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You know it’s necessary, but watching baby get poked and prodded can be the toughest part about having her vaccinated. New research from Japan might be able to alleviate your pain, both mental and physical. A team from Osaka University created a dissolvable patch to administer flu vaccines. Tiny (painless) microneedles in the patch penetrate the top layer of skin, administering the vaccination as they dissolve into the body. Because it can be administered without medical personnel, and because it eliminates needle-related risks, researchers are especially optimistic about its role in supporting vaccinations in developing countries....

Take a storybook classic and turn it into a one-of-a-kind baby shower. We used Eric Carle’s vibrant The Very Hungry Caterpillar as inspiration for this colorful butterfly theme. The Invite: Introduce the theme with an invitation that features a beautiful, colorful butterfly. Check out this elegant invite by Odd Balls ($92 for set of 50, FineStationery.com). The Decor: Go for bright colors — fuchsia, violet, teal, and tangerine will cheer up any room....

Maternity clothes have come a long way over the years, but it’s still rare to find items that you’d wear both pregnant and not pregnant. With HATCH, though, you get versatility and function without sacrificing style—resulting in pieces that you’ll keep reaching for time and time again. What We Love No ruched sides anywhere: HATCH creates styles and silhouettes that never scream “maternity wear” while still giving you a shape From sleepwear to active wear to evening wear (and everything in between), HATCH is essentially one-stop shopping Pieces are designed to not only be worn throughout every stage of pregnancy, but also before and after—meaning you are investing in your wardrobe, not just your maternity wardrobe...

Here’s yet another thing you perhaps weren’t prepared for post-childbirth: huge, heavy, hard breasts that are tender to the touch and feel like they’re about to explode. So what’s the deal? You’re likely experiencing breast engorgement. While plenty of breastfeeding women experience engorged breasts, if left untreated it can lead to issues like cracked nipples, clogged milk ducts and mastitis—not fun. Read on to learn how to tell if your breasts are engorged and how to find fast relief....

Struggling to decide whether to return to work? Ask yourself these questions: [ ] Can you work out a realistic budget, factoring in either the loss of your salary or the cost of childcare? [ ] How will the loss of your salary and benefits affect your tax bracket and insurance coverage? [ ] If you stay home, will you chafe at a 1950s-esque division of labor? (Think hard about this one....

Fewer hospitals are offering formula to new moms. No, they’re not being stingy. They’re working to promote breastfeeding. Formula handouts have been on the decline for years, but a new CDC study published in the journal Pediatrics determined that only about a third of hospitals distributed free formula in 2013, compared to nearly three quarters in 2007. “Hospitals and health care systems are places we look to for guidance on health,” lead study author Jennifer Nelson, MD, MPH, told Reuters....

Long car rides, rainy days at home, after your fifth performance of “Let It Go”—all times when you’ll be tempted to pull out your phone to entertain baby. And that’s totally okay; you can’t be a Pinterest-project parent all the time. But you don’t always have to resort to YouTube or cartoons either. From quick boredom fixes to more involved projects, these fun tricks will spark baby’s imagination and make you feel less guilty about screen time....

Growing up, Deepica Mutyala knew she wanted to forge her own path as an entrepreneur. That path led her to create her own beauty brand in 2018. Live Tinted puts inclusion at the forefront, representing people with different skin tones and from all walks of life. But launching a company to fill a need in the market isn’t the only way Mutyala is shaping her own destiny. In 2021, she publicly announced she had chosen to freeze her eggs and take control of her reproductive journey....

I can’t count how many times I’ve said, “I don’t know” in the last five months. The most were in the first few days my son was born. I said it to the nurse who asked if we wanted the baby to sleep in the nursery or stay in my hospital room. I said it to the doctor who asked how many wet diapers he had in a day. To the lactation consultant who asked how well he was breastfeeding....

Every parent could use a breather. And while a trip to the spa or an hour-long yoga class both sound like lovely options, most moms and dads don’t have the time or ability to step away from their work, their families and their list of grown-up responsibilities. But self-care isn’t a luxury, and it shouldn’t be treated like a bonus. Rather, it’s an essential ingredient in the recipe for creating a happier, healthier you....

Paging Cupid to the delivery room: Carrying to term may set baby up for a more favorable love life in adulthood. According to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, twenty-somethings born preterm (before 37 weeks) are less likely to move in with a romantic partner or have sexual intercourse than their peers born even one week later. Researchers found that those who were born early or late preterm were also less likely to find themselves attractive, and more likely to still live with their parents....

Most commonly, cracked nipples are caused by baby latching on too shallowly. When baby is able to take a large amount of breast into her mouth, the nipple ends up in the very back of baby’s mouth — out of harm’s way. But if your baby only takes a little bit of breast, or just your nipple, into her mouth when she nurses, then the nipple can become squashed between baby’s tongue and hard palate with every suck....

And the Winner Is: Fisher-Price 4-in-1 Sling n’ Seat Tub It’s amazing how quickly baby moves from one developmental milestone to the next—and the progress can be pretty evident during bathtime. You’ll go from wiping your newborn down during sponge baths to watching them sit up and splash around in no time. That means you’ll want an infant tub that can keep pace with your growing child (and give you peace of mind as you bathe that slippery baby)....

If you’re currently weighing the pros and the cons of bringing a baby or toddler to Disney, we sympathize with the struggle. On the one hand, there’s guaranteed smiles and the promise of quality time together at the most magical place on earth. On the other hand, there’s the reality that your kids probably won’t even remember the trip—including the tantrums they threw along the way. It turns out Disney actually understands the challenges parents face in planning a park visit....

They’ve got words Remember when your baby mostly grunted and cooed? Cute, but not very practical. Now she can tell you that she likes apples and that she wants a hug. (Aw!) She may even be able to tell you what she did during the day, and that little storytelling voice is just so darn adorable. They’re little detectives Whenever I lose something, I ask my two-year-old where it is. A lot of times, she really knows....

Crooked teeth are usually genetic, but not in the way you might think. Sometimes, a child inherits their father’s larger teeth and their mother’s smaller jaw—which may cause some trouble. If that’s the case, when the teeth begin to grow in, they start fighting for position because there isn’t enough space for them in the arch of the mouth. That can lead to crowding. Another reason for crooked teeth might be baby’s habit of sticking his or her fingers in his or her mouth....

And the Winner Is: Colugo Compact Stroller It may seem crazy to own multiple strollers, but most parents break down and buy a second set of wheels sometime in the first year—because sometimes your everyday workhorse stroller is just too big and heavy for quick jaunts and getaways. If you’re in the market for a compact option, you really can’t go wrong with the Colugo. It’s the Warby Parker of travel strollers, sold direct to consumer only through the company’s website....

At some point in your relationship, you and your partner somehow figured out which household and life management tasks you’d each take care of, whether you had an explicit conversation about it or things just fell into place. You handle the grocery shopping and joint finances and they deal with laundry and car maintenance, or whatever your version looks like. It’s tempting for expectant parents to assume there’s no need to revisit that arrangement—but don’t be fooled....

It makes sense that when you’re pregnant, you want to limit your exposure to as many toxic chemicals and compounds as possible. And while there have been no controlled studies looking at the safety of artificial nails in pregnant women, consider how many chemicals are involved in applying, filling, filing and removing acrylic nails. You probably don’t want baby exposed to all that. Hilda Hutcherson, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center says it’s best to hold off on acrylic nails until after the baby is born....

On November 25th, The Honest Company, spearheaded by co-founder and celebrity mama Jessica Alba , announced the launch of The Collective, their exclusive line of home and baby product collaborations that offer moms eco-friendly and environmentally-safe gear and prodcuts they can feel good about buying. The first stop on their tour? A gorgeous collaboration with Baby Jogger! The new City Mini GT (which you’ve probably seen Jess strolling her sweet baby girl, Haven, around in) retails for $369 and offers moms everything they love about the regular City Mini with a few new touches....