Postpartum intrusive thoughts are common, but rarely talked about. That needs to change. I was an expat in Bangkok when I became pregnant with my first child. Like many first-time moms, I wanted a non-medicated birth: I hired a doula, coached my husband on pain relief techniques, and planned to breastfeed immediately following delivery. What
Advice & Tips
There are endless variations of the ABC song, which will help you keep it fresh (for baby and for you!). The “ABC Song” is one of the most popular English alphabet songs in North America. Sung to the tune of “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” it’s also super simple to remember.
If you whipped out a bottle or walked your baby in a stroller, I was silently but viciously judging you. When I had my first baby, I made plenty new-mom mistakes. I didn’t notice he had diaper rash. I let him sleep in his swing (a big no-n0 now, but we didn’t know it then).
Winding down a baby is a lot of work. Don’t sabotage your efforts by making this common mistake. It’s been a long day. Your shirt is spotted with spit-up and your hair is in the same messy bun it’s been in since morning. You haven’t had a minute to yourself because when your baby did
I’ve coached thousands of parents on connecting with their infants, and this simple activity is pure magic. When I had my first baby, I felt like a cruise ship activity director. I’d spend entire days desperately trying to keep my baby entertained for a blessed 10-minutes so I could wash the bottles, talk to a
When you have a baby, people tell you to ignore the advice and trust your gut. That didn’t work for me at all. When my first son was about a month old, I was at a social gathering and a friend offered to hold him while I ate. Since trying to eat while holding a
It’s an age-old remedy, but does it work? Here’s what you need to know about giving gripe water to your colicky newborn or baby. Gas and tummy troubles are common for newborns and parents naturally want to do anything to help their baby feel better. That’s especially true with colicky babies who just won’t calm down.
Sarah Nicole Landry, who you might know as The Birds Papaya, has spent years working to normalize the whirlwind of emotions and experiences that we have as mothers. To her audience of 2.1 million followers, she’s advocated fiercely for women’s acceptance of our ever-changing bodies, opened up about her intense fear of giving birth, and
Sleep consultant Alanna McGinn reveals the easy ways you can adjust your baby’s sleep schedule so spring forward is less disruptive for your family. On March 13th at 3 a.m., we move our clocks forward one hour. Mornings begin to get brighter and evenings lighter (yay!), and parents of early risers may soon be able
If you think you might need a crib bumper to make your baby more comfortable and protect them from injury, you might want to think again. It’s easy to understand the appeal of crib bumper pads for new parents. Those pre-baby weeks are a blur of frantic decisions about what you need to make your
Although bumpers are still included in many crib bedding sets, they pose a very real risk to babies. Mesh crib bumpers seem like a safer choice. Are they? Here’s a quick history lesson on crib bumpers: They were invented because the spaces between crib slats used to be wide enough that a baby’s head could
The first thing you want to know when your baby gets their first cold is: How did this happen?! “Viruses are usually spread through droplets and aerosols that enter the nose, mouth and eyes,” says Toronto paediatrician Dina Kulik, the founder of KidCrew, a multidisciplinary health clinic. Depending on how much exposure a baby has
No matter how careful you are, your baby will probably end up with a cold before their first birthday. Nothing can prepare you for that gunky nose, those red-rimmed eyes, that near-constant cough… It can break a parent’s heart. Though colds aren’t usually serious, they’re no fun to get through, either. But there’s help! We’ve
Some people on the internet say a pint helps with lactation. Here’s a look at the science—or lack thereof—behind this popular parenting belief. If you’re struggling with milk supply, a well-intentioned person may have advised you to chug a Guinness, since beer has been thought to increase supply. Beer was even prescribed to breastfeeding women
You’ve just had a baby and that pregnancy glow faded fast. Here’s how to show your face—and yourself—some love without wasting too much of your precious free time. For starters, might we remind you that your body hosted an entire additional human for a very long time? So give yourself a break. Dermatologist Sam Hanna,
It’s 2 a.m. and my six-month-old daughter is wide awake. She isn’t crying, and she isn’t hungry—she’s perfectly happy to be hanging out, as long as I don’t leave her alone. But we are on hour two of this wide-awake, ready-to-party mode, and it’s the middle of the night. No matter how much I shush,