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This year marked the start of preschool for my younger son, Holden, for three mornings a week. My older son, Cooper, started Kindergarten this year as well, but at a different school. I had absolutely no idea how much these heart-melting milestones would turn our day-to-day life management completely upside down, and require triple the Mom Memory Capacity. Now, along with my own schedule (the vast majority of which is work-related, because, really, who has time for anything else?...

Fifteen to twenty percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage (according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine), so the first thing to know is that you aren’t alone. Miscarriage isn’t something that many women talk about, possibly because their loss feels too personal or because they feel the subject is taboo. We spoke to clinical psychologist Dr. Shoshana Bennett, Ph.D, a prenatal and postpartum mental health specialist, to get her advice on dealing with the emotional aftermath of losing a pregnancy....

You’ve always known you’re supposed to eat healthy, but being conscious of your choices is easier when you’re eating for two. Kudos to you if you cut out the chips and candy before getting a positive pregnancy test; a study out of the University of Adelaide in Australia just confirmed that a healthy pre-pregnancy diet has amazing benefits for birth. According to The Journal of Nutrition, women who consistently ate foods high in sugar and fat before conception were 50 percent more likely to experience preterm labor, compared to women with a diet high in fruit and protein....

Adulting is hard all on its own, but tack on a baby, and there are days when being a grown-up will seem downright impossible. Sure, you can ask friends, family, your pediatrician and even Internet strangers for advice on how to tackle every parenting problem thrown your way, but parenting books might be the smarter route to take. That’s because for just nearly all of the baby-related issues you’re dealing with— sleep solutions, picky eating, potty training and definitely discipline—there are parenting books to bolster you with the knowledge you need....

Turns out all you really need is a tune! New research conducted by the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York found that infants born with respiratory distress or sepsis tended to do better while listening to sounds similar to their mothers heartbeat or hearing their parents sing a lullaby. The research included 272 premature babies being treated at 11 NICUs where music therapists were available....

What Are STEM Toys? Benefits of STEM Toys for Toddlers What to Look for in STEM Toys for Toddlers Active, not passive. This could be anything from assembling a face on a Mr. Potato Head or racing Matchbox cars over a track made out of pillows to hosting a tea party for stuffed animals. The process of making something, or building something, taking it apart and rebuilding it in a new way, can bring about more learning development and enhanced maturation, says Michael Cohen, PhD, a developmental psychologist and president of Michael Cohen Group, a research and consulting firm focusing on children, education and media....

I recently found myself at the Mall of America because of a work trip. I meandered with my coworker/friend and suggested I check out the maternity stores since I didn’t have to pay sales tax (woo hoo!). I should mention that I have been putting off buying maternity clothes for several reasons: I’m in denial that I’m gaining weight , I’m scared, I pocketed some hand-me-downs from a girlfriend and oh, did I mention that I’m really, really scared about my changing shape?...

As a registered dietitian, my passion is helping others have a positive relationship with food, and I truly believe that can start with baby’s wonderful first bites. Introducing solids should be quick, easy and fun—for both mom and baby! Of course, with all the to-dos that land on parents’ plates and the limited time we have in a day, the prospect of making baby food can sometimes feel overwhelming. So how can you take the stress out of introducing solids?...

As a physical therapist and perinatal fitness instructor, I am often asked by new moms how to best shed the post-baby pounds and regain a waistline. One of the most effective exercises I have found is the plank , which is why it’s a common feature in my classes on BabyWeight.TV. Here is a series of six great variations of the plank that will help you lose the baby weight and get back into your pre-pregnancy jeans (the following exercises are for postpartum moms at least six weeks after birth....

We’re too tired to march for gay pride. Or do anything else, really. When we get coveted downtime on a weekend, we’d rather take the kids hiking up a mountain than along a parade route. We’re still proud, but now we have more pressing commitments — like the kids’ afternoon naps. We are both the “Real Mom.” My wife may have carried the children, but I’ve changed enough diapers, wiped enough tears, and read enough bedtime stories to earn my parenting stripes....

If there’s one universal parenting truth, it’s that you’re going to be talking about baby poop a lot. (Cue questions: How often should a newborn poop? How can you help baby poop? What does green baby poop mean? What exactly should normal baby poop look like?) And while it may not be a typical topic of conversation for the dinner table, it’s something you’ll find yourself thinking about all the time....

When it comes to feeding baby, there’s no “Top 10” list of superfoods for you to print out, stick on the fridge and follow to a tee. (Sorry!) In fact, experts agree that limiting your little one to only a few “best” foods in their first year (or any year, for that matter) would actually do them a disservice. “The first year of life is when the palate is trained,” says Tina Ruggiero, MS, RD, LD, coauthor of The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet....

Types of Maternity Underwear Under-belly maternity underwear: This type rests just under your bump and sits low on the hips. Some under-belly styles also feature a crossover design to reduce pressure on your stomach. Over-belly maternity underwear: Also known as high-waisted or over-bump underwear, this type sits just under your bust line offering full belly coverage. This style of underwear provides gentle support and some pairs even have built-in compression panels to reduce pregnancy aches and pains....

Pros • Smooth, one-handed ride • Streamlined design • Transitions well with a growing child (and family) Cons • Could use more storage • Some accessories aren’t included Bottom Line To me, parenthood often feels less than glamorous. Though expensive, the Bugaboo Cameleon3 makes everyday strolling feel a little bit more like a joyride. Rating: 4.5 stars Ready to register? Shop our catalog for the Bugaboo Cameleon3 Base Stroller. Features I was overwhelmed by where to begin when it came to looking for a stroller....

Does baby have tiny red bumps on their backside? They may be experiencing a bout of diaper rash. Diaper rashes are so common, almost all babies will get one at some point. But while it’s nothing to be alarmed about, a baby butt rash is something you need to be proactive about addressing. After all, you hate seeing baby uncomfortable in any way, and diaper rashes can be a real pain in the, well, you know where....

Should couples be able to choose the sex of their baby? Where the practice of nonmedical sex selection — also referred to as family balancing — is allowed, it comes with a hefty price tag — as much as $15,000 to $20,000 per cycle. But it’s the next step for expansion in the fertility industry. Rather than just help couples who are having difficulty getting pregnant, fertility clinics that practice family balancing help couples determine the specifics of getting pregnant....

It’s even more important to get into the swing of taking your vitamins every day once you know that you’re pregnant. You need the extra boost of folic acid, calcium, and iron even if you’re generally a pretty healthy eater. To jump-start the habit, keep the vitamins next to your toothbrush — you know you’ll brush your teeth at least twice a day, so even if you forget the pill in the morning, you’ll get another shot at remembering at night....

Pregnancy is filled with all sorts of weird aches, pains and discomforts. Unfortunately, experiencing leg cramps during pregnancy is just par for the course. They can spring out of nowhere and stop you in your tracks, or even wake you up at night (and we all know how precious sleep is when you’re expecting). So what’s the deal with these unpleasant charley horses? Here’s why you might be experiencing leg cramps, what you can do to ease the pain in the moment and how to lower the odds of dealing with them again in the future....

It happened again. You woke up a little after two hours of sleep. I tried to get you to fall back asleep, but the smile on your face told me you weren’t going to nod off without a fight. Instead of looking into your sweet, innocent eyes and seeing a boy who was excited to see his mama, I saw a little devil child who refused to sleep. I was exhausted....

One of the biggest side effects of pregnancy is fear of the unknown. This affliction impacts almost all mothers-to-be, and runs the gamut from being a little worrisome to mentally crippling. Nuchal cord, or when baby’s umbilical cord is wrapped around her neck, is one such condition that can conjure up an exceptionally scary image of baby. “One really old wives’ tale about nuchal cord is that as a woman reaches up, say to get something out of the cabinet, the umbilical cord will strangle the baby—this is not true,” says Kecia Gaither, MD, director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln....