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Once you’re a parent, you can probably find something relatable on almost any mom or dad’s Instagram grid. If you’ve got a kid, you’ll never not smile at chubby toddler cheeks or wacky holiday portrait outtakes, and you’ll always sneak a peek at a fellow parent’s advice on how to cope when your kid does something that tests your patience or takes you by surprise. But there’s something to be said for seeing posts that reflect and represent family structures similar to your own....

Morning sickness: Consider it the first of many concessions you’ll make to your child in your journey as a mother. The swirly-head nausea and vomiting that often accompanies early pregnancy is far from fun—in fact, it can be downright debilitating. Unfortunately, for many expectant mothers, it’s par for the course. So when does morning sickness start—and more importantly, how can you find morning sickness relief? We’ve asked top doctors to dish on everything you need to know about morning sickness during pregnancy....

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re putting together a nursery. Baby boutiques will have you ooh-ing and aah-ing over scores of items—all of which seem absolutely crucial to your tot’s future happiness and well being, including that pink couch fashioned out of 100 percent organic cotton by some artisan in Brooklyn. But the truth is, babies are simple folk. Only a few things are genuinely important, and everything else is merely nice to have....

Your kids probably bring immeasurable joy into your life, right? Most days anyways. But what if you could measure it? Researchers from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Canada’s Western University did just that. And they found that two kids are the ticket to happiness. When it comes to a third child, the increase in happiness surrounding the birth is negligible. Hold up. Does this mean baby number three gets less love?...

And the Winner Is: UPPAbaby CRUZ V2 UPPAbaby strollers have had a cult following for years, and it’s clear why: They may cost a pretty penny, but they are hands-down among the absolute best strollers you can buy, combining outstanding quality with smart design and a sleek, modern aesthetic. This year, the CRUZ V2 model clinches the Best of Baby award for our top-pick everyday stroller thanks to some pretty awesome updates, going bigger with its features but smaller with its fold....

At six months baby is approaching lots of new milestones if he hasn’t already — teething, solid food and crawling — so you’ll talk about all of these at the mid-year check-in, says Preeti Parikh, MD. Here’s what else will happen: Questions the doctor will ask • How are things going? Are there any concerns? Is there anything new going on? • Has baby started teething? (This can start as early as four months....

And the Winner Is: BOB Gear Alterrain Pro Ready to start a new fitness regime? Sure, you could hit up the gym or a postnatal workout class, but if you don’t have regular childcare, those options may not work with your busy schedule. Another possible solution? Invest in a jogging stroller. Heading outdoors with baby is a great way to work up a sweat and introduce your mini to healthy habits....

Summer is upon us, which means pools and beaches and many other opportunities to don a bathing suit. Bikini season can be a real bummer for new moms who aren’t pleased with the body changes leftover from pregnancy. The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to help yourself look and feel better when baring more of your body this summer! One spot that bothers new moms most is the lower abdominal area....

What is easy bruising during pregnancy? Some women notice more bruises than normal during pregnancy or find that the tiniest bump causes a major black-and-blue mark. What could be causing my easy bruising during pregnancy? Sure, it could be nothing. But there’s a chance you may have developed gestational thrombocytopenia — which means a low platelet count caused simply by being pregnant. Platelets help blood to clot, and clotting is important both in anesthesia (for labor) and in surgery, such as a c-section....

What is a headache like for a toddler? Surprisingly, you won’t often hear a toddler complain that his head hurts. While you’re intimately familiar with what a pounding head feels like and can spot it a mile away, he’s far more likely to moan and groan that he just doesn’t feel well in general. But there are some signs that may indicate his head hurts: low energy, poor appetite and, sometimes, pulling on his ear (if it’s related to an earache)....

As a new mom, it’s only natural to think back about how your own mother did things. But lots can change in just one generation. We took a closer look at what parenting was like back then and what it’s like now. Spoiler alert: We have it better! Watching Over Baby Back in the Day: If you were born in the ’80s, chances are your mom had one of the first audio monitors that let her listen in on your nap time while she went about her day....

The little one’s arrival is months away, but you and your partner are already at an impasse over your first big parenting decision: a name for baby. So what to do when your partner hates your favorite name? Here are a few tips to ensure you (both) get your way. Pick your battles How important is it, really? “With all the names out there, do you like this one enough to risk placing a lasting strain on your marriage?...

Yes! “Many pregnant women try to avoid every chemical on the planet,” says San Diego–based expert David M. Priver, MD, FACOG. “I tell them that if you combine chlorine with sodium, you get table salt. Moderate exposure is fine.” While one European study found that a chemical by-product of chlorine, in large amounts, can be dangerous to pregnant women and their babies, Priver insists that swimming is one of the healthiest activities a pregnant woman can engage in....

It may feel like just yesterday that you were changing baby’s first diaper, and in the blink of an eye you’ve reached the mother of all milestones: potty training! It may be difficult at times, but you can find comfort in the fact that all parents go through this. While the end goal is always the same—ditching those diapers, and ushering in the era of underpants—it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. Stressing over how to potty train your tot?...

By about the middle of pregnancy, baby can probably hear you. There’s no way for us to know for sure what he hears or doesn’t hear—after all, he’s not going to come out with a written report, and none of us remember being in utero—but scientific research suggests that babies respond to the sounds around them from about mid-pregnancy onward. “There’s no question that the startle response can be observed in a fetus as early as about four or five months,” says Michael P....

It is time for the first doctor appointment. As an expectant daddy, it’s important for you to attend as many of the doctor appointments as possible to be supportive to your wife. So, be prepared to walk into a waiting room with women in all phases of their pregnancies — from their first trimester to a woman days away from her due date. Smile, dads, and wipe the shock off of your face....

Setting up baby’s room isn’t cheap, and chances are, you’re probably a little hesitant to spend more money on a nursery glider or rocking chair. But hang onto your seat, mama—there are good reasons to consider picking up a chair for the nursery. Not only does it give you a comfy place to feed or rock baby to sleep, but its motion may also help cut short a 3 a.m. cry fest....

MTV’s Cribs had a revival in Austin, Texas. Sort of. Filmmaker and soon-to-be dad Bryan Canatella gave a Cribs-style video tour of the nursery he designed with wife Caryn. Complete with the music from the show, on air from 2000 to 2011, the tour offered us a glimpse into every “wing” of the space, which will be home to daughter CiCi in a month. “Got a little library; got lots of books,” Canatella says, motioning towards the doll house bookshelf....

For many nursing women, breastfeeding is something that comes after pregnancy—but if you’re ready for baby no. 2 when your firstborn is still young, you might find yourself breastfeeding while pregnant. Nursing can come with its fair share of surprises and challenges, so you can bet the prospect of breastfeeding during pregnancy raises a bunch of questions for moms, starting with whether it’s even safe. Here’s what you need to know about breastfeeding while pregnant, the hurdles you might face along the way and tips to help make the whole process a little easier on you and your body....

New research out of Australia says that job insecurity may be holding you back from starting a family. The study says that women don’t actually delay starting a family because of misheld belief that they can have it all (by waiting for it), but that women are really putting babies on hold because they want to have at least something. In the study, scientists found that the likelihood that women were mothers by the age of 35 was reduced for every year the women spent picking up work on a temporary or casual basis, which means that all those temp jobs are tacking time onto your biological clock....