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Here are the basics for a healthy, full-term baby. (You’ll need to be a little more careful for preemies and special needs or hospitalized babies. In these cases, ask your hospital for their policy.) Room temperature: 6 to 8 hours Insulated cooler with ice packs: up to 24 hours Refrigerator: 5 to 8 days Freezer inside refrigerator: up to 2 weeks Freezer with separate door: 3 to 6 months Stand-alone deep freezer: 6 to 12 months To maximize shelf life, try to keep milk in the back part of your fridge (away from the door, where temps change frequently) or in the middle of your freezer (away from freezer walls, which can let in some warmth)....

Nope. Milk supply actually stays very consistent from about six weeks until your baby starts solids, so your overall caloric needs stay about the same throughout that time period. And actually, your caloric needs have more to do with your current body size and activity level than your baby’s age or ability to slurp down masses of milk. Just continue to shoot for a healthy, well-balanced diet, and eat when you’re hungry....

When to do it You’re most likely to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex in the five days before you ovulate, or on the day itself. And the number one mistake women make when they’re trying to get pregnant? Not getting the timing right. Counting day one of your period as day one of your cycle, most women ovulate about 14 days before their next period. So if your cycle varies between 24 and 30 days, you’ll ovulate somewhere between days 10 and 16....

And the Winner Is: BabyBjorn Carrier One Air You’ve got things to do. But guess what? Baby doesn’t care. That snuggle-loving little one wants to be held 24/7, and you’ve got two options: Ignore that to-do list indefinitely or get yourself a tried-and-true baby carrier. Our top tot-toting pick? The BabyBjorn Carrier One Air. Suitable for children from birth to 3 years, the Carrier One is an ergonomic and fully adjustable carrier that can be worn facing in, facing out or on your back for toddlers....

Some of our fondest holiday memories often involve food. Can you imagine Christmas without cookies? Thanksgiving without turkey? So what better way to make Valentine’s Day special than by hitting the kitchen and whipping up some super-cute creations with your kids. Of course, there are a few things to consider when creating Valentine’s Day snacks your little ones can then share with their classmates. Do they transport well? Are they easy to share with dozens of kids?...

Was one of your New Years resolutions to get fit? If so, you might be discovering that it’s one of the hardest resolutions to keep (sorry!). It’s usually easy to find motivation in the beginning, especially if you over-indulged during the holidays (who didn’t?) and have some new curves to prove it. But staying on track in the long term is tough, and a regular fitness routine often falls by the wayside when the other priorities in life take precedence—like taking care of baby, for one....

Yep, you heard right, but scientists aren’t exactly sure what that means yet. The study you probably read about was an analysis of placentas from 217 different births. Researchers, lead by Cheryl K. Walker, MD, an OB at the Mind Institute at the University of California, Davis, found that, in families at high risk for having an autistic child, the placentas were significantly more likely to have abnornormal folds and creases — called trophoblast inclusions....

You’ve triumphantly made it through nine months of pregnancy, and now it’s time for baby to come on out. You have a lot of questions and concerns, and one of them very likely will be, “should I get an epidural?” — whether you planned to or not. Everyone has varying opinions, and there is no right or wrong answer. Bumpies share both sides, so you know what to expect…and hopefully your choice is made a little easier!...

When you’re eating for two, it’s tempting to fit in extra calories by having some Doritos—but that won’t do baby much good. You actually only need 300 extra calories during pregnancy, and the healthier you can make those snacks, the better. Try these (roughly) 300-calorie foods the next time you’re reaching for a mini-meal. Hummus. Try scooping hummus with your favorite assorted raw veggies, like carrots or celery 8-ounce smoothie. Make it with your favorite mixed berries and soy or skim milk....

The best way to help your little one along the language path is just to spend time interacting with her. New York City pediatrician Preeti Parikh, MD, says every baby is different, but during the first year, you probably won’t hear identifiable consonant sounds until nine months and words besides “mama” and “dada” until 12 months. It may seem silly to babble away to someone who can’t talk back, but time and time again, studies have shown that baby is constantly learning from what you say....

One of the best parts of early pregnancy is sharing the exciting news that you’re expecting. But when it comes to informing the workplace, many women aren’t quite so enthusiastic. Finding just the right time to clue everyone in—boss, colleagues, direct reports—and figuring out the best way to approach the topic can be tough. Here’s what the experts say about how to navigate this tricky process. In this article: What to know before announcing your pregnancy at work How to tell your boss you’re pregnant How to tell your direct reports you’re pregnant How to tell your coworkers you’re pregnant...

Fact: Creating a will likely won’t be as much fun as putting together a baby registry. But it just may be a more essential step on the road to becoming parents. Don’t have a will yet? There’s no wrong time to write one, and writing a will as soon as possible, especially once you have kids, can help make sure your children will be provided and cared for exactly how you wish in case you or your partner were to die....

Melissa Gould and Ellie Miller are the founding partners of The Baby Planners™, a nationwide baby concierge and consulting service that caters to the needs of expectant parents. Their company was developed to guide clients, whether pregnancy, adopting or using a surrogate, through the overwhelming amount of baby products and services in the marketplace. Ellie and Melissa, proud moms of Tyler, Ben and Sophie, created this innovative service to provide parents-to-be with the research, recommendations and reassurance they wish they had when they were expecting....

We’re not necessarily saying girls rule, boys drool, but a new study finds that preemie girls are beating boys to some important early skills. After analyzing 2,700 preterm infants in level III NICUs born before 37 weeks of pregnancy, Loyola University Medical Center researchers pinpointed exactly when preemies can feed on their own. On average, they can orally feed by 36 weeks and four days. And girls are typically doing it a day sooner than boys....

We know how exhausting it is to feed every hour. The bad news is that month-old babies’ stomachs are still very small — approximately the size of your daughter’s fist. Since they can’t hold much, they often need to be filled up frequently. That Big Gulp of milk you wish she would eat just won’t fit yet! However, at this age you can gradually start to stretch the time between her feedings, with the goal of feeding her every three hours during the day and possibly even less frequently at night....

Offering your infant her first spoonful of solid food is an exciting developmental milestone. While you may not be able to control whether the food will end up in baby’s mouth or splattered on the floor, one thing that you can do is look for expert advice to navigate the confusion surrounding first foods. One particular topic that has become the center of many nutrition-related myths: introducing your infant to highly-allergenic foods....

You want to be able to quickly soothe your crying baby in the middle of the night, and if you can do that without getting up from bed, even better. Especially handy for moms who’ve had a c-section, this bassinet hovers right over your bedside and features mesh see-through walls and a collapsible side wall for easy access. WHAT WE LOVE Wheels swivel, allowing the bassinet to go in any direction and move away from bed easily, so you can get out easily Hovers over the edge of the bed so you can have baby close....

A baby’s name is special. It represents their individuality, while paying tribute to their family’s ties and traditions. And since parents put so much thought into choosing their child’s moniker, anything that celebrates those iconic first, middle and last name letters is special too. Cue monogrammed baby gifts, which make timeless, personalized presents for a baby shower, baptism or even a first birthday party. Before you browse our favorite options, peruse our top tips for buying monogrammed baby gifts:...

Struggling to go to the bathroom is never particularly pleasant, but constipation in pregnancy comes with its own special set of challenges—especially if you’re not feeling your best to begin with. Constipation, which is defined as having less than three bowel movements a week and/or having trouble passing stool when you do go, is fairly common in pregnancy, says Michael Cackovic, MD, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center....

Newborn Coming Home Outfit: The Basics Onesie. “A onesie is a perfect, basic building block for infant clothing,” Grauer says. “If baby is too cool, more thin layers of clothing can be added. If baby is warm, the onesie itself is the outfit.” Not to mention that these all-in-one looks are utterly adorable! Hat. Even in warmer weather, newborns do well with a baby beanie or knot cap, since their tiny bodies can easily lose heat....