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This article is part of The Bump’s Reclaiming Your Power series featuring changemakers who are dedicated to supporting and preserving Black maternal health. These doctors and thought-leaders share their insights and advice to help guide and empower women of color who are planning or navigating pregnancy. Pregnancy can be a wild ride of emotional ups and downs. Any expectant mother may experience bouts of elation, anxiety, excitement, doubt and fear along the way....

What could possibly be worse than a notice from your child’s principal about naughty behavior or less-than-stellar grades? A letter informing you that your child has lice, of course. Unfortunately, it’s quite a common problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), head lice are especially prevalent in day cares, preschools and elementary schools: An estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occur every year in the US among children ages 3 to 11....

What is placental abruption? The placenta is your baby’s life support system, and it’s meant to stay attached to the uterus right up through delivery. In a placental abruption, the placenta separates away from the wall of the uterus, disrupting the flow of oxygen and important nutrients from you to your baby. What are the signs of a placental abruption? Abdominal pain, back pain, frequent uterine contractions (or contractions without any break in between) and vaginal bleeding are all signs of an abruption....

Expressing milk is a learned skill. It is common not to get much milk at first because your body has to be conditioned to “let-down” your milk in response to the pumping. When your baby breastfeeds, let-down (or milk ejection) happens automatically, and most mothers have three or four of these let-downs during a feeding. The baby’s suck, the warmth and softness of your baby’s body against yours, and your loving feelings cause a hormone to be released that causes the muscles around your milk-producing glands to squeeze and milk ducts to dilate....

Multitasking is part of the parenting gig. But when you have newborn twins or a baby and a toddler who are both nursing, the juggling act is even more pronounced. If you’re committed to breastfeeding your babies, you can try tandem nursing—which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Of course, learning to latch and feed your dynamic duo at the same time may take some patience, effort and flexibility (literally)....

Pickles and ice cream? Sauerkraut with a side of Easy Mac? Pregnancy cravings may seem cliché, but there’s no doubt that they happen. (Note from the author: For me, it’s all about string cheese and strawberries. That’s right—at six months pregnant, I crave the diet of a two-year-old.) To find out what other weirdness is being craved these days and why, we chatted with a few experts and a bunch of real-life pregnant ladies....

When you’re pregnant, you might assume that after baby arrives, you begin breastfeeding (if that’s what you’re planning to do) and that’s that—but in fact, breastfeeding is an evolving journey that changes (for you and for baby) at each stage. Did you know your body actually starts producing breast milk mid-way through pregnancy, and that breast milk composition changes to keep up with baby’s needs after birth? Here, we asked experts for the low-down on what to know about each stage of breastfeeding, from start to finish, and how it changes as baby grows....

As a mother of two wild boys, now aged 7 and 11, I first decided not to have any more children over seven years ago. We made the decision in a sleepless daze, though. We were tired of diapers and, well, just plain tired. Perhaps it was premature and rash. After all, my husband and I are still young and healthy and had so much love to give that at first, I doubted our decision....

And the Winner Is: Ollie Swaddle Parents have been swaddling their babies for generations—and with good reason. Wrapping baby up in a snug layer of fabric reminds them of being safely ensconced in the womb, keeping them cozy and calm. Plus, effective swaddling techniques help combat the Moro reflex (aka the startle reflex), which can interfere with baby’s sleep cycle. Unlike the old days, you no longer have to grapple with yards of fabric to swaddle baby....

For most new parents, it’s the eternal question: How to get baby to sleep? When it comes to putting baby down to sleep—and helping baby stay asleep—it can feel like mission impossible sometimes, especially in those first few days, weeks or even months with your newborn. That’s because no two babies are exactly alike, and there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy when it comes to how to get baby to sleep at night....

A friend of mine just had a baby. Her third. You might think at my age and stage, when just about everyone I know has had at least one or two kids, that the new-baby excitement may have worn off. Not so. I waited breathlessly for my friend’s Facebook updates, checked email and voicemail, eagerly awaiting the news. Would it be another girl, as expected? What would they name her? When would they send out a picture?...

To the women suffering from postpartum depression: I hear you. I feel you. I am you. As an OB-GYN, I knew the signs of PPD. But even with all of my knowledge, even knowing that suffering from PPD was not my fault, I still felt ashamed, like I wasn’t a good mom for feeling the way I did. I remember feeling like I was in a dark hole, and things that usually made me happy didn’t anymore....

These days, more moms are look to best-sellers for the perfect name (Come on, had you met a Bella before Twilight came out?). Although your baby won’t read about these characters for a while, here’s the Cliff Notes version to give them. Holden (The Catcher in the Rye) Many consider Holden Caulfield the most important character in American Literature. Unfortunately, he’s famous for being angsty and a bit of a bad boy....

In general, no. There is evidence that after extremely vigorous workouts there may be a small increase of lactic acid present in breast milk. This does not harm baby in any way, though some athletes have reported that their babies seemed to dislike the taste of their milk immediately after a grueling workout. Even in these extreme situations, the lactic acid is quickly metabolized out of the milk, so any change in flavor will be short-lived....

When Chrissy and Paul Koutouzakis had trouble making room for baby, we teamed up with BabyStyle.com and Diapers.com to outfit their New Jersey apartment with a fabulous new nursery. To get the diapers and personal care items we used, check out Diapers.com — they carry an amazing assortment of diapers, ointments, and other goodies! Want to get your hands on the furniture and décor? Have a look at the hot nursery gear below, all donated by babystyle....

Reshma Saujani’s résumé includes working as the deputy public advocate for New York City and running for Congress in 2010, but nowhere will you find computer science listed among her skills. So Saujani might seem like an unlikely candidate to start a nonprofit dedicated to placing more women in tech jobs. But after touring schools as a political candidate and seeing only boys in computer labs, that’s exactly what she did....

And the Winner Is: Tommee Tippee Ultra UV 3-in-1 Sterilizer, Dryer and Storage Keeping baby safe and healthy is a top priority for all parents. A sterilizer can help ease that new parent anxiety by eliminating 99.9 percent of bacteria and germs from baby bottles, pacifiers and teethers. It’s not necessary for most babies, but we can’t deny the peace of mind it gives. Most sterilizers use steam heat to clean, but the Tommee Tippee Ultra UV Sterilizer uses UV light to eliminate germs by breaking them down on a molecular level—it also filters dust, pollen and airborne pollutants....

By now you’re intimately familiar with a menstrual cycle — the series of changes a woman’s body undergoes every 20 to 30 days to help prepare for pregnancy. The endometrial cycle is simply the portion within the menstrual cycle that has to do with your endometrium, aka the lining of your uterus. It’s a very important component of helping your body prepare for pregnancy, since it’s essential that a fertilized egg nestles into the right spot in the womb....

When the weather turns warm, kids love running around outside and playing in the grass. But in the summer months, one of the biggest reasons parents call our offices is to ask about tick bites on kids and how to avoid Lyme disease. Here, we break down everything you need to know about ticks and Lyme disease in children. In this article: What is Lyme disease? Lyme disease symptoms in children Lyme disease treatment in children How to prevent Lyme disease in children...

_Where _you’re getting it on Great, you’re having sex! That’s really awesome (and, of course, important, if you’re trying to make a baby). What’s not so awesome, though, is making it known to your all of your friends (and family!) exactly where you and your partner did the deed. If it was in the car, please, spare cyberspace the dirty details — because the chances of any of your Facebook friends riding shutgun just turned to zero....