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The litter box Changing the litter box is a no-no when you’re pregnant. That’s because cat feces can carry a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, an infection that can be spread to humans. Toxoplasmosis is extra-scary during pregnancy because it can cross the placenta and harm your unborn baby. So while you’re expecting, leave any kitty poop cleaning to your partner. Fur and dander If you’re an animal lover who happens to have allergies, you’ll want to talk over with your doctor what allergy medicines you can and shouldn’t take during pregnancy....

A pregnancy announcement is some of the most joyful news you’re going to share. And with the help of social media, even more people are able to celebrate with you! Year after year, couples continue to impress us—and the rest of the internet—with creative and unique pregnancy announcements. From Beyoncé’s big news to being pulled over by the police, 2017 was no exception. Here’s our round-up of the best pregnancy announcements of the year....

A full year of capturing a woman’s most emotional moments—the ones during and right after her baby arrives—would leave some people emotionally drained. But not Jessie and Bree, the ladies behind J&B Photography. The Los Angeles-based birth and newborn photographers have just completed their first full year photographing “Birth Stories,” and they put together a video highlight reel to celebrate it. “In honor of it being one year since I started photographing Birth Stories, I made a video slideshow of some of my favorite photographs I captured during 2015....

Bonding with baby is one of the storied joys of new parenthood. We’re told it should be instantaneous and magical. But the truth is: It doesn’t always work that way—and, as a result, new parents sometimes feel guilt, shame and anxiety when the connection is slower to form. If you’re struggling to bond with your little one, know that you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. This transition can be tricky....

Women pregnant with twins should wait a few more hours before doctors opt for C-section deliveries, according to new research that found labor is naturally longer with multiples. Using the numbers from a national database of labor and delivery information from several clinical centers, lead researcher Dr. Heidi Leftwich and her colleagues found that twins required about one to three hours more than single babies in the first stage of labor....

You’ve probably heard of grit, one of pop psychology’s most hyped notions when it comes to guiding children to success today. Tiger mom, helicopter parent, free-range; no matter what your parenting style, we all want success and happiness for our kids. Grit, which focuses on a child’s tendency to keep pursuing something even when faced with setbacks or failure, gives us another option to push them down the path to greatness when talent alone isn’t quite enough....

Doppler If your pregnancy is low risk and baby has been doing A-okay so far, your OB or nurses might simply keep tabs on baby’s heart rate with a Fetal Doppler monitor (the same way they listen to baby at your prenatal appointments). If that’s the case, they’ll probably check in at least every half-hour before you start pushing, and then every five minutes during delivery. External Fetal Monitor Intermittent monitoring can be time-consuming, so you might have a fetal monitor strapped to your bump instead....

Before you got pregnant, you probably didn’t pay too much attention to the contents in your toilet bowl—but now that you’re expecting, you might very well find that the consistency and color of things can change, and it’s understandable to question what’s normal. So when you look down after peeing and see darker or murkier urine, you’ll probably wonder whether that’s a typical pregnancy urine color. Here’s the thing: It’s most likely not....

Ryan, Los Angeles I wish I knew…how much everything changes. Since becoming a dad, I’ve realized the biggest change is that you now have a baby who requires 24-hour care and instantly becomes your number-one priority. Talk about a shift! Everything in our lives has adjusted since Justin’s arrival. I’m a pretty big outdoor enthusiast—I love cycling, trail running and rock climbing—but finding time to exercise, or “my time,” is hard these days....

For the first time, a major formula brand will be available without genetically modified organisms. Similac Advance, the top commercial baby formula in the country, will be available without GMOs at Target this month. Parent company Abbott says it will begin with a non-GMO version of the Advance formula, and roll out a similar version of Similac Sensitive next. Depending on sales, more GMO-free formulas may follow. Currently, mainstream formula is made up of corn and soy ingredients, 90 percent of which are grown from genetically-altered seeds....

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (California)… Two-year-old Claire and her one-year-old cousin Chloe recreated their favorite fairytale characters in an adorably magical photo shoot. Jessica West — Claire’s mom and the mastermind behind the shoot — was inspired by similar photos to create a fantasy world for her daughter and niece. After making the intricate costumes for the two girls, West signed on photographer Myranda Josephson to capture all of the magic on camera....

Did you ever think about how your mother or grandmother spent their days when their children were young? Apparently it was quite different than it is today, especially in terms of physical activity. A Mayo Clinic study compared the activity levels of mothers of young children and mothers of older children in 1965 to that of mothers in 2010. The study measured the time allocated to physical activity, including housework, child care, laundry, food preparation, post meal cleanup, and exercise, and the time spent in sedentary activities such as driving and using screen based media — and the results will totally surprise you....

Rainbow We love how bright and colorful the name is, but when Holly Madison and her beau Pasquale Rotella settled on that moniker for their baby girl, a lot of people hated it. Holly defended her choice, saying that, “Growing up, there was a girl in my school named Rainbow and I was so envious of that name. I thought it was so pretty and unique!” We think it’s a better fit for rainy days than a baby name, but Holly and Pasquale clearly love it!...

Baby’s come with a lot of stuff—from changing tables to high chairs, the furniture alone can take up a ton of room in your home. Looking for a space-saving solution? Consider a mini crib. These compact cradles take up less floor space and are narrower than traditional models, meaning you can squeeze one in beside your bed. The best mini cribs are reliably safe, and many options are foldable and portable, so you can even take them on overnight trips to Grandma’s house....

A new process called in vitro activation (IVA) is taking huge strides forward for women in the world of infertility. The process takes an ovary (or a piece of ovarian tissue) and treats it with proteins and other nutrients to help immature follicles mature into eggs outside of a woman’s body. It’s then reimplanted into a woman’s ovaries to help them conceive. Currently, more than 6.7 American women suffer from infertility and over 1 percent struggle to conceive due to poor-quality eggs....

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. We’ve already introduced you to Maria Kostaki, Kelley Clink and Kamy Wicoff....

Your little one might not have their winter schedule booked up just yet, but one thing is for sure: Once there’s a chill in the air, they’re most definitely going to need a high-quality winter coat. Easily one of the most used pieces of clothing your toddler will rock, a good winter coat or jacket ensures that your kiddo will be warm and protected throughout the cold-weather season, whether it’s on the daily walk to preschool or while sledding and snowman building with the fam....

Siberian ginseng is a completely different herb from the ginseng grown in the US. Its active ingredients (called eleutherosides) may be helpful in stimulating the immune system. The herb itself has traditionally been used to prevent colds and flu, and boost energy and vitality, and may even have a role as an aphrodisiac. (Hey, if you’re stuck in Siberia, you can probably use all the help you can get.) And while there is some evidence that taking Siberian ginseng may reduce the length and severity of colds and boost immune function, there’s little to no evidence that it can help boost fertility....

Egg freezing comes with a high price tag and no guarantee, but for more and more women who are putting off pregnancy for one reason or another, it’s worth a shot at becoming a mom on their own terms. Here, three women who took advantage of this new frontier in reproductive independence share their personal stories. And one of them already has her happy ending—an adorable baby boy! Image: Getty Images / Michael Loccisano"I wanted to have an insurance policy....

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone enchanted millions of children and adults alike. Seven books, eight movies, one play and countless fan fiction editions later, the story about an orphaned boy wizard remains one of the best-selling book series of all time, with 450 million copies sold. Author J.K. Rowling was an out-of-work single mom at the time she wrote Sorcerer’s Stone....