When you’re giving yourself a shot of estrogen in a Starbucks restroom or couch-bound for two days straight after being put under anesthesia to have 20 eggs harvested, it’s hard not to feel like you are the only woman alive living through the pain of infertility. To make it worse, sometimes it feels like each and every woman you pass by has the most perfect baby bump and everyone is pregnant....
This is the fourth of a 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. Any kind of childbirth is natural, and how you handle it is up to you....
Back to work reluctance? Interviewing a caretaker? Back to work pumping? See all 0-6 months Q&As Ch-cha-changes Baby might be sleeping through the night by now! If she isn’t sleeping through the night yet, don’t despair - all babies get to this (wonderful) stage at their own pace. She’ll also soon be able to bear weight on her feet and push down with her legs. During tummy time, you may see her attempts to push herself up, often using her head....
Anyone who’s been a parent for more than, oh, 30 minutes, knows that the onslaught of unsolicited advice is immediate and unceasing. In the beginning, it’s actually welcome. Yes, nurse, please show us how to deal with that belly button! PLEASE! But as time goes on, and the advice starts to come from mothers-in-law, strangers, and people who don’t even have kids, it can grate on you. Especially because as the mother of your particular children, you happen to know for a cold, hard FACT that these people are wrong and you’re right....
While there are plenty of moms who go without, most ladies are still big fans of the epidural. Epidural medication is injected into your lower back via a tiny catheter, and works by blocking the transmission of pain from nerves in your lower body to your brain. As good as that sounds, there are still some hiccups with the whole process. Anesthesiologists insert an 18-gauge needle into the pregnant woman’s spine, but it’s unclear exactly what the needle is hitting....
Swelling is a common side effect of pregnancy, especially when it comes to your feet and hands. But there’s one area that can also swell during pregnancy that doesn’t get a lot of attention: Your vagina. If you notice you have a swollen vagina during pregnancy, know you’re not the only woman going through this! Still, we’re guessing you might have questions about why this is happening. Here’s what you need to know, plus how to minimize the swelling and ease any discomfort....
As you and your partner transition into parenthood, your marriage changes. It’s not optional, and it’s not bad. It just happens. In the era before kids, you were free to decide how to spend your time, you got more sleep and there was less to worry about. Yes, your relationship still had its up and downs, but the downs also seemed more manageable—because you had more capacity to handle stress. According to a survey of 225,000 married people from Lasting, the leading couples counseling app (backed by The Bump parent company), couples without kids report higher levels of satisfaction in nearly every single area of their relationships: communication, conflict, appreciation and emotional connection....
The Bump presents #MomBoss, a series dedicated to showing off all-star moms. We catch up with mompreneurs behind products we love, influencers who get real about motherhood and SAHMs who can multitask in their sleep. It’s no secret that playtime has benefits that exceed far beyond keeping your kiddo occupied. Engaging baby with interactive activities not only helps pass time, but it’s food for their brain too. A word to the wise, not all toys are created equal....
With back labor, you feel discomfort (aka pain) in your lower back as labor progresses, usually right above your tailbone. Sometimes, back labor seems to set in if baby’s head is pressing against your tailbone, or if baby is in an otherwise awkward position. But even if baby is perfectly aligned, you might not be in the clear. A few (unlucky) women simply tend to feel labor in their backs. Will you be one of them?...
Here’s the deal: It’s totally normal for your sex life to take a hit after you’ve had a baby. For the most part, new moms anticipate this (at least a little). There’s the recovery from birth, the exhaustion and the hormonal loopty-loops. But if you’re breastfeeding, there may be other intimacy obstacles you weren’t quite expecting. The good news? Breastfeeding and sex are not mutually exclusive. You can do both—you just might have to change things up a bit and adjust expectations....
When it’s time to bring your newborn home, you want to be sure the house is safely set up to receive him—and the best time for baby proofing your home is long before he actually arrives. Ideally, get started at least three months before your due date, because some of the recommended baby proofing preparations may take time. Once baby starts to crawl (around 6 to 10 months), you’ll need to do a second baby proofing sweep to make sure the house is safe for a baby on the move....
It can be hard to leave baby under someone else’s charge, but finding the right caregiver can make it much less stressful. You want to make sure that the person caring for your child in your absence is doing as good a job as you would. So where do you begin your search? When thinking about hiring a caregiver, asking friends and family for recommendations is always a great place to start....
Pros • Longevity—fits babies 4 to 30 pounds • Easy to install • Comfortable padding • Easy to wash Cons • On the heavy side Bottom Line If you’re in search of an easy-to-install infant car seat you don’t have to think about, one that works as a travel system with your stroller and will carry baby through to toddlerhood, the Chicco KeyFit 30 will fit the bill. Rating: 4.5 stars Buy it: Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat, $200, BuyBuyBaby....
There’s a whole lot of diaper bags out there in every style imaginable — chevron, leather, ruched, Hello Kitty — we’ve seen it all. Feeling like you’d rather just not choose at all? Totally fine. Now, you have the option of turning your everyday purse into a diaper bag. The magic is in this organizer by Life in Play. There’s only a few stipulations: your handbag has to be at least 14 inches wide, 10 inches tall and three inches deep....
Babies are born with all sorts of head shapes—remember that viral cone head photo? Odd shapes usually correct themselves shortly after bith; baby’s head just needs to be soft and malleable to get through the birth canal. But plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, is a little different. It refers to a spot that stays flat. And it has to do with baby staying in one position for too long. Back in 2013, a study published in Pediatrics screened 440 2-month-old babies, and found that 47 percent of them had flat spots....
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. It’s our favorite time of year! A time for family, food, and of course, gift giving. But how do you sort through all the junk to find toys that are safe—and developmentally appropriate—for baby?...
The healthiest place for baby to be until reaching full-term is inside Mom’s womb, which is why premature birth can result in various complications that make it harder for baby to survive. Some of the more serious complications can include fluid accumulation or bleeding in the brain, trouble breathing, developmental delays, and vision or hearing problems. But before you start worrying too much, it’s important to know that not all preemies experience these complications – or any others, for that matter....
HELLP stands for Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelet count — the three dangerous symptoms a woman experiences when she has the syndrome. According to the American Pregnancy Association, HELLP affects only about 0.2 to 0.6 percent of pregnancies, and it usually shows up after week 32. HELLP is a very serious condition, and unfortunately, the signs can be very vague. Sometimes, the patient will have high blood pressure, but often her symptoms are less distinct — she can be vaguely not feeling well, with some nausea or fatigue....
Schedule for a 6-month-old, formula fed baby girl (submitted by Alice G.) 7 a.m. She wakes up and has a 6 ounce bottle of formula. Then, we play a little or cuddle in the chair. 8:30/9 a.m. Morning nap. 10 a.m. Wake up and have breakfast of fruit with oatmeal in it. 11 a.m. She gets a 6 ounce bottle and afterwards, it’s play time. We usually play on the floor and practice sitting up or rolling over with her toys....
If you’ve gotten pregnant in the past without issue, it’s normal to assume you’ll be able to do it again once you’re ready. But the unfortunate truth is that there are no guarantees. While many couples will have a subsequent baby with minimal effort, others may encounter secondary infertility. This means that they’re having trouble conceiving again after an otherwise healthy pregnancy. It can be a punch in the gut for those eager to grow their families, but it’s not hopeless....
