Teen pregnancy rates in the city dropped 30 percent from 2001 to a new low in 2011, the Health Department reported Wednesday.

Data showed a steady decrease from 98.7 to 69.2 pregnancies per 1,000 females between 2001 and 2011.

Although teen pregnancies fell in every borough, the data found that Bronx had the highest rate of 95.9 per 1,000 females. More than 17,000 teens get pregnant every year, with most cases among 18- to 19-year-olds, the city said.

The city’s efforts to reduce teen pregnancy include the health service app Teens in NYC – Protection +, support groups such as Bronx Teens Connection and the mayor’s Young Men Initiative, and, launched this March, a prevention ad campaign.

“Not having sex is the surest way to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections,” Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said. “But for teens who are having sex, it is important to use birth control and condoms to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.”

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Pregnant women who sleep on their back increase the risk of having a stillbirth, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The sleeping position has been linked to low birth weight in newborns, which seemed to increase infant mortality, according to the research carried out in Ghana, Africa.

The University of Michigan carried out the research on 1,000 African women, but a study carried out in New Zealand also suggests that sleeping on the back increases stillbirth risks in more developed countries.

Louise O’Brien, of the University of Michigan, said: “If maternal sleep position does play a role in stillbirth, encouraging pregnant women everywhere not to sleep on their back is a simple approach that may improve pregnancy outcomes.”

Researchers found that sleeping on the back increased uterine pressure, leading in some cases to reduced cardiac output and stillbirth.

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Did Kate Middleton accidentally let the cat out of the bag when it comes to whether she and Prince William are having a boy or a girl? During a public appearance this week, Middleton was given a teddy bear as a gift and said, “Thank you, I’ll take that for my d…” before cutting herself off, according to the Telegraph. Attendee Sandra Cook, who was standing beside Middleton, asked her, “You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?” to which Middleton reportedly replied, “No, I don’t know.” Cook says that when she pressed the Duchess of Cambridge further, she received a firm “We’re not telling” in response.

Taylor Swift is making some powerful enemies. In response to Amy Poehler and Tina Fey‘s joke at Swift’s expense at January’s Golden Globes ceremony. “You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people,” Swift tells Vanity Fair. “She said to me she had heard a quote that she loved that said, ‘There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.’” While Fey expressed surprise at Swift’s annoyance, Poehler has a response of her own: “Aw, I feel bad if she was upset,” Poehler tells the Hollywood Reporter. “I am a feminist, and she is a young and talented girl. That being said, I do agree I am going to hell. But for other reasons. Mostly boring tax stuff.”

Lady Gaga‘s fans are continuing the singer’s feud with Madonna whether she wants them to or not, this time even accusing the “Material Girl” singer of helping the spread of AIDS. In a post on the Gaga fan blog Little Monster Artpop, a Gaga fan criticizes the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for picking Madonna to present an award to Anderson Cooper at their awards ceremony next week. “Back in the 1980s, she encouraged gay men to have unprotected sex,” read the post, which was removed shortly after garnering media attention. “While she certainly didn’t start the disease, she and her lack of morals helped it spread. The post’s author vowed to “strike back” in an unspecified manner if GLAAD did not choose another presenter.

James Franco is willing to admit he’s at least partially responsible for any speculation about whether he’s gay or straight. “One of the things that’s very much part of my public image is the question of my sexuality,” he tells Attitude magazine. “It’s not something that bothers me in the slightest. It hasn’t gone away, and I get asked about it from all sides. It’s partly my doing and partly not my doing.” From the roles he chooses to his directing efforts, homosexuality has been a popular topic for Franco. But what he’s really interested in is a high-profile actor coming out of the closet. “I think that the people I have known who are performers who haven’t publicly come out didn’t because they’re afraid it’ll hurt their careers,” he says. “And they’re afraid they won’t be able to play straight roles anymore. If there’s somebody that was well-respected and very secure with their career, I could see it happening in a very positive way.”

MTV has released its extensive “Hottest MCs” list, and Kanye West is not pleased to find himself sitting at the No. 7 spot. “I feel like for them to put me at No. 7, they had to bring up things they didn’t like,” he says during a call into New York’s Hot 97 radio station. “What happens with these type of things and the people that review it, when I come in and I have the pink polo and the backpack, I’m checking all the boxes of that a Tribe Called Quest era and all that, so they want to champion it. They don’t like Givenchy Kanye. They don’t like Kanye in a kilt, they don’t like Kanye in a relationship.”

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Gender-reveal parties are so last season.

Fear not, moms-to-be: Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give up on the trends. We caught up with Elena Mauer, deputy editor of Thebump.com, to learn what first-time moms should look out for in the coming year.

Going green … with baby names
Pantone named emerald as the color of the year for 2013, so expect to see baby names like Hunter, Jade, Kelly and Forest increasing in popularity in the coming months. Even celebrities have been swept up in the trend (Drew Barrymore named her new baby girl Olive). “It’s neat that green and these other natural shades are inspiring baby names,” says Mauer.

Ultrasound parties
Parents-to-be are going beyond the usual baby shower or gender reveal party, which is when “you would cut a cake and the icing in the middle was either pink or blue, and that told you the baby’s gender,” Mauer says. Now more extravagant measures are popping up, including ultrasound parties, where a medically trained technician is invited to perform the procedure in the living room for all of your loved ones to see. Beware: This kind of celebration isn’t for everyone, as ultrasound parties can get expensive, so plan accordingly.  Simpler (yet still dramatic) measures include sending boxes stuffed with pink or blue balloons to family members.

Mommy-moons
Move over, baby-moons. Soon-to-be moms are taking what Thebump.com calls “mommy-moons,” mini getaways that pregnant women can take with their girlfriends (and not their husbands) before the arrival of the baby. Beach vacations, spa trips and pampering parties with manicures and pedicures are the most popular choices for women who want one final trip with their friends before their lives change forever. “Pregnant women are looking for ways to pamper themselves [and] spend time with their friends before the baby arrives and they become very busy,” says Mauer.

Royal baby gear
The whole world has been anticipating the arrival of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s baby. Designers have already begun incorporating Middleton’s style into some of their maternity wear collections, so pregnant women can emulate royal fashion. “We think the royal baby is going to be a trendsetter and he or she isn’t even alive yet,” says Mauer. It’s only a matter of time before we see the royal baby’s style replicated in department stores.

Neon nurseries
Gone are the days of the traditional pink and blue color scheme for baby rooms. “In 2012, there was a lot of neon in fashion,” Mauer says. “You saw it on the runway, and now people are bringing it into their nurseries.” Big and bold is the new motto. But don’t expect to paint the walls electric blue or buy a bright yellow crib, notes Mauer. You are more likely to see neon pink bedding, or a neon green table cover that adds mild pops of color and a bit of trendiness to the nursery — without going overboard.

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Despite her recent pregnancy-related hospitalization, Kate Middleton is vowing to put on a brave face for the Royal Family’s Christmas dinner, according to Radar Online. “Kate doesn’t want to disappoint the Queen, nor does she want to skip on her duties,” a source says. “She feels she is obliged to appear at the annual Christmas dinner and doesn’t want to let anyone down.” Her husband, though, is offering an out. “William has his concerns though that she won’t be up to it, and told Kate she shouldn’t worry if she feels too sick to attend and that no one will judge her negatively,” the source adds. “But Kate isn’t having it and is determined to be at the dinner, smiling as always.”

Angelina Jolie is set to return to the director’s chair, choosing to adapt Laura Hillenbrand’s WWII survival story, “Unbroken,” as her second film, according to E! News. The story follows Louis Zamperini, an air force pilot who survived a crash and spent most of the war in a Japanese prison camp. “I read Laura Hillenbrand’s brilliant book and I was so moved by Louis Zamperini’s heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film,” Jolie says. Her directorial debut, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” focused on the Bosnian war.

Gwen Stefani uses some interesting analogies when discussing reaching her 10th anniversary with husband Gavin Rossdale. “It’s fun to get to this point. Because you learn so much about somebody,” she tells Vogue. “It’s like these wars that go on and then you kind of get through to the other side, and it’s like, ‘Wow.’” The No Doubt singer also says she enjoys the compromise that comes from being parents. “Having kids takes the whole relationship to another place. It is the ultimate collaboration,” she says. “Both of us have such strong opinions about how it should be, and it’s really fun to do it together.”

Bubbles the Chimp, the furry longtime companion of Michael Jackson, has reportedly been dumped by the late singer’s family, according to the National Enquirer. The chimp has been relocated to the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Fla., though Jackson’s children have yet to come visit. “Bubbles was not provided for in Michael Jackson’s will,” a spokeswoman for the Center says. “They Jackson family has turned their back on Bubbles.”

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Accompanied by her husband, Kate, 30, appeared at the steps of the hospital smiling and holding a bouquet of yellow flowers. Neither she nor William spoke to waiting reporters before being driven way.

Kate, who married the second-in-line to the throne in April last year, has been suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, an acute morning sickness which causes severe nausea and vomiting and requires supplementary hydration and nutrients.

There has been no announcement about when the baby is due, although the prince’s spokesman has said Kate is less than 12 weeks pregnant.

Kate, known formally as the Duchess of Cambridge, will now recuperate at Kensington Palace, a royal residence in west London, her husband’s office said.

“She is feeling better but now requires a period of rest,” a royal spokeswoman said. “Their royal highnesses would like to thank the staff at the hospital for the care and treatment the duchess has received,” the spokeswoman added.

The onset of the severe sickness and the need for Kate to go to hospital brought forward the announcement of her pregnancy, sparking a frenzy in the British media and even taking by surprise her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, according to reports.

Bookmakers have been quick off the mark to lay odds on a name for the unborn baby, who will be third in line to the British throne after William and his father Charles.

The government is passing legislation in time for the birth to change historic rules of succession so that males no longer have precedence over a female sibling.

There has even been speculation that Kate could be carrying twins, as the acute sickness she is suffering is slightly more common in twin pregnancies.

World leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama were swift to follow British Prime Minister David Cameron in sending their congratulations.

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It’s going to be a summer baby for Kate Middleton, according to Life & Style. “She’s due in July, which is a month full of significance for William,” a source says. “His mother, Diana, was born on July 1, and his parents got married on July 29.” As for who the godparents will be for the new prince or princess? Signs are pointing to Prince Harry and Pippa Middleton, according to ABC News. “Kate is very close to her sister, Pippa, and William is infinitely, in the same way, close to Prince Harry. So they are the obvious choice,” royal contributor Victoria Arbiter Brown says. “They were the best man and the chief bridesmaid at their wedding, they’re well-trusted, they’re family.”

Enough time has apparently passed for Jennifer Lopez to open up about the demise of her marriage to Marc Anthony. “I was going through a divorce and the breakup of a family, which was devastating to me because family means everything to me,” Lopez tells Hollywood Life of the breakup in July 2011. “I didn’t want to be the woman who stayed in bed for two months. I did do that a little, but I knew I had to get through it.”

Despite announcing in October that they’d separated, Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman aren’t actually all that separated — at least according to DeVito. When asked by Extra how he’s adjusting to life as a single man, DeVito says, “It’s not something you adjust to. Rhea and I are really close. Actually still together, just separate, but together.” In fact, DeVito insists divorce may not be in the cards for the “Cheers” alums. “We’re working on it,” he says when asked if a reconciliation might be on the way.

The recent hubbub over Angus T. Jones urging fans to stop watching his hit sitcom, “Two and a Half Men,” and calling the show “filth” was apparently nothing the folks at CBS couldn’t handle, at least according to network head Les Moonves. “I don’t think [the Angus situation has] quite been resolved, but after going through what we went through with Charlie Sheen, it’s been a piece of cake,” Moonves says in a statement to TMZ.

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Mourdock said he “spoke from the heart” during the debate and that his comments had been “twisted” by people. He apologized, however, for any misinterpretation of his statement.

“I absolutely abhor violence. I abhor any kind of sexual violence,” he said at a news conference on Wednesday. “I am absolutely confident that the God I worship abhors violence.”

The controversial comments came during Tuesday’s U.S. Senate campaign debate in New Albany, Indiana, between Mourdock, Democrat Joe Donnelly and Libertarian Andrew Horning.

“The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother,” Mourdock said at the time. “I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape that it is something God intended to happen.”

Mourdock issued a statement after the debate that said: “God creates life, and that was my point. God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that He does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick.”

A September Howey-DePauw poll put Donnelly up by 2 percentage points over Mourdock, 40 to 38 percent, with 7 percent for Horning.

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Akin – a staunch abortion opponent – vowed to stay in the contest against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, indicating he represents a conservative movement that must be heard.

“We are going to continue in this race for U.S. Senate,” Akin told “The Mike Huckabee Show,” a radio program hosted by the former Arkansas governor, an Akin supporter and favorite of religious conservatives.

Akin’s comments came hours after he released an online video ad in which he again apologized for his claim in a weekend television interview that it was extremely rare for women to get pregnant from “legitimate rape.”

The fuss over Akin’s remarks sent waves of anxiety through the Republican Party a week before it reaches out to independent voters – especially women – at its national convention, where it will nominate Mitt Romney to run against President Barack Obama.

The Akin episode has given new hope to McCaskill, who in recent polls has trailed Akin by about 10 points in a race widely viewed as a barometer of whether Republicans can gain the four seats they need to ensure control of the U.S. Senate.

A Public Policy Polling survey on Monday had Akin ahead by one point.

To the dismay of many Republicans, Akin’s woes also have cast a spotlight on a key part of the party platform that delegates again endorsed on Tuesday: a call for a constitutional amendment protecting “human life.” The provision does not spell out exceptions in cases of rape and incest.

That is not the position of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who has said that abortion should be allowed to end pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

Romney’s vice presidential running mate, Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan, has expressed a harder line on abortion, saying it should be allowed only to save the life of the mother. Amid the furor over Akin’s remarks this week, their campaign said a Romney/Ryan administration would reflect Romney’s position.

Romney and Ryan have joined Republican officials across the nation in condemning Akin and calling on him to step out of the Senate race.

Obama also strongly denounced Akin’s remarks, saying “rape is rape.”

The furor over Akin’s comments are a distraction in an election that Romney has sought to keep tightly focused on the economy and jobs.

Although religious conservatives are a crucial part of the Republican base, many party leaders say the party’s central message should be its conservative approach to fiscal issues like debt and deficits.

“Try as we might to focus attention on the big issues facing this country, every time we turn around, there’s a distraction, and this is a huge one,” said former Missouri Senator John Danforth, one of a group of current and former U.S. senators from the state who has urged Akin to step aside.

“It’s not that we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. We keep shooting ourselves in the eyes,” he said.

WHERE TO FIND A WOMAN SUCCESSOR

Under Missouri election law, Akin has until 5 p.m. local time (6 p.m. EDT) to get his name off the ballot for the November 6 election most easily. But his real deadline is likely September 25, the last day his name can be removed with a court order.

If Akin leaves the race, the Missouri state Republican committee would name a successor to run against McCaskill. Possible candidates include the two Republicans Akin defeated in the primary two weeks ago to become the Senate nominee.

Akin had 36 percent of the vote to 30 percent for St. Louis businessman John Brunner and 29 percent for former state Senator Sarah Steelman, but the party can pick any candidate, and many observers expect it would do so as the best way to leave the Akin flap behind.

“There’s probably a long list,” said Jennifer Duffy, who follows House and Senate races at the Cook Political Report. “You’d have to look at Steelman and Brunner, but they might be best off aiming for the fresh start.”

Other possibilities include former Senator Jim Talent, who lost narrowly to McCaskill in 2006 and Representative Jo Ann Emerson, considered a favorite because many Republicans think the party would best reassure women voters by running a woman.

Other names include U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler and Ann Wagner, a former Republican National Committee co-chairwoman, and Tom Schweich, the state auditor.

In another sign that he is not leaving, US News and World Report reported that Akin spent $150,000 on Tuesday for television advertisements in seven media markets.

But he will struggle to keep up with funding for McCaskill, especially after the Karl Rove-linked American Crossroads Super Pac said it would no longer spend the $4.5 million it had set aside for the race. The Republican Party also said it would hold back $5 million in funding.

McCaskill’s campaign is using Akin’s comments in its fundraising, and some supporters have reported big increases in their wake. Emily’s List, which supports Democratic women candidates, said it has seen a big jump in fundraising as the news of Akin’s comments spread.

“The number of donations for Claire through our (web) site increased tenfold following Akin’s comments,” Jess McIntosh, a spokeswoman for Emily’s List, which backs Democratic women.

Akin apologized again in an Internet advertisement called “Forgiveness.” But he sent a fundraising letter to supporters on Tuesday asking for donations of $3 or more.

“I have just begun to fight and I’m in this race to the end! We must work together to replace Claire McCaskill in the Senate,” Akin wrote.

The post Akin here to stay: Congressman not dropping out of MO Senate race despite rape comments appeared first on Metro.us.

“I shut down,” DeVesty told Metro. “I was afraid of them. I thought it was my fault. I decided not to tell anyone and pretend it never happened.”

But DeVesty was forced to confront the horror of being raped when, two months later, she found out she was pregnant. She was devastated by the possibility of having to explain her pregnancy to family and friends who knew she wasn’t seeing anyone. Or worse — confess that she had been raped. She wondered whether anyone would even believe her.

DeVesty, a Catholic, struggled with the decision, but opted to abort the pregnancy.

“I had no control over what happened to me and here was something else that came with it, and I couldn’t live with that,” she said. “I had to feel like I had some control over my body and in the end, I felt it was best for me.”

DeVesty, now 49 and living in Syracuse, N.Y., said she felt sick to her stomach when she heard Rep. Todd Akin say a woman’s body can prevent pregnancy in cases of “legitimate rape.”

“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” Akin said in an interview.

There is no truth to that whatsoever,” DeVesty, who runs Clean Slate Diaries, a support website for sex abuse victims, said. “There is no way someone who has to go through that horror of being raped can legitimately in their head think, ‘Now I am going to tell my body not to become pregnant.’”

Akin has since apologized for the comments, saying he “misspoke,” but the outcry has pundits speculating that he will likely withdraw from the Missouri Senate race.

“To say it’s slim that it happens or to make them feel that they did something to create the pregnancy — that they didn’t shut down their bodies — is re-victimizing them again,” DeVesty said of victims of sex abuse. “I think he should be expelled from the running.”

She’s not alone in that sentiment. Officials from the New York locations of prominent organizations like Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network expressed outrage over Akin’s remarks.

“Todd Akin’s comments are ignorant, insensitive, and appalling. It’s disturbing that people are legislating and running for office who have such a fundamental disregard for women and women’s health,” Planned Parenthood spokesman Mel Gagarin said.

“This needs to be a wake up call to American women,” Sonia Ossoria, director of the National Organization for Women in New York, told Metro. “There has been a continued assault on our reproductive rights. We have got to show them who is boss.”

“Where do we have control? Where is our say?” DeVesty asked. “The insinuation that it doesn’t happen or we have some control over it is unacceptable. That should not be tolerated.”

Late Monday, rumors were circulating that the GOP was preparing for Akin to announce his decision to step down from the election, though he had yet to confirm the claim.

Editor’s note: Renée DeVesty specifically gave Metro permission to publish her name along with her story.

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“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” Akin said in an interview regarding abortion as an option for rapes that result in pregnancy.

The backlash was instant. Akin later issued an apology, saying he “misspoke,” but it didn’t do much to quell the criticism. The national GOP informed Akin that it will not will spend money on his campaign against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, according to the Washington Post.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who is charged with helping the GOP win control of the Senate, spoke out against Akin’s comments.

Congressman Akin’s statements were wrong, offensive, and indefensible,” Cornyn said, according to the LA Times. “I recognize that this is a difficult time for him, but over the next twenty-four hours, Congressman Akin should carefully consider what is best for him, his family, the Republican Party, and the values that he cares about and has fought for throughout his career in public service.”

Now, political consultant Richard Grenell and RedState.com editor Erick Erickson have both tweeted that Akin will be withdrawing from the race all together, come Tuesday. Akin has yet to confirm the claim.

[View the story "Akin may withdraw" on Storify]

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“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin said of rape resulting in pregnancy during an interview with KTVI. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

The Missouri republican hasn’t yet named the doctors feeding him this information, but according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 32,000 pregnancies result from rape every year.

Akin later apologized in a statement on his website:

As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault.  In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year.

But that hasn’t stopped the Twitterverse from taking his remarks and running with them. Akin hasn’t tweeted since August 14, but if he were to log on now, he’d find he’s the of target parodies, jokes, criticism and political analyses. 

The question now? Will Akin’s comments be enough to lose him the election against Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill? An August 7 poll showed Atkin leading McCaskill 51 to 40 percent. So now, the Internet waits….

[View the story "Todd Akin" on Storify]

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The 24-year-old Brit took to her website to announce the exciting news to fans.

“I’m delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together,” Adele wrote Friday afternoon. “I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time.”

The couple has been dating since 2011. Konecki, 36, is the co-founder of bottled water company Life Water and also runs the company’s charity Drop4Drop.

Rumors of the couple’s engagement circulated in February after what looked like an engagement ring was spotted on Adele’s left finger. Later in May, she announced on Twitter that the two were not engaged.

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Perez, who lives in Coahuila, Mexico, is expected to give birth to nine babies on May 20 — six girls and three boys. We don’t know much about Perez, other than she used fertility treatments to conceive the litter of children (much like Octomom) and she hasn’t even started thinking about names, as reported by TMZ.

“It’s very early to think of names for the babies … first I hope that everything goes well,” she told Notimex news agency.

We hope Perez is better equipped to care for a gaggle of tots than Nadya Suleman. Octomom, who is the mother of 14 children, including a set of octuplets, has made headlines recently for blowing hundreds of dollars on haircuts while her kids live in “squalor” — this, of course, while she is receiving food stamps and welfare to support her ginormous family. Suleman’s own hair stylist says Octomom locks her children in a bedroom, lodging a chair under the knob to keep the door closed. Let’s hope Perez isn’t her understudy.  

Joking aside, pregnancies involving multiples often carry serious risks. There are only two recorded births of nonuplets (nine babies); in both cases, all the babies died very soon after they were born, according to Wikipedia. Even Suleman’s octuplets became the longest-living octuplets in history only one week after they were born.

The post Karla Vanessa Perez: Mexican woman pregnant with nine babies appeared first on Metro.us.

Edwards is accused of accepting more than $900,000 in campaign funds from two wealthy donors, knowing the exposure of his extramarital affair “would destroy his presidential campaign,” prosecutors said in a trial brief.

The candidate at the time was a married father of three, whose late wife, Elizabeth, had breast cancer.

Jurors will hear opening statements the federal courthouse in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Edwards, 58, is accused of conspiring to solicit the money, receiving more than the $2,300 allowed from any one donor, and failing to report the payments as contributions.

He faces six felony counts, each carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Edwards admits personal failings but insists he broke no laws.

Edwards’ defenders say the government is overreaching with its prosecution of Edwards, the son of mill workers who earned his fortune as a trial lawyer in North Carolina before being elected as a U.S. senator from the state in 1998.

His defense lawyers dispute the Justice Department’s interpretation of federal election laws, arguing the donors would have given the money regardless of the campaign and did so knowing it wouldn’t be used for campaign purposes.

The money was not spent to influence the election but rather to conceal the affair and resulting pregnancy from Edwards’ wife and children, they said.

Edwards never personally received any of the payments, nor did his campaign. The money was used to cover living expenses and medical care for his mistress, campaign videographer Rielle Hunter, rather than traditional campaign activities.

“This is expanding the scope of the definition of campaign contribution,” said Ron Wright, a law professor at Wake Forest University who is not involved in the case. “It is an unprecedented definition.”

PIVOTAL POINTS

The defense is expected to call two former Federal Election Commission members who, if allowed by the judge, would testify they believe Edwards did not violate campaign finance laws.

Hampton Dellinger, a former deputy attorney general who has followed the Edwards case, said the campaign finance experts’ testimony could be pivotal.

The missing pieces of the case also could be significant, he said. Neither of the two donors whose payments are in question are able to testify.

Fred Baron, who served as Edwards’ national campaign finance chairman in 2008, has since died, and heiress Rachel “Bunny” Mellon is 101 and physically unable to attend the trial. Elizabeth Edwards died in 2010.

A chief government witness will be Andrew Young, a campaign aide who later wrote a tell-all book about Edwards’ affair and the efforts to keep it out of the public eye.

Young, who was granted immunity, initially claimed he had fathered a child with Hunter, who is also expected to testify. A lawsuit settlement earlier this year between Young and Hunter called for copies of a videotape purported to show her having sex with Edwards to be destroyed.

Edwards’ defense team, recently reshuffled to include the lawyers who represented Hunter in the civil case, has indicated it will attack Young’s motives and credibility.

Edwards, who also ran for president in 2004 before becoming John Kerry’s vice presidential running mate the same year, has his own credibility issues. He repeatedly denied having an affair and daughter with Hunter, and finally admitted paternity two years after the child’s birth.

“This case is not so much the United States v. John Edwards, it’s Andrew Young v. John Edwards,” Dellinger said. “And I think the jury’s determination about which one of them is more credible may be one of the key factors in deciding whether Mr. Edwards is guilty.”

The trial could last until late May or early June. A conviction would make what qualifies as a campaign contribution less certain for future candidates, said law professor Wright.

“It’s going to mean lots more lawyers employed by campaigns,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot more legal risk involved in election reporting if the government wins this.”

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What are the financial costs, and do most insurance plans cover them?

The cost in general can range somewhere around $12,000-$15,000 per cycle, but there are some policies that do cover IVF. In certain states, for example New Jersey, IVF is mandated to be covered in most situations. Pennsylvania is not one of those states.

What about the risk of multiple pregnancies, Octomom-style?
That depends on the number of embryos that you replace. There are guidelines in place by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine to help guide reproductive endocrinologists so we can decrease the number of multiple pregnancies. Octomom’s doctor did not follow them. IVF actually gives you a great amount of control, because you know how many embryos you are putting back into the uterus. But when you stimulate someone through fertility medications, you can’t say exactly how many eggs will be mature and can be fertilized through intercourse.

What is the success rate?
The age of the woman is the No. 1 factor that predicts success. You see about a 50-60 percent chance of conception per cycle for women who are 34 and under, for those 34-37 it’s 40 percent — and over age 40, it’s 25 percent.

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Sometimes the chase is more fulfilling than the actual accomplishment — and this is also true with pregnancies. However, in your situation, anxiety and fear are clouding your once-clear view of a life with a child. This is quite normal, so don’t fret.

Change how you think about pregnancy. It’s not a death sentence to activities you once enjoyed, nor does it mean that you’re trapped at home for the next 18 years. It simply changes things. Millions of people who have kids travel and take business trips. You can, too. Talk to friends and family who have kids to learn how they do it.

Realize that your fears are based more on falsehood than on fact. Do research to find out the actual cost of raising a child and then work out a practical plan with your husband to handle the added expenses. If you come up short, then perhaps explore support from friends and family and look into money-saving cuts in your current lifestyle.

Think long-term. When you think of life five, 10 or even 20 years down the road, how do you envision it? If you didn’t have fears about pregnancies, how would you feel about raising a child? What role do you see kids playing in your life? Make a pros/cons list and see how things add up.

Share your concerns with your husband, as he might be feeling the same. Most first-time parents feel at least some anxiety and even doubt. You have an enthusiastic partner as you approach this next phase of your life, so talk to him and tap into him for support.

Finally, be aware that more people regret not having kids than having kids. I’m sure you’ll be no exception.

–Jonathan Alpert is a licensed psychotherapist. E-mail him your questions at jonathan@jonathanalpert.com

Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages.

The post Pregnant, 40 and terrified appeared first on Metro.us.

Two different fertility clinics told Metro they’ve seen a 30 percent increase in using gestational carriers, or surrogates, in the past few years.

And New York breeds women more likely than elsewhere to choose surrogacy, said Dr. John Zhang, the Upper East Side doctor who helped Martha Stewart’s daughter, Alexis Stewart, with her surrogacy treatments.

Some choose surrogacy because of their career: Zhang’s other clients include a Broadway actress who didn’t want a belly on stage, a news anchor, and one young wife to an older man. She wants three babies at once — using three simultaneous surrogates.

“They say, ‘Oh, my husband is 74, I am 32. We want to have a big family, and if I have one baby at a time it will take six years to have three babies,’” said the New Hope Fertility Center doctor. “I call it ‘scheduled babies’ — they want the right number of babies at the right place at the right age.”

Yet hundreds of New Yorkers turn to gestational carriers simply because it’s the last option.

East Village fashion designer Anna Philip, 44, chose surrogacy after seven years with three surgeries, three heartbreaking miscarriages and four failed rounds of in vitro.

In two weeks, she’ll welcome her second son, a younger brother to 3-year-old Sven — both birthed by the same Massachusetts woman.  

“Nobody turns to that out of their own choice,” she said. “It’s a very difficult thing to do.”

Did you know?

It is illegal to be a surrogate in New York. But potential parents can use surrogates from states where surrogacy is not prohibited, like New Jersey or Massachusetts.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter at @AlisonatMetro.

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