Parents-to-be have a laundry list of items to do before baby’s arrival. One of the biggest items on that list? Getting baby’s nursery in order. Whether you’re designing for a girl, boy or going gender-neutral, you might find inspiration in some of the top baby room looks for this year. Here, Elizabeth Rees, founder of wallpaper brand Chasing Paper and a mom of two, is sharing her predictions for the hottest nursery trends we can expect to see in 2023....
What are urinary problems in babies? Any noticeable change in odor or frequency of her pee, or if she seems to be having pain when she’s going number one, could be a signal there’s an issue. What could be causing my baby’s urinary problem? Most often you can blame a bladder infection for a potential pee issue. Because of their down-there geography, girls tend to get these more than boys. Dehydration can also change the color or smell of urine (resulting in very dark or pungent urine)....
If you personally do not have experience with a complicated pregnancy or difficulty trying to conceive, talking to someone dealing with those issues can be intimidating. While I believe it’s 100% okay to share your life and experience, you may want to consider being sensitive to the struggles of others. Here are a few dos and don’ts when it comes to potentially uncomfortable conversations: Don’t avoid sharing your experience. If you are currently pregnant and have a friend who is TTC (trying to conceive), don’t avoid sharing your excitement and fears....
It’s pretty thrilling when baby starts babbling—finally, your little one is a step closer to talking! Of course, that also means the race is on between you and your partner to see which word baby says first: “mama” or “dada.” It’s unlikely that baby is going to start saying either word right after they begin making noises, but it naturally raises an important question: Just when do babies say “mama” and “dada” anyway?...
Inflamed or swollen gums are yet another annoying symptom to blame on those pregnancy hormones. And because of your increased blood flow during pregnancy, you might also see some blood on your toothbrush. Okay, so we don’t want you to freak out — your swollen (and maybe bleeding) gums aren’t necessarily a cause for alarm; they might just be due to your pregnancy status. But it’s still important to tell your dentist about them ASAP, since those gum issues can also be a sign of gum disease and other dental problems....
Planning a baby shower? It all starts with the invites. But unlike other parties where you’re just required to cover the basics—when, where, why and how to RSVP—baby shower invitation wording usually includes a bit of a boost about the sex of the baby, what the parents need and what kind of occasion the day will bring. You might need baby shower invitation wording for a boy or baby sprinkle wording for growing families....
Writing a Mother’s Day card message can be no easy task. After all, how do you sum up in words your appreciation for the women in your life who gave birth, work tirelessly (without pay!) to raise tiny humans, juggle everyone’s priorities before their own and do it all without skipping a beat? Those slaying the #momlife deserve their due respect—and then some! When it’s time to translate your feelings into words, we’ve got what to write in a Mother’s Day card....
Holiday travel is stressful enough — but toss babies and kids into the mix? Now you’ve got the potential for a mind-numbing, stress-inducing, blood-pressure-raising disaster. Having just completed an 8-hour train ride with two kids, one husband, stroller, car seat, two suitcases, backpacks and various other accoutrement in tow, I came up with a few ways to help holiday-haggard moms like me stay moderately sane during the craziest travel time of the year....
What is bacterial vaginosis (BV)? Bacterial vaginosis, or BV, is a vaginal infection caused by a change in the bacteria that’s normally in the vagina. That bacteria is normally “good” and actually helps maintain vaginal health, but when the bacterial balance shifts, too many “bad” bacteria multiply and cause BV. Why it happens, no one knows for sure. What are the signs of bacterial vaginosis? A lot of women who have bacterial vaginosis don’t even notice it....
Modular furniture that grows with baby is a purchase we can get behind. One that has a timeless, modern look and is known for craftsmanship, like Norwegian brand Stokke, can last you years before you have to think about changing up your child’s room. WHAT WE LOVE The adorable roof-shaped tented crib can be converted into a playhouse down the road Lightweight beachwood furniture is easy to move from room to room and assemble and dissemble as baby grows Investing in the cradle too?...
For breastfeeding moms, few things are worse than sore, cracked or even bleeding nipples. It can make the entire process—one that happens several times a day—excruciating and borderline unbearable until you find a nipple cream that actually works. Previous generations swore by lanolin-based creams, but concerns about pesticides and chemicals have today’s moms looking for a more natural (but still effective) option—and that’s where Motherlove comes in. What We Love...
The benefits keep on coming. This week, a new study out of the University of Haifa’s School of Public Health in Israel found that babies who breastfeed for at least six months have a lower risk of childhood leukemia than those who don’t. Specifically, those babies have a 19 percent lower risk. And children who are breastfed at all, regardless of the duration, have an 11 percent lower risk for leukemia than their non-breastfed counterparts....
Congratulations, you’re about to be a dad! Contrary to popular belief, there are actually tons of guidebooks for how to parent. Seriously, you should have read one by now. But one thing they often skip over is what you should be doing in the delivery room. Whether you’re a first time father or a seasoned vet, here is a primer for every papa once everyone starts screaming. And there will be a lot of screaming....
A new report released from the Hastings Center found that more and more lenders are specializing in loans for fertility treatments. And while it means more and more couples will able to afford the treatments, the Hastings Center Report journal notes that the increase in lenders has some concerned that doctors are only marketing the lenders they are affiliated with — without keeping the couples needs in mind. In the past, “fertility loans” (as they’re called) were created in response to the high cost of fertility procedures, which at the time included IVF and donor eggs....
“I got out of going to some of my in-laws’ parties. Fortunately, my husband was happy to use the pregnancy as an excuse as well.” — BuBBalini “At the beginning of my pregnancy, the smell of dirty dishes made me sick to my stomach, so I told my husband that he had to do them. I never mentioned that I quickly got over the aversion. Those were some glorious dishwashing-free months!...
Other than finding out whether you’re having a boy or a girl, most women prefer to do without surprises when expecting. We all want pregnancy to go according to plan, and this includes hitting the full-term delivery window of about 40 weeks. So if signs of preterm labor, such as early-stage contractions, appear weeks in advance of your due date, confusion and panic may set in—and that’s absolutely understandable. It’s also understandable that, until reading this article, you’ve probably paid zero attention to what causes preterm labor....
8 - 9 a.m. Wake up. Immediately have a 5 ounce bottle of formula. Get dressed, diapered and head out to her grandparents (who watch her while mommy and daddy are working). 9:30 a.m. Breakfast of baby cereal and 2 ounces of fruit. 10 – 11 a.m. Playtime. 11 a.m. – noon Morning nap. Noon – 1 p.m. When she wakes up between this window of time, she gets another 5 ounce bottle of formula, along with some type of protein (like baby yogurt, egg yolk, or shredded cheese) and another 2-4 ounces of fruit for lunch....
With the seemingly endless parade of pregnant and new-mom celebrities in the public eye, we are bombarded with images of growing baby bumps, speculation (and judgement) about pregnancy weight gain and inevitable tales of how quickly (or not-so-quickly) stars shed their weight after baby comes. And we love it! You won’t catch me criticizing our fascination with pregnant celebrities. I recognize that we somehow identify with stars on a more human level as they pass through the rites of passage in motherhood....
No matter how painstakingly daddies-to-be pore over the pregnancy and parenting guides, there’s invariably a lesson or two they’ll overlook about dealing with a new baby and a postpartum woman. And, according to Bumpies, guys tend to miss the same few things over and over. From real moms, here are the top things women wish new dads knew (yes, there’s an entire section dedicated to diapers). Pregnant women/new moms: Print it out, add your notes, and hand to your husband....
If one thing is consistent with babies, it’s that they’re always changing. By the time your child is one, you may finally feel like you’ve gotten into a comfortable routine—only to have your little one suddenly start fighting the naps they used to so happily take. What gives? It may be time for your tot to drop a nap, whether you’re ready or not. Here, we tapped experts for their top tips on when to transition to one nap and how to do it without having a total crankypants on your hands....
