If you've ever visited an online forum for mothers and expectant mothers, then you are probably familiar with pregnancy tickers and countdowns.

These cute graphic counters give you a visual of when the baby is due. They also make it possible to share the information with family and friends.

For example, with extended families being spread out across the miles these days, baby tickers and countdowns are a wonderful, visual way to give everyone a constant update of the progress of your pregnancy.

If you have a pregnancy ticker, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, and close family friends can all stay up to date with how your baby is doing without calling you on a daily basis and barraging you with questions (that could get exhausting).

You've heard of Baby Mozart and the Mozart effect, right?

Well, the iPod Baby Belt is along those same lines, and it is fast becoming one of the newest fashion interests for mothers-to-be.

The belt is actually an iPod that plays music for your unborn child.

Read MacWorld's report on this baby iPod device.

Since studies have shown that babies in the womb are aware of things going on outside the womb (like sounds for example), it's not all that surprising that moms-to-be would flock to purchase the iPod Baby Belt. Music can help to calm babies in the womb, as well as improve the baby's creativity and development -- both of which are important to expectant parents.

Still carrying around that extra pregnancy weight?

The saying goes that it took you 9 months to put on the weight, so expect at least 9 months to take the weight off.

Oftentimes though, a new mom is ready to get her body back much sooner, and she grows frustrated with the idea of 9 months to work off the extra pounds of mommy-hood.

You may be lured off your slow-and-steady course to lose weight by fad diets that promise quick results. Or perhaps you had your baby 2 years ago and still have 10, 20, or more pounds to lose and have simply lost the motivation to continue. You may even feel like you are stuck at a certain weight and are unable to lose any more weight, regardless of how hard you try.

Here are 3 easy things you can do to get rid of your baby weight...

We all know that you should not smoke, drink, or do drugs when you're pregnant. 

Beyond that, there are many myths and truths as to what you can and cannot do when you are pregnant. 

For instance, my superstitious mother-in-law would not allow me to stand on a balcony to watch fireworks or go to a funeral during my pregnancy.  Still, both of these things were certainly fine to do.

Following are some of the most important, fact-based things that you should NOT do when pregnant, as well as some of the questionable things that you CAN, in fact, do while pregnant...

Having a child is usually an occasion for great joy and celebration. 

After all, who can resist the sight of a newborn? Who doesn't want to hold that little one in their own arms? 

But, there can be another side to this occasion that is not such a happy one for the mother.  Sometimes after birth, the mother may develop a form of depression known as postnatal depression or postpartum depression.

In a world filled with technological devices, it shouldn't be surprising that parents are buying and renting devices that monitor the baby, including fetal heartbeat monitors and fetal dopplers.

Even 12 years ago when I was pregnant with my second child, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my doctor owned an ultrasound machine and treated me to a visual presentation of my child at every appointment.  I still never imagined being able to have listening devices at home just over a decade later. 

Today, parents are using fetal heartbeat monitors and fetal dopplers so they can monitor their newborn at will.  The purpose of having your own fetal monitor is to give peace of mind that your baby is doing well. 

This new trend cannot be without its drawbacks, though.  Following are the pros and cons of using a fetal doppler to monitor your baby at home.

Most expectant families are faced with decisions like:

• What will we name the child? 

• Should we circumcise? 

• Are cloth diapers a good idea? 

• Should we use an epidural?

In recent years however, another major issue must be decided upon prior to the birth of the child.  That is: to preserve the baby's cord blood or not. 

Ever since a child was successfully treated with cord blood stem cells to cure his Fanconi anemia in 1988, the popularity of cord blood banking has increased.