If you’re having either a D&E (dilation & evacuation) or D&C (dilation & curettage) procedure, it will be done in a hospital or other surgical center, and unless you undergo complications, you’ll most likely be able to go home that same day. Your doctor will probably suggest you get pain meds before the procedure, though a lot of women opt to undergo a general anesthetic and not be awake during it at all....
Flashback to June 2013: It was an average morning in my New York City apartment, and I was literally sobbing over spilled milk—my new normal. It was 4 a.m.; I’d been up since 2 a.m. feeding my baby and, after having swaddled her and gotten her to sleep, was now pumping to have enough breast milk to supplement the next bottle of formula. And by “enough,” I mean eeking out 0....
Think your toddler’s too little to get in on the Christmas crafting? Think again! Toddlers love a good craft project, and for the most part they’re willing helpers. And of course, they love Christmas too! Need some inspiration? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Christmas crafts for toddlers here, along with links to step-by-step instructions to eliminate the guesswork. Whether you’re simply looking to have fun together or hoping to come away with some DIY Christmas gifts, we’ve got you covered....
When you’re carrying baby during pregnancy, you might not be thinking a lot about their future IQ score. Well, it turns out that there’s actually some practical steps you can take to create a healthy environnment for baby’s brain to develop in utero. While these tips won’t necessarily turn your newborn into a child prodigy, The Bump has some research-backed advice about how to nuture their noggins. Eat well and take your vitamins Recent studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, are important for fetal brain development....
Why is it that everyone wants to give my kids sugar? They go to the doctor and are rewarded with a lollipop. They go to a birthday party, experience a sugar fest, and then are sent home with another bag of candy as a party favor. Aunts, Grandmas, family and friends want to give my children “sweets” of all types as a gift or a present. I’ll admit: I’m as guilty as everyone else....
Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, is co-author of_ Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers_ (2005) and _ The Breastfeeding Answer Book_ (2003), a research-based counseling guide for lactation professionals that is used internationally. Nancy has been helping breastfeeding families since 1982 and has an extensive amount of knowledge on breastfeeding that also comes from personal experience — she breastfed her own three sons, Carl, Peter, and Ben, who are all now grown....
You’re ravenous, on the road, and there’s not a health-food spot in sight. Whether you’re traveling for business or a babymoon, navigating the menu at fast food restaurants can be challenging—even when you’re not pregnant. (Plus, that Big Mac is calling your name.) So what do you do? Here are the fast foods that are okay to order—and best to avoid. What to skip These four ast food menu items that aren’t as healthy as you think....
Without a will, your kids will be entitled to their whole inheritance (or at least what’s left once it goes through probate) when they become a legal adult — in most states, that’s at age 18. If you’re concerned that your children may blow all the money at once, or what attorneys call “squandering of assets,” then you can create a testamentary trust or a revocable living trust to stop the distribution of your assets until your children are more mature....
Parents eagerly await their child’s milestones. From uttering their first words to learning to feed themselves, it’s exciting to see this little person blossom before your very eyes! Naturally, many parents also begin to wonder how their child’s development relates to future success—and how it compares to their peers. If your tot knows more words than their counterparts, are they on an advanced track? Does their ability to follow multi-step instructions mean they’ll have better academic outcomes?...
Meet Jessica Shortall, a working mom with a career dedicated to the intersection of business and doing good. As the former Director of Giving for TOMS Shoes, she literally circumnavigated the globe with a breast pump. Pre-order her upcoming book by Abrams, “Work. Pump. Repeat: The New Mom’s Guide to Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work,” out Sept. 8. We seem to be on some sort of mandatory schedule of One Breastfeeding “Controversy” Per Week these days....
After following over 95,000 kids who received their MMR vaccines, researchers came to a definitive conclusion: the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is not linked to development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), also found that MMR vaccines didn’t increase autism rates even when kids were deemed “high-risk,” meaning a sibling had the condition. The proof is in the numbers; Among high-risk five year olds, 8....
Every year I put tons of thought into my holiday card (see past photos here). I come up with a theme, I get props, I go all out. My friends have begun to expect, even anticipate what I’ll put out every year. So when one of my friends was telling me that she couldn’t have a fun holiday card because she could never get her girls to sit still for a photo I thought, “But why do they have to?...
The lead paint picture isn’t pretty. Toxic levels can lead to all sorts of intellectual and neurological disabilities, developmental delays, behavioral problems, kidney disease, anemia, and — not to scare freak you out too bad but, worst case scenario — death. Even “low levels” may be associated with learning issues and decreased IQ. Thanks to their tendency to put oh… anything in their mouths, kids under three are at greatest risk....
There are several reasons why you might not see the fetus’s heartbeat at eight weeks. First, you may not really be eight weeks pregnant. You may have menstrual cycles longer than 28 days, or you may have ovulated late that cycle. The second reason has to do with the type of ultrasound probe your doctor is using.Transabdominal probes (over the belly as opposed to in the vagina) are not as sensitive in detecting pregnancy and early heartbeat....
Giving birth is a messy business. When baby emerges from a vaginal birth, she’s going to be far from pristine—in fact, she’ll be covered in bacteria-filled vaginal fluid. But studies suggest those microbes can actually play an important role in shaping a newborn’s immune system and helping baby ward off disease. So what about babies born via c-section? Because they’ve skipped a trip down the birth canal, instead of vaginal microbes, they pick up bacteria that live on mom’s skin, and, as research indicates, may be at a slightly higher risk for immune and metabolic disorders....
No way around it — it’s pretty frigid out there. And while winter is typically the month that we spend cuddled up on the couch hoping for warmer weather, it’s also one of the best season’s for baby naming inspiration! Tons of beautiful, peaceful, serene and winter-white themed monikers stem from the chilly cold and we’ve rounded up all the white hot names you need to know about! Neve - Latin for “snow” Aster - Greek for “star” Paloma - Spanish for “dove” Primrose - means “first rose”, also inspired by the Hunger Games and the winter plant January Whittaker - English for “white field” (we love the nickname Whit!...
Ready-to-feed (read: liquid) formula is expensive, but mixing up powder formula can be a pain and a mess (especially if you’re on the move). Bottles specifically designed to store both the powder and liquid together help streamline the process—and the latest from newcomer PopYum makes it easier than ever. What We Love PopYum comes with a convenient funnel to get the formula precisely into the nipple container—meaning your kitchen won’t end up looking like a powdery snow globe Preparing a bottle is quick, easy and, most importantly, one handed, thanks to a button that releases the powder into the liquid An anti-colic vent and vacuum seal prevent any air bubbles from making their way into baby’s belly...
Snoop in any smart mom’s medicine cabinet and you’ll find a bottle of diphenhydramine—better known by its brand name, Benadryl. There’s regular Benadryl, and then there’s Children’s Benadryl, which is made with a lower-strength formula specifically for kids. For generations, this trusty over-the-counter antihistamine has helped to dry up snot, calm angry baby rashes, quiet sneezes and diffuse a slew of other pesky symptoms that erupt with allergies. It can produce a range of side effects, including making kids super-sleepy (or, surprisingly, crazy-wired)....
You may not be able to imagine baby ever sleeping in a twin bed or owning clothes big enough to fill an adult-size dresser, but that day will be here before you know it. So it pays to think about how you can rejigger a piece of nursery furniture so it lasts long past the diaper phase. Shalena Smith, of Shalena Smith Interiors and founder of GaGa Designs, says the secret to having a room that will easily grow with your child is to pick pieces with longevity from the get-go....
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. When Harvard-trained lawyer and mom Eve Rodsky found herself crying in the car over a text about blueberries, she knew something had to change. The reality is women still face the bulk of invisible labor—the labor that comes with always being responsible for the household chores and, as mothers, the kids....
