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We know you love the sweet stuff, but it’s time to look more closely at those artificial sweetener packets now that you’re pregnant. “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose for use during pregnancy. Because saccharin crosses the placenta, it’s not recommended during pregnancy,” says Suzanne Merrill-Nach, MD, a San Diego-based OB/GYN. So what does that mean? You can safely use Equal or Nutrasweet (aspartame), Sunett (acesulfame-K) and Splenda (sucralose), but stay away from Sweet ‘N Low (saccharin)....

Whether you’re used to cruising through half marathons or are making the transition from couch to 5K, you have a new workout buddy these days. And while he’s probably not up to speed just yet, you’d like to take him along for the ride. But is it safe? And can a jogging stroller really let you work up a proper sweat? Thule says yes to both. WHAT WE LOVE With a fixed front wheel, this jogging stroller means business, allowing for better control at faster paces....

Every expectant parent wants a happy, healthy baby. So learning that your child has a congenital heart disease (CHD) when you’re pregnant can feel incredibly scary. But it’s important to know that there’s a wide spectrum of congenital heart defects. Some are more serious than others, but the vast majority of CHD cases are neither severe nor life-threatening; they do warrant careful monitoring, though. Want to get the full lowdown on types of congenital heart disease, symptoms, potential causes, risk factors and treatment options?...

The Stats: Name: Julie Wolfson, MD, MSHS Age: 38 Occupation: Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Children: One daughter, Max (2 years) TB: Tell us about your initial experience with breastfeeding. JW: My daughter was actually born eight and a half weeks early, and spent eight and a half weeks in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit]. She was having a really hard time learning to feed, and the bottle just wasn’t working....

We’re getting up close and personal with mothers who are savvy innovators and businesswomen and finding out their secrets to success. This time, we got the scoop from Jennifer Varner, CEO and founder of Pure-Ecommerce.com. The Bump: Give us a quick elevator pitch of your business. Jennifer Varner: Pure-Ecommerce has been in business for seven years. We build out complete, ready-to-go ecommerce businesses. So, basically, I take an idea and turn it into an Internet business....

Like ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), ketoprofen (Orudis or Oruvail) is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can help relieve headaches, muscle aches and other body pain. You might be tempted to take it to help get rid of that nagging backache or persistent migraine, but steer clear: Like other NSAIDs, ketoprofen is not safe to use during pregnancy because it can affect baby’s kidney development and function (and prolong labor and delivery)....

A new study revealed just how important getting enough vitamin D is during pregnancy, since a deficiency could seriously affect your baby’s chompers. Robert J. Schroth, DMD, from University of Manitoba’s dental school in Winnipeg, Canada, and his team declared that pregnant women with low levels of vitamin D could have toddlers with more cavities and decay , since enamel on teeth develops in the womb. In the study, 207 women’s vitamin D levels were measured, and 23 to 36 percent of 135 of their children studied at 16 months old had cavities....

Before baby’s arrival, you probably spent countless hours scouring baby name lists, mulling over the options with your partner and maybe even polling friends and family. You might have Googled your top name pick and practiced writing it, saying it, maybe even yelling it. Now that baby is here, his name is constantly on your lips—so it’s natural to wonder: When do babies recognize their name? From responding to his name to learning to say and spell it, here’s a timeline of what to expect as he moves from the baby stage to preschool....

Feeling overheated? Chalk it up to increased blood volume. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases by as much as 50 percent. To better handle all that extra blood, your blood vessels dilate slightly, allowing the blood to come of the surface, which can make you feel hot. In the third trimester, your metabolic rate also increases, which can also add to that overheated feeling. You might find yourself sweating more too....

My daughter, who turns two next month, recently started the process of potty training. This is happening much earlier than I expected. Potty training was a long, drawn-out process with my older son and every time we thought we were making progress, we’d take three giant steps backwards. So when my daughter started showing interest a few months ago, we went with it. And while I’m incredibly proud of her, I’m not exactly jumping up for joy like I did with my son (cha-ching, no more diapers!...

There’s nothing like finding out you’re pregnant to encourage better eating habits. After all, your body is going through big changes, and both you and baby need a full dose of vitamins and nutrients to stay well and strong. But what counts as healthy food for pregnancy? Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Here are 10 of the best foods to eat when pregnant, and why. Eggs What it’s got: Whether you like them fried, scrambled, hard-boiled or served as an omelet, eggs are the gold standard for prenatal protein....

It’s easy to get a little stir crazy when you and baby are stuck inside all day. Fear not—there are plenty of fun baby activities to keep your little one busy. The best part? Many of these interactive indoor activities for babies require a low lift from parents. From sensory activities for infants to fun crafts projects, these are our favorite ways to keep tots busy. Image: Mama. Papa. Bubba Sensory Bags This idea from Jen at Mama....

Here’s yet another stroller category that can be incredibly useful for families who are out adventuring with multiple children or mounds of gear. With its spacious interior, stroller wagons can fit a couple of kids plus whatever you need for your day of fun, from picnic coolers to beach toys, toddler scooters and more. The new Pivot Xplore stands out for its ability to not only handle any type of terrain, but also to transform from a stroller you can push to a wagon you can pull....

It’s been about 75 years since the first paper was published describing the signs of autism in children. But even as new findings continue to crop up, its causes and cures remain elusive, leaving parents as confused as ever. The autism statistics are also somewhat frightening and, some might argue, misleading. According to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, published in 2016, the overall prevalence of autism in children in 2012 was 1 in 68....

Nonnegotiable doubles: • Infant car seats. Sorry, need one per customer here, no matter what. Most hospitals won’t let you bring your babies home without them. • Cribs. In many cases you can get away with sharing a single crib for a few weeks, but eventually your little guys are going to want to spread out. For safety—and comfort—give them their own sleeping space when they’re starting to move. Double bonuses: • Bouncy seats....

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....

Every Wednesday, we’ll be featuring a fertility, pregnancy or parenting tip from real moms. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share, email community@thebump.com. Having trouble getting baby to sleep? Try this tip from user Chemmom. She suggests placing a heating pad (on a low setting) in baby’s crib before bedtime. That way, “the bed is warm in the spot where I’m going to lay her down,” making it easier for baby to head off to dreamland....

A new study published today in the journal JAMA Pediatrics concluded that children living in the United States are more likely to have allergies than children born elsewhere but now living in the United States. Researchers involved in the study examined data from more than 91,600 children under the age of 18 who had taken part in the 2007-08 National Survey of Children’s Health. The analysis revealed that children born outside the country were significantly less likely to have allergies, including asthma, eczema, hay fever and food allergies....

If you’ve been trying to get pregnant, seeing two lines (or a plus sign) on a pregnancy test is one of the most exciting experiences. Still, your knee-jerk reaction might be to ask yourself: Is it too good to be true? Rest assured that the vast majority of the time, if you’re getting a positive pregnancy test result, you are, in fact, pregnant! But every once in a while, a false positive pregnancy test can occur....

Thinking about having another baby after you’ve gone through a preterm birth? A new study suggests you might want to wait — for the health of your next baby. The new study, to be presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s annual conference Thursday, says that the length of time between the delivery of one baby and the conception of the next can impact whether or not you’ll experience preterm labor....