After your little one goes down for the night, you list out some foods that you know are healthy. Avocado, oatmeal, sweet potato, and banana make the list. Then you start to add some protein-rich options like eggs, chicken, and salmon. Salmon sounds like it could be the top choice. You know it’s full of omega 3’s for your baby’s growing brain and it’s “good fat.” But, you aren’t sure if salmon is a safe first food....
To help you navigate the Can I or can’t I? waters of pregnancy, we tapped two experts to weigh in on whether or not it’s safe to get a facial while pregnant. Plus, we’ll share some precautions you should take if you do decide to treat your skin to a little TLC. Getting a Facial During Pregnancy If you’ve noticed changes in your skin while pregnant, know that you’re far from alone....
While you might typically enjoy going upside down and experiencing the stomach-leaving-your-body feeling of a big drop, if you’re pregnant, it’s best to stand on the sidelines. Here, learn why experts don’t recommend riding roller coasters while pregnant and what you can do for fun at the amusement park instead. Riding Roller Coasters During Pregnancy While it may be an activity you enjoyed in the past, the swoops, drops, and twists of a roller coaster are not safe for a pregnant person....
As your provider goes over your dietary needs, you type furiously into the notes on your phone. They tell you to eat more protein than usual because your baby needs amino acids in protein-rich foods in order to develop properly. You start to wonder whether taking amino acid supplements might be a good way to make sure that your baby gets the nutrients they need. In fact, amino acid supplements are not recommended during pregnancy....
There are many as yet unproven theories about what causes the remaining recurrent miscarriage cases. One of them is that high levels of a hormone called prolactin may contribute to pregnancy loss. When a high blood prolactin concentration interferes with the function of the ovaries, secretion of estradiol, the main estrogen, decreases. What Is Prolactin? Prolactin is a hormone produced primarily by the anterior pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain....
It is true that obesity can lead to lower fertility, and to combat obesity, a combination of diet and exercise is generally recommended. Regular exercise can also lower stress, which is important when you’re trying to cope with infertility. But even with exercise, too much of a good thing can be detrimental in certain situations. How much exercise is too much? And how might too much exercise decrease your fertility?...
Your Baby’s First Birthday From the cake (very important) to the decorations, we’ve got you covered on everything you might need for your baby’s first birthday party. First, you will want to decide just what kind of celebration you will want to host. Will you throw a party with family and friends or do you want to have a more low-key affair? You might choose to buy a special outfit for your baby to celebrate it and wrap up a special gift for your baby to unwrap (even though he or she will probably prefer the wrapping paper anyways!...
With high cholesterol levels (dyslipidemia)Who are overweightWith high blood pressureWith high-risk medical conditions, such as having type 1 or type 2 diabetes, having had a kidney transplant or heart transplant, chronic kidney disease, end-stage renal disease, or Kawasaki disease and still having coronary artery aneurysmsWith a family history of early cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol levels), obesity, primary hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or exposure to smoking in the home. Most children with risk factors should transition to a CHILD-1 diet when they are two years old....
Whether you’re drafting an initial parenting plan, or you’re trying to make sense of the schedule presented to you by the court, the sample calendars displayed here will help you better understand your kids’ visitation schedule options. This is probably the most popular child visitation schedule, especially for newly separated parents. It’s often a good option for situations in which the non-custodial parent works a typical 9 to 5 Monday through Friday schedule....
When I was pregnant with my son, I had all the normal concerns, but for some reason, the thing I couldn’t stop thinking about was…what coat was I going to wear? I live in a relatively cold climate, and my due date was in late December. In the weeks leading up to his birth, I was trekking to twice-weekly doctor’s appointments. My normal coat pulled against my belly. Being massively pregnant was uncomfortable enough, I didn’t need to be cold and constricted, too....
Whether it is the coach bullying your child or a teammate, the experience can be devastating for both of you. The good news is, there are some things you can do to help. Bullying in Youth Sports If your young athlete is experiencing bullying, they might lose confidence and start performing poorly. They might play tentatively and worry constantly about what others think of them. When they’re bullied, kids can lose all enjoyment for sports and might even quit the team....
Measuring Cervical Dilation Cervical dilation is measured in centimeters. Your cervix must dilate from zero to 10 centimeters before your baby can be born. As you get closer to your due date, your cervix may start to dilate without you realizing it. Your doctor or midwife will be able to tell if this is happening when they do a routine cervical check. Some providers will check your cervix between the 35th and 37th weeks of pregnancy, when they do your group B strep (GBS) screening....
“The lower the egg quality, the higher the rate of miscarriage and infertility. These are things that happen as women age. Your egg quality is determined by your age, genetics, and your environment,” explains fertility expert Aimee Eyvazzadeh, MD, MPH, who is referred to by her patients as the “egg whisperer." It’s important to note that while there are things you can do to support egg health, there’s no magic way to change the quality or makeup of your eggs....
Some people say swabbing their throats instead of their noses provides more accurate results when testing for the omicron variant. For parents looking for a more child-friendly testing method, this news may bring a sigh of relief. But experts say hesitate to recommend the method without more research. “What we’re doing now is completely assessing, in a really rigorous and systematic way, the answer to the question, where does the omicron variant actually live?...
Health Benefits For centuries, fenugreek has been taken to promote health and well-being. It was used to treat digestive and respiratory ailments, and it has a long history of use in women’s health—to induce labor and help with childbirth, and as a treatment for gynecological issues like painful menstruation and uterine problems. While other benefits are being studied, today fenugreek is most widely used and researched for two purposes: as a galactagogue, something that can help a breastfeeding mother increase her breast milk supply, and as a way to reduce blood sugar levels in people with diabetes....
What Are Fine Motor Skills? Fine motor skills refer to the coordination between your child’s small muscles, like those in their hands, wrists, and fingers in coordination with their eyes. Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the body that enable such functions as writing, grasping small objects or toys, and fastening clothing. They also involve strength, fine motor control, and dexterity. These skills are important in most school activities as well as in life in general....
When to Start Weaning The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and the continuation of breastfeeding along with the introduction of solid foods until your child’s first birthday and beyond. However, the decision about when to wean your baby is a personal one, and it’s really up to you. While some women begin to wean right away to prepare to go back to work, others may wait until their children are toddlers before fully weaning....
Why Snacks Are Important Kids’ little stomachs need more than three meals a day. Snacks are also a way to fit in foods that might not make it into meals, and a lower-pressure way to offer additional exposure to foods a child might not have tried or accepted yet. Kids have different nutritional needs and energy requirements at each age. And they are still developing taste preferences and building their relationship with food and eating....
