Newsy bits for the whole fam
It's that time of year. You know when people talk about W-somethings and 10-90-whatevers. The experts over at The Huffington Post have an awesome quick (and super easy to understand) list of some of the things to consider come tax time when you're a parent.
For example, they break down the child care credit with these few simple sentences.
"Child Care Credit: Unlike a deduction, a credit reduces your tax bill on an even dollar for dollar. In the 25% bracket, each dollar of deductions is worth a quarter; each dollar of credits is worth a full 100%. You may qualify for a tax credit worth up to 35% of what you pay for child care while you work."
Click on the link for even more tips for parents before you write that check to Uncle Sam.
Stress has long been linked with infertility in the somewhat abstract. For the first time there is scientific proof that stress can make it more difficult for a woman to conceive.
"In a study that followed more than 400 women just as they were starting to try to get pregnant, the researchers found that women with the highest levels of the stress indicator alpha-amylase in their saliva were 29% less likely to get pregnant than women with the lowest levels."
Researchers point quickly to greater factors in conceiving like blocked tubes or issues with sperm count. But, stress is a clear factor as well, although researches still dont' fully understand why. While stress doesn't seem to impact ovulation there is clearly something happening biologically with alpha-amylase, which is associated with the flight or fight response.
"When you think 'fight or flight' you think acute response, but what most people don't know is that if you are chronically stressed, your body will learn to keep that system hyperactive," researches said. "It has learned you are under attack constantly."
Another possibility eliminated in the study - women under stress are having less sex and therefore are less likely to get pregnant. The stats show women under stress were have just as much intercourse as their chilled out counterparts.
An Indiana mother of four has broken the Guinness World Record for breast milk donation by giving more than 127 gallons (that's gallons) to the Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank from 2008 through 2013.
The mother, who had difficulty nursing her own children pumped to ensure they consumed breast milk. She began giving away the extra to the bank and to date Amelia Boomker has far surpassed any mother in the world for her massive donation.
"That's the breast milk equivalent of 816 Venti lattes at Starbucks or 241 2-liter bottles of Coke, the milk bank has calculated, calling it a rare feat."
Rare, indeed.