You’ve gotten all the essential baby gear, set up the nursery and brought your newborn home from the hospital. But when it comes time for baby’s first bath, there are suddenly so many questions. When can I give my newborn a bath? How often should you bathe a newborn? What’s the right water temperature? Not to worry. We’ve got all the bases covered to prep you for baby’s first bath—and beyond....
Many Americans have felt the effects of the pandemic in their daily lives for a year now, and for parents of young children this is leading to significant burnout. This past year, for parents and kids alike, mental health has been at the top of mind, yet many are still struggling to juggle the constant demands of their new daily life. Parents are now trying to manage caregiving, cooking, cleaning, working, teaching all at once—not to mention they’re also trying to figure out how to best prepare their kids for their “new normal” as they begin to return to life outside the home....
When you’re trying to conceive, it’s only natural to obsessively monitor what’s happening with your vagina. But don’t panic and assume you’re not pregnant if you notice a little spotting. Light, brief bleeding that lasts just a day or two can actually be a sign of early pregnancy. It’s known as implantation bleeding, and it can be a tip-off that an egg has successfully nestled into your womb. It can be unnerving when you see a streak of blood on your underwear or after wiping....
If you have a need and can’t find the right thing to satisfy that need, what do you do? If you’re Iris Shamus, you make it yourself. Eight years ago, Shamus’s middle child, who has severe food allergies, watched as a classmate suffered a serious reaction to dairy after being given Cheez-Its in preschool. “It made me realize that as much as other people promise you that they’re aware, no one really is as aware as Mom and Dad,” Shamus says....
Women who have severe asthma may notice their condition flaring up during pregnancy, says David M. Priver, MD, FACOG. (Fortunately, women with mild asthma may actually notice their symptoms improving while they gestate.) Also note that hormonal changes in pregnancy can cause nasal congestion and shortness of breath that can be confused with asthma. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, although asthma affects up to 8 percent of women of childbearing age, when it’s kept under control it is not associated with significant risk to mom or baby....
I wasn’t supposed to get cancer; I ate organic, juiced, exercised, eliminated toxic products from my daily routines, and helped others achieve optimal health. Nevertheless, it found me…during the most unlikely time. My husband, Allan, and I battled unexplained infertility for four and a half years. After three failed fertility treatments, we finally found ourselves pregnant the “au natural” way! Then, at 18 weeks pregnant, I was diagnosed with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy—a condition marked by intense itchiness caused by a blockage of bile in the liver....
We know, we know. It’s kind of confusing! And to make matters worse, some doctors count the stages, or trimesters, of pregnancy slightly differently. Here’s how we do it here at The Bump (based on what our OB friends have told us, of course!): ** Trimesters ** First trimester OBs count your pregnancy starting with the first day of your last period (LMP) — before you even conceived! So you might not even know you’re pregnant until week 4, week 5 or even later....
You could be experiencing something known as “Raynaud’s Phenomenon.” When you get cold and/or stressed, small arteries constrict (aka vasospasm), causing intense pain and a temporary loss of pigment. Raynaud’s Phenomenon occurs most often in women between the ages of 20 and 49, and it is reported more often in the fingers and toes, but it can affect the nipples too. If this is happening to you, it might have occurred during — or before — pregnancy as well and is not related to breastfeeding....
When to do it You’re most likely to get pregnant if you have unprotected sex in the five days before you ovulate, or on the day itself. And the number one mistake women make when they’re trying to get pregnant? Not getting the timing right. Counting day one of your period as day one of your cycle, most women ovulate about 14 days before their next period. So if your cycle varies between 24 and 30 days, you’ll ovulate somewhere between days 10 and 16....
Ugh. We feel your pain. But we have good news for you: A stool softener, like Colace, is totally safe to use after delivery — even if you’re breastfeeding. In fact, the staff at your hospital might even bring you a dose. There are a few different reasons why new moms take stool softeners. One, of course, is because you’re constipated, something that can be made worse by iron supplements that your doc may have given you if you had significant postpartum blood loss....
And the Winner Is: BabyBjorn Baby Carrier One As a parent, your hands are always full and you’re constantly navigating new terrain—and we mean that both figuratively and quite literally. For agility and hands-free freedom, not to mention the added bond of snuggling baby close, nothing beats a baby carrier. You want one that’s safe and comfortable for you and your child and can offer multiple babywearing options as your little one grows....
And the Winner Is: Beautycounter Baby Gentle All-Over Wash We think that bath time is the best time of the day for baby (and mama, if she can squeeze one in). Did you know that Beautycounter, the clean beauty line with a cult following, makes stellar products for all ages? Their Baby Gentle All-Over-Wash is a 2-in-1 formula that cleans from head to toe. A dime-sized squeeze lathers well and gently washes away the day without stripping baby’s skin of moisture....
This sponsored post was written by Julie Vallese, Consumer Safety Expert at Safety 1st. Our world may be built for adults, but it wouldn’t be complete without children! And the very things that we as adults use every day, in every home, can pose risks to children – like stairs, windows, cabinets, and large furniture. So when a baby arrives, we need to do as much as we can to protect them from these dangers....
Life with baby is messy to say the least. Before you toss your spit-up-stained blouse or baby’s pee-covered onesie, read this. We consulted Steve Boorstein from ClothingDoctor.com to get expert tips on removing even the toughest stains. Poop Wipe off any poop with a spoon or dull knife and pretreat the stain with a stain remover like Spray ‘N Wash. Let it sit on the garment for five minutes before tossing it in the washing machine....
And the Winner Is: Healthybaby Wet Wipes Hypoallergenic? Check. Biodegradable? Check. Soft texture for sensitive skin? Check. These wet wipes from Healthybaby have everything you’re looking for (and more). Larger and thicker than other premium-brand wipes, you’ll be able to take care of all sorts of messes with speed and efficiency. Whether baby’s face needs a quick cleaning after lunch, or a diaper has, um, failed to keep a load contained, these wet wipes have got you and baby covered from head to toe....
Thinking about having a baby… or a career change now that you have a little one? Being a working mom can be hard, but Bumpies on the Working Moms board share both the best and worst careers, in their experience, for moms: “I am a software engineer , and overall I think it’s a pretty good field to be in. There are a lot of jobs, most companies offer flex hours and occasional work from home, I’ve never had to work much overtime, and salaries are high....
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. Ever find yourself completely overwhelmed by the dream nurseries you come across on Pinterest? You’d love to transform your baby’s space into a jungle safari or celestial escape, but the truth is, your budget is holding your vision back....
Snoop in any smart mom’s medicine cabinet and you’ll find a bottle of diphenhydramine—better known by its brand name, Benadryl. There’s regular Benadryl, and then there’s Children’s Benadryl, which is made with a lower-strength formula specifically for kids. For generations, this trusty over-the-counter antihistamine has helped to dry up snot, calm angry baby rashes, quiet sneezes and diffuse a slew of other pesky symptoms that erupt with allergies. It can produce a range of side effects, including making kids super-sleepy (or, surprisingly, crazy-wired)....
Obviously, women have been nursing their babies to sleep since, well, forever. Babies fall asleep when they’re warm and cozy and full. And somehow, all those millions of humans have learned to later fall asleep without a nipple in their mouths. In other words, there’s no substantiated reason that you need to stop nursing baby to sleep if it’s working for you right now. “Why would you want to make your life harder?...
Now that baby’s on the way, it goes without saying that safety will be your number one priority. But protecting your little one isn’t all just about installing baby gates and locking your medicine cabinets. Sometimes the biggest risks to baby’s wellbeing at home are the ones you can’t even see. Melissa Moog, co-author of Itsabelly’s Guide to Going Green With Baby walks us through some of the biggest offenders, and offers suggestions on things you can do now to prepare before baby arrives....
