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Toddler’s First Walk on the Ice Falling has never looked so cute. Emotional Baby Grab the tissues — you’ll need ’em! Dragon Baby We can’t help but crack up at this baby’s Kill Bill-style martial arts skills. Twins Dancing to Daddy’s Guitar Just look at the glance these two exchange as daddy starts the song. They obviously have an amazing connection! “Gangnam Style” Baby We’ve seen a bunch of babies dancing to “Gangnam Style,” but this little one loves the Psy song so much, he won’t even eat unless it’s playing!...

With all the focus on putting baby to sleep on their back, it’s easy to forget that tummy time is actually pretty important. Though it’s tough to see at first, all those little wiggles and attempts at half-lifts are contributing to baby’s development in major ways, preventing flat spots from forming on the back of their head (a side effect of all that time on their back) and preparing them for a few down-the-road milestones like rolling over and crawling....

Cervidil is a vaginal insert that contains a type of medication called a prostaglandin. It helps jumpstart labor by softening the cervix and preparing it for birth. That’s why it’s typically used in women who need to have labor induced but whose cervix is closed or hasn’t “ripened” yet. The insert is placed by your health care provider (it’s kind of like putting in a tampon!) and remains in place until your provider removes it....

There’s something special about the toddler years. Your little one is walking and (maybe) talking and looking too cute for words—so it’s only natural that you’re eager to capture it all with some adorable toddler pics. Of course, that’s often easier said than done. But before you farm the job out to a professional, know that toddler photography is totally something you can master. “As a mother of four children myself, I believe a parent can be the most effective storyteller and photographer of our children’s everyday life,” says Ginger Unzueta, a professional family photographer who was featured in the #Nikon100 rising star campaign....

Going green isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for baby too. If you’re expecting, you’re probably wondering about all the ways to keep baby safe in those first few years of life. When it comes down to it, ecofriendliness is all about doing what’s best for Earth and its humans—even the smallest ones. Many eco-friendly products limit the use of toxic chemicals involved in the manufacturing process, making them better for baby’s health and wellbeing....

New moms: Meet your new best friend, one that you’ll seriously want by your side. All. The. Time. If you and baby hit the road without it, we’re guessing you’ll slam on the brakes and make a U turn, just so you can head back home and retrieve it. We’re talking about your diaper bag, of course. Consider it a security blanket for parents, or a mom purse on steroids. Whatever life with a tot throws your way—from incomprehensible freakouts to sudden hunger pangs to, yes, poopy diapers—a well-packed pouch that slings over your shoulders (and clips easily onto the stroller) can make messy situations disappear....

Want to keep your kids—and yourself!—from getting sick? We’ve got three words for you: Wash those hands! It may seem obvious, but that doesn’t make it any less important. “The easiest, most practical and probably most effective method to prevent infection is to wash your hands,” says Donald Shifrin, MD, a pediatrician at Allegro Pediatrics outside of Seattle, Washington, and a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine....

Before you have a baby, everyone warns you to kiss sleep goodbye. “Good luck,” they say, with a smile full of schadenfreude. (I wonder why German is the only language with a word that means being happy when other people suffer.) They wish you luck the way someone who has just assembled a piece of IKEA furniture says good luck. Like, “I suffered beyond imagination to make something so wobbly I have to lean it against the wall, but at least now I can sit back and laugh while you discover this Riktig Ogla is never going to fit into that Grundtal Norrviken....

Moms and dads living in New York City and other crowded metropolitan areas can agree that space is precious , since transforming a closet into an office seems to be all the DIY rage these days. However, what about bathroom bedrooms for babies (alliteration intended)? NYC-based mommy blogger Joanna Goddard has recently been criticized for just that, since one of her latest blog posts, titled " How our kids sleep (it’s weird)," explained how her 10-month-old son, Anton, uses her second bathroom as a nursery for nap time and bedtime since he isn’t quite ready to fully share a bedroom with his older brother Toby yet....

The Bump: Did you always want to breastfeed? Melissa Joan Hart: My mom is a big advocate of breastfeeding. She has seven kids and breastfed all of us for about a year each and she was part of La Leche League. So I never really thought about anything _but _breastfeeding. I know that’s the way my body works, and it’s easy and healthy and it just helps them in so many ways and creates good bonding....

Most professions do pretty much the same thing no matter where you live—accountants in the US do what accountants in Belgium and China do. The same goes for teachers, firefighters and sportscasters and so on. The protocols and expectations don’t vary too much. But that’s not the case with midwives. Around the globe, their job is to help women have a childbirth experience they’ll feel good about and transition smoothly and joyfully into motherhood—but how they do it and what’s expected of them can vary widely....

These are the signs of a dehydrated baby: •Two or fewer wet diapers in a 24-hour period •Dry mouth/lips •Wet diapers with urine that looks darker and smells stronger than usual •Lethargy •No tears when he cries If your baby shows any of these symptoms, give the pediatrician a call. She may want to check him out or suggest giving him an electrolyte drink. If baby hasn’t been drinking as much as usual but is acting pretty much normal and isn’t having any of these symptoms, stop worrying....

Benefits of a Postpartum Belly Wrap They support abdominal muscles and can aid with diastasis recti, a condition where the abdominals remain separated following pregnancy They can aid with lower back pain and posture They can alleviate other pain and pressure (particularly around a c-section incision) They’re said to help reduce swelling Postpartum Belly Wrap Shopping Tips Comfort. When it comes to belly binder efficacy, compression is kind of the whole point....

Trying to conceive? Add these good-for-you foods to your diet. 1Image: ThinkstockCitrus FruitsNot only are oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits one of the best sources for vitamin C, they’re also packed with potassium, calcium and folate—a B vitamin that can help you get pregnant by regulating ovulation and creating a healthy environment for eggs. You should aim for at least one serving of citrus fruit each day (try a medium-size grapefruit, a large orange, three clementines or one kiwi) in addition to another serving of fruits....

Starting baby on bland food Going from breast or bottle to not-so-flavorful rice cereal is normal for an American baby. But French babies are gourmands from the get-go, according to Natalia Simmons, an American mom of two who moved to France when her first child was five months old. “In France, they introduce babies to a variety of foods earlier and have so many different baby food flavors, like fish and chocolate rice cereal....

Do you ever feel like you are behind on topics other mommies know all about? Feel like the only frumpy mom at carpool? Do you feel like every time you get together with friends they are always telling you what you should be doing and what you shouldn’t? Is there such thing as a mommy bully? Yep — it exists. I had my daughter in my early twenties when most of my friends were spending all their hard earned money on clothes and going out to the latest club....

Differences Between Playards and Travel Cribs Playard. A playard—also known as a pack ‘n play—offers an enclosed area with a soft but sturdy floor that’s safe to use for naps, overnight sleep and play. It usually features mesh walls for breathability and visibility. They typically have foldable mattresses with durable frames that can be quickly assembled and transported or easily stored. Travel Crib. A travel crib offers all the benefits of a playard—it’s sturdy, comfortable and includes a firm mattress for sleeping—but there’s one key difference: weight....

For our family, the holidays bring menorahs, Christmas stockings, gingerbread houses, dreidels and Santa Claus all mixed together. I grew up Catholic and my husband is Jewish — as a result, our kids have a little bit of an identity crisis. Luckily, we live in an area where there are a lot of families who celebrate their differences on many levels beyond religion, too, so this isn’t such a foreign concept....

Pros • Wide nipple mound for easy latching • Wide neck makes it easy to hand-wash • BPA- and phthalate-free, 100 percent medical-grade silicone is safe to boil, put in dishwasher or microwave Cons • Hard to read measurement markings • Tips over easily • Nipple color turns cloudy over time Bottom Line The soft, silicone material and wide, naturally shaped design of the Comotomo bottles helps prevent nipple confusion, making it easier to switch between bottle and breastfeeding....

Most newborns are perfectly healthy, and your parenting instincts kick in pretty quickly, so chances are you’d know if there was a serious problem. Of course, you can call the doctor any time you’re even a little concerned. But you should definitely pick up the phone if you notice any of these issues. Fever No, you don’t need to check baby’s temperature if everything seems fine, says Janelle Aby, MD, medical director of the Well Baby Nursery at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford and clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Stanford University School of Medicine....