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Sure, being a parent is a stressful job, but it turns out people who are parents are actually happier than non-parents. According to USA Today, two new studies presented at the Population Association of America’s annual meeting suggest that earlier findings that parents are more depressed and less happy aren’t true. One study looked at 130,000 adults (of that number, 52,000 were parents). Researchers looked at parent happiness levels before they had kids and after they had kids....

Scroll through my Facebook feed and it’s full of photos of kids. There are kids smiling. Kids making a mess in their high chairs. Kids celebrating their birthdays. I “like” them all, because, hey, they’re all adorable. Scroll through the photos on my phone and it’s the same thing: My son smiling, making a mess in his high chair or celebrating his birthday. Yet with a few exceptions, these photos rarely make it to my Facebook feed—or any of my other public social media accounts....

Meet Jessica Alejandro, the voice behind Jessica Fashion Notes and the winner of The Bump and Liz Lange for Target Maternity Fashion Blogger Challenge. She shared five great outfits with Bumpies and isn’t stopping there. On the heels of her recent win we asked her to offer up her best tips for looking stylish all nine months long. Jessica knows firsthand about that conflict that begins once your body starts to change: How do you dress your bump both comfortably and stylishly?...

It’s every parent’s favorite time of day: Nap time! (That is, if all goes smoothly.) Getting baby to take solid naps throughout the day is not only important for their physical and mental development, but it also plays a key role in promoting good sleep at night. Not to mention, it’s also the time of day that many parents count on in order to get things done! But if you’ve tried and tried to get baby to take good naps without success, you’re not alone....

I’ve successfully worked at home for the last six years. Because my work is quite literally in my bedroom, I basically have zero work/life balance. Somehow, though, it works! With the time I save in commuting (especially in LA), plus the quiet time to focus (I do miss out on those office cupcakes), I find I put in significantly more hours in this setup than I did commuting to the office....

Surprising new research shows that babies display glimmers of consciousness and memory as soon as 5 months old! In adults, the pattern of activity is as follows: your senses detect something and then activate the vision center of your brain — which causes a signal to travel from the back of the brain to the prefrontal cortex, holding the image long enough in your mind for you to notice it. Scientists can measure a spike in brain activity when your senses have picked something up, including a “late slow wave,” which can be measured when the prefrontal cortex actually gets the message....

Across the pond, the English may begin using a new technique to create babies using DNA from three people. According to the top medical officer in the U.K., Dr. Sally Davies, it’s a move that would help couples avoid passing on rare genetic diseases to baby. The controversial decision would help keep women with faulty mitochondria from passing on defects to their babies. Diseases such as muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, heart problems and mental retardation are all birth defects that can be caused by faulty mitochondria....

Sure, you’ve heard the benefits of breastfeeding. But have you ever thought about how what you eat while breastfeeding can affect baby? Certain nutrient-packed foods can help keep your body and your milk supply nice and healthy, while other foods can lower your milk production and impact baby’s digestive system. We’re here to help you get to the bottom of all your breastfeeding diet concerns, from the best foods to eat while breastfeeding to the best vitamins to supplement your meals, plus which foods to avoid or limit while breastfeeding and why....

Sure, formula isn’t cheap, but it’s important for baby’s health that you don’t hold on to it too long. Prepared baby formula should be consumed or put in the refrigerator within one hour. “If formula has been at room temperature for more than an hour, throw it away,” says Josephine Dlugopolski-Gach, MD, pediatrician at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, Illinois. “Bacteria can grow in the milk making it possible for your baby to get sick....

You may have heard that you can get a free breast pump through Obamacare. That’s true—but it depends on what your insurance covers. Obamacare is a nickname for the Affordable Care Act, the health insurance reform legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2010. It went into effect August 1, 2012. Part of the act is meant to give people better access to preventative care, and that includes helping pregnant women and new moms pay for lactation support, counseling and breastfeeding equipment....

Having both your kids nap at the same time was pretty awesome while it lasted, wasn’t it? As bummed as you probably are about having to manage two different daily schedules, remember that you have two unique individuals who have their own set of needs. One might still require that extra bit of sleep during the day while the other is perfectly able to power through the afternoon without it. So don’t push it: Let the one who still needs the sleep have her time, but allow the other one to spend some quiet time, either reading, coloring or doing something one-on-one with you....

We’re excited for the season five premiere of Mad Men on Sunday. The show is too addicting, plus, who wouldn’t feel better about their own parenting style after watching Betty Draper’s Worst Mother of the Year act. The actress who plays her, January Jones, who’s a real-life mom herself, told People that she and Betty have completely different parenting styles: “What’s nice is that the expectations for my parenting is very low, so I can really only exceed expectations....

If you’re getting ready to grow your family and learning more about conception, you’ll want to get familiar with ovulation. Exactly when you ovulate varies for each woman, but luckily there are ways to recognize the signs of ovulation and time sex accordingly to increase your chances of getting pregnant. Even if you’re not trying to conceive yet, it’s still important to have a good grasp on ovulation signs. Not only can they help you better understand your menstrual cycle, but they can also help you identify any abnormal ovulation symptoms down the road....

Good question. Not many people like to talk about STDs, but it’s important to be open about all health issues with your doc to ensure that baby is healthy. As a general rule, you should get tested at your annual gyno exam. If this isn’t the case, it’s extremely important that you’re tested and treated while TTC (screening for STDs is part of routine prenatal appointments). If you’re infected and get pregnant, keep up-to-date with your treatments (if it doesn’t affect baby) and continuously ask your doc questions....

The Bump has partnered with some amazing mothers who also happen to be amazing writers. They’re dishing out all their thoughts, observations and real life lessons about mothering in the best way they know how. We’re embarking on an essay series and we’re hoping you’ll follow along as these authors share what they’ve learned about motherhood through their inspiring navigation of the written word. Last week, Jane Porter talked about life after divorce and parenting a bipolar child....

Boosting the health of premature baby brains might not be so different from boosting athletic performance. A new study published in JAMA, or the Journal of the American Medical Association, says that erythropoietin does the trick. Also known as EPO , this hormone stimulates the production of red blood cells and reduces the need for blood transfusions in premature infants. Synthetic versions are used to treat anemia, and athletes sometimes use the substance illegally to enhance performance....

Your poor little one has been sick and out of school (or daycare or their regular classes). Fortunately, they’re feeling better. So when can they head back after getting over an illness? While it’s always best to talk to your child’s pediatrician and teachers about their specific rules and recommendations, here we discuss some common childhood illnesses and when it’s generally safe for your kiddo to be around others again....

Your body accomplishes incredible feats during pregnancy—and it needs plenty of nutrients to do it. Folic acid is a key vitamin that all expectant moms should load up on. But what is it, and why is it important? Here’s what you need to know about taking folic acid during pregnancy, including the recommended dose and which foods will give you an all-natural folate boost. In this article: What is folic acid?...

Pregnancy is a remarkable time in your life, full of amazing changes and giddy anticipation. After all, you’re growing a brand-new, tiny human who you can’t wait to meet! One of the best ways to commemorate this special life event? With a maternity photoshoot you can look back on for years to come. The ideal time to schedule a pregnancy photoshoot is generally sometime between 28 and 32 weeks, so you can show off that adorable baby bump....

Preemies today are welcomed into the world with an overwhelming amount of technology to help them beat the odds. But when does that intervention become too much? The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation has been researching that question since 2012, when it launched the Choosing Wisely campaign to take a closer look at wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures. Today, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which participates in the Choosing Wisely campaign, released a list of five services babies in the NICU routinely receive that they likely don’t need....