8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Wake up, get a change and nurse for about 30-40 minutes. I talk to her on her playmat for about an hour. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. She nurses again for 25-30 minutes. She may nap for 30 minutes, but this is her fussy time so I rock her and eat my lunch at the same time. 1 – 1:30 p.m. She nurses for about 20 minutes and gets rocked to sleep....
When I was a kid, I had an aunt who lived in New York City. Whenever we’d visit her, I could never sleep. All night long from her 14th floor apartment, you’d hear sirens blaring, taxis honking, cars backfiring (or were those gunshots?). I couldn’t imagine how anyone could get used to all that noise. When my aunt came to visit us in the suburbs, on the other hand, she complained it was too quiet....
Ah, sweet freedom. The chance to get out and about from bed — and get your sibling to explore with you — is often too fun to resist. It’s going to come eventually, so you will have to make the transition at some point. How to know when? Twins are usually ready for the toddler bed when they start trying to climb out of their cribs, which can create a safety hazard....
Full disclosure: my genetics background doesn’t extend far beyond knowledge of Punnett Squares and Gregor Mendel (the pea plant-growing friar? Remember him? Just me?), but that’s all you really need to know to understand why infertility hasn’t been weeded out of existence yet. It seems logical enough: when infertility issues are the result of genetics, we’d expect natural selection to eventually make the genes that hinder population growth disappear. But about 15 percent of the population is still experiencing infertility problems....
“1 is like 1. 2 is like 20.” I can’t tell you how many times I heard that mantra after having my first child. As if I wasn’t ambivalent enough about adding to my brood, this sentiment scared off any idea of a second. 20? No thanks. I’m good. Here I was, having the hardest time already with one, easy baby. My daughter, Lilly, slept through the night at eight weeks and barely fussed....
In a move applauded by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the FDA is finally standardizing manufacturing guidelines for baby formula. The ruling will make formula safer, which is good news after major brands like Similac and Enfamil have seen recalls over the past few years. Manufacturers are now required to test for two harmful pathogens, salmonella (which can cause diarrhea and fever) and cronobacter (which can cause meningitis). Formula companies must prove that that their products support normal physical growth....
It’s always exciting when a book you loved as a child is adapted for the big screen. This weekend, “ Paddington,” the story of the famous bear who travels to London via Peru, opened in theaters to rave reviews. The film tells the tale of how, after getting lost, Paddington gets taken in by the Brown family. Hilarities ensue as Paddington stumbles through various adventures of adjusting to a new home and life, including a laugh-out-loud bathroom scene....
Becoming a new parent is a life-changing experience, and, while incredibly fulfilling and rewarding, the journey also comes with its fair share of challenges. Plus, thanks to the pandemic, parents have suffered sizeable burnout in recent years. It can all start to feel rather daunting—but don’t discount the power of positive affirmations for parents. Affirmations are short mantras you can recite to yourself, and experts have long been touting their positive effects on mental health, confidence and overall outlook on life....
Every childbirth is downright amazing—but these women took it up a notch by getting hands-on with their own deliveries. With the assistance of a doctor, doula or midwife, these moms caught their babies as they emerged during the last minutes of labor, helping to gently pull them out and into the world. These raw, intimate moments were stunningly documented by their birth photographers, who shared with us their thoughts as they witnessed the incredible love and strength of these women pour forth as they met their child for the first time....
Ah, celebrities—love them or hate them, A-listers hold a lot of sway over new trends. So it’s no surprise that many famous faces are moonlighting as entrepreneurs. New parents take note, many of these brands specialize in all things baby. From cool kids’ clothes and slick diaper bags to health and wellness essentials, these celebrity baby brands are making waves in the parenting world. So whether you’re obsessed with pop culture or simply appreciate a well-designed product, we’ve rounded up a few celebrity baby brands that are worth the hype....
Anais or Ianthe, if we have a girl. Alessio or Assan, if we have a boy. Like many couples, my husband and I fantasize about our future children. We often wonder, “how will they look?” “Will they have frenetic energy like Tino or will they be calm like me?” In addition to the more whimsical questions about our children-to-be, we’ve also begun to contemplate the less glamorous elements of parenthood. Although Tino and I agree on the basic tenets needed to raise kind and empathic human beings, our different cultural backgrounds present disparate perspectives on how to do so....
Hit a fashion wall dressing your bump? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered—literally. Maternity overalls are ultra-comfortable (thanks to their no-waistband design), easily adjustable (perfect for a changing figure) and stylish (with minimal effort to boot). Pregnancy overalls can be dressed up or down, making them a go-to for everything from everyday errands to date night. Another reason to love them? They’re great for the postpartum phase too, when you’re not quite ready to deal with your pre-pregnancy jeans or leggings....
Sterling Grey-Simmons was intent on breastfeeding her first child. There was just one problem: She didn’t have support. No other women in her family had ever nursed. “I am a first generation breastfeeder,” she says. “I literally had no earthly idea what I was doing.” Even at the hospital, there was little by way of instruction. “After I delivered, they brought him to me and said, ‘Mama, he’s hungry. Feed him,” she recalls....
Pregnancy is built up to be a treasured time in a woman’s life, and for many moms-to-be, the nine months leading up to giving birth is indeed a joyful, exciting period. But what if you feel anything but cheerful and glowing while expecting? That’s the reality for women who experience depression during pregnancy. “As a culture, we put a lot of pressure on women to be happy about the pregnancy, but for many women this is a time of tremendous stress, and it’s common to go through something like a grieving period as they prepare themselves for their new role as a mother,” says Erin Spahr, LCPC, a psychotherapist at the Baltimore Therapy Group in Towson, Maryland, and founder of the Perinatal Mood Disorders Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center....
A few of you ladies may know me from The Bump message boards, where I post under my TB login, PeonyPumps. Frequently, during this time of year, many boards see posts about navigating the holiday season with a new baby. Here are a few questions I’ve seen recently: Baby is only X days/weeks/months old. Do we even go see family? How do I make sure baby isn’t passed from person to person all night?...
Meet Dina DiMaggio, MD, and Anthony F. Porto MD, MPH, official spokespeople for the American Academy of Pediatrics and the co-authors of The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers. Each month, they’ll write about the latest AAP guidelines, studies and seasonal issues affecting babies and toddlers. Follow them on Instagram @pediatriciansguide. As parents of toddlers and young children, we know how much time parents spend making sure they’re doing everything possible to keep their children healthy....
You could say Jessica Shortall has made a career of being a do-gooder: She’s been a Peace Corps volunteer, a nonprofit cofounder and headed up charitable initiatives for Toms Shoes, where she oversaw the now-widely adopted One-for-One giving model. But it wasn’t until Toms sent her on a business trip to Nepal—five months after her son, Otis, was born—that she realized moms needed a platform too. Specifically, it convinced her to write a book, Work....
You were born a woman—and that, my love, is magic. My sincerest wish is that as you grow up, the world grows with you. I dream for you to live in a society that sees your value and affords you 20 percent more than what women are getting paid now; that no longer labels motherhood a “disability” and honors your right to have ownership over your own body. I pray our culture evolves to educate and condemn those feeble souls who would call you fragile or inferior simply because you are female....
And the Winner Is: Braun 3-in-1 No Touch Thermometer A reliable thermometer is a crucial part of a family medicine cabinet—especially during a pandemic. Babies get fevers from time to time, and knowing their exact temperature will help you determine the best next steps for their care. The Braun 3-in-1 No Touch Thermometer delivers accurate readings in seconds. It also features an age setting to ensure you’re getting the best results for your little one; simply select your child’s age range and place the thermometer near their forehead (the thermometer will help you with positioning if necessary to ensure accuracy) for an instant read....
Transitional labor is a pretty intense time during the whole labor process. It’s the stage between active labor—when you’re hanging out in the hospital having contractions maybe three to five minutes apart—and actually starting to push for delivery. During this transition, the contractions will come faster and more furiously than before. And you may start to feel the notorious “urge to push” (kinda like having to go number two really badly, but worse)....
