A loose routine? Probably. A schedule? No. Breastfed babies don’t tell time; their tummies tell them they’re hungry! Newborns nurse at least 10-12 times every 24 hours, and it’s normal to have frequent feedings in the early days when you’re establishing your supply. A baby’s tummy is the size of a marble when he’s born and grows as he develops. Breast milk is more easily digested than formula, so being hungry often is very normal....
Motherhood stirs up a well of emotion, often too complicated to sort through on your own. The experience of having seemingly contradictory emotions from day to day, even moment to moment, is part of what makes the motherhood journey so rich and, at times, so overwhelming. From the time you’re visibly pregnant, friends, family and even strangers feel free to offer advice. Some of it may be welcome. Some of it may not....
Once you’ve made the big decision to start a family, it’s hard to wait. And while your patience may be waning, you can (and should!) begin planning right away. That’s because—as it turns out—there’s more to getting pregnant fast than just having sex at the right time; it’s also about creating the perfect environment so that when sperm meets egg, a healthy embryo grows into a healthy baby. Conceiving quickly may be the goal, but it’s never a guarantee....
With traditional baby showers on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s time to find creative ways to celebrate baby’s arrival. A popular way to safely celebrate is to host a social distancing baby shower. What does that mean, and how can you go about planning one? First things first: Always follow the CDC and local government social distancing guidelines and recommendations for group gatherings. The shower may look a little different than usual, but on the bright side, you get to be even more creative with games, decorations and party entertainment....
Seem like everyone you know is making the “It’s a boy!” announcement? It’s not just you—it’s statistics. Since the 17th century, scientists have noticed a slightly tilted sex ratio at birth: 51 percent of babies born are boys. So why is that? A group of biologists decided to probe further, and published their findings in a research article. Researchers from Harvard, Oxford, Fresh Pond Research Institute and Genzyme Genetic collected 140,000 embryos created in fertility clinics and an additional 900,000 from fetal screening tests....
When Jamie Lackey was pregnant with her first child, her family and friends couldn’t wait to help her celebrate, throwing her no less than five baby showers. “It was insane,” says the Georgia mom, who now has two kids in grade school. But something nagged at Lackey. “There are other women who don’t get that chance—people for whom a baby shower isn’t even on the radar,” she says. As a social worker, Lackey had experienced firsthand the frustrations of equipping low-income mothers with basic needs for their babies—especially diapers....
This question actually comes from us, to you. We’ve seen tons of talk about Bump Watching on the boards lately, and we want to know more! Here’s what you had to say… “I try to take weekly pictures of my belly so that I can compare the changes later. For me, it’s because I’ve always tried to have a flatter stomach (although I never really succeeded!) and now I finally have the freedom to flaunt my bump!...
Ever notice how adults rarely get ear infections, but kids seem to get one every other day? Well, that’s because kids have a horizontal middle ear canal (the area right behind the ear drum, connected to the inside of the mouth), so when fluid gets in there, it’s hard to drain out and it gets inflamed (_your _middle ear canal is more slanted). Don’t panic if baby is screaming, crying and red in the face — middle ear inflammation is painful, but _not _threatening....
Whether your child spits up after a feeding, breaks out in a rash or develops a drippy nose and red eyes, baby allergies can be scary for any parent to witness. Add to that the possibility of anaphylactic shock in the most serious of baby allergies cases, and it can be downright dangerous. But don’t stress: Our primer on how to spot symptoms of a baby allergic reaction, plus prevention strategies and home remedies, will put your mind at ease and help keep baby safe....
You know what makes me laugh? When people say things like, “You’re having a baby? Congratulations! Get ready for sleepless nights for the next 18 years!” Or some variation thereof. As if being a parent is only an 18-year commitment and then you’re free and clear. As if your child becomes a legal adult and then it’s out of sight, out of mind, off to Hawaii and couples cruises you go!...
You’re almost full term and the finish line is approaching, when suddenly your OB or midwife informs you that baby is breech—plot twist! If baby is in a breech position, it means their feet or bottom is pointed toward your cervix rather than their head. You’ve just encountered an early example of a universal truth in parenting: Few things ever go as perfectly as you planned. A breech birth often means a c-section delivery is in store for you, and that can feel disappointing and worrisome, especially if you’ve been hoping to deliver vaginally....
Everyone dreams about it… that moment when you can eat (almost) everything again once baby is out. Yum! Bumpies on the 2nd Trimester community board are already fantasizing about the first forbidden bite (or sip!). Check out their plans to binge after baby (their ideas are making us drool): “After I have my child I would LOVE some sushi. Excuse me. I mean like 3 platters of sushi.” – ImaniJ5* “I want an ice cold beer!...
Need? No. But want? Yeah, maybe. The bottle warmer is one of those things that some parents never touch and others rely on, and you might not know whether you’re the former or the latter until after baby arrives. The reason being, a bottle of formula or breast milk can be warmed in other, simpler ways than with a fancy contraption — namely, by putting it in a bowl of warmed water, or running warm tap water over its sides....
You’ve got a to-do list a mile long and an ever-looming deadline — your due date. No wonder your heart is racing. Not to stress you out more but “reducing anxiety may help you have a healthier pregnancy,” says Lindsey Longerot, MD, ob-gyn at The Women’s Specialists of Houston at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. In fact, some studies have shown that stress reduction techniques may reduce the risk of preterm birth or low birth weight in babies....
Starting solids is an exciting and important milestone in baby’s development—one that not only opens them up to a brand-new world of flavors and textures, but also puts them on the right path to growing healthy and strong. Here’s what you need to know about how and when to start baby food for a smooth transition. In this article: When to start baby food How to start baby on solids Best first foods for baby Introducing allergenic foods...
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you’re putting together a nursery. Baby boutiques will have you ooh-ing and aah-ing over scores of items—all of which seem absolutely crucial to your tot’s future happiness and well being, including that pink couch fashioned out of 100 percent organic cotton by some artisan in Brooklyn. But the truth is, babies are simple folk. Only a few things are genuinely important, and everything else is merely nice to have....
The majority of miscarriages do take place in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. The medical term is “early miscarriage,” and the cause is usually chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus. It’s far less likely — but still possible — for a pregnancy to fail after those first three months. A miscarriage between weeks twelve and twenty is less likely due to genetic problems with the baby and more likely the result of something amiss in the mother’s body, such as a structural problem with the uterus or an incompetent cervix....
Erika Lenkert: During the course of writing The Real Deal Guide to Pregnancy, more than a few mommies expressed to me how unprepared they were for the emotional side of pregnancy. The physical effects were obvious enough, but no one can truly understand that the crazy hormone cocktail the pregnant body is continually swilling can momentarily propel even the most relaxed, jovial mommy-to-be into states of belligerence, hopelessness, or fury over things as trivial as a television commercial or missing tub of ice cream....
Ask pretty much any new mom what her post-baby body gripe is and you’re almost always going to get the same answer: mommy tummy—you know, that baby bump vestige that jiggles like Jell-O and won’t disappear even as the pregnancy weight melts away and your biceps start showing definition. Treadmills prove useless. Crunches don’t do a thing. It’s one belly bulge that won’t budge—that is, unless you tackle it head-on with the right workout....
I send/receive (over 1,000) an embarrassing amount of texts a month (I’m on Sprint’s inexpensive “all you can eat” plan). But wait, before you gasp in horror, read this study that finds people who get more texts are happier. As one of the “texting pioneers” (I started texting in the summer of 2003), I feel part of the texting movement and it’s new language. Acronyms like “OMG,” “WTH,” and ones that didn’t catch on that my mom friends and I thought up on the spot such as “SMN” (shoot me now) and “PSDS” Post San Diego Syndrome - a disturbing condition my kids get for about a week after spending time with their amazing grandparents)....
