Posts

And the Winner Is: Baby Bjorn Potty Chair Sometimes, simplicity wins. Of course, potty training is far from easy, but this super-streamlined, no-frills potty chair from Baby Bjorn is our fave for a multitude of reasons. For starters, it won’t mess with your bathroom aesthetic. (We love you Minnie Mouse, but we don’t need to see your face every time we retreat to the washroom for a moment of solitude.) That said, it is available in a multitude of child-friendly but decor-appropriate hues....

When your first child has a classic name like Abigail or Jonathan, giving your second baby a trendy or ethnic name like Roxy or Topaz just doesn’t sound right — and vice versa. Keep all of your kids’ names popular or unique or ethnic. But, more specifically, when naming each child, you may also want to consider sticking to the same general baby name category or theme — such as virtue baby names, bookworm baby names or ancient baby names....

Indulge her fondness for the City of Lights and infuse everything from the food and dessert to the decor and invitation with a touch of France. If you’re headed out, choose a French restaurant or, if you’re staying in, order in a yummy brunch that includes croissants, crepes, and still-warm baguettes. The Invite: Forget a store-bought invite and get creative. Inspired by France’s fields of lavender, choose a palette of light purple, black, and white....

Jeanne Cygnus is a board certified lactation consultant who has been helping moms and babies with breastfeeding issues for over 15 years. She not only founded the first independent lactation clinic in her area, but also co-founded a corporate lactation company that provides breastfeeding help and resources to thousands of employees across the U.S. In addition, Jeanne served as the president of her local ILCA (International Lactation Consultants Association)for two terms and provides breastfeeding support to local pediatrics and OB offices....

Gestational diabetes has become one of the most common pregnancy complications in the US, with about 7 percent of pregnant women developing the condition. But just because it’s more widespread doesn’t mean it comes without risks. So what is gestational diabetes—and how can you minimize your chances of getting it? In this article What is gestational diabetes? What causes gestational diabetes? Gestational diabetes symptoms Gestational diabetes treatment How to prevent gestational diabetes...

Itchy skin is something we all experience at one point or another, but it’s especially common during pregnancy. Why? Your skin is slowly being stretched to accommodate your growing belly, and that can make you all kinds of itchy. But while most pregnancy-related itchiness can simply be chalked up to your stretching skin, there are a few health conditions that can be behind it too. So how can you tell if it’s just another pregnancy symptom, or something that calls for a trip to the doctor?...

When Mindy Weiss came out with her best-selling wedding planner organizer, the next logical step was a baby book. “As the saying goes, ‘first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage!’” says the celebrity event planner, whose latest project, The Baby Keepsake Book and Planner, is a creative and customizable way to track baby’s milestones. And she should know something about helping couples celebrate some of the biggest moments of their lives....

When you hear the term “nesting,” you might think of songbirds gathering twigs, grasses and soft leaves to make a cozy home for their hatchlings. But the impulse to create a safe, comfortable space to house and protect your expanding family is experienced across the animal kingdom—humans included. At some point or another, many moms-to-be feel the overwhelming desire to redesign, reorganize and obsessively clean their living space—and this, friends, is what’s known as nesting during pregnancy....

And the Winner Is: Boppy ComfyFit Baby Carrier There are few things better in this world than baby snuggles, but there will be plenty of times when you need your arms to tackle other tasks. A baby wrap lets you carry your little one hands-free, keeping them close to you and happy. Better yet, a wrap is soft and moves with your body, perfect for wearing baby around the house while you prep a meal, chase after your toddler or manage to sit down and rest your feet for a minute....

It’s easy to label people as “the shy one,” “the funny one” or “the really smart one.” But using this type of labeling, especially on young kids, can be limiting and have a negative affect on attitudes and social skils. The Mother Company talks with pediatric psychologist Lynne Kenney, PsyD, to explore how identifing toddlers by social labels can affect their behavior. Why do we tend to label kids? We create labels to make sense out of complex pieces of data....

Scrolling through your social feed, you’ve likely come across #BlackBoyJoy tagged on images featuring Black “boys” that fall along the age spectrum from babies to adult men. The hashtag may touch you, or it might make you question “why should we only care about Black boy joy?” It goes without saying that every parent wants their child to feel joy whether they’re black, brown, white or anything in between. But there’s a reason the popular hashtag has been used over 1....

Most women who are trying to conceive are intimately familiar with ovulation — that time of the cycle when an egg goes “pop!” (and says “fertilize me!”). Anovulation is the opposite issue: It’s a med-speak way of saying you’re not ovulating, or producing eggs. A large percentage of women who seek fertility help do so because they’re not ovulating. There’s no one single cause of the problem; it can be due to everything from low or high thyroid production to an endocrine disorder or polycystic ovarian syndrome....

“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Man, do all us breastfeeding moms wish people followed that advice before commenting on how we’re feeding our kids! Why is it that something as natural as nursing seems to also bring on so many nasty comments? I may never know the answer to that, but after a year of breastfeeding my son, I do know quite a few things I’d like no mom to ever have to hear again:...

How to Choose the Best Convertible Crib Safety: Crib safety standards—related to hardware and slat size—are strictly enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commision (CPSC). That said, it’s important to note that you should not buy a crib that’s more than 10 years old—or one that has broken or modified parts. One sure sign of a quality product? The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) seal of approval. This certification means that a product has been tested by an independent party and is in accordance with current safety guidelines....

We know better than anyone—the amount of baby gear out there is completely overwhelming. So we took the time to test, evaluate, and highlight it for you. After assembling strollers, lathering up with baby wash and getting up close and personal with some breast pumps, we can finally unveil this year’s Best of Baby Award winners. You’re going to like what you see. This year, we evaluated products across nine categories: Baby Tech, Baby Eats, Diapering, Healthy Baby, Baby Safety, Baby-on-the-Go, Maternity Basics, Nursery, and Baby Learn & Play....

Doubtful. There’s really no evidence that a yeast infection can affect a woman’s odds of getting pregnant, except for one small wrinkle: The itchiness, discharge and generally unpleasant feelings sometimes associated with a yeast infection can make you less likely to be in the mood for a little loving. The good news is that most yeast infections are treatable with over-the-counter antifungal medication. If and when you do get pregnant, you can expect the odds of contracting a yeast infection to go up: The elevated levels of estrogen that come with pregnancy seem to make it easier for the yeast (usually caused by a common fungus called candida) to flourish and multiply....

For years, experts have been telling parents that encouraging your baby’s goo-goo-ga-ga-ing from an early age is essential for establishing the foundation for a strong vocabulary. Now, new research has confirmed that it’s not only babies who are influenced by all that baby talk— parents’ speech is affected too. When a baby looks over at you all wide-eyed and utters some incomprehensible babble, we instinctively respond in our best baby talk....

Sorry, but there’s no specific number to stick to. Just drink to thirst. Breastfeeding does make you thirsty, and as long as you’re drinking enough to satisfy that thirst, you’re fine. The amount of water needed varies from mom-to-mom and day-to-day; you’ll probably drink more on a hot day or when you’re extremely active. One way to tell if you’re adequately hydrated: check your pee. If your urine is pale yellow, you’re taking in enough fluids....

Mommy and daddy guilt… we’ve all experienced it. Did you ever ask yourself, “Am I making a big mistake?” or, “Am I forgetting anything important?” How about: “Am I being too hard on my child?”, “Will I regret my decisions later?” Yup, we’ve all been there. Although they might just be toddlers, they will soon be preschoolers, tween, and eventually the dreaded teenager —yikes! How and what is the best recipe for raising the best reflection of all the amazing brilliant characteristics and values you dream your child will one day reflect?...

The Stats: Name: Irene Chow Age: 40 Occupation: Non-profit arts Children: Two; Bebe (3 1/2 years) and Bruno (1 1/2 years) TB: Tell us your experience with breastfeeding your children. IC: Both of them were difficult in the beginning because, of course, I didn’t know what to do, and I just assumed it was going to be very easy. They both clamped onto me so hard, and I was in so much pain....