From TODAY producer Stephanie Becker

You may have seen the hit MTV show “16 & Pregnant,” about teenagers who are unexpectedly expecting. Watching the sacrifices and hardships and the emotional, financial and physical challenges these girls face is enough to make any teenager wear a full body condom.

I say that even though I am the product of a teen mom. She was 19 years old. In her defense, two weeks before she got pregnant she married my dad. Really. I did the math — twice. Why do you think she made him marry her? Then, like millions of other girls, she gave up her college education to raise a family. Personally, I think it was an excellent choice. But, as she approaches 70, I do think she will always regret it. And she tried to make sure I did not follow in her footsteps. Why didn’t I?

First, a grateful acknowledgement to my my high school fifth-period Health Science teacher Mr. Eddings and his dexterity at the filmstrip projector; if only he could have played a couple of DVDs of MTV's "16 & Pregnant," everyone would have stayed awake. And a virgin.

Who said parenting was stressful?! According to a new study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, people with children have significantly lower blood pressure than those without. It seems that throughout the hectic schedules, constant worrying and lunch-packing, parents are able to find a certain calm and fulfillment in raising their kids. Not surprisingly, this effect is found more in mothers than fathers.

"Women were driving the effect," says co-author Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "Women with children had the lowest blood pressure, and women without had the highest."

The CFO of the American home has had enough. She works hard at a job where she earns 20 percent less, on average, than her male counterpart. She juggles family, fitness, friends and her relationship — all without skipping a beat. But learning that companies now mark up products branded to women and mothers. Well, that is just one pill this CFO isn’t willing to swallow.

According to a study by Consumer Reports, women are paying more for comparable products that offer female branding. Samples from the study compared the price of products like shampoo and pain relievers and all were almost identical, aside from their marketing. Each product was targeted to either a female or male consumer, and revealed that brands marketed to females were consistently more expensive.

Here is how it all broke down:

Shaving Cream
Men's Barbasol $1.69
Girl's Pure Silk $2.49

Deodorant
Men's Degree Deodorant 2.7 oz $3.59
Degree for Woman 2.6 $3.59

Pain Reliever
Excedrin regular brand $5.99 ( 20 pills)
Excedrin Menstrual Complete $6.49 (20 pills)

Eye Cream
Men's Neutrogena Eye Reliever Cream $9.99
Woman's Continuous Hydration Cream $14.99

Body Wash
Nivea body wash, Cool $5.49 (16.9 oz)
Nivea Touch of Happiness $7.49(16.9 oz)

Razor Blades
Schick Quattro for men (4-pack) $10.49
Schick Quattro for Women (4-pack) $10.99

Unfortunately for marketers, women hold the power in the marketplace and we're resourceful enough to even out the bottom line.

Earlier bedtimes make for happier, less depressed kids, according to a new study in the journal Sleep. For many children, bedtimes set by parents were almost as important as the total number of hours slept.

From Denene Millner, contributing editor, Parenting magazine

My talk with my mom about sex went something like this:

Mommy: “I’m not raising any more babies, so don’t bring any into this house.”

Me: Stares. Blinks. Remains silent as she walks out the room.

Uh, huh. That was the end of that conversation, which came when I was around 13 — just after my mom found out I’d gotten my period months earlier but didn’t tell her. As much as I wanted to talk and learn about the birds and the bees, she made it painfully obvious that such things like periods, boobs, boys and sex were not up for discussion with her or my dad. Just don’t do it — that was their philosophy. I’m convinced that as far as my parents were concerned, I was a virgin until I married, and only had sex to make their two granddaughters. Beyond that, I’m downright virginal.

Right.

Lucky for them, I was a good girl who tended to find her information in the library rather than the locker room; whatever crazy half-truths, fantasies and outright falsehoods my friends were spreading around our junior high, I wasn’t buying it. That, and fear of being disowned — or worse — for “bringing babies into the house” kept me out of trouble. Clearly, though, in an age where kids can hear songs about sexual positions on morning radio, sexting is exchanged like Double Bubble amongst teens, and random “hook-ups” between junior high and high schoolers is the new form of casual dating, parents are going to have to do way more than lay down a threat if they want their kids to be smart and safe when it comes to sex.

Problem is, all too-many of us are not. According to a new study of almost 150 families by the University of California Los Angeles/Rand Center for Adolescent Health Promotion, more than 40 percent of kids between 13 and 17 had intercourse before their parents talked to them about safe sex, birth control or sexually transmitted diseases. The study went on to reveal that 42 percent of the girls surveyed said they hadn’t discussed the effectiveness of birth control with their parents, and 40 percent admitted they hadn’t talked with their parents about how to refuse sex before engaging in genital touching. A whopping 70 percent of the boys surveyed said they had not discussed how to use a condom or other birth-control methods with their parents before having sex.

Sarah Palin and her daughter Bristol, 19, are shown in matching jeans, carrying their babies in this week's issue of In Touch. With a cover headline of "We're Glad We Chose Life," the two women are interviewed in their Wasilla, Alaska home about their parenting styles and how Bristol's unplanned pregnancy brought the two of them closer together. While Bristol refers to her son Tripp as the "love of my life," she also addresses the emotional and physical hardships of single-parenting:

[Sarah Palin] lets Bristol learn and make mistakes on her own, and it's understood that Bristol will support Tripp financially as much as possible — which means buying her own diapers and formula.

"There's no mistaking that Tripp is her baby, and she is in charge," Sarah explains. "this whole experience has made her grow up so quickly , but she has taken total responsibility and never gripes about it."

"I couldn't ask for a better baby," [Bristol] insists. "But the reality is I'm 19 years old and I have a 1-year-old. I wish I could be in my 20s with a baby and not be in my 20s. Just having him so young — I have to work, and I have to provide for him, because I'm a single mom."

What do you think? Share your thoughts.

A new Norwegian study is causing controversy after claiming that breast-fed babies are only slightly healthier than bottle-fed babies — and that it has nothing to do with milk. Instead, says professor Sven Carlsen of Norwegian University of Science and Technology, a child’s health is predetermined in the mother’s womb and based on hormone levels. In the following blog post, Dr. Tanya Altmann responds to the study's findings:

By Dr. Tanya Altmann, author of “Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers”

While this study is interesting in that it stresses the importance of prenatal influences on a baby’s future health, it flows against the tide of countless studies that show the benefits of breast-feeding. We know that proper nutrition, including prenatal vitamins, is important for a healthy baby. This study claims that a mom’s hormone levels during pregnancy play an important role (and possibly the most important role) in a baby’s future health. I think this does provide new insight for future studies on what makes for an optimal environment inside the womb and am curious about further information on whether lifestyle changes can influence this perfect hormone balance, or is it simply genetic?

A new list of the most popular baby names of the past decade reveals that many parents are influenced by pop-culture trends, naming their children after singers, TV and film characters, and even dead celebrities like Heath Ledger.

Working women nag their partners to feel more feminine and to retain control over a traditionally female role, according to a new study to be published in the journal Sex Roles. The study claims working women tell men to do specific chores in order to feel like they still fit within gender boundaries as head of the household. Do you agree?

Plenty of married and committed women have a silly crush (on their delivery man, favorite celebrity, etc), but at what point does it start being inappropriate? Or does fantasizing about someone else actually help your relationship? Weigh in.

We have some unfortunate news regarding a guest who was featured on Wednesday’s “To spank or not to spank” segment. We just learned Anissa Mayhew, wife and mother of three, suffered a major stroke and is currently hospitalized in ICU. The TODAY team’s thoughts and prayers are with Anissa and her family.

To help Anissa, visit Hope for Anissa or show your support on Twitter: @anissamayhew . Things that would be helpful right now are gift cards to restaurants and to the movies (to help keep her kids’ occupied) and gas/hotel gift cards for her extended family. If you have questions, please email helpforanissa@gmail.com

It seems shallow to complain about not getting the gender you wanted when a baby arrives; many pregnant women are conditioned to say they’ll be happy with whatever they get. But even though the issue of gender disappointment isn’t talked about very much, it shouldn’t be shrugged off. Having spent months anticipating a specific outcome in the delivery room, some new moms are devastated over the sex of their new baby — but they feel they can’t say anything about it, lest they seem completely ungrateful for the gift of a healthy child.

In an Associated Press report, one mother described her heartbreak upon giving birth to a son:

“You're kind of bummed in the back of your mind. There's not going to be any pink dresses. There's not going to be any scrapbooking. That's not going to happen," [Christine Lich] said.

Lich gets tired of people making comments such as: "Are you going to try for the girl?" or "You need to have the girl." Even now, four years after her third child, she can't bring herself to buy clothes for a little girl's birthday because she just can't look at the outfits.

Lich’s experience might seem extreme to some, but it does touch upon a rather taboo topic — moms expressing any type of disappointment over a child’s gender without an army of naysayers screaming “Be thankful you even have a baby!”

One million strollers have been recalled by the manufacturer after reports that children had their fingers sliced in the strollers' hinges.

Click here for more info.

From Trish Regan, TODAY contributor and co-anchor of CNBC's "The Call" (M-F 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET),

This is a story that is close to home for me. I'm set to deliver twins in about six weeks, and I had a heck of a time trying to secure a shot. I finally did, but it wasn't through my hospital. They didn't have any. Nor was it through my doctor. She didn't have any. It was through someone who knew a doctor, who knew a doctor. In the meantime, as someone who is around people in finance every day, I learned that a number of New York businesses including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup had received vaccines. I thought to myself, this just doesn't seem right, and decided to investigate.

The response to the story has been enormous. One of the most interesting responses came from Morgan Stanley. A spokesperson from the investment firm e-mailed me this afternoon stating that they had received 1,000 doses of the swine flu vaccine (they went through the normal protocol to receive them) but, after seeing my report they decided to donate all of them to area hospitals.

The problem isn't necessarily with the corporations receiving the doses (after all, they're applying just like the hospitals). Rather, this is a question of a breakdown in the distribution system. Why would New York City send vaccines to investment banks and other employers before making sure every hospital and doctor had enough vaccines? Share your thoughts below.

Video: Wall Street gets swine flu vaccines

Discuss: Fair for firms to get vaccines first?

From Jayme Baron, TODAY producer

Before I became pregnant I remember everyone always saying, "Being pregnant is the best!" So I was looking forward to it for a variety of reasons. People say, "Enjoy this time because once the baby comes it will be all about her and not you." I am trying really hard to take everyone's advice and "enjoy this time," but it's a bit difficult.

I do not want to be a complainer -- especially since I want my baby to have positive energy -- but sometimes it gets the best of me. I'm just being honest. (That's what you're supposed to do on a blog, right?) The numbers on the scale keep climbing, I am tired and cannot find a comfortable position to sleep in, the hour and a half commute to and from work is getting harder, and I am either really hot or freezing all the time.

Being pregnant is a 40-week condition that has a lot of side effects, yet at the same time you are a part of this wonderful miracle. When I am feeling down or I am staring at the clock at 2:23 a.m., that's what I try to think about. In less than 20 weeks Samantha Blake will be a part of the world. She will be here for everyone to see and it will make this whole process worth it. The ride isn't as great as I thought it would be, but the end result will be the most rewarding and I cannot wait for that!

Related

Diary of a first-time mom: Boy or girl?

In the wake of President Obama declaring H1N1 a health care emergency over the weekend, there are lots of questions about the swine flu vaccine this morning. Dr. Nancy answered some of your questions on today's show:

If you have further questions, leave them in the comments below.

Related

• Sebelius: It's not too late for swine flu vaccine
• Latest news and information about swine flu

Is it possible doing a load of laundry can lead to a romp in the bedroom? It seems the more housework a married couple partakes in, the more sex they have, according to a study by the Journal of Family Issues. While there has been previous research that wives are more attracted to men who share domestic duties, this is the first study that equates doing dishes with bedroom activities.

In a new WSJ article, the author interviewed several couples who offered some explanations: “That housework may be a proxy for a general willingness to invest in shared interests, a symbol of commitment to home and hearth ... It's also possible that one reward of doing chores — a serene, well-tended home —can be conducive to intimacy.”

Several surveys suggest the key to a happy marriage is shared housework, so this shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. But the question remains whether sweating it in the kitchen really does get spouses excited (are they inhaling Lysol? Enchanted by the Swiffer?). What do you think? Ever been seduced by chores?

Hint: There's more than one!

After watching Natalie Morales, Amy Robach, Alicia Ybarbo and MaryAnn Zoellner confess to their "bad mommy behavior," confess yours...

When John Anderson's sister, mother and mother's best friend were all diagnosed with breast cancer, he was-- obviously -- deeply affected himself. But while there plenty of resources available for women battling breast cancer, Anderson could find nothing to guide him through the process. So based on his experience, he has written the book, "Stand by Her: A breast cancer guide for men." Among Anderson's advice:

Follow, don't lead
Show your love
Set up a support system

Have you battled breast cancer? How did the men in your life react? What advice would you share for the men out there who are trying to support the women in their lives or are dealing with the disease?

Video: John Anderson talk to Meredith about his book, experience

Related: Our special section dedicated to Breast Cancer Awareness

First lady Michelle Obama recently told Prevention magazine that the number one health rule is to give yourself permission to be happy.

Prevention: What has your mom taught you about healthy living?

Mrs. Obama: I think my mother taught me what not to do. She put us first, always, sometimes to the detriment of herself. She encouraged me not to do that. She'd say being a good mother isn't all about sacrificing; it's really investing and putting yourself higher on your priority list. You can be a good mom and still work out, get your rest, have a career — or not. She encouraged me to find that balance.

Read more of the interview here: Michelle Obama's tips for being happy, healthy

What do you think? Do you take the time to make yourself a priority, or do you constantly sacrifice for your children?