I became an official mom three-and-a-half months ago and, although I only halfway believed people when they said my life will change forever, they were absolutely right. I was a nanny for three years before switching to my current job so I I was very confident in my ability to care for a baby but now that I’m the parent and I can’t give the baby back at 5 p.m., wow, it’s a lot different!...
A quick glance at tiny-waisted, long-legged Barbies and plump-lipped, smoky-eyed Bratz tells us that most dolls set the bar for beauty pretty high (a.k.a impossible). For millions of little girls and boys around the world, these dolls serve as confidantes, best friends, even idols — so airbrushing them to perfection is a slippery slope. That’s why manufacturers and concerned moms alike are creating their own versions, with faces and body types that children can actually relate to....
Vertex presentation is just medical speak for “baby’s head-down in the birth canal and rearing to go!” About 97 percent of all deliveries are headfirst, or vertex—and rare is the OB who will try to deliver any other way. Other, less common presentations include breech (when baby’s head is near your ribs) and transverse (which means the shoulder, arm or trunk is due to come out first because baby is lying on his side)....
Excited to break the big news to friends and family? Of course you are! When and how you announce your pregnancy is completely up to you, but many women choose to wait until after their first trimester, since 80 percent of miscarriages occur during this high-risk time. Studies have shown that anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, according to the American Pregnancy Association. Typically, it’s this miscarriage risk that prevents people from sharing the good news early....
We hate to break it to you, but while breastfeeding has some pretty amazing benefits for baby, it can be a tough skill to master for some moms. If it turns out you do have problems, don’t quit right away. Most times, it does get easier, and remember: Practice is key! To help you, we gathered together some expert advice for preventing and dealing with a variety of common breastfeeding issues....
If you had maternity photos taken, we’re willing to bet you loved glamming up for the camera. But have you ever thought about what it’s like for the photographer? One New York City photographer, Emily Burke of Emily Burke Photography, shared with The Bump what’s so special about being behind the lens. “Maternity sessions are probably my favorite to shoot,” Burke says. “I love working with beautiful environments and soft, magical lighting....
When it comes to taking care of a newborn, there’s plenty that’s impossible to predict. Will baby take to nursing quickly? Will she be a good sleeper? Will he cry constantly? And if baby is born ahead of schedule, the list of unknowns multiples. About 1 in 10 births in the US are premature, defined as being born before 37 weeks. So while caring for your preemie in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is anything but easy, you’re in good company....
For new parents, experiencing baby’s “firsts” can be pretty exhilarating—or, in some cases, a bit alarming—like their first fever. The thought of your little one sick is of course upsetting, and it’s only natural to worry when you notice they feel warm. In fact, 75 percent of first-time moms reported feeling helpless upon realizing their child was feverish, and 87 percent have been kept awake at night for fear of how a fever could impact their child, according to a 2018 survey....
Are you tired of answering the same old questions about your pregnancy from strangers in the grocery store? Spice things up and entertain yourself in the process by throwing in a few answers that are guaranteed to end any conversation immediately. Are you hoping for a boy/girl? “Actually, we were hoping for a wombat. Have you ever seen one?! They’re super cute and you don’t have to pay to send them to college....
We asked our readers for fun drink ideas that are safe for baby. Here’s what they said… “Mixed drinks are always good because you can order them virgin — pina coladas, daquiris, etc.” — NYPD wife “Cranberry juice with a lime — hold the vodka!” — vivivoom “I’ve been asking to bartender to just ‘make something good’ without alcohol and have been getting some really amazing drinks. Bartenders can be really creative....
About a year ago, when my son Archie started eating solids, I was excited about introducing him to a whole new world of foods. I like to cook and imagined hanging out with Archie as he experienced his first tastes of everything from apples to curry. But every book I found on cooking for kids assumed that things like taste and fun were irrelevant to babies and toddlers. That seemed wrong-headed to me, so I scrapped the books and started making my own concoctions, eventually coming to the common-sense realization that with a few small modifications he could eat the same foods as us, right from the start....
The American Academy of Pediatrics says no. “If you position candy as the ultimate goal in your child’s mind, then it can be detrimental or cause a reward relationship with food. If it’s part of the reward process, it can be healthy and effective,” explains Jessica Kim, mom of two and CEO and founder of BabbaCo. So instead of saying, “Go potty and you’ll get candy,” say, “Go potty like a big boy!...
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: In 2012, more than 11 percent of Hispanic births were preterm, making up about 23.2 percent of the preterm babies born in the US that year. Preterm birth can cause health problems such as low birth weight, breathing problems, underdeveloped organs and learning disorders for baby, and is a major contributor to infant mortality. Don’t freak out too much about the mortality rate — yes, it’s slightly higher for Hispanic women than it is for non-Hispanic white women but it’s mostly skewed that way “because we’re having more babies,” says Diana Ramos, MD, MPH, director for reproductive health for the Los Angeles County Public Health Department and assistant clinical professor at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California....
Yup, your son and his friend are engaging a classic example of parallel play. Toddlers are interested in other kids, but aren’t yet capable of social give-and-take, so they play independently, side-by-side. But don’t quit the play dates. Even though you don’t see much interaction between the kids, they’re still learning from each other. “When kids parallel play, they see how the other child is playing with an object, and can pattern that behavior,” says Natasha Burgert, MD, FAAP, pediatrician at Pediatrics Associates in Kansas City, Missouri....
You might feel like you’re doing most of the work, especially if you’re undergoing a fertility treatment like IVF, but your hubby can also do his part in maximizing your chances of getting pregnant. This includes: *_Taking vitamins *_L-carnitine, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin E have all been shown to help improve sperm health, so for starters, he should take a daily multivitamin or supplement that includes all or some of these micronutrients....
Oh, pregnancy: While it’s a journey that’s filled with lots of joy, it can also be fraught with lots of aches and pains. Round ligament pain, or the sharp sensation felt shooting from your lower abdomen into your groin, can be a major source of discomfort. The good news? “The pain is fairly common, intermittent and usually disappears on its own within a few weeks,” explains Frederick Friedman, Jr., MD, director of obstetrics at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City....
Myth #1: You’ll instantly fall in love with your baby. Truth: You’re probably expecting love at first sight, but it’s totally normal if you don’t feel this instant, gushing love. “Bonding is a process that happens over time,” says clinical psychologist Shoshana Bennett, PhD. “Some mothers do feel the instantaneous closeness—but there’s nothing wrong or ‘different’ about those who don’t. The closeness will come.” It takes time to get to know each other, like it does with anyone else you meet....
When it comes to feeding your baby, trust in your decision for what’s best for you and your family. Some mothers nurse their infants, some offer formula and some combo-feed. Some moms choose not to breastfeed, and some—for a variety of possible reasons—simply can’t. At the end of the day, fed is best. Still, there are some powerful benefits of breastfeeding that are important to know about. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusively breastfeeding for six months, then gradually adding in solid foods while continuing to nurse through baby’s first year and beyond....
If you’ve noticed enlarged or dark areolas (the area around your nipples), you may be witnessing one of the first signs of pregnancy. But why does this happen? And should you be concerned? The good news is that this is usually completely normal and can occur as early as a week or two after conception. Want to get the scoop on this surprising early pregnancy symptom? Read on to find out more about the causes of dark areolas—and when to seek medical attention....
Giving baby their first tastes of solid foods is pretty exciting (and messy). But it can also bring on a fair amount of anxiety for parents—not only do you have to be on the lookout for signs baby is choking, but you also want to keep an eye out for any indications that baby is having an allergic reaction to something they’ve eaten. It used to be recommended that parents keep potential allergens out of baby’s diet until they were one year old, but thanks to evolving knowledge, we now know that the best way to prevent baby from developing a food allergy is to give them potential allergens early and often....
