With all the side effects that accompany pregnancy, many mothers-to-be tend to blame stereotypical symptoms, like lower back pain, sudden weight gain and leg swelling, on the hot weather or one too many jalapeno burgers.

Yet, depending on their severity, these warning signs can signal preeclampsia, a condition in which the expectant mother’s blood pressure rises to dangerous levels, potentially leading to a variety of other life-threatening conditions. The disorder often comes out of the blue, and the only cure is to deliver the child, often weeks before his or her scheduled due date.

Jennifer Killion (pictured) of Overland, for instance, was just 19 weeks into her first pregnancy when her blood pressure raced to 220/110, and her kidneys and liver began diving into organ failure.

“My family was told to prepare for the worst, as my doctors did not know if I would survive,” she explained by email.

Debuting this April, live on The Repertory Theatre stage, are 15 much-anticipated plays from some local up-and-coming writers. So up-and-coming, they aren’t even old enough to drive to their own performances. 

St. Louis will be rolling in the deep when sharks and stingrays swim back for an encore at the Saint Louis Zoo this season. “Stingrays at Caribbean Cove featuring Sharks” opens on April 20 and runs through September 30, 2012.
 
It’s a season-long pool party like no other in town starring some smooth operators – bonnethead, white-spotted bamboo and nurse sharks, cownose rays, southern stingrays and horseshoe crabs.

Congratulations on your little bundle of joy, Snooki!

I know there are a lot of jokes going around about how your due date coincides with the Mayans’ prediction of the end of the world, but don’t let that get you down, girlfriend.

In all honesty, I feel a sort of kinship with you. My name is Nicole, too! And I also subscribe to the GTL philosophy – except not in that order and without the G and T. So for those reasons, I wanted to give you a little head’s up on what you can expect when Snooki, Jr. enters the world.