By the time you get close to your due date, you’re probably very ready to have your baby! With every backache or strange sensation in your abdomen, you might wonder, “Am I in labor?” Hopefully, you already have your bag packed for the hospital or birth center. Most people relate the start of labor with […]
Wondering if you should take a birth class? Unless you’ve given birth before, you have no idea what it’s going to be like. Attending a birth class will help you and your partner prepare for labor and birth so that you can have the best experience possible. There are many different kinds of birth classes […]
A generation ago, there wouldn’t even have been discussion about epidurals vs natural birth. Your mother probably didn’t have a lot of choice when it came to labor and delivery. Most likely, you were born in a hospital with your mother heavily drugged and your father out in the waiting room. Thankfully, times have changed. […]
When you hear the story of Jesus’ birth, do you wonder “what are swaddling clothes?” Most new parents haven’t ever seen a baby swaddled or even heard the word “swaddle” outside of Christmas Bible readings. But swaddling babies pre-dates the birth of Jesus by about 4,000 years. Anthropologists have early evidence of swaddling as early […]
The first few weeks as a new mom should be a relaxing, special time to bond with your baby. With so many changes and so much to learn, however, it can be stressful. To help you make this time as enjoyable and stress-free as possible, you have to put your needs as a new mom […]
The word layette is a fancy way to refer to the collection of clothing, bedding and baby care items for a newborn.Buying baby clothes can be fun, but it can also be overwhelming to try to figure out what accessories and items you need. Are baby washcloths really necessary? How many onesies do you need? […]
Naming your baby is an important task. There are so many things to consider when naming your baby that it’s likely to take some time. Fortunately, there are many baby-naming resources available to new parents today. In addition to baby naming books for you to consider, there are great websites, too. Today’s parents-to-be can not […]
While you’ve been pregnant, your breasts have been preparing for breastfeeding. From your first trimester of pregnancy, your breasts have been growing—milk ducts have been enlarging and fat stores have been increasing. You may have experienced colostrum, the precursor to full breast milk, leaking from your breasts while you’ve been pregnant. While your uterus and […]
Bringing home a new baby can create mixed emotions in your older child or children. Although they may be excited about a new baby brother or sister, they may also feel jealous and left out. Fortunately, with a little planning, you can help make the transition a smooth and positive one for your toddler or […]
If you’re a plus size woman with a new pregnancy, get ready for comments. Although a pregnancy does carry some extra risks if you’re overweight, the media and even well-meaning friends and family often make things seem much worse than they actually are.As any woman who has been pregnant will tell you, pregnancy seems to […]