Posts

Zofran, also known as ondansetron, is a medication used for pregnant women who have severe morning sickness that hasn’t improved with other medications. Zofran is very effective at preventing both nausea and vomiting, so there’s hope you’ll feel better soon! Zofran appears to be safe to use during pregnancy, even the first trimester. But because it’s a newer medication, doctors generally recommend trying other nausea remedies first — popular choices include vitamin B6, ginger and antihistamines, or other medications like Reglan or promethazine....

As a home-birth baby myself, the idea of having a child outside of the hospital, with minimal medical intervention, felt completely normal to me. I was my mom’s seventh and final baby—but I wasn’t her only out-of-the-box labor story. She’d often share her “crazy” delivery tales with us: None of these births went according to plan; we all ended up being born in random and various places outside of the hospital setting....

Shopping Tips for Maternity and Nursing Bras Comfort. This should be at the top of your nursing bra must-have list during the first four to six weeks after having baby, says Stephanie Nguyen, founder of Modern Milk and a certified lactation consultant. She recommends stretchy nursing bras to accommodate the breast changes moms experience during this time. “Look for nursing bras in soft fabrics,” Nguyen says. You’ll also want to pick a bra with thick back closures that have four or more hooks and wide, cushioned straps, plus a band that doesn’t ride up in the back....

Pregnancy comes with an assortment of interesting—and sometimes surprising—body changes. Your skin stretches, your belly button expands and your breasts go through all sorts of transitions. But, while they may catch you off guard, breast changes during pregnancy are totally normal. So what can you expect for your breasts before and after pregnancy—and how will they look and feel in the postpartum phase once milk production has stopped? Here’s what to anticipate now and in the coming months....

Shopping for maternity clothes isn’t always as fun as you’d think. Not only is entering the harsh light of a dressing room when you can’t see even your own toes a brutal task, but spending oodles of dollars on just-okay dresses and jeans you won’t even wear in a few months is hard to bear. Plus, it’s super hard to know what styles work on your shifting body shape. We need professional help!...

saying “no” You probably already know that toddlers are pretty active (read: They get into everything), so you may be saying “no,” but what you might not realize is that “no” could be one of your baby’s first words. Don’t worry; that’s normal. A toddler is developing his sense of independence and is testing to see what limits you give him. TIP Resist the urge to be really stern. If your toddler is saying no to picking up his toys, say, nicely, “It’s time to pick up your toys....

Pros • Quick and easy setup • Very smooth ride • Sophisticated design • Easy to clean Cons • Isn’t geared for bumpy/uneven terrain • Limited seat recline positions • No window in the canopy Bottom Line This extremely stylish, compact and lightweight stroller is ideal for navigating tight turns and smooth surfaces. Its wide range of adjustable features and optional accessories adapt with your child from birth to toddlerhood. Ready to register?...

An epidural might be your secret weapon against postpartum depression. A Chinese study found that women who received epidural anesthesia during a vaginal delivery had a much lower risk for postpartum depression than women who didn’t. How much lower? 21 percent. “It’s a huge omission that there has been almost nothing in postpartum depression research about pain during labor and delivery and postpartum depression,” says Katherine Wisner, M.D., a Northwestern Medicine perinatal psychiatrist....

Remember the “you should be sleeping while your infant is sleeping” rule everyone told you to follow the first time around? Well, when you have a toddler too, all bets are off. Your chances to clock a little naptime are few and far between (except the rare occasion when they’re napping simultaneously). It takes time and hard work before their schedules mesh, but eventually you’ll get in a rhythm. And that’s just the beginning of the differences....

If you’ve read the title of this post, you probably are expecting a clear, concise answer as to how the heck you can get out of your home in one piece with two small children… I hate to disappoint you, but I don’t know either. After recently adding a newborn daughter to our family of three, I’ve taken her on several solo trips while my husband watches our toddler son. Taking her out by herself to doctor’s appointments, the store, etc....

I panicked as my ob-gyn’s number flashed across the screen of my phone. Something was definitely wrong. I’d been a nervous wreck since the beginning of my pregnancy. I was 12 weeks along, and every mild pain, bout of nausea and dull headache sent me running for the computer anxious to research my symptoms. Of course, this didn’t help pacify me—in fact, quite the opposite, as every ob-gyn will warn you....

The secret to increased IVF success could be hiding in male hormones. A new study suggests that using male hormones (called “androgens”) can help the development of follicles and can enhance fertility in women. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research details how several fertility clinics across the country have begun to administer testosterone by patch or by gel on the skin to increase the number of eggs produced by women who are undergoing IVF....

It’s the holidays, which means it’s time to capture a picture-perfect photo of your sweet family…or at least, try to. Think it’ll be easy to get baby to smile, your toddler to sit still or everyone to just look at the darn camera? Ho, ho, ho! But as these adorable holiday photo fails prove, any pictures of your loved ones can be utterly precious. Who knows—they might even make it onto your holiday cards after all....

Sometimes it can feel like toddlers were specifically designed to test our limits and push our buttons. It can be a bit of a shock when even an easygoing baby transforms into an aggressive toddler, or one whose only words seem to be “no” and “mine.” Like everything else in parenting, there’s no roadmap when it comes to toddler discipline, but while figuring out what clicks with your kid and your parenting style is a trial-and-error process, understanding why little kids act out can help you to decide how to handle it....

Ovarian hyperstimulation is a complication that can occur after taking fertility medication to boost your egg production. It affects about 1 out of every 10 women who undergo IVF. What happens is that the ovaries become overstimulated and extremely swollen, absorbing water from the bloodstream. Most of the time symptoms are relatively mild, including abdominal pain and bloating and sudden weight gain. Occasionally, though, it can be more serious, causing ovaries to swell up to the size of grapefruit and creating severe pain, shortness of breath and decreased urine output....

Resistance to crib? Best teething gear? What’s normal poop? See all baby Q&As Baby’s cutting back As baby nears her first birthday, she may start to show disinterest in regular activities like napping and nursing. It’s fine to follow baby’s cues — a nap a day may be all she really needs at this point, and it’s safe to replace some breastfeedings with solids. To-do: Find time to exercise Make a mess with baby Don’t fear the growth chart...

So you just had a baby—congrats! Up next? Introducing your new addition to the world with a personalized baby announcement. Birth announcements are cards sent out to your family and friends announcing the arrival of your son or daughter (or multiples). They typically feature a newborn photo and essential birth announcement info, including: Name Birthday Weight Length (in inches) Time and place baby was born (optional) Parent or parents’ names...

Take off your shirt “Get lots of skin-to-skin contact with baby,” says Gina Ciagne, a certified lactation consultant and VP of Healthcare Relations for Lansinoh. “This helps you establish your connection with baby, regulates his or her body temperature and helps him or her get acquainted with the outside world.” We’re not saying you have to be topless for the next few days, but it is important to have baby close to his or her food source as much as possible....

There’s pretty much nothing more aww-inducing than the velvety feel of a baby’s skin—soft, plump and with a magical scent that makes everyone melt with joy. An infant’s skin, however, is still developing throughout the first year of life. “This makes babies more susceptible to damage from the sun, wind, cold and other irritants,” says Estee Williams, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. That doesn’t mean you have to swaddle baby in protective Bubble Wrap until they’re in preschool....

Most parents dream of the time when they can start playing with their baby—building blocks, playing house, tossing around a ball. But while quality time with you is key, independent play is also important to help your baby learn essential developmental skills. “Solitary play helps with being comfortable being alone, with personal self-expression without an audience or partner,” says Jephtha Tausig, PhD, a New York City-based clinical psychologist. “It balances the experiences children have with others....