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For example, while your parents may have padded your own baby crib with a cute bumper and filled it with stuffed animals and toys, it is now recommended that a baby’s sleeping space be clear of all of these. The only thing that should go in your baby’s crib is a firm mattress and a tight-fitting crib sheet. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), infants should sleep alone, on their backs, in a crib with no other objects or crib extras....

If it’s just busywork it might be taking up time better spent by your child in healthy physical activity and valuable free play, both of which are essential for physical and mental development. Families have only a limited time together in the afternoon and evening. If the child is doing busy work, they have less opportunity to participate in family life that is crucial for their emotional and social development....

While much more research needs to be done, some studies have reported improved pregnancy rates for couples involved in mind-body programs. Even in the studies where pregnancy rates were not looked at, the participant’s emotional well-being was improved. Some believe that the mind can have a profound effect on the body and our health, going as far as to say that the mind can heal the body. You do not need to believe in this aspect of mind-body medicine to benefit from it....

Factors to Consider If you do choose to name your baby, here are some things to consider: Consider a gender-neutral name if the pregnancy loss occurred before it was possible to determine your baby’s gender, or if you had a feeling one way or the other about the baby’s gender, you can feel free give your baby a name suited to that gender. Remember, there are no wrong moves here, you should do what feels right for you and your partner....

For example, 2022 data from the Bipartisan Policy Center found that one in five new parents experienced pregnancy-related discrimination in their workplace. A 2020 study found despite requirements laid out in the Affordable Care Act, many employers still fall short of providing new parents lactation support, and not all workplaces offer breastfeeding parents private areas to pump their milk or appropriate break time to pump. The good news? Lawmakers are trying to change this....

For a long time, late preterm babies were treated like full-term babies. However, research has increasingly shown that these infants are not the same as full-term infants and that they have a unique set of needs and challenges. Babies born close to term are considered preemies.​ Even after 37 weeks gestation, full-term infants may have some of the same problems as late preterm babies. What Are the Immediate Medical Risks?...

Maybe you’ve been celebrating Passover all your life and are looking for some new ways for your kids to participate. Perhaps this is your first Passover, and you aren’t sure where to start. Either way, we’ve gathered some engaging and family-friendly ideas for celebrating the holiday with your family. What Is Passover? The story of Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is recounted in the Torah. It tells the story of the Jewish people’s enslavement in Egypt and their subsequent escape and liberation from slavery....

Freshly-birthed newborns are covered in goop and other fun stuff, their skin may look blotchy and rashy, and their hands and fingers might even be blue. Some parents are understandably frightened by how their newborns look, but most of the newborn features you may notice—even the icky or unsettling ones—are totally normal. It can be helpful to know what to expect so that you are not alarmed by what your baby looks like at birth....

If you are feeling concerned and confused about the redness or swelling in your baby’s eye, you are not alone. Pink eye in babies is relatively common and usually easily treatable. Let’s talk about what to do if you think your baby has a touch of pink eye. What Is Pink Eye? Pink eye, otherwise known as conjunctivitis, is the inflammation of the part of the eye called the conjunctiva, which is the membrane lining the inside of the eyelid as well as the eyeball....

In fact, according to one study nearly 90% of women who gave birth vaginally reported feeling fatigued during the postpartum period. And some women—as many as 11%—continue to experience fatigue even into the third month postpartum. While some amount of sleep deprivation and fatigue is normal for all new parents, that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it. There are things you can do to cope. Here is what you need to know about postpartum fatigue including remedies and when you should call a doctor....

Your child will get there on their own timetable—and with lots of practice. Like drinking from a cup or using a spoon, using the potty is a skill that must be learned. It is best accomplished when your child has developed emotionally and physically to the point where they are ready to take on using the bathroom independently. Starting potty training before your child is ready can backfire and lead to frustration for everyone involved....

Unfortunately, this is a reality that many women are forced to endure as the hormone levels that fostered fetal growth slowly return to normal. In some cases, the symptoms may persist for weeks and even get stronger than what was experienced before the miscarriage. What Are Pregnancy Symptoms After Miscarriage? Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week of gestation. Between 10–20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, usually before the 12th week and most often as a result of a chromosomal defect that made the pregnancy non-viable from the start....

Instead, most experts advise limiting newborns’ and younger infants’ exposure to large groups of people so that they don’t get sick. Traveling through an airport, onto an airplane (or two), through another airport (or two), and then visiting a lot of people—even if they are family members—exposes your baby to viral illnesses and other infections. This exposure is the main issue to consider when you travel with a baby, especially by air....

You may be so busy trying to keep up with your active little toddler that the possibility of them being overweight or obese is far from your mind. But your child may be at risk. Obesity in Toddlers Unfortunately, obesity has become commonplace among American toddlers, with recent data estimating that about 13.4% of children aged 2 to 5 years are obese—rates that increase with age. “Obesity remains especially high in children who are an ethnic minority or who are from low-income households,” says Amanda Staiano, PhD, MPP, spokesperson for The Obesity Society and assistant professor at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center....

Researchers out of Seaver College at Pepperdine University studied the interaction between stress and social media mom groups. The researchers focused on evidence of cortisol in moms’ saliva after interacting with social media parenting groups. The results were staggering. The more time moms spent on these sites, the higher their cortisol levels were, suggesting an increase in stress. The Stressful Side of Social Media Parent Groups This study, led by researchers Lauren Amaro, Nataria T....