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Pregnancy is a beautiful nine-month whirlwind adventure that, in the end, will completely change everything. But while baby’s busy cooking in mom’s belly, there can come a point where daddy-to-be feels a little left out. It’s not that we don’t want him to be part of the adventure every step of the way, it’s just that, quite frankly, it’s pretty tough to put into words all the amazing, unbelievable and brand new things happening inside your belly for a dude....

Baby’s been self-soothing since back in those womb days with a face-touching and hand-sucking technique. But now that he’s in the real world, you’ve got his arms tied down in the perfect swaddle. That’s fine for sleep, but awake? Not so much. The Swaddle UP lets baby move those hands, making self-soothing an option to help get back to sleep. WHAT WE LOVE The sleep sack’s winged design keeps arms upright when baby’s not moving them, the most natural position for a sleeping infant No snaps or loose fabric to worry about, just one simple zipper....

Although it’s been used for decades — and even longer — as a way to help nudge your body into labor, there’s very little scientific evidence to show that evening primrose oil can actually get the job done. Many midwives will prescribe a dose of the oil (inserted vaginally) to hasten cervical ripening (which itself will bring about delivery), but research published in the Journal of Nurse-Midwifery has shown that women who took the oil did not have a shorter length of pregnancy or length of labor compared to a control group who did not use the oil....

Baby’s penis has two parts: the shaft and the glans, which are covered by a continuous layer of skin. When circumcision is performed, the part of the skin covering the glans is removed. If baby has an uncircumcised penis, his foreskin will retract. In most boys, the foreskin will retract by two years old, but sometimes it may take longer than that. You can keep your baby’s, um, member in shape by following a couple of easy maintenance steps....

Getting back into a workout regime after pregnancy can feel like a much-needed step towards recovery and returning to your pre-baby routine. Postnatal exercise helps you lose your baby weight with time, but the benefits go far beyond weight loss. It can also relieve stress, energize your body when you’re sleep-deprived, help your body balance those post-baby hormones, combat anxiety and depression and strengthen your body for the physical demands of motherhood....

It seems like the entire day is spent tending to baby’s physical needs—feed, nap, diaper, repeat. But there’s more you can do to help your little one develop, learn and grow beyond the more tedious to-dos. In baby’s first year alone, their brain will double in size as synapses rapidly form, and there’s a lot you can do to help foster these all-important connections. For starters, get out a book! Wondering when to start reading to baby?...

New research indicates that the factors that lead to diabetes, such as issues with insulin metabolism, contribute to low milk supply in new moms, according to a study from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. A total of 561 women were studied who sought help for breastfeeding problems at the Cincinnati Children’s Center for Breastfeeding Medicine, and women who had a low milk supply were 2.5 times more likely to have had gestational diabetes compared with the others whose babies had trouble latching on to the breast....

I don’t love being pregnant. Admitting that doesn’t make me callous; it just makes me willing to be open about something that other people are quick to pass judgment on. Pregnancy is hard. Full stop. It’s hard on our bodies, our hormones, as well as our emotional and mental health. It can make getting through our daily routine a challenge, even during the easiest of pregnancies. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t expect that creating human life would be a walk in the park....

There is an outdoor summer concert series in my town. It’s a fun place to enjoy the warm weather, mingle with friends and neighbors and picnic while listening to live music. It is also Baby Central. One night I looked around and thought, “Holy moly! There are more kids here than a Duggar family reunion!” No surprise there — it’s the perfect place for new parents. You don’t need a sitter, no one cares how much noise you’re making and it’s socially acceptable to hold a beer in one hand and your infant in the other....

Look closely at the label of your favorite deodorant now that you’re pregnant. You want to steer clear of parabens, which are preservatives that have been linked to birth defects. And anything containing synthetic fragrance is definitely questionable. Other ingredients to stay away from in your underarm products are PEG 20, propylene glycol, triclosan and sodium benzoate. Another big issue with deodorant (especially the kind that’s an antiperspirant too) is that the aluminum-based compounds that prevent you from becoming a sweaty mess are believed by some to be potentially cancer-causing....

Starting out on your pregnancy journey? Congrats! You’ve got 40 weeks ahead of you filled with excitement, anticipation and a probably a dash of anxiety. You’re bound to have questions and concerns as your body and baby undergo major changes, so finding an ob-gyn to guide you through pregnancy and deliver your little one on the big day is an all-important task. Knowing the right questions to put to prospective doctors will help you narrow your search and select the right one for you....

What is diabetes in a baby? Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the body’s ability to process blood sugar. There are two subtypes of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1, sometimes called juvenile diabetes, is the kind that affects babies and toddlers. The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not known, but it is believed that the body destroys the cells that normally make insulin, a hormone that keeps blood sugar levels in check....

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...

Think of blowing up one of those big punching bag balloons kids play with — that’s basically what your uterus does during pregnancy. It gets heavier too, by about two pounds total. The uterus is normally pretty small and hangs out deep in your pelvis. It doesn’t typically stretch up and out of there until about your 12th week of pregnancy (slightly earlier if you’re carrying twins or other multiples). By about midpregnancy (18 to 20 weeks), your uterus should be as high as your belly button....

A new study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that very premature babies have fewer breathing problems when they’re born via vaginal delivery compared to those born via C-section. The research, which studied more than 20,000 newborns, found that regardless of why a C-section birth was preformed (whether because of pregnancy-related complications or maternal medical problems), vaginally delivery tended to be saver for premature babies. Werner’s team of researchers collected data from birth certificate and hospital discharge records for 20,231 babies born early (between 24 and 34 weeks) in New York between 1995 and 2003....

Vaginal discharge isn’t a topic most of us want to discuss with our friends. But the fact is, every woman experiences some degree of discharge. And that’s actually a very good thing; it helps to keep vaginal tissue healthy and protects against infection, according to the Mayo Clinic. What’s more, it’s very normal to have an increase in discharge when you have a baby on board. It’s called leukorrhea of pregnancy, and it’s no big deal....

As a new parent, you’ll obsess over every inch of your newborn. You’ll inspect their itty-bitty fingers and toes and wonder (okay, worry!) if that umbilical cord stump is healing properly. You might regularly check their scalp for cradle cap and compulsively apply ointment to that cute little bum at every diaper change. Ready for yet another body part to analyze? Baby’s frenulum. (We’ll save you the trouble of Googling.) When the small stretch of tissue that connects baby’s top gums to their upper lip is too thick or restrictive, there’s concern about a possible lip tie; its presence can limit baby’s oral mobility and potentially lead to feeding challenges....

Play Joining a playgroup is a fun way to get baby to experience new things — and for you to get out and make new-mom friends. Play sessions can be formal classes with music, movement, songs and learning at places such as The Little Gym, Gymboree, Kidville or My Gym. Or they can be a bunch of parents and babies picnicking at the park. (Meet moms near you on our local boards and plan your own meet-up!...

It may feel like just yesterday that you were changing baby’s first diaper, and in the blink of an eye you’ve reached the mother of all milestones: potty training! It may be difficult at times, but you can find comfort in the fact that all parents go through this. While the end goal is always the same—ditching those diapers, and ushering in the era of underpants—it’s not a one-size-fits-all process. Stressing over how to potty train your tot?...

When babies are born, they inherit specific types of antibodies from their mothers, which help fend off different diseases (this is nature’s way of protecting babies when they’re most vulnerable). Starting around six months of age, these antibodies start to diminish, and almost completely disappear by one year of age. Ideally, during that time, babies are exposed to the “wild” diseases the maternal antibodies had protected them against, and will start to make their own antibodies — the beginning of their immune system....