnancy are more likely to have a child that could become obese or diabetic in later life, a study suggests. Researchers found in a study on sheep that giving ewes less food at the time of conception caused DNA changes in the brains of their young.

The University of Manchester scientists suspect the findings may hold true for humans as well and could explain why twins are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes in adulthood.

The study investigated twin pregnancies in sheep as well the pregnancies of ewes that received less food around the time the lamb was conceived. The researchers then looked at tissues from the brains of the unborn lambs to see if there were changes in the structure of the DNA.

Study leader Anne White said: 'We found that unborn twin lambs had changes in the structure of DNA in the region of the brain that regulates food intake and glucose that resulted in an increased chance of diabetes in adulthood.

'Our findings provide a reason why twins are more likely to get diabetes but we have also shown that mothers who don’t have enough food around the time of conception may have a child who grows up with an increased risk of obesity.'

The researchers believe their findings are relevant to humans as they reveal a non-genetic, or ‘epigenetic’, way in which the DNA of offspring can be altered.

Professor White added: 'Our study is important because it shows that factors in the brain can be altered by non-hereditary mechanisms and this results in changes in the body, which could make people obese.

'The findings may provide a new understanding of why twins can develop diabetes and also suggests that dieting around the time a baby is conceived may increase the chance of the child becoming obese later in life.'

More and more people are becoming obese and getting diabetes, while rates of twins are steadily increasing as women have babies at older ages and rates of conception using artificial reproductive technologies increase.

Dieting in young women is also very common and can occur in women who may not know they are pregnant. The team’s findings in sheep, if replicated in humans, suggest that obesity and diabetes could be more likely in twins and in children from mothers who aren’t eating properly, or dieting, around the time of conception.

Researchers say it could affect the advice giving to women who are planning a family to reduce future health risks for their children. The study was published in the Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Article: 3rd April 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about nutrition for fertility and pregnancy at www.prideangel.com

Happy mother’s day to all the new mums out there. We at Pride Angel wish you wonderful day full of fun and love with your new bundles of joy.

If you have being trying for a baby for a while becoming a new mum or mums does feel extra special, and the gift of a baby feels even more precious.

We want to say a big thank you to all of you who have recently sent in your baby photos, please take a look at all the beautiful baby pictures in our gallery.

Our baby photo competition is open to everyone and gives you a chance of winning a £50 mothercare voucher for the winner and a £20 mothercare voucher for the runner up.

If you would like to submit your baby’s photo, please email it to us; click here to find out more about it.

Choosing the winner will be a difficult decision so please help us by letting us know your favourite, just contact us giving the name and age of the baby you would like to win.

And for all you hoping to become mums in the near future we wish you much happiness in your journey to parenthood.

Are you single, lesbian or infertile? and want to have a baby? Find out more at www.prideangel.com

We are excited to announce that Europe’s No.1 Fertility Magazine ‘Fertility Road’ is now free to read online within the comfort of your own home. The magazine aims at helping men and women whether you are single, lesbian, gay or infertile on your path to parenthood.

There is some really useful information from healthy eating habits to lifestyle choices and answers to your questions, all written by leading doctors and fertility experts.

Fertility Road’s goal is to make your journey easier by offering the latest dos and don’ts on conception, providing valuable information on the best chances of getting pregnant and even getaways to help you and your partner relax, chill out, de-stress.

Bestselling Author of "You & Your Bump" & "Baby Making Bible" Emma Cannon is their “Expert Witness” answering your fertility questions and she even provides some delicious "cooking to conceive" recipes from time to time.

Speaking with the founders of Fertility Road they said ‘We have had awesome interviews with some of the World's Top Celebrities about their own infertility struggles. We present the lowdown on not only the latest treatments and drugs to help people conceive, but we also offer natural conception options as well.’

Other features within Fertility Road include News, Reviews, Finance, Fitness, Alternative Options, "Celebrity's In The Fertility Spotlight", as well as a cutting edge Science Section. Their "Letter From The Heart" section is always good for a tear or two and often big smiles as people share their personal and emotional stories.

Read Fertility Road here now for FREE

Gay? lesbian? wishing to start a family? visit www.prideangel.com

Linda Layne a feminist medical anthropologist, spent decades of working on pregnancy loss, now deciding to work on happier topics—single mothers by choice and two-mum families. Linda is particularly interested in the DIY approach. (Her book 'Feminist Technology' would give you an idea why.) Linda is from the US but based in Cambridge this year (till July 2012), she would really like to hear from anyone who is willing to share their story with her.

Linda’s book: Feminist Technology
Is there such a thing as a 'feminist technology'? If so, what makes a technology feminist? Is it in the design process, in the thing itself, in the way it is marketed, or in the way it is used by women (or by men)? In this collection, feminist scholars trained in diverse fields consider these questions by examining a range of products, tools, and technologies that were specifically designed for and marketed to women. Evaluating the claims that such products are liberating for women, the contributors focus on case studies of menstrual-suppressing birth control pills, home pregnancy tests, tampons, breast pumps, Norplant, anti-fertility vaccines, and microbicides. In examining these various products, this volume explores ways of actively intervening to develop better tools for designing, promoting, and evaluating feminist technologies. Recognizing the different needs and desires of women and acknowledging the multiplicity of feminist approaches, "Feminist Technologies" offers a sustained debate on existing and emergent technologies that share the goal of improving women's lives.

Review:
"This coherent and integrated collection lays out the issues and questions of feminist technology, crossing a true range of disciplinary boundaries including science and technology studies, architecture, biology, and the social sciences." Barbara Katz Rothman, author of Recreating Motherhood: Ideology and Technology in a Patriarchal Society

Please contact Linda at ll427@cam.ac.uk . All stories can be kept anonymous if preferred. All comments and views are appreciated.

Alternatively you may contact Pride Angel for further information.

Buy the book 'Feminist Technology' through Amazon, just click here: Shop