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Linda Lagemann, PhD, is a mental healthcare policy expert and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California San Francisco Department of Medicine. She worked as a clinical psychologist for 23 years before closing her practice and focusing on policy and legislation, at the State and Federal levels, to put protections in place for children affected by the psychiatric pharmaceutical industry. These are her views and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Bump....

As a five-year veteran of the single mom gig, I’ve been on a constant emotional rollercoaster — feeling like queen of the universe for potty-training my son in a month, panicking at 3 a.m., as I nurse his 104-degree fever, and even doing a happy dance after dropping him off at day care. I’m free, I think … even though I’m headed straight to work. Then there’s the sinking guilt of raising my son without his father and the exhaustion of having to do it all....

My partner and I are looking forward to telling her favorite uncle about our pregnancy, but we’re also deeply nervous. Stuffed full of food, expertly cooked by my partner’s grandmother, we sit bundled in warm clothes in the garage—our new pandemic norm. The rest of the family has gone back inside to warm up, but my partner’s uncle stays behind. It’s now or never. With the angst and intentionality of two lifelong queers, we have spent hours talking through what to say, how to say it and his possible responses....

The Basics Diapers: “A good rule of thumb is to pack at least two days worth of diapers for possible delays (and blowouts!).” Baby wipes: Toss in at least one pack of 50+ wipes Diaper cream Changing pad Bags: Disposable diaper bags, plastic bags for trash and a bunch of Ziploc bags for good measure Formula or stored breast milk: You certainly don’t want baby going hungry. If you’re breastfeeding, having some stored breast milk on hand can be helpful if nursing on the spot proves to be a challenge....

When it comes to baby, you need to be prepared to have the unavoidable discussion surrounding finances. I call it Financial Nesting , and it can be a difficult conversation to have. For dads, you’re likely already stressed trying to figure out how to pay for baby furniture, clothes and the never-ending list of baby accessories like: strollers, high chairs, bottles, bath gear, and the like. You’re probably also concerned about your disappearing space and the possibility that you don’t even have an extra room to turn into a nursery....

You child might love princesses or PAW Patrol with the power of a thousand suns, but it pales in comparison to the love and admiration they have for you. While it may not seem like your toddler cares much about your opinions as they defiantly toss Cheerios on the floor, the truth is, you’re their guiding star—especially when it comes to how they view gender roles and identities. Avoiding learned gender stereotypes can be tricky....

Remember how unsure you were during your first pregnancy? Everything was a bit of a mystery. Was the pregnancy test really positive? Are you allowed to eat that piece of cheese? Was that your baby’s first kick or just plain old gas? When it comes to your second pregnancy, you might assume you’ll the drill. Been there, done that, right? Well, maybe not. It turns out, there are aspects of subsequent pregnancies that may surprise you....

The Bump: Did anything surprise you about pregnancy the third time around? Ali Landry: During my other two pregnancies, my skin glowed. But this time around, I got melasma [aka the mask of pregnancy]. I learned it’s really important to have a great sunscreen and protect your skin as much as possible. I wear a hat whenever I’m outside with the kids now. TB: What are your best maternity fashion tips?...

Crafters love this quirky bird, which is perfect for tapping into any mama’s nesting instincts. This shower has lots of do-it-yourself elements, so if the shower isn’t a surprise, invite the mom-to-be to join in the process. The Invite: It’s time to get crafty and create the invites by hand! Let technology help by printing out the party details on one side of a colored flat card. Then, combine this adorable owl rubber stamp from Paper-Source with letter stamps to spell out the shower’s theme: “Whooo Loves Ya, Baby?...

George In July, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced they’d welcomed a future king to their family, but they made us wait days for a name. When they revealed that Baby Cambridge had been named George, not everybody loved it — but we definitely did! It’s strong and classic, but also sweet enough to work for a baby boy. *_Eisele _We definitely didn’t see this one coming — but we were smitten once we heard it!...

Babymaking can be very romantic. Then again, it can get weird fast. People say and do some crazy stuff when they’re trying to get pregnant—so we asked other Bumpies to share the strangest, funniest things (at least in hindsight) that happened while trying to conceive: “I stuck myself multiple times a day with a needle, did countless trans-vaginal ultrasounds, and spent thousands of dollars…all worth it.” – Melissasmom “Honey! It’s 7:02 and we were supposed to trigger at 7!...

Move over Cat Lady—ever heard of Cat Baby? Your kiddo and their feline friend have a special bond unlike any other. Whether they’re cuddling up during a Sunday snooze or sharing some sweet smooches, there’s no denying those two are the purr-fect pair. Even if your cat pretends to be indifferent to baby’s embrace, deep down they can’t get enough of your little’s TLC. Scroll on for picture-perfect moments of infants and their furry friends....

What is epilepsy during pregnancy? Epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes seizures. What are the signs of epilepsy? Seizures are the hallmark of epilepsy, but not all seizures are lay-down-on-the-floor-and-twitch events. Some seizures are very small and subtle. A person having a seizure could just seem temporarily lost in thought or have a brief staring spell. Are there any tests for epilepsy? A brain scan called an electroencephalogram (EEG) may be used to diagnose epilepsy....

If you’re talking about what’s taking place inside your body each month: There’s a pretty limited shelf life once the egg is released from an ovary; an egg can hang out in the fallopian tubes unfertilized for about 12 to 24 hours, but after that, it will quickly be absorbed by the surrounding tissue. If you’re thinking in terms of how long you have before you won’t be able to pop a baby out on your own: Most women will start to become less fertile starting in their mid 30s, and by their mid-40s it becomes very difficult for most women to get pregnant using their own eggs....

This one is strictly for the fellas: Before you have a baby, it’s just you and your girl. Life is about love and love is about the thread tenuously strung between Venus and Mars. And perhaps never the two shall meet, but still, driven by hope, hormones and lust, you have somehow built a perilous rope bridge between the male and female planets. Because you’re a dude and it smells better over there in lady land....

You’re about to be really, really happy with our answer: Yes, you can totally get a basic facial while you’re pregnant. In fact, it can probably help with any skin issues you’re experiencing right now, like dryness, breakouts or puffiness. (Heck, afterward you may just have that pregnancy glow everyone talks about.) Facials are safe during pregnancy as long as you stick to a basic cleansing facial with no bells and whistles, such as electric currents, chemical peels or laser therapies....

It’s not a bad thing that the baby won’t take a bottle. If the baby is getting several bottles at this age, it is quite conceivable that she will reject the breast sooner or later. Babies even younger than yours can learn to drink from a cup. (See the video clip of a baby of three weeks of age cup feeding at our website NBCI.CA.) It takes practice and patience and not all caretakers are willing to do it, but it certainly is not complicated....

The journey to becoming a parent will look different for everyone, and it can be far from easy. One thing that may affect your efforts to conceive? A septate uterus. While this birth defect is rare, it can be one of the most common ones to affect the uterus. We asked experts to break down everything to know about what a uterine septum is, what causes it and how it may affect your pregnancy journey....

And the Winner Is: iPlay by Green Sprouts Function and comfort are key when it comes to diapering—even more so when that diaper goes for a swim. Finding a waterproof option that won’t weigh baby down but will catch the mess (so you’re not the cause of a pool closure) is no small feat. The iPlay swim diaper has baby (and you) covered, quite literally. A patented three layer design helps prevent diaper rash and contains the mess with a snug fitting waist and legs and super-soft fabrication....

What’s the one workout that suits pregnant women of all stripes? “Walking,” chorused the group I interviewed for my book, Walking Through Pregnancy and Beyond. For everyone — from the Texas triathlete and coach who needed to scale back, to a Colorado woman who simply pledged to walk the short distance to work — walking was both as gentle and as challenging as they needed it to be. “I recommend walking to most of my patients who are pregnant,” says Tanya Ghatan, MD, an ob-gyn at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston....