Teen Pregnancy: Top 10 US States with Highest Rates

MTV's Teen Mom  Jenelle Evans tweeted a bikini pic to silence recent rumors she is pregnant with her second child

What US states have the most teen births nationwide? 

A 2006 Guttmacher Institute summarized recent data and statistics and summarized them on a list. Contrary to people's perceptions Arkansas is not number one, neither are Blue, liberal states with high minority populations, as some may assume. Rather, 80% of the states with the highest number of teens giving birth come from southern Red states. How's that for debunking stereotypes although Florida, California and Texas are pretty large states so it is no wonder why they would be high on the list. More people equals higher probability.  Those states also have very diverse populations. 

But in any event, while it is challenging having a baby as a teen, many have surmounted the odds and excelled, even though the stats are against them for success. 

Here is how the top 10 panned out:
 

States ranked by rates of pregnancy among women age 15-19 (pregnancies per thousand):

1.     Nevada (113)
2.     Arizona (104)
3.     Mississippi (103)
4.     New Mexico (103)
5.     Texas (101)
6.     Florida (97)
7.     California (96)
8.     Georgia (95)
9.     North Carolina (95)
10.     Arkansas (93)

States ranked by rates of live births among women age 15-19 (births per thousand):

1.     Mississippi (71)
2.     Texas (69)
3.     Arizona (67)
4.     Arkansas (66)
5.     New Mexico (66)
6.     Georgia (63)
7.     Louisiana (62)
8.     Nevada (61)
9.     Alabama (61)
10.     Oklahoma (60)

Source:
"U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity" Guttmacher Institute September 2006.

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Bump Watch: Neve Campbell at Coldplay Hollywood concert

Here is a belated bump watch photo from earlier this month when Neve Campbell and husband hit the Coldplay concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on May 4. Love the look! The slouch sweater boots, the fedora and layered tops. Lovely!

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JooJos are exquiste master crafted shoes for tiny feet

A Facebook friend of mine, Ama Karikari-Yawson, and her husband, recently launched a brand new company, JooJoos, selling superior quality shoes that are made of natural materials such as calfskin leather, nickel-free buckles and with anatomical leather board insoles for maximum support and comfort for tiny feet. Some of the shoes, targeted at new walkers, include lining and insoles stitched together for a healthy sock-like effect. Nice. It has a higher price point than most children's lines but you get what you pay for in exquisite top-of-the line construction and materials.  Most of the super cute shoes the company sells have lightweight thermoplastic rubber soles for a stride fit for kids who are mastering the art of walking, running, jumping and having all the wacky fun that toddlers and preschoolers get into! I fully expect the line to become a fav of parents with discriminating tastes and celebs!

The line of shoes bears the face of Ama's adorable son JoJo and has a wonderful philosophy grounded in the spirit of capturing the wonderfulness of children.  Check out a few of my favorites styles I discovered while browsing the site:

5th Avenue

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Bellissima

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Charles

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Key West

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Wall Street

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Silicon Valley

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The Poetess

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Swing

So cute! If I had a little kid and had the mullah, I'd definitely get the entire collection for each stage of my toddler's life through early childhood! Love Love!

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Bump Watch: Elizabeth Berkley's favorite tote

Fame/Flynet

Elizabeth Berkley, spotted above while shopping this past Thursday May 24 at the  Brentwood Market in Brentwood, California, is wearing a lovely maxi dress with tie-dyed enhancements and carrying her favorite army green tote. The dress is a refreshing change from the signature black top and yoga pants that Berkley has practically lived in this pregnancy. But her bag, though, she carries everywhere...

While heading to Pilates class in Studio City, April 26

 

 

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Again earlier in late March while heading to her Studio City Pilates class

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Before announcing her pregnancy while visiting NYC back in Nov. 2011

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But she does break it up sometimes!

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The Bump Bring Your Baby Matinees provide relief for sitter-less new parents

Tia Mowry & son Cree at The Bump's Bring Your Baby Matinee in LA

TheBump.com has launched a fun monthly event called "The Bump Bring Your Baby Matinees"

The first Tuesday of each month, parents can enjoy movies in a baby friendly environment without worrying about baby making too much noise, no place to breastfeed or room to park the stroller. Isn't that nice? When you are stuck home with the kids, and especially for new moms who have little or no child care options, who simply aren't ready to spend too much time away from their baby or who are exclusively breastfeeding, this sounds like a wonderful opportunity. And it's great also for couples who desperately need a date night.

So the next time you are at a movie late at night with a family that has brought all their little kids with them making noise and viewing inappropriate material, you can make sure to point this out to them for next time. On second thought, maybe not. You never know what type of "tude" may snap back at you for making the suggestion. ha!

The next event will be next Tuesday, June 5th in AMC Theatres across the country and the featured movie is What to Expect When You’re Expecting. The Bump will also be giving away 5 Boppy water bottles to moms and dads in the audience!

Here’s a list of the theater locations and I'm assuming you don't have to purchase a ticket for the baby!

·  Arizona (3) Phoenix and Mesa

·  California (12) Covina, Anaheim, Manteca, San Diego, Norwalk, Ontario, National City, Woodland hills, Rowland Heights, Tustin, Riverside

·  Colorado (2) Broomfield, Highlands Ranch

·  Connecticut (1) Danbury

·  District of Columbia (1)

·  Florida (2) Aventura, South Miami

·  Georgia (3) Lawrenceville, Atlanta, Morrow

·  Illinois (4) South Barrington, Chicago, Skokie, Lombard

·  Indiana (1) Indianapolis

·  Kansas (1) Leawood

·  Maryland (1) Gaithersburg

·  Massachusetts (3) Boston, Framingham, Methuen

·  Michigan (3) Sterling Heights, Auburn Hills, Livonia

·  Missouri (2) Creve Coeur, Independence

·  New Jersey (9) Cherry Hill, Clifton, Freehold Township, Paramus, Hamilton, Elizabeth, Eatontown, New Brunswick, Rockaway,

·  New York (5) Manhattan (Kips Bay and Lincoln Square), West Nyack, Westbury, Stony Brook

·  North Carolina (1) Concord

·  Pennsylvania (3) Philadelphia, Bensalem, Allentown

·  Texas (7) Humble, Sugar Land, Grapevine, Houston, Mesquite, Arlington, Frisco

·  Virginia (3) Alexandria, Woodbridge, McLean

·  Washington (2) Kent, Woodinville

 

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Jessica Simpson debuts her daughter on People mag cover

Jessica Simpson and fiance Eric Johnson debuted their brand new daughter, Maxwell Drew, on the cover of People magazine and reportedly received $800,000 for granting the magazine the honor.

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10 tips for dealing with that sitter who steals from you

Barbara Hustus of Maine was charged in 2009 for stealing prescription drugs while babysitting

The feeling of violation and intrusion that comes with having something stolen from your home by someone that you’ve entrusted with the safety and well-being of your children is a difficult one to deal with; and then trying to find a way to handle the situation on top of that can be an overwhelming challenge in itself. These ten tips might make the situation easier to deal with in the unfortunate event of it arising.

1.     Make Absolutely Sure They’re the Guilty Party – Before doing anything, it’s imperative to make sure that your babysitter is, without a shadow of doubt, the guilty party. Accusations of stealing can severely damage a childcare provider’s reputation, which is inexcusable if they’re innocent.
2.     Have An Open, One-On-One Discussion – For those people who are comfortable having a potentially-tense conversation, a frank discussion about your suspicions might be the best possible first step. This could give your babysitter the chance to confess and offer an explanation; it can also afford them the much-deserved opportunity to defend their innocence, if necessary.
3.     Opt to Avoid the Confrontation – Parents who are more reserved or shy may not be thrilled with the idea of a confrontation that has the potential to become explosive. If you do choose not to address the issue, you should keep your suspicions to yourself unless they’re absolutely proven. Making an accusation without affording the sitter a chance to explain simply isn’t fair.
4.     Take Their Age Into Consideration – When you’re trying to decide the best course of action, it might help to take the sitter’s age into consideration. A teenage girl who impulsively took something of little value might simply need a strong talking-to, whereas an older sitter should have better impulse control; the age of the sitter should affect the severity of your actions.
5.     Decide Whether You’re Pressing Charges – If the stolen object(s) are of great value, or have the potential to cause problems in the wrong hands, it’s probably best to file a police report. If enough evidence exists for an arrest, the police will know after an investigation. This can take the entire matter out of your hands, but might be overkill for something small and inconsequential.