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Up until a few years ago, moms made their own “nursing pillows,” propping baby up with whatever they could grab (bed pillows, throw pillows, rolled bath towels, even stuffed animals). Now baby aisles and Internet shops are flooded with all sorts of funny-shaped options. There isn’t one in particular that works best for all mamas; your ideal pillow will depend on your baby and your body type. Some pillows curve partially around your waist, providing elbow support as well as support for baby....

Conner and Kira are the co-founders of Dream Team Baby, an infant and toddler sleep consultancy based in Manhattan. They help families all over the country get some much deserved rest. Their holistic approach to solving children’s sleep problems is supported by a diverse board of experts from the medical and mental health community, including a pediatrician, a lactation consultant and a psychotherapist. When Conner and Kira aren’t teaching babies to sleep, they enjoy planning the 2035 wedding of their toddlers, Wyatt and Emilia....

Elective inductions might not be so taboo anymore. A new study from Thomas Jefferson University has dissociated full-term, non-medically required inductions from c-sections after performing controlled trials on 844 women. While full term is technically considered 40 weeks, researchers looked at women induced at both 39 and 40 weeks, finding no increased risk of c-section at either time. And it turns out one week early might be the optimum time for induction....

Baby might not be eligible for the whooping cough vaccine — DTaP — until she’s two months old, but that doesn’t mean you can’t protect her from the infection. Whooping cough, technically pertussis, isn’t usually dangerous in adults. But over half of babies diagnosed with pertussis need to be hospitalized, and in some cases, it’s fatal. A new study from Australia says your best defense is to get vaccinated yourself. Babies were 51 percent less likely to be diagnosed with whooping cough when both parents had been immunized....

Many babies get to meet his or her new doctor in the newborn nursery for his or her first official checkup. A complete physical examination is done, vital signs are checked, and the pediatrician and the parents meet to discuss feeding, newborn care and follow-up visits. In cases where the parents choose a pediatrician outside the hospital, the first newborn visit should be before baby is one week old, preferably two days after getting home from the hospital....

If you keep up with reports of celeb births, you’ve probably heard of silent birth. Katie Holmes, wife of Tom Cruise, reportedly aimed for a silent birth when she gave birth to their daughter, Suri. Kelly Preston did one too. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t make any noise. According to the Church of Scientology International, which is a big proponent of silent birth, “The point of silent birth is no words....

All good things must come to an end, and breastfeeding is no exception. But your body’s incredible ability to make milk doesn’t shut down in an instant. Weaning is a process that happens best over the course of several weeks. Of course, if you need to stop breastfeeding immediately, there are ways to reduce possible issues, such as engorgement. Either way, an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can be as helpful at the end of your breastfeeding experience as they are at the beginning....

Embarrassed by all the times you’ve scraped mac and cheese remnants off your kids’ dirty dishes and considered it dinner? Don’t be! That’s the major takeaway from an interview between Dan Pashman of WNYC’s The Sporkful and NPR’s Rachel Martin. Why do you do this? When did your standards allow this to happen? Pashman authoritatively explains. “Well, there’s something about the cumulative effects of parenting, the lack of sleep, the way that your kids — as lovely as they can be — can sort of wear you down,” says Pashman....

Talk about it—even if it’s to yourself. “There’s no one-size-fits-all way to cope with a negative pregnancy test,” says Shoshana Bennett, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and prenatal and postnatal health specialist. Sadness, anger and guilt are all totally acceptable. But you’re not going to get past those feelings if you don’t talk about them, so open up. We’re not talking about venting. We’re talking about saying positive things, like “It didn’t happen this time, but I know it will eventually happen”, or “When it’s meant to be, it will happen,” or even reminding yourself that if at first you don’t succeed, don’t be afraid to try and try again....

You can still take regular exercise classes, not just the prenatal options. But as you get larger, they may be too difficult. Listen to your body—you know it better than anyone else. If something doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. If you start to feel nauseated or lightheaded, slowly stop the exercise and relax. If this persists, talk to your doctor. Steer clear from high-impact aerobics like kickboxing and anything involving body impact....

We all hate seeing our kids unhappy—but when baby is too young to speak, it can be hard to know exactly what your little one wants. Are they hungry? Tired? Do they need a diaper change? Plus, it’s also probably just as frustrating for baby when their message just isn’t getting across. In recent years, more and more parents have been turning to baby sign language to help boost communication with their preverbal kids....

Your first step is to talk with your doctor about your treatment options. If medication is being suggested, as opposed to or in addition to regular therapy, then you need to know what the safest options are, as well as the possible side effects. The risks of antidepressants during pregnancy have been a hot topic for years and few medications have been proven safe without a doubt during pregnancy. However, the risks of leaving your depression untreated have to be considered, too....

If you want to pump more, there are two areas to reevaluate: your pump (and how you use it) and your body’s overall milk supply. When it comes to the pump, it is important to have a good quality double pump that is meant for everyday use. These pumps are designed to maintain your milk supply even when you’re separated from your baby everyday. It’s important that the pump is in good working condition and that the parts you are using are properly fitted and well maintained....

The following story, “How to Talk About Social Anxiety at Any Age” by Melissa Liebling-Goldberg was originally published on Boomdash. It’s not just about buying notebooks and new shoes for the approaching school year. Your child may be one of the many who is grappling with social anxiety over school starting. Whether it’s making new friends, knowing how to tackle recess or speaking in front of the class, you can help make the stressful transition easier for your child with these expert tips....

About 380,000 babies—roughly 1 in 10 infants—are born prematurely in the US. These here-too-soon infants need lots and lots of love and care, and so do their parents. Dismissing their concerns or cheerily pointing out a perceived silver lining can often backfire and leave parents of premature babies feeling angry and alone. We asked moms of preemies to share the worst they’ve heard. Here’s what they had to say: About Appearances “My friend was trying to describe to her daughter-in-law how my son looked in the hospital....

Crooked feet are totally normal during the first few months of life. They reflect baby’s curled-up position in the womb during development. Baby’s legs are normally bowed (his knees stay wide apart even when the feet and ankles are together). Your baby’s feet will become straighter as he gets older, particularly after he begins walking and his weight starts bearing down on his feet, and as he kicks and moves his legs....

Like (probably a lot of) other parents out there, I haven’t seen a fireworks display since my son was born and that’s not a coincidence. The whole fireworks thing never really seemed baby-friendly to me. Now that he’s two (almost three), I debated making this July 4th my son’s first fireworks experience — but when I weighed all the pros and cons of taking him, I came up with a ton more cons than pros:...

Why is my toddler so scared of things around her? How do I teach my toddler to share toys? How do I teach my toddler about interacting with our pets? See all Q&As Mama’s lil baby loves singing and stripping By now your toddler has tons of new tricks, like opening every cabinet door in the house, chucking his toys across the room, stripping off his diaper, and shrieking like a banshee....

And the Winner Is: Little Spoon One of the hardest parts of adulting is deciding what to have every night for dinner—and now you have to feed baby too? Enter Little Spoon. The subscription-based food delivery takes the guesswork out of introducing solids by preparing a rotating menu of seasonal flavors and delivering it straight to your doorstep. Little Spoon uses a cold press method to help maintain the fresh properties of food, like vitamins, nutrients, color and texture....

Elf on the Shelf, the best-selling children’s book character and bendy North Pole personality, has become a holiday classic, right up there with tinsel, holiday lights, eggnog and fruitcake. Keep the kids guessing with these easy Elf on the Shelf ideas, using stuff you have lying around the house. From cleverly cute Elf on the Shelf ideas to those that are downright hilarious, the creative (and mischievous) possibilities are endless! Image: Courtesy of Foddle T....