Designing baby’s nursery is without a doubt one of the most exciting ways to prepare for your little one’s arrival, and picking colors for the space is the best way to get started. After all, the hues on baby’s walls will affect the entire mood of the room, not to mention your picks for all the décor. If you’re having trouble figuring out which shades are sure to make baby feel right at home, let the stars—and baby’s due date—be your guide....
If you’re belly button suddenly starts hurting during pregnancy, it’s normal to wonder if you should be concerned. The answer? Nope. It’s pretty natural for your belly button to be sore. As your belly grows, your natural tissues—the ones that hold your muscles—stretch in a way that hasn’t happened before (if this is your first pregnancy, of course). As your body gets used to a belly growth spurt, you’ll have some discomfort, but it’ll get better with time....
We’re always prepared to be at least a little shocked when we hear a new celeb baby name announced. (Remember Jason Lee’s son, Pilot Inspektor?) But it turns out, this year celebs actually toned down the crazy. Following the biggest naming trends of the year, some of the names they chose we actually love. But don’t worry, there are still a few out-there monikers on the list to give you a good chuckle....
This is the final of the five part guest blog series by Susan Patton, a.k.a. “The Princeton Mom,” who found fame (and a recent TIME 100 nomination) from her controversial views on marriage in her book, Marry Smart. While you may not always agree with her, you’ll definitely want to hear her (often surprising!) stance on parenting’s hottest topics. One of the greatest things you can give your children is the gift of self-reliance....
A spa day for a mom is a much-needed luxury — but how would you feel if you were driving your baby to a spa and not yourself? It could be the next trend in baby activities since there’s a new spa — just for babies — in Houston, Texas, called Float Baby. To get admitted to Float Baby, you don’t have to be more than a few weeks old. The infants at the spa relax and float in a pool with a flotation device around their necks and a swim diaper on with other infants....
Preparing dinner with a small child (or two!) hanging on your leg is a challenge that’s hard to understand until you’ve been there. I’m sure many of us can personally admit to inundating our moms relentlessly before dinner with questions like, “What’s for dinner?” or “Is it ready yet?” While I can’t promise those questions will completely subside, we do have a few tricks to making time in the kitchen with a toddler or young child go a little smoother....
New parents look forward to all sorts of things baby will learn: how to walk, talk and read, just to name a few. But come cold and flu season, there’s another important skill that’s woefully underrated: how to blow your nose. That simple skill would let baby breathe easy and manage colds like they’re no big deal. But for now, you’ve got to find safe and effective methods to help a congested baby along....
There’s a lot to do before baby arrives, and arguably most important on the to-do list is making sure to get all the baby essentials you’ll need. Newborns may be teeny tiny, but they require a lot of gear—and even more so if you’re expecting twins or multiples. To help you streamline your shopping, we’re breaking down your ultimate twin baby registry checklist. Keep reading to learn what baby gear you need, which products are optional and how many quantities to get....
It’s hard to believe my baby girl, Julia, is 3 months old today. I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 weeks that I had off from work to stay home with her, but our wallets would simply not allow us to live on my husband’s income alone, so as of yesterday, I am officially a working mother. I am also breastfeeding, and would like to continue to do so exclusively until Julia is at least a year old....
Pros • Very lightweight—only 11 pounds • Easy and quick fold • Removable canopy • Carrying strap attached to stroller Cons • No adjustable handle, so it’s not great for tall parents • It’s easy to kick the wheels as you walk, which can accidentally engage the brake • Needs two hands for optimum maneuverability Bottom Line Though it has some limitations, if you’re looking for an affordable, lightweight stroller with a few extra features, the Chicco C6 is a solid choice....
What is chicken pox in a baby? Chicken pox (or varicella) is a viral infection that causes a unique rash. Kids with chicken pox typically develop fluid-filled blisters that usually start on the chest and then spread to the arms and legs. “The classic description of a chicken pox rash is that the spots first look like dewdrops on a rose petal,” says Jeffrey Kahn, MD, director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas....
Whoever came up with the term “morning sickness” seriously underestimated how many times throughout the day pregnant women can feel nauseated—and the bajillion little things that can set off that gag reflex. What do you do if you find yourself suddenly super-sensitive to certain tastes and smells (or practically everything)? You can seek out relief or blame your hormone changes—but the best remedy is commiserating with others who are in the same (rocking, vomit-inducing) boat....
You’ve probably heard of Kegel exercises (aka Kegels), but you might be a little fuzzy on what they are exactly and why you should do them. While it’s easy to dismiss Kegels as one less thing on your pregnancy to-do list, they’re actually valuable little exercises—if you do them the right way. “Kegels are important to do, but the majority of women don’t actually do them correctly,” says Lauren Streicher, MD, an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine....
Melissa Bernstein is a mom to six and the co-founder and chief creative officer of Melissa & Doug, a highly successful toy company she founded with her husband Doug that’s been making toys for over three decades. Bernstein has had a remarkable career that many would deem ideal, but her initial desire to create toys was actually born from something darker. In her new book LifeLines, she’s sharing a side of her story that’s never been told before: her decades-long struggle with depression and anxiety and how she overcame it....
With one day to go at Toy Fair 2015 , we still have a lot to see. But after a weekend of dodging light-up boomerangs and power scooters meant for older kids, we’re happy to say that this year, it seems baby toys are getting back to the basics. Don’t get us wrong; design is still innovative, and toys are more streamlined (and cuter) than ever. There’s just fewer flashy, techy, app-oriented products for the two-and-under crowd than you might expect....
Well, I agree that four years with little action is asking too much. As you know, in most states you can adopt domestically through an agency or independently, often through an attorney or, in some states, a facilitator. There are several differences between an independent adoption and an agency adoption, and one of them is that usually, with independent adoptions, you will be required to actively seek an expectant woman that is considering making an adoption plan....
Having what adults might think of as “good manners” is a completely foreign concept to most toddlers—it’s right up there with taxes and mortgages. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start to lay the groundwork early. A two-year-old might not get why on earth he has to share his favorite toy with a friend on a playdate, or split a snack with a sibling, but you can clearly explain to him that he’ll have his own turn to play in one minute....
When it comes to babyproofing your house, there are some obvious to-dos: Gate off the stairs, lock the cabinets and cover the outlets. But there’s one thing you might have missed. “We don’t usually think about the plants that live in and around the house and how they can pose a risk to our little ones,” says Katie Friedman, MD, a Florida-based pediatrician and cofounder of Forever Freckled. “It’s important to educate yourself on the different plant species in and around your home and whether they can be poisonous to baby....
And the Winner Is: Earth Mama Organics Mineral Sunscreen Lotion SPF 40 Sun’s out, bump’s out. Ready to hit the beach? You know you should slather sunscreen on that adorable bikini-ready belly of yours. But you’ll also want to prioritize sun protection even if you’re simply out and about running errands with your bump adequately covered. Using a lotion with SPF should be a habit (whether you’re pregnant or not). Of course, if you are expecting, you may suddenly be more cognizant of the ingredients in the products you’re applying to your skin (aka your largest organ)....
What should a television executive do when she can’t find programming for her toddler to watch that she feels good about? For Abbie Schiller, a former vice president of public relations at ABC Daytime, the answer was to set out and produce her own. “The idea was to create content that helps parents be better parents while at the same time, creating products for children to help them better understand themselves,” Schiller says....
