And the Winner Is: Honest Me Moment Soaking Salts Pregnancy can take a toll on your body—you’re growing a human after all! A soak in the tub can be restorative—the water makes you feel weighless and can relieve pressure on joints and sore muscles. When done right, it’s almost like a trip to the spa. Keep the water temperature warm but not too hot—you shouldn’t let your core body temperature get higher than 100 degrees....
Worried you’re not interacting enough with your baby? The solution could be as simple as turning your stroller around. That was the conclusion of Suzanne Zeedyk, PhD, after a study she conducted in 2008. And as you Bumpies have been tweeting, Zeedyk is now maintaining her point — and backing it up with further research — on her blog. “So the aim of our 2008 study was simple: to be able to confirm whether or not the direction that a stroller faces has a significant impact on how adults interact with their baby,” Zeedyk writes on her blog....
Things to Consider when Shopping for Plus-Size Maternity Clothes Sizing: One thing to keep in mind is that sizing varies from store to store. Some brands offer sizes up to 6X (60 to 64" waist), while other maternity stores only go up to 3X (44 to 48" waist). To ensure a good fit, use a measuring tape and measure around the fullest part of your bust and hips. In general you can order your pre-pregnancy size in maternity wear, but it’s wise to check the brand’s size guidelines before making a purchase....
I am 23 weeks and five days away from meeting my next baby, but unlike my first pregnancy, the fears of labor and delivery, breastfeeding and picking the perfect baby name are no longer at the top of my “worry list.” Instead my anxiety is focused on how I could possibly love this child as much as I love my first — my dear, sixteen month-old, Penelope. I felt connected to Penelope the day I saw the word “yes” flash across the digital pee test, and over the next nine months my relationship with my unborn child grew as I wrote to her in my journal and talked to her aloud during my long drives to and from work....
Please note this article was written prior to COVID-19. Life’s big and little moments deserve to be celebrated even during a pandemic, but please keep the CDC’s safety guidlelines in mind as you plan your celebrations. Drawing up a summer bucket list for the family is easy-peasy. It’s warm out, the park and playground are free activities and kids want to frolic and get their wiggles out. Creating a winter bucket list, however, is much trickier....
A hop, skip and jump across the pond, where the paella is better than you’d even imagine, Spanish researchers have delivered some seriously sucky news: Moms who choose not work have healthier babies. Which means that working moms are less likely to have healthy babies. Insert sad face here. Behind study author Libertad González, the associate professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, researchers examined the health of registered newborns in Spain from 1981 until 2010....
The jury is still out on this one. There are a few studies that have shown no association between epidurals and breastfeeding success. In some other studies, women receiving an epidural had fewer successful breastfeeding sessions in the first 24 hours after delivery, were more likely to have babies that were supplemented with formula in the hospital, and were more likely to stop breastfeeding in the six months after delivery. Does this mean you won’t be able to breastfeed if you opt for an epidural?...
The best and most popular children’s nursery rhymes are long-lasting for a reason—a few, in fact! They’re fun, educational and thanks to their ear worm melodies, usually impossible to forget… That’s the power of nursery rhymes, and why they’ve been passed along from generation to generation, some as far back as the 1600s! Whether you’re looking for classic English nursery rhymes, Spanish nursery rhymes, French nursery rhymes, the most popular nursery rhymes or the most interactive nursery rhymes, you’ll find them all here....
And the Winner Is: Canopy Humidifier When the weather gets chilly, parents tend to crank up the heat at home. After all, nobody wants their baby to feel chilly. But central heating can lead to dry, stale air which aggravates respiratory issues in infants. Sticking a humidifier in baby’s room can help combat dry air and alleviate a stuffy nose or cough. But excess moisture may lead to a build-up of mold or mildew in poorly ventilated spaces....
When bonding with baby, you’re likely not thinking about her future career path, but it’s never too early to start, especially when it comes to teaching baby about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), says GoldieBlox founder Debbie Sterling. (Variations include STEAM—which includes an “A” for art, since creativity is key in these fields—and STREAM, which incorporates an “R” for reading and writing, since those skills are foundational for all learning....
Ah, summer—the sun is shining and the outdoors is calling. But while there’s plenty of fun to be had, the season also brings some hazards for babies that might not be top of mind. Here, we break down nine dangers to look out for and how to side-step them so you and baby can safely enjoy everything summer has to offer. Sun and Sunscreen While you probably already know the importance of protecting baby’s skin from sunburn, you may not realize just how sensitive an infant’s skin is to sunscreens....
A new study , published in the online version of Pediatrics, found that in a study of 966 mothers and their children, prenatal exposure to SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) were associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delays in boys. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health split the children’s data into three groups: those diagnosed with ASD, those with developmental delays and those with typical development....
Is there anything yummier than a baby’s soft, smooth skin? Though babies are known for exactly that, picture-perfect skin isn’t always the case, and baby eczema is often to blame. Babies have extra-sensitive skin, so they’re more prone to rashes than older kids or adults. So the next time you spot some suspicious dry patches on your little one’s body, don’t be alarmed—there’s a good chance it might be baby eczema....
Between frequent visits to your ob-gyn, checking out the hospital ward, touring daycare centers and taking childbirth classes, your calendar can fill up quickly during pregnancy. So is it really necessary to go to the dentist while pregnant? The answer: Absolutely. But it’s a message many moms-to-be aren’t paying enough attention to. A 2015 study from Delta Dental found that 42.5 percent of pregnant women are skipping out on their dentist appointments, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says are critical during pregnancy....
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. Rebecca Minkoff may be the face of a massive fashion brand, but at the end of the day she answers to “Mom.” The designer dishes on what it’s like to run a worldwide clothing and accessories company while simultaneously pumping breast milk at board meetings, worrying about her kids’ diaper rash and thinking up genius parenting hacks to help keep her sane....
What is HELLP syndrome? HELLP syndrome is a rare complication of pregnancy, named for its unique combination of symptoms. HELLP stands for H emolysis, E levated L iver enzymes and L ow P latelets. What that means: The body is breaking down its own red blood cells (called “hemolysis”), the liver isn’t working properly (hence the “elevated liver enzymes”) and there’s an increased chance of bleeding (since platelets, which help clotting, are low)....
So how often are new moms having sex? We took an informal poll on our community boards. Out of over 200 participants, 28.3% say they have sex at least once a week, and 22.6% say two times a week. And on the opposite sides of the spectrum, 0.4% say they do it multiple times daily (whoa!), and 1.3% say it happens less than one to two times a year (yikes). So what’s the deal?...
Several months after a long, agonizing divorce, my son and I walked into the home of new friends for pizza and a play date. “So,” the new kid said, trying to act casual. “I hear your parents are divorced.” “Yup,” my boy, then four, answered. No frills attached. “Cool,” he responded. “So are mine. Want to see the tons of Legos in my room?” And then they were off. But the other mother and I stood together, silent and teary....
What is HPV during pregnancy? HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a sexually transmitted infection. There are many different strains of HPV. Some, called high-risk HPV, can cause cervical cancer. Others, called low-risk HPV, can cause genital warts: raised or flat, round (yep, wart-like) growths on the genitals. What are the signs of HPV? HPV usually doesn’t have any symptoms. If you get genital warts, they’re most likely to occur around or on the labia, but warts can also grow in the vagina and on the cervix....
Exercising during pregnancy is a great idea — it helps keeps you and baby healthy and it may even make labor easier for you. But (sorry) kickboxing really isn’t the best option right now. In fact, you shouldn’t do any form of exercise with the possibility of contact injury. You really don’t want to risk getting kicked in the abdomen, right? Plus, there’s a risk of falling since your balance in the second half of pregnancy is compromised....
