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If you’re a pregnant person who doesn’t identify as female—or if you prefer to wear clothing that isn’t gender-specific—building a wardrobe that works for your evolving body can be particularly challenging. While bump-friendly clothing has come a long way in recent years, most of the styles offered are very feminine, which leaves a chunk of the population stuck wearing clothing that doesn’t reflect who they are. “The hyper-feminine side of the [pregnancy clothing] market can definitely feel alienating,” says Storq CEO and co-founder, Courtney Klein....

“Within the first hour of labor, the anesthesiologist came in to administer the epidural, but I just couldn’t look at the needle. I could tell by the look on my boyfriend’s face that it was a big one, though. The next thing I knew, my whole face was wet! I didn’t realize what happened right away, but it ended up that the anesthesiologist had a little mess-up when he put extra medicine in the syringe — it sprayed all over _both _of us!...

Following the birth of a 13-pound, 12-ounce baby girl in Pennsylvania, a 13 and a half-pound baby girl born in Germany , a 13-pound 10-ounce girl born in California, a 13-pound, 11-ounce baby girl born in Spain and a 15-pound, 7-ounce baby boy born in Germany, doctors fear for that the rising rates of babies born too big at birth could be a dangerous trend. Why are doctors worried? Women delivering big babies didn’t just start happening....

On a super hot day, have you ever thought to yourself, “I really wish I could give baby a breast milk flavored lollipop to cool him down?” If you have, you’re in luck! (And if you haven’t, well, congrats! Now you’ll never have to think of it again.) A company in Austin, Texas, called Lollyphile has whipped together and is now selling Breast Milk Lollipops. The pops are intended to mimic the flavor of a mother’s milk and according to the company, they’ve done their research when it comes to making the flavors sync up....

The latest research published in the European Respiratory Journal found that getting pregnant may take longer for women with asthma. The study, which analyzed information from more than 15,000 women in Denmark, set out to determine whether or not asthma would affect conception and if so, why? Here’s how they did it: Of the 15,000 women analyzed, more than 950 women had asthma. Researchers asked the women if they had spent more than a year trying to conceive: 27 percent of the women with asthma said yes, they had been trying for more than a year compared to the 21 percent of women without asthma who had also tried for longer than a year....

Gestational diabetes has become one of the most common pregnancy complications in the US, with about 7 percent of pregnant women developing the condition. But just because it’s more widespread doesn’t mean it comes without risks. So what is gestational diabetes—and how can you minimize your chances of getting it? In this article What is gestational diabetes? What causes gestational diabetes? Gestational diabetes symptoms Gestational diabetes treatment How to prevent gestational diabetes...

We asked. You answered. Of readers polled online, 69 percent are now more concerned with “going green” than before they became pregnant. Why? Not just because choosing eco-friendly products and reducing the amount of resources used is trendy. Put simply, contributing to a healthier planet makes for healthier people, including you and your family. During pregnancy, making simple changes in the foods you eat and the products you use can lessen your and your growing baby’s exposure to toxic chemicals....

For most of your pregnancy, baby sort of swims around from one side of your uterus to the other. But at the 33- or 34-week mark, he or she will likely start to move permanently into the “head down” position to prep for labor, and descend further into your pelvis. Many women recognize when it happens because there’s an almost immediate sense of relief: The constant pressure on your stomach and lungs might suddenly lift, and you might get a break from heartburn and shortness of breath....

Birth control? Covered. Prenatal care? Covered. Labor and delivery? Not necessarily. While the Affordable Care Act deemed maternity and newborn care “essential health benefits” requiring independent and small group coverage in 2014, that coverage doesn’t extend to dependents still on their parents’ health insurance. By law, adults can stay on their parents’ plans until age 26—which, coincidentally, is also the average age of first-time moms in the US. This lack of coverage can be a huge problem....

If a ball rolls under the couch and no one can see it, does it still exist? Well, yes, but it actually takes babies months after birth to learn this. The concept that people and objects don’t simply cease to be once they’re out of sight is known as object permanence, and this realization is an important milestone in a child’s development. So when do babies develop object permanence, exactly, and how can you help your little one along?...

A decrease in milk supply is a normal reaction to the hormone levels in your body that are supporting your pregnancy, and efforts you make to increase your supply during this time will probably not be successful. During the third trimester your milk transitions back to colostrum, in preparation for your new baby. Colostrum continues to be made until after the new baby’s birth, and it is not harmful to have your child breastfeed at this time — there will still be plenty when the new baby arrives....

Before there was Modern Family, there was_ The Cosby Show_. Growing up, I looked forward to watching the humorous trials and tribulations of the Huxtable family each week. They were like every family, but not, because whatever issues Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy were dealing with were wrapped up neatly in a half-hour episode with a life lesson from their loving parents, Cliff and Clair. Even now, watching reruns of the show is like my comfort food when I’m having a bad day....

First things first—what is colic in babies? You know babies are supposed to cry, but sometimes it can seem like your child’s cries go on a little longer than “normal." Even after you’ve checked their diaper and made sure they’ve been fed and burped, no amount of holding, rocking or jiggling seems to console them or stop their cries. Watching baby sob and writhe in pain, you probably feel helpless and at the end of your rope....

Outspoken practitioners like actress Mayim Bialik talk extensively about the ins and outs of attachment parenting—the extended breastfeeding, the co-sleeping, the babywearing (no strollers allowed)—and the closeness it brings them. But equally outspoken critics say that’s not at all what parenting should be about. Who’s right? By digging into the principles that underlie the baby pampering, we found that the truth is somewhere in between—and that attachment parenting is quite possibly one of the most misunderstood child-raising methods today....

Podcasts are one of our favorite ways to get parenting advice. Why? Because you can soak in all that know-how while you workout, commute, clean the house, breastfeed or pump—whatever is on your endless to-do list. (And we know mamas are master multi-taskers.) From heartfelt to hilarious to helpful, these are the best parenting podcasts around. Have a listen! What Fresh Hell The tagline says it all: Laughing in the face of motherhood....

The latest research suggests that drinking caffeinated drinks during pregnancy will raise your risk of giving birth to baby with a lower birth weight. Though caffeine has been linked to having adverse effects on pregnant women, a limit has been set on what pregnant would should consume, if they can’t do without a caffeine kick. But, there have been a fair share of conflicting reports from differing health organization as to what pregnant women can safely consume....

*When Strangers Become Friends *“Before my daughter was born, we needed baby clothes, but we couldn’t afford to buy new ones, so I posted an ad on Craigslist. Two moms offered to donate their old baby clothes, and I was so grateful. I had never met them before, but thanks to their kindness, my daughter was all set — and now they’re two of my best friends. Now I donate all my daughter’s clothes when she grows out of them....

Raising children is one of the most universally rewarding experiences, but the realities of parenthood can vary dramatically around the world. Christine Gilbert, an American mom of two, is getting a first-hand look at how different—and often how similar—parenting in a foreign country can be. When she was seven months pregnant, she, her husband and their young son moved from the US to Oaxaca, Mexico, an inland city to the south, widely considered to be the country’s cultural and culinary heart....

On family outings, my husband is the one who lugs around the paparazzi-style camera and bag with additional flashes, fancy lenses and other accoutrements. When I’m at the playground alone and have one eye following my 5-year-old who is scaling the slide backwards and the other on my two-year-old who is bound to get clocked in the head because he’s walking too close to the swings, all I have time for is a quick cell phone snapshot....

You’ve likely felt the existential angst that can accompany this very simple question: Should you buy cupcakes for your child’s birthday treat at daycare or make them from scratch yourself? According to Becky Beaupre Gillespie and Hollee Schwartz Temple, authors of the new book, Good Enough Is the New Perfect: Finding Happiness and Success in Modern Motherhood, issues like the cupcake dilemma—and the myriad other choices moms make in the name of “balance”—are actually part of a brand new Mommy War, especially for working moms....