Posts

Hoping to cultivate artistic skills in baby? Six mothers from from Belgium got a head start, helping their babies paint before they were even born. The women — all between 32 and 39 weeks pregnant — sat across from canvases, their bellies equipped with paint-dipped paint brushes secured in place by fabric and tape. And then they waited for the kicks. The artists behind these paintings are the unborn babies, working with the unorthodox method of kicks....

Spending vacation time with your little one is always fun, but worrying about your child getting sick during your travels is not. Here are our top tips for what first aid items to pack and how to be prepared for a potential illness while traveling. What to Consider Before Booking Your Trip New parents often ask us, “when can I travel with my newborn?” Most pediatricians feel more comfortable giving parents the okay to bring a baby on a plane once they’re 2 months old, since a fever (a rectal reading of 100....

Last year, we asked mamas to spill the worst parenting advice they’d received from well-meaning friends and fam — and boy did we hear some things that made us cringe. So naturally, we’re back at it again. Read on as we weigh in on eight of the most WTF-worthy tips Bumpies have heard. Whiskey on the gums “I was told to put whiskey on baby’s gums to take away the teething pain....

Heading out to eat with a booster seat under your arm may not have been top of mind pre-COVID. Most kids’ booster seats are bulky, and many family -friendly eateries will happily loan you one. But with our collective hyper-awareness of germs now, you may be in the market for a seat to take on the go. Allow us to introduce you to the Bombol Pop-Up Booster, an editor favorite. While many booster seats are designed for tots 18 months and up, this one can be used for babies as young as 6 months of age thanks to an ingenious design and a five-point safety harness....

Perhaps the most exciting thing about a prenatal checkup is the ultrasound—after all, it lets you see with your own eyes that the pregnancy is real, and, as your pregnancy progresses, it allows you to watch your baby grow. Typically, the ultrasound will be of the 2D variety, but at times, your doctor may offer a 3D ultrasound. (And soon enough, you may be hit with ads advertising non-medical 3D scans....

I thought I’d prepared for it all. After reading so many books, articles and blogs, listening to podcast after podcast, watching YouTube videos and relentlessly interrogating other moms about their pregnancy experience, I figured there would be no surprises. But I was wrong. There were. Some, I was ready for, but others, well…you’ll see: You’ll have to face the dreaded postpartum poop. Triple P, I call it. Now, I can’t say I wasn’t warned about this....

As a parent, life is never totally without worry—especially if your child happens to have a severe food allergy. About 1 in every 25 school-age kids has a food allergy. Whether they’re away at school or on a playdate, it can be nerve-racking not to have them under your close supervision. What if something happens? Will they or their caregivers know what to do? Here are our top five tips for keeping kids with allergies safe while away from home....

When it comes to raising a newborn, seasoned parents will tell you to expect the unexpected—and they’re totally right. Just when you start to feel like you’ve got the feeding and sleeping routine down pat, baby can suddenly become a seeming insomniac who’s ravenous and irritable all the time. And then, just as quickly, they’ll bounce back to normal. So what gives? Chances are, you can chalk up this roller-coaster ride to baby growth spurts....

What to Look for in a Portable High Chair Style of seat. Portable high chairs come in a variety of styles, including clip-on, standalone, sling-like and booster-style. It’s important to think about which style will be most convenient for your needs. Safety and harnesses. Take note of how a seat secures to either a chair or table; a tight fit prevents any wobbles or shakiness. For younger children, choose a seat with a five-point harness; older toddlers can get away with a three-point....

Going green? Good idea. Check out these easy ways to take care of baby and the environment. • Make your own baby food. (Wash your fruits and veggies, steam or boil, throw ’em in the blender, hit puree, strain and serve!) Not your scene? Try organic store-bought versions. You’ll find a ton of options from Gerber, Earth’s Best, Plum Organics and Happy Baby. • Use non-toxic cleaners. Dilute your chosen suds (non-toxic or not), give all surfaces a clean-water rinse after scrubbing, take measures to avoid contact, wash sponges and cloths thoroughly and allow the area a few hours of ventilation....

The dermatologist’s office isn’t the place you’d typically associated with birth control education (unless you’re on the pill for acne-related reasons, but let’s not get nitpicky). But a new study found it might be the most effective place to offer contraceptive counseling. Published Feb. 4 in the journal JAMA Dermatology, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study found a simple fact sheet goes a long way. Researchers presented 100 women from a single dermatology clinic the same sheet about birth control options....

**1. Out with the old, in with the green. **Before you start stocking up on new items for your pantry, first things first: Start cleaning. Wipe down surfaces and use baking soda to absorb any lingering odors. Get familiar with nontoxic and eco-friendly cleaning lines, like Seventh Generation, Ecover, Method, or Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Are you a bit of a pack rat? Check expiration dates and toss out anything you haven’t used in a while to save on space....

I don’t know if I’m on a spring cleaning kick or what, but getting organized has been on my mind lately. Ever since I wrote some articles years ago on feng shui — the Chinese art of creating a harmonious environment — I’ve noticed that I feel happier and more peaceful in attractive, orderly surroundings. Too bad my family could care less about being organized. I mean, what’s the point of having a coat rack, a shoe cubby, key hooks, and a change jar if everything gets dumped in a big pile the second everyone walks in the door?...

Extreme preterm births, or those before 28 weeks of pregnancy, could be caused by obesity, according to a new study compiled by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine. In general, a preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 weeks. Most occur sometime between 28 and 37 weeks, but giving birth before 28 weeks can have much more severe consequences, especially if you’re obese. “Until now, people have been thinking of preterm birth as one condition, simply by defining it as any birth that happens at least three weeks early,” says Gary Shaw, DrPH, a pediatrician who led the study....

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has parents understandably concerned about their family’s health. And with the situation changing day to day, it’s no wonder we’re bursting with questions. Here, pediatricians tackle the top 12 questions they’ve been getting about the novel coronavirus and how to keep little ones safe. It’s Said That Kids Aren’t Experiencing Severe Symptoms from COVID-19. What Are Their Symptoms Actually Like? Symptoms of COVID-19 can often be confused with the flu and include fever, cough, fatigue, achiness, sore throat and diarrhea....

Yes, fenugreek has been used for centuries to increase milk supply in breastfeeding mothers (adoptive or not). You can take this herb by mouth (in capsule, powder, seed, tincture, or tea form), along with frequent pumping and/or nursing, to help your body produce more milk. The usual dosage is about 1200 to 2400 mg, taken three times each day. If you’ve already begun to lactate, you may see an increase in your production within 24 to 72 hours of taking the herb....

Maybe. It depends on your own wants and values—and your budget. The difference between organic cotton and the regular kind is that organic is farmed without the use of pesticides, so it’s less likely that chemicals will come into contact with baby’s skin if his clothes and sheets are organic. Exactly how much of a pesticide ends up in a finished, regular cotton sheet is hard to gauge, though. And the exact health risks of skin exposure to traces of pesticides aren’t really clear....

First, don’t take it personally. She’s not singling you out for any reason. All pregnant women are offered some form of testing for genetic problems. Now, deciding whether you want to have it done is completely personal. You will want to weigh different factors, including baby’s risk for genetic problems. Assessing baby’s risk At one of your early prenatal visits, your doctor will ask you and your partner a lot of questions about your families and your health history....

And the Winner Is: Clek Liing An infant car seat is one of the most important gear purchases you’ll make as a new parent. Safety is of course a top concern, but so is ease of use—not only will it make for less backaches and headaches for you, but if you can use it properly without hassle, it’ll ultimately keep baby that much safer. The Liing is Clek’s latest launch, and it has us pretty excited....

A new study published today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women with unplanned pregnancies are four times more like to suffer from postpartum depression after 12 months postpartum. The study, which was done at the University of North Carolina’s prenatal clinics, questioned roughly 1,000 women about their pregnancy intention at 15-19 weeks gestational age. From there, women were classified as having an intended, mistime or unwanted pregnancy....