If there’s one universal parenting truth, it’s that you’re going to be talking about baby poop a lot. (Cue questions: How often should a newborn poop? How can you help baby poop? What does green baby poop mean? What exactly should normal baby poop look like?) And while it may not be a typical topic of conversation for the dinner table, it’s something you’ll find yourself thinking about all the time....
With summer in full swing, we bet you’re looking for fun outdoor activities to do with the family. Deciding on an outing that everyone will enjoy is a task in itself, and we think reading these suggestions from Bumpies may just be the key to keeping all family members happy. Read on, and then ditch the computer for some good ol’ fashioned Vitamin D! “We like going for walks to the pond to watch turtles and ducks....
Around the house, walking barefoot is great for young toddlers, because your child’s toes and feet can grasp the surface and develop the strength and balance she needs. But obviously, you’re going to want shoes if you and your toddler are going to trek outside. While you’re shoe shopping, remember that the primary function of shoes is to protect your child’s feet (yes, they’re a fashion statement, but that’s secondary!). You want a flexible sole, but one that’s thick and sturdy enough so that rocks or sticks won’t puncture the bottom....
This week our maternity fashionista , Jacqueline Weppner, founder and creative director of Merci New York, is reporting live from her babymoon and she’s sharing her maternity fashion tips when it comes to your bump bathing suit style! We all know moms-to-be want to look (and feel!) great while still sticking to their budget — and Jacque’s got the perfect set of tips to try. Instead of shopping for a new suit for every trimester, Jacque runs through how to make your beach style work throughout your nine months and beyond....
Let’s be real—nobody wants to visit the hospital. Even during the exciting experience of giving birth, it can be unnerving to be a patient. What’s more, as a Black woman, the anxiety is exacerbated by the reality of racial disparities and implicit bias in our healthcare system. That’s why it’s so important for Black women to know how to effectively advocate for themselves in a medical setting. The alarming truth is that it can be a matter of life or death....
Many babies love them, but you don’t want to get too close to fireworks. A little bit of common sense is in order, really — if you are so close that you can feel the vibrations and the blasts are intense, it can damage baby’s hearing (and your own). However, there’s no need to keep baby away entirely — just keep your distance. If you are concerned about baby’s hearing, cover his ears with a hat, blanket, or baby earmuffs....
There is a whole slew of baby gates that will keep baby safe without compromising your decor style. Custom designs can be made to look like your banisters so they blend right in. There are also retractable styles that roll up close to the wall when not in use. Or go for a bamboo, wood or metal (which can securely mount to the wall) gate. One to try: the Loft Gate from Munchkin; it’s made from dark wood and aluminum....
Many people believe that Julius Cesar was the first child born by c-section, but it’s actually highly unlikely, because, at the time Cesar was born, Cesarean sections were only performed if the mother was at risk of dying before her baby was born—Cesar’s mother lived to see her son grow well into adulthood. Yet, the birth of the term Cesarean section can be explained by Roman law under Cesar: He mandated that any pregnant woman who was dying must be cut open to save the baby (this was a way to keep population rates up)....
Go with the flow in the beginning You might consider yourself type-A but when you’re home with a brand-new baby, give up everything you knew about structure and control. “When you have a newborn, there is no organizing your day. You sleep, feed, cuddle, change, and repeat,” says maggiesmom. For some women, that means a lot of letting go — it’s tricky at first but just remind yourself that this is temporary....
We’ve known forever that the bonds between mom and baby run deeper, stronger and more fluid than anyone could ever begin to explain. Now, new research proves that there’s a physical connection, more interconnected and integral to our being than anyone ever imagined. As mom carries baby during pregnancy and shares a physical connection through the placenta, cells can travel freely between mom and baby (by way of the placenta). And while human intellect has us intent on believing that we are autonomous individuals, it’s impossible to deny the fact that so many of the cells that passed between mom and baby during gestation stay there — forever....
Growing a human is hard work, so feeling more tired than usual during pregnancy is completely normal. You’re expending extra energy, and all the physical and hormonal changes happening can take a toll on your ability to get comfortable and fall asleep. Insomnia is most common in the third trimester, but some women experience it in the beginning of pregnancy too. Heartburn and morning sickness are among the many culprits that may keep you tossing and turning....
In vitro fertilization (IVF), one of the most common treatments for infertility, only works about one-third of the time — that is to say, only one in three IVF cycles results in a pregnancy. With a statistic like that, it’s understandable that doctors are trying to make IVF a more viable option for more women. One way they do this is by performing a hysteroscopy (basically a diagnostic inspection of the uterine cavity) after two or three failed IVF cycles....
You welcome your child into the world and spend your first few weeks together bonding around the clock. But once you slowly start to get back to your routine (or a revised version of your routine, #helloparenthood!) one of the things you may be wondering about—perhaps even craving—is exercise. But when is it safe to start exercising again? Perhaps unsurprisingly, that question is a lot more complicated if you underwent a cesarean section during childbirth....
Meet your new exercise prop: baby! As she grows bigger and gets heavier, your workout will progress right along with her, becoming more challenging as you get into increasingly better shape. But the best part about working out with baby? It’s built-in bonding time. The four exercises here strengthen and tone the lower body—an important area to target for new mommies, given all the sitting we do, whether we’re reading to and playing with baby or simply holding her....
Now that you’re a parent, not a day goes by that you’re not talking about baby stuff. In your pre-baby days you may have gushed about your go-to restaurants, fitness studios and clothing boutiques on the regular—but now it’s all about your favorite baby brands. (Hey, it happens to the best of us.) But here’s the rub: Some of those brands have foreign names with pretty tricky spellings, leaving you totally stumped over how to pronounce them....
You’ve realized you’re powerful “Feeling sexy is about power,” says J. Maria Bermudez, PhD, a family therapist and associate professor at The University of Georgia. People in power tend to have infectious, wildly appealing charisma. And don’t you feel strong just having gone through the birth process? Heck, you created a whole (pretty amazing) human. If you can do that, you can do almost anything. You’re in charge Ever heard of mama-bear syndrome?...
In the movies, birth is typically depicted in a dramatic delivery room scene where a woman labors for hours before pushing out a baby. In real life, a little over a third of births in the US happen via Cesarean, or c-section, according to the latest available stats from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For 33 percent of the nearly four million births a year, a baby is delivered through incisions in a woman’s abdomen and uterus....
What’s for lunch? The answer these days might be different than before you had a baby on the way. You want something satisfying and nutritious, but some of the staples you may have normally relied on are currently off-limits (looking at you, cold cuts!). And the idea of spending hours prepping something super-elaborate? Hmm, no thanks. Worry not—there are plenty of good pregnancy lunch ideas that are healthy, filling and easy to make and pack up for work....
It’s an all too common scene: two small children playing tug of war with a toy as cries of “mine” get louder and louder. It might end in hitting, biting, crying or some combination—but any which way, it’s not pretty. Learning to share is an important but difficult milestone for any toddler, and one that parents often try to instill from an early age. But what is the importance of this social skill?...
You’ve definitely told your friends all the weird stuff your kids say. Maybe you’ve even tweeted some of it. But in a brilliant move, one dad created Tumblr and Facebook pages dedicated to his 3-year-old daughter Harper’s quotes. Some of the quotes are actually things said to Harper by Mom and Dad. Either way, Martin Bruckner’s " Spaghetti Toes" is recognizing and celebrating the absurd interactions you catch yourself having with your kids....
