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Hey, Mom-to-be! Aren’t you JUST GLOWING? Oh…you actually feel like you’re living in a low-budget science fiction movie where a squirming parasite inhabits your abdominal cavity and gradually drains you of your life force while also kicking you squarely in the bladder? Have you tried glowing harder? Because everyone really, really wants you to glow. Yes, it is hard to glow when your stomach is a churning pit of acid that rivals the last scene in The Little Mermaid where Ursula becomes a giant angry octo-monster and the entire sea rises up with half-digested saltine crackers....

Before you head outside to enjoy that beautiful day with baby, look over this important checklist of ways to stay safe in the summertime. [ ] Stay out of the sun. Babies under six months should never get direct rays, and older kids should still avoid as much as possible. This means hats (look for one with a flap that covers the neck), an umbrella on the stroller, and lots and lots of shade....

Have you ever been concerned your child wasn’t developing on track? The answer to that question is probably yes. As a mother and a speech pathologist — almost every parent I’ve talked with has worried, at some point, that their child might not be within the normal range for some development milestone. As a first time mom and a medical professional, I was extremely nervous for my son to reach each developmental milestone....

If you eat yogurt, you probably have at least a vague understanding of probiotics. They’re organisms, like “good” bacteria and yeasts, that aid in digestion and boost the immune system. But a new study suggests they may not be so good for newborns. The study looks at just one subject, a baby boy in Poland who was administered both antibiotics and a probiotic product at two days old. Although he was born full term, the baby weighed just 5 pounds and was diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction— meaning he had a slow growth rate in the womb....

When your bump is growing, it can be hard to imagine what baby looks like and how big he or she actually is. That’s why one of our favorite features on The Bump app is the week-by-week fruit comparison update. Whether baby is as big as a strawberry or as long as a head of lettuce, the app’s fruit and veggie updates can help add some context. Check out some of our favorite photos of moms-to-be making a real-life comparison between their weekly fruit and their belly....

Stretch mark cream? Pregnancy pillows? Bands that make your pre-pregnancy clothes fit? We know you’re probably sure you need every single one of these, right? Well, maybe not. We asked moms to dish what the maternity items they bought but then never used. Nice-to-Have Maternity Wear “I found the band that’s supposed to make my pre-pregnancy pants fit to be pretty useless. I got a few early on for the ‘in-between’ stage (regular pants were too tight, maternity pants were too big) but my pants would be falling down and you could clearly tell that my jeans weren’t buttoned because the material was so thin....

Our little family is made up of the four of us. There’s my husband, Cameron, myself and our two girls, Willow, who is turning four in June, and London, our almost-four-month-old little bubba. Cameron is outnumbered by us girls! I’m a working mum, but at the moment I am spending my time at home as a mummy looking after the girls. London was born at the end of November 2014. When working (I am going back soon) I am a wedding planner and coordinator for three wedding venues in Sydney, on the Northern Beaches, in the best spots with the best views (I might be biased)....

There are some parents who do not believe in traveling with small children because they think that they won’t remember the trip, or maybe there’s too much to pack, or sleeping with a baby in tow might be difficult — or maybe they’re worried it’s too expensive. But then there are the other parents, like me, who love to travel with their children. I think that these trips we take together help to build life long foundations with deep emotional roots and memories....

As the saying goes, the only thing you can predict about giving birth is that it will be unpredictable. And some of those unexpected things include bowel movements and plenty of bodily fluids. If you happen to let loose in front of a doctor, nurse or midwife, don’t give it a second thought. “Nothing surprises us. Nothing fazes us,” says Jane Martin, MD, an OB with Midtown Ob/Gyn who practices at Rose Medical Center in Denver....

You’re right to be concerned about safety: According to the CDC, drowning is now the number one cause of accidental death in children ages one to four. But when it comes to swim safety, parental supervision is far more important than safety gear. “Floaties, swimmies, water wings and swim suits with flotation panels are not recommended because they’ve not been shown to be helpful in preventing drowning,” says Michael Lee, MD, a pediatrician at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas....

What’s that? You don’t know what a Dad Bod is? Don’t feel bad. I’d never heard of the Dad Bod either, until I woke up the other day and realized I couldn’t see my toes. Despite having been the one who carried the baby in her womb, my partner, Michelle, somehow snapped back to her lithe dancer’s figure a few months after giving birth, but I still look like 10 pounds of chopped meat in a 5-pound bag, only less delicious....

What is thrombophlebitis during pregnancy? Thrombophlebitis is the inflammation of a blood vessel caused by a clot. You’re more prone to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — which is clot deep in a vein, usually in a leg or arm — during pregnancy. If the clot swells, that’s thrombophlebitis. What are the signs of thrombophlebitis during pregnancy? Pain is the main symptom. If you have severe pain in one limb report it to your doc immediately....

Image: Natalia Spotts1. How much longer? We asked women to reveal the most burning questions they had in the delivery room, and by far, the most popular response was, “How long…” How long will I be in labor? How long will I push? How long do inductions take? Length of time is such a common question because, well, your body and brain are programmed to get that baby out, and (obviously) because labor hurts, so you’ll be pretty impatient....

Baby’s first cries after birth likely warmed your heart. They were, after all, the first sounds you heard your infant make. Fast-forward a few weeks and the crying might not be as reassuring. In fact, it may be downright difficult to endure some days and could leave you wondering if the constant sobbing and screaming is normal—or even healthy. The good news is your baby is probably perfectly fine. The bad news?...

When do babies smile? Turns out, baby has been perfecting that picture-perfect smile long before arriving on the scene: Reflex smiles actually happen in utero, between 25 and 27 weeks gestational age. But this type of baby smile is not in response to an emotional trigger—it’s just a biological way for baby to start practicing different skills. And baby’s not just smiling. Along with sucking, blinking and even crying, baby can be captured via ultrasound “testing” his smiling abilities long before birth....

Are you a full-fledged fish lover? Then we have good news for you; pregnant women should be eating more fish than previously thought. U.S. regulators from the FDA and EPA proposed on Tuesday that pregnant or nursing women, as well as women who are trying to become pregnant, should eat between eight and twelve ounces of low-mercury fish every week. The report was long-expected and pointed out the many health benefits of eating fish during and just after your pregnancy....

The parenting struggle is real. From the second you’re up to the moment you drop, it’s go time—and with a million to-dos on your list, every minute counts. Who has time to search for missing socks or separate the forks and knives from the dishwasher? Not these savvy parents, who have figured out ways to squeeze every drop of productivity from their day. Read on for their tried-and-true life hacks to help make the day run a little more smoothly....

New reports from the International Committee for the Monitoring of Assisted Reproductive Technology noted that more than 5 million babies have been born due to alternative conception methods. Since 1978, Richard Kennedy, a committee board member, noted, more than 5 million babies have been born due to advanced reproductive medicine — and IVF is among one of the leaders. In the last six years, more than 2.5 million babies have been born due to IVF....

No parent ever wants to see their little one sick, so it’s natural for panic to set in the minute baby feels warm to the touch—especially if it’s your little one’s first fever. The sad reality is, as much as no one wants it to, odds are baby will have their first fever sooner or later. Your best defense is to know what is considered a fever for a baby and the best course of action to take....

When it’s time to bring your newborn home, you want to be sure the house is safely set up to receive him—and the best time for baby proofing your home is long before he actually arrives. Ideally, get started at least three months before your due date, because some of the recommended baby proofing preparations may take time. Once baby starts to crawl (around 6 to 10 months), you’ll need to do a second baby proofing sweep to make sure the house is safe for a baby on the move....