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For nine months you prep and plan for baby’s arrival. You read books, watch videos and maybe even take a birthing class or two. But while movies and TV shows have led many of us to believe both labor and delivery happen while lying on your back with your legs spread wide, anyone who’s been through the experience will tell you it doesn’t have to play out that way. There are actually a variety of labor positions you can assume during the first phases of childbirth and a whole other set that makes for good birthing positions when it’s time to push—and they don’t all call for you to be flat on your back....

Even if you were a super-fit mom-to-be and exercised regularly through pregnancy, you may find it difficult to get back into a regular workout routine after having a baby. Combine sleep deprivation with juggling the many tasks of motherhood, and it probably feels impossible to find the right activity to help get your body back. Even if you find the perfect gym class or yoga studio, you may not relish the idea of being apart from your newborn (and then, of course, there’s the issue of childcare while you’re gone)....

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. As a social worker with more than 20 years under her belt, Paige Bellenbaum is devoted to helping others. But when she faced severe postpartum depression and needed help herself, she felt alone and hopeless. Eventually, she sought support from doctors and was able to find her way out of a very dark place....

A first aid kit doesn’t have to be elaborate or bulky. If you like, you can tuck your supplies into a zip-up plastic bag that you can easily transfer from purse to suitcase to, well, wherever. Or you can simply tuck your supplies in a corner of your go-everywhere diaper bag. However you choose to keep track of your supplies, make sure you include: [] A pain- and fever-relieving medication. Children’s Motrin and Children’s Tylenol are both good choices....

Between frequent visits to your ob-gyn, checking out the hospital ward, touring daycare centers and taking childbirth classes, your calendar can fill up quickly during pregnancy. So is it really necessary to go to the dentist while pregnant? The answer: Absolutely. But it’s a message many moms-to-be aren’t paying enough attention to. A 2015 study from Delta Dental found that 42.5 percent of pregnant women are skipping out on their dentist appointments, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says are critical during pregnancy....

My niece Katie is an amazing woman—seriously smart, incredibly thoughtful and full of fun. And when it comes to money moves, she’s been a great listener. Naturally, you get an earful when you’re my niece. As passionate as I am about helping complete strangers take control of their financial life, I go into hyper mode when it comes to my family. And I couldn’t be prouder of how she followed my advice....

If parenting came with a warning label, it’d probably say something like “Attention: Frustration inevitable.” It’s true that your kids will surprise you just when you think you’ve figured it all out. (Another option? “Good luck.”) Raising kids has a never-ending learning curve, and you may find yourself figuring things out as you go. Who among us hasn’t experimented with different parenting tactics, lost their tempers, regrouped and adopted a whole new approach?...

I still remember Mary, our new nanny, waving my newborn’s teeny hand at me as I walked out the front door: “Bye bye, Mommy. See you after work!" As much as I trusted Mary’s calm, grandmotherly manner and Yoda-like ability to decode Cooper’s cries, fear and guilt weighed on me, heavier than the laptop bag slung over my shoulder. It wasn’t exactly easy watching Mary expertly comfort my baby, while I set off to begin my new life as a working mother....

From epic fights over toys to bickering on long car rides, sibling rivalry may be the one thing every family seems to have in common. Even as an adult, you may still feel annoyed when your sister rummages through your closet or your brother monopolizes the family text chain. With sibling fights being so pervasive, is there anything you can do to make the bonds between your kids less conflict-ridden? Read on to learn what sibling rivalry is, why it’s normal and how to make sure it’s healthy....

To donate breast milk, you can go through the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). The organization provides pasteurized breast milk to sick or premature babies — and donated breast milk can really help them. All HMBANA donors are screened — women who donate milk must be in good health, not taking medications or herbal supplements (with some exceptions), willing to undergo blood testing and willing to donate at least 100 ounces of milk (sometimes even more)....

First of all, forget what “most of your friends say they were doing” during their pregnancies. Every man and woman experiences pregnancy and sex differently. You need to get the bottom of his feelings and attitudes. Tell him you understand his concerns about potentially harming baby and you’d like him to get reassurance from your healthcare provider. Either bring him along for your next appointment or call the office and the staff can discuss this with him down the phone....

You’ve probably heard that playing Beethoven, Bach or Beyoncé while you’re pregnant can up baby’s intelligence level, but don’t count on it. “There are no studies that say that playing music to babies in utero makes them smart,” says Kelly Kasper, MD, ob-gyn and associate clinical professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Of course, that doesn’t mean that prebirth music doesn’t make your baby smarter. There’s just no way to tell for sure....

Your hubby can’t give your baby fetal alcohol syndrome, but there is some evidence alcohol can mess with his sperm. What happens? Well, according to a 1994 study on rats, male alcohol use prior to conception might hurt your chances of getting pregnant or lead to children that are smaller, have compromised immune systems, or are more prone to behavioral or hormonal disturbances. Another rat study links male drinking prior to conception to hyperactive children....

Don’t feel the need to go too crazy. Most day care centers revolve around play, not teaching higher math skills or geography. So don’t think that your kid is missing out by not going to a day care center. Even preschools, which are considered early childhood education (for ages two-and-a-half to five or six), still put most of their emphasis on play rather than academics. Of course, you can always expose your child to basics like the ABCs, shapes and colors....

Refusing to wear a jacket in below-freezing temperatures. Saying “no” to everything. Throwing themselves face down on the ground. Sound familiar? Regardless of how old your little one is, these signs could be a clue that the so-called “terrible twos” have hit. And even though this phase may not be fun, it’s actually a great thing, experts say. “What a child is doing is testing boundaries, which is his way of figuring out right from wrong,” says Robin Jacobson, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone in New York City....

And the Winner Is: Seedlip Trio There are lots of milestones during pregnancy to celebrate—just not with a glass of bubbly. The American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) strongly suggests you refrain from drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol can reach the placenta and while your liver is capable of breaking it down, baby’s isn’t quite up for the job yet. Instead reach for a non-alcoholic elixir. Seedlip’s trio of spirits are super flavorful, distilled using centuries old techniques and pair perfectly with a splash of tonic or soda....

Ah, the third trimester. That awkwardly uncomfortable time when you can’t be held accountable for your temper, your cravings or your bodily functions. People love to tell you that you’re in the homestretch—but that doesn’t make you feel better now. Thankfully, laughter is the best medicine. And these 12 memes are your daily dose. When someone asks you if you’re prepared for birth. Image: GIPHY2. Getting something you didn’t register for at your baby shower....

Pregnancy presents a world of great unknowns. With each new pain, headache or limb that swells, it’s hard to know which physical sensations should be red-flagged for your doctor, and which you can just chalk up as par for the course. So how do you prepare for a condition like preeclampsia, which often shows up without warning or with symptoms that sneakily resemble common effects of pregnancy? Keep reading to learn preeclampsia can mean for you and baby and what to do if you receive a preeclampsia diagnosis....

As soon as you notice the first hint of a baby bump, you may start wondering when to buy maternity clothes. You’ve probably scrolled past and admired that Instagram fashion blogger with the perfectly shaped pregnancy belly who makes dressing her bump look effortless and fun. Now for the reality check: Figuring out which maternity clothes actually fit and flatter can be a daily challenge for many moms-to-be. But with the right maternity clothing, you’ll look—and feel—your best as you count down each trimester to your delivery day (promise!...

Fatherly is a publication for modern fathers looking to make the best of a good situation. Newborns hate it when you sit down. They are like tiny little drill sergeants, forcing new parents to stand at attention or march back and forth across the living room in order to get them to stop kicking and crying. But why? What difference does it make to an infant whether you’re standing or sitting, and why is early parenting more a game of non-stop plodding than one of tranquil sitting and cuddling?...