Many children are simply afraid to eat new foods. It may take many occasions of you putting vegetables on his plate before he’ll even touch them with his fork, let alone put them in his mouth. (And you’ve already heard that you shouldn’t force kids to eat anything; otherwise mealtime just becomes a power struggle.) Hang in there, though. After a while, he’ll want to know about this mystery food and give it a try....
The newborn you’ll soon be bringing home may seem angelic, but beware: Such a tiny baby can have a huge impact on your relationship with your partner. The good news? A little preparation goes a long way toward keeping your union strong. “Know that you’re definitely going to have relationship issues in the first three months,” says Stacie Cockrell, coauthor of Babyproofing Your Marriage. “There’s no way around it. Couples think they need couples therapy, but no, you have a newborn and you’re trying to redefine your relationship and figure out how the household is going to work and how you’re going to take care of baby....
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 it comes to nutrition, the first 1,000 days of baby’s life are of the utmost importance. Nutrient deficiencies during this period can have impacts that last a lifetime. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has a go-to list to help you discover which nutrients are the most important ones for your newborn’s brain development....
Whooping cough, the scary-sounding bacterial infection once relegated to your grandmother’s time, is making a comeback. Several decades ago, the disease was a big concern for parents: In 1941, there were over 222,000 reported cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the years, whooping cough saw a sharp decline, dropping to just 2,719 cases in 1991—but it’s now back on the rise. Today, up to 50,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the US....
While it’s probably the least sexy goody bag you’ll ever receive, the loot your hospital sends you home with will definitely come in handy. And come on, who doesn’t love freebies? While every hospital is different in what they send you home with, you should come away with some combination of these items. There are several postpartum essentials you’ll need for recovery, and you can likely snag a bunch of them for free upon discharge....
This is a tough decision that many women have to make during pregnancy or while planning a pregnancy. The best advice I can give you is to talk to your health care provider immediately regarding your situation. The risks and benefits of taking any antidepressant medications need to be weighed carefully for each individual. You should mention that you have been experiencing relapses of your symptoms, so not taking your medication may not be the best option for you even though you may be pregnant....
Go for quality over quantity. You need one pair of pants that feels good. That’s it. If it’s something expensive, splurge — better to have one pair you love than a few that don’t feel great. The type of pants depends on your lifestyle; maybe you want a pair of jeans because you can wear them around work or home, or some other kind of skinny pant because your office is less casual....
Touring the maternity ward is a great way to boost your (and the mate’s) confidence as the Big Day approaches. Think of it as visual and mental prep — you sure don’t need any extra surprises when baby’s coming out! A tour is a fun chance to check out places and spaces where you’ll be laboring, delivering and recovering. It should also include a nice run-down of hospital procedures and policies....
Every parent looks forward to hearing their child utter their first word—but babies don’t typically start talking until they’re about a year old. It may seem counterintuitive to talk to a baby who can’t yet talk back, but studies have shown parents can greatly help with baby’s speech development by talking to them and responding to their eventual babbling. Wondering what the benefits are of talking to a preverbal baby, and how to start?...
Your mundane game of peekaboo just got a whole lot more meaningful; a new study shows that surprises and unexpected events are critical to babies’ learning experiences. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University essentially showed a group of 11-month-olds a series of magic tricks, testing their innate understanding of cause-and-effect. A researcher rolled a ball down a ramp, toward all wall at the bottom. Thanks to what study authors call “core knowledge,” even babies understand the ball should come to a stop....
Wondering if your kid’s name made the cut or searching for some baby naming inspiration? The Social Security Administration revealed the most popular baby names of 2012 and the list does not disappoint! While some of them look pretty familiar (Jacob took the top spot for baby boy names for the fourteenth year in a row and Sophia for the second year!), others were completely surprising (older, more classical names like Elizabeth and Abigail for baby girls)!...
A cephalic version is basically when your OB pushes and prods your breech baby to try and get him to turn head-down (a technique some doctors use to try and shift a baby into the proper birthing position). First, they’ll do an ultrasound to determine baby’s position, heart rate, the placenta’s position and the amount of amniotic fluid. You might also be given a medicine to relax your uterus and ease the turning....
A common question among first time parents: When do babies start talking? Believe it or not, baby’s journey to two-way communication begins earlier than you might think. Here’s further proof that babies are pretty incredible: They start learning language even before birth! That’s because baby could hear you speaking while in the womb and got familiar with the rhythm and sounds of the language you spoke. In fact, studies show that babies whose moms read specific books to them while pregnant go on to prefer hearing those books once they’re born, as measured by an increase in their sucking motion....
Choosing to take cough syrup or a decongestant when you’re sick doesn’t usually qualify as a major decision. You’re feeling unwell, so you take immediate action—no second guessing required. But when you’re breastfeeding, taking any medication can feel like a big deal. Should you skip the pills and keep feeling miserable—or get some relief and give baby a side of Sudafed? Turns out, the choice of whether to take cold medicine while breastfeeding doesn’t have to be fraught....
I’m going to say something you’re not supposed to say. Ready? Here goes: Being a new parent is sometimes boring. I know, I know. Shocking stuff. After all, we’ve been conditioned to believe that we should enjoy every precious moment. But lots of those moments—well, they drag. Don’t get me wrong, there will be loads of days where you’ll struggle to feed and bathe your own body. You’ll have no time to do the dishes or run the wash or squeeze in a quick workout (ha!...
New parents anxiously await the day baby starts sleeping through the night. But daytime sleep can be just as important to making sure your little one is well-rested and developing healthy sleep habits. Read on to learn why baby’s naps are non-negotiable, and what a baby nap schedule should look like during the first year of life, based on your little one’s age. In this article: Why do babies need naps?...
Pros • Extremely versatile • Smooth ride • Can accommodate up to three kids on the frame of a single stroller Cons • Heavy • Has to be taken apart to fold and stow Bottom line With more than 16 configurations and numerous accessories, the Baby Jogger City Select is essentially the only stroller you’ll need for one, two or even three kids. Rating: 4.5 stars Features In my mind, purchasing a stroller is one of the most difficult baby gear decisions you’ll have to make in preparation for your new arrival....
Getting your kids to eat their vegetables is a war many parents wage for years. But a new study from the University of Leeds in the U.K. found a weapon for early intervention: vegetable puree. Okay, not exactly a news flash. But they found a strategy that makes babies almost twice as receptive to veggies in less than a month: adding tiny amounts of vegetable puree to milk and then rice at the time of weaning....
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. Today, a friend shared yet another breastfeeding video making the rounds with me....
Not to pressure you into a second round of babyproofing, but as you prepare for a fresh start in 2018, it’s worth taking inventory of the baby gear in your home. In spite of the rigid safety standards for baby and toddler gear, a few reported incidents of loose snaps or faulty harnesses are enough to earn a product a recall. While the Consumer Product and Safety Commission (CPSC) features a complete list of 2017 recalls, we narrowed it down to a list of popular baby and child brands parents are most likely to actually own....
