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Meet Sara Given, a first-time mom who’s found her place in the online parenting world by poking fun at it. Her blog “It’s Like They Know Us” rounds up all those ridiculously idyllic parenting stock photos you hate so much and adds the snarky captions they deserve. Check out her new book, Parenting is Easy! (You’re Probably Just Doing it Wrong). Newborns cry…a lot! While it may all seem like noise, your baby is actually communicating complex and specific information with you....

And the Winner Is: Bugaboo Stardust A playard is a must-have for most parents, and here’s why: Sometimes, you just need a safe place to put baby. It’s an essential piece of travel gear for sure, since it doubles as a portable crib, but you don’t even have to leave home to get plenty of use out of it. Meet the brand-new Bugaboo Stardust. Unlike other playards, you can pop up the Stardust in one second flat—no work-out level assembly here....

Is there anything cuter than an itty-bitty baby hand reaching for an itty-bitty baby toy? If you’re eager for your infant to start holding their rattle, grabbing their feet and batting at objects, you may have to wait a little longer. Although babies are born with a reflexive grasp (you know, the very thing that explains why their tiny fingers perpetually pull at your hair!), they won’t purposely reach out and take hold of something until they’re a few months old....

Can you get pregnant on your period? It’s a common question women ask, whether they’re hoping to have a baby or trying to avoid pregnancy altogether. The answer can be tricky, given how confusing the timing of ovulation can be. That said, we reached out to experts to find out once and for all whether getting pregnant on your period—or directly before or after it—is even a possibility, and how to figure out when you’re least and most fertile....

We’d never stand in the way of love… but wait at least six weeks. It takes your uterus and cervix time to heal (this applies to both vaginal and cesarean deliveries) so getting it on any sooner puts you at risk of infection. (Not to mention pain!) Hold off on intercourse until you get the go-head from your doctor, most likely at your six-week checkup. Even though penetration is off limits, you can certainly engage in other forms of sexual intimacy before the six week mark....

In general, after 20 weeks, your fundal height (the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus) should pretty much equal the number of weeks you’ve been pregnant. So, if you start measuring more than two centimeters off in either direction, your OB will probably schedule you for an ultrasound to check things out. Possible reasons for measuring large: You simply have a big, healthy baby Your due date was wrong You’re carrying twins or more You have too much amniotic fluid Baby is especially high in the uterus You have gestational diabetes (which can lead to bigger babies)...

The tricky thing about dealing with sinus issues is figuring out whether they’re pregnancy-related. That’s because pregnancy can cause the blood vessels and membranes in your nose to swell, and it can be tough to breathe through your nose — even if you’re not sick at all. If your symptoms are just pregnancy-related, saline nose drops and running a humidifier at home can help you feel more comfortable. If you’re sick with a sinus infection, those treatments can help, too, but you’ll probably have to wait it out....

Parenting young children is not a task for the faint of heart. No other job requires as much energy, devotion, constant attention, chaos management, and selfless love as that of a parent. There are very few breaks, no days off, and even “vacation time” can get pretty hectic! So what can you do when you need a break, need to get something done, or need the kids to calm down and be quiet for more than 5 minutes?...

I didn’t get pregnant quickly like I thought I would. Who knew that after years of trying to prevent pregnancy, I would actually have to try really hard? (Not me.) I’ve been pregnant five times and have two kids, and I’ve learned a ton about my body and conception along the way. Like most couples, we started out with a la-tee-da “if we don’t prevent it, it will happen” mentality. When nothing happened, I researched how fertility really works, and I discovered something no doctor or friend told me — trying for baby around day 14 meant nothing to me when my cycles lasted anywhere from 25 to 60 days!...

Have you ever had your carefully laid plans ruined by a sudden attack of toddler whining? Picture this: You’re excited to spend the morning with your little one—maybe you’re heading to the zoo or their favorite playground. But, at some point, something goes awry. You’re stuck in traffic, you forgot to pack a snack or perhaps the wind blew the wrong way. Suddenly, your happy kiddo has been replaced by a whinier, crankier version of themselves....

Think Positive As tempting as it is to torture yourself by thinking you may have missed this month’s chance to get pregnant, it won’t do anyone any good. “There can often be a feeling of desperation,” says Shoshana Bennett, PhD, a clinical psychologist. “It can help to adopt the attitude of it’s not ‘now or never.’ You may want this pregnancy very much, but if you don’t get pregnant this time, it’s not the end....

So, you’ve met Megan and Michael and learned about their search for a new home for their family. The latest news? Their current home sold faster than they had expected—after just three days on the market—so the clock is now ticking for them to find a new place that’s within their budget of $220,000 Below, check out the Omaha-area homes they’ve seen so far, from ranch-style spaces that seemed (almost) perfect to houses that were an absolute no....

Ready? Set? Sperm! A recent study by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology concluded that sperm is affected by the seasons! According to the research, “Seasonal sperm pattern seems to be a circannual-rhythmic phenomenon. The winter and spring semen patterns are compatible with increased fecundability and may be a plausible explanation of the peak number of deliveries during the fall.” But to us common folk, it means this: your partner’s sperm are healthiest in the winter and spring....

Flashback to four years ago: I was at a Pilates class, and it was my first workout postpartum. I’d been so busy at home with my newborn, delighting in baby cuddles (and dealing with life as a new mom) that hitting the gym was last on my list. As I struggled with simple exercises, the instructor asked how old my infant was. “Three months,” I replied. The truth is, she was actually 9 months old....

Maybe I was naïve, but I thought getting pregnant was as simple as having unprotected sex, and I’d be a mom in nine months flat. We spent years trying to prevent pregnancy, waiting until we were ready and having panic attacks if my period was late. So naturally, once we stopped preventing—boom!—it should’ve happened, right? Silly me. Here are the five things I wish someone had told me before I started trying to have a baby....

The main objective of any television commercial is to get you to buy (or buy into) something, but sometimes that 60-second spot does a little more. We took our thumbs off the fast-forward button long enough to laugh, cry and admire some of the very best advertisements geared toward moms this past year. Instead of running to the bathroom or grabbing a snack during these commercial breaks, we invite you to stay tuned and enjoy....

Hopefully, this new campaign from the organization When Nuture Calls will change the way some of the country feels about moms breastfeeding in public. So many new moms come under fire for breastfeeding in gyms, restaurants and other public places, leading to often getting kicked out and feeling ashamed about it. Then, they often have to resort to breastfeeding in public restrooms where the cleanliness and space factor is much less than desirable....

Okay, we’re just going to put it out there: No matter how effective your pump is, you might feel a little bit like a cow at first. There’s just no way around it. Don’t let this turn you off the pump itself, though — you’ll (hopefully) work through your feelings and, even if you don’t, you’re providing a valuable service to your baby. Let that be your mantra as you sit there feeling like livestock....

The benefits of active play for children with special needs are undeniable. Active play not only enhances physical health, but it’s just as important for mental health. As a mother of a child with special needs, I always find myself wondering how I can better ensure growth and productivity for my son, Abram. I’ve found that anything I can do that encourages active play, and pride in doing it well, is when his growth and productivity increase the most....

What is an ingrown toenail like for a baby? An ingrown toenail is exactly what it sounds like — a toenail that’s growing into the skin, rather than out over the top of the toe. The ingrown toenail can cause redness, swelling and pain, and may lead to infection. What are the symptoms of an ingrown toenail in babies? “The area at the edge of the nail starts to get raised,” says Katherine O’Connor, MD, a pediatric hospitalist at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City....