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Every state—including Washington, DC—has car seat and booster seat laws that establish what kind of child restraint your kids should ride in, depending on their height, weight and age. But the specifics of those laws vary wildly from state to state. They also tend to be pretty lax, especially when compared with the car seat and booster seat safety recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Those guidelines say children should remain in a rear-facing car seat until at least the age of 2, or whenever they outgrow the car seat’s height and weight limits....

In March of 2020, the world went into quarantine thinking it would be just a few weeks of home-cooked meals and inconveniences. But the lingering COVID pandemic and social distancing requirements continue to create challenges for families—including those who are concerned about a potential developmental delay in their child and want to seek out an evaluation. They’re unsure of how to proceed: Do they prioritize their child’s development and see a professional, or do they protect their health and safety by avoiding in-person visits?...

Nothing captures the essence of parenthood quite like stock photos. What’s that? You don’t agree? Neither does Sara Given, the Ohio mom behind the new Tumblr account It’s Like They Know Us. She’s calling out the stock photo depictions of motherhood, from blissful breast pumping glam shots to the number of white couches featured in these photos (because what’s an afternoon of elbow grease and Resolve?). And she’s doing it by creating sarcastic captions....

The latest study finds that expectant moms should get as little as 20 minutes of exercise in at least three times a week if they want a smarter baby. The study, presented at the Neuroscience 2013 conference over the weekend, was aimed at moving exercise when you’re expecting to the forefront of every mom-to-be’s mind. For the study, researchers assigned 60 women to two random groups: The first was women who were provided with an exercise routine and the second was women who were not....

Throw yourself a pity party…but don’t overdo it Yes, you can feel sorry for yourself. “I do believe in throwing pity parties,” says Shoshana Bennett, PhD, a clinical psychologist. You don’t even have to stop at one pity party. If you need to do it each month until you’re pregnant, go ahead. But here’s the trick: You want to end on a positive note each time, or else it could lead to more depression....

Babies have a long, adorable list of skills to learn: how to crawl, how to stand, how to turn those babblings into fluent conversation, how to not drop a spoon on the floor for the fifth (or sixth!) time. Safely chewing and swallowing are on that list too—which means while infants are born ready to eat, they’re not totally primed to avoid choking. Here’s what you need to know about preventing baby from choking and how to perform infant CPR in the event of a worst-case scenario....

When your sweet baby is an infant, diaper changes can be a serene time of bonding (barring the occasional, er, misfire). But as your little one transforms into an inquisitive, mobile toddler, suddenly asking them to stay still can be challenging to say the least. A toddler diaper change can become one of the great—and sometimes comical—struggles of the day as they wiggle, resist, scream, twist and run off. If your toddler hates diaper changes, you’re definitely not alone....

We know, you’ve probably been bombarded with parenting advice from the moment you announced you were expecting—some of it helpful and some, well, not so much. Here, moms share the most supportive guidance they received from fellow mom friends and family members that had been through it all before. “The best piece of advice came from my mom, who said, “This too shall pass.” A lot of things happen once you’ve delivered; it’s overwhelming....

There’s a reason parents dread traveling on a plane with children, especially toddlers. The terrible twos and the ups and downs of kids who quickly go from happy to angry—and unafraid to let others know it—make flying with toddlers even harder than flying with infants. It doesn’t have to be this way! With planning and preparation, parents can boost their odds of a successful flight and continue traveling to places beyond driving distance....

By the time you reach those final weeks of pregnancy, you can’t help but feel as if you’ve been pregnant forever and are more than ready to meet your baby. And yet the idea of labor induction—a process that nudges the birthing process along—can bring on some anxiety, especially if you’ve had your heart set on a medication-free birth. Understandably, you’ll have questions—so we spoke with top experts to bring you answers....

Becoming a parent is a big life change, so it’s a given that it’ll take some time to get used to. According to a study led by the baby brand Munchkin, on average it takes most new moms four months and 23 days to adjust to motherhood, a new baby and a new lifestyle. According to survey results, after nearly five months postpartum, most new moms settle into their new routines and gain confidence in their parenting abilities: They learn what baby’s different cries mean; they stop worrying about dealing with baby in public; they learn to be armed more snacks, spare clothes and diapers than they could ever dream; and they also get over the hump of exhaustion, tears and frustration that come with new motherhood....

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....

When you’re trying to get pregnant, you’re open to all sorts of ways to help smooth the way. Wouldn’t it be great if simply taking some herbal supplements could do the trick? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy — and it could even be dangerous. The problem is that with many herbal supplements — unlike the pills you might get from a pharmacy shelf — you don’t really know exactly what you are getting or how much of it....

Preparing for baby no. 2 can be stressful for any parent—and even more confusing for your older child. Whether your toddler is pumped for a little brother or sister, pretty unhappy about the whole prospect or simply doesn’t understand what’s about to happen, it’s important to talk to your child about to expect—and shower them with lots of love. Here’s how to start that conversation and get your child excited about having a sibling....

Have you heard about the runner who went into labor just minutes after she crossed the finish line at the Chicago Marathon? If she can train for and complete a 26.2-mile run, you can assume that standing isn’t going to harm baby. That said, nobody’s promising it’s going to be comfortable. “Some pregnant women who stand for long periods of time, especially during the last trimester, will experience back pain and swelling and discomfort in their legs,” explains Hilda Hutcherson, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University Medical Center and the author of What Your Mother Never Told You About S-e-x....

When Kim Knoblauch gave birth to her first child in the US in 2006, the only maternity leave pay she received was a month’s worth of accrued vacation and sick time. And then when she was ready to return to work, she found her job no longer existed. Since her employer was a small company, it didn’t have to adhere to federal laws that require 12 weeks of job protection after the birth of a child....

Ah, if only all check-ins on the road to pregnancy were as easy as the pregnancy test itself. Pee on a stick, get fairly immediate results, react accordingly. This week, e.p.t. announced a new suite of at-home tests to make your life a whole lot easier. The Preconception Health Test is especially cool. While you should still go to your OB if you think you have a problem or have serious concerns, you can at least screen for preexisting vaginal infections — which could interfere with both conception and pregnancy — from home....

And the Winner Is: Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen Did you know people get most of their sun exposure before age 18? That means you’ll play a big role in protecting baby’s delicate skin now and for years to come. Slathering SPF onto a squirmy 6-month old or an energetic toddler presents its own set of challenges. Finding a sunblock that glides on easily and offers mineral-based protection is crucial. Thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen checks all the boxes....

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. Melissa Clayton was in search of the perfect “mommy necklace” after becoming a mom. When she didn’t find one, she decided to create her own. In 2010, Clayton traded her career as a CPA and founded Tiny Tags, a fine jewelry brand that creates unique and customizable jewelry for moms around the globe....

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about getting pregnant (or preventing pregnancy altogether!), and it can be hard to distinguish between fact and fiction. Ask your friends, “Can you get pregnant from precum?” and you’ll likely get different answers. So, what’s the verdict? Can precum cause pregnancy? Read on to learn the truth as experts explain what precum is, when it occurs and the chances of getting pregnant from precum....