Consider maternity workout clothes that offer support, comfort, and a variety of sizing options. We carefully considered design, support, sizing, style, material, ease of cleaning, and value when reviewing products. Here are the best maternity workout clothes to keep you moving through pregnancy and beyond. During pregnancy, your belly will be supported with the full panel waistband, and it’s also designed to provide support for postpartum recovery. These pants are available in a range of sizes from XS to 2XL and come in several colors....

If you’re struggling to come up with newborn baby gift ideas or need a place to start, think about what kind of gift you want to give: Are you going for something practical that can be used once the baby is born? Something that will come in handy as they grow? A sentimental keepsake? There are plenty of options for each type of gift. Additionally, you can never go wrong with a gift that’s useful for both the baby and their parents or caregivers....

“The [American Academy of Pediatrics] recommends that kids ride rear-facing until maxing out the rear-facing capacity of their convertible seat—either reaching the weight limit (usually 40-50 pounds for convertible seats sold today) or the height limit (typically when the child’s head is 1 inch below the top of the seat),” Alisa Baer, MD, pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady, LLC, tells Verywell Family. Even if you don’t plan to make it quite that long with your child facing backward, in many states you’ll have to wait until they’re at least 2 years old....

Choosing the right toy laptop can be rather tedious since it will largely depend on your child’s developmental level. The toy should be age-appropriate but still challenging enough to teach them new skills. Other features to look for include entertainment value (does it have lights and sounds), durability, and travel-friendliness. We researched popular options from trusted brands with these features in mind. Here are the best toy laptops on the market....

“Two-year-olds are also beginning to understand the concept of context around this age," Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, pediatrician, author of The Working Mom Blueprint, and founder of Modern Mommy Doc, tells Verywell Family. You’ll want to avoid toys with small parts, sharp edges or corners, and/or are made with materials that cannot be put in their mouth. We carefully considered toy safety, design, material, ease of cleaning, and value when reviewing products....

When shopping for stroller accessories you should consider compatibility, safety, and functionality. We carefully considered design, safety, material, compatibility, ease of use and assembly, and value when reviewing products. Here are the best stroller accessories, whether you want to keep baby cool or need extra storage. Price at time of publication: $13 You can use this with most phones, too, because it uses a magnet to mount the phone instead of a shell or hooks that are based on a specific model or size....

“When children play in science, they’re creating all sorts of powerful cognitive anchors,” Chris Emdin, PhD, the Robert A. Naslund Endowed Chair in Curriculum and Teaching and professor of education at the University of Southern California, tells Verywell Family. “[Through play] they’re able to witness the phenomenon in real-time, manipulate variables and see their effects. … When you play with something, that becomes a part of who you are. When you play basketball, you’re like, ‘Wait....

On the home side, there are all the things you know about your child, the help you give them for homework, and their social development with siblings and peers. On the school side of the line, there are all the things your child’s teacher knows about them, the help they’re getting with their school work, and their social development with peers. The information on both sides can be combined to create a fuller understanding of your child....

A study published in the journal Cell outlines how these beneficial bacteria can lead to healthy immune system development, which can then reduce the risk of allergies and autoimmune conditions in later years. “We often see increased colic, fussiness, gas, diaper rash, and eczema in babies that don’t possess enough of this healthy bacteria,” says Amna Husain, MD, FAAP, IBCLC, a board-certified pediatrician and founder of Pure Direct Pediatrics....

Finding a Photographer Any good family portrait photographer can take mother and baby photos as part of a larger family session. However, since this is not a standard grouping, it is a good idea to mention your plan when scheduling your appointment. You want to make sure your photographer has enough time to get the shots they need. If you can’t find anyone with this approach, you can use an online directory such as PhotoSesh....

As a result, it’s really no surprise that more than one-third of parents don’t think their methods of discipline work well, according to a 2007 study of 2,134 parents with kids ages 2-11. Fortunately, child experts have indicated that there are some common basics to positive and effective discipline strategies for parents. Here are a few techniques to try: Consistency is crucial to predictability when it comes to parenting. When parents are consistent in their reactions and consequences, they become predictable to their children....

Even if you’ve never had a child, you may have seen pregnancy ultrasound exams on movies or television. Perhaps a friend or family member may have shared an ultrasound image of their unborn child with you. Ultrasound Uses Ultrasounds done during mid to late pregnancy are usually abdominal ultrasounds. In other words, a transducer (a device that emits and receives sound waves for an ultrasound) is moved around over the abdomen....

While laughing gas for labor is not commonly used in America, elsewhere in the world laughing gas (often also called “gas and air”) is a popular childbirth pain relief option, even in home births. Many women report satisfaction with this pain relief method. However, it is not as effective as using an epidural. Here are key points to consider when weighing whether to use laughing gas during labor for pain relief, including what the research has to say about the benefits, side effects, and possible downsides....

“It is recommended for men and their partners who are interested in permanent contraception,” says Stephen Lazarou, MD, FACS a reproductive urologist, men’s health specialist, and director of urology at Boston IVF as well as a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. Because of its effectiveness and permanence, many urologists across the country are reporting an increased interest in vasectomies in the wake of the Roe v. Wade supreme court ruling....

Though this is a bit of a solemn holiday with very serious roots in American history, it can be a day of celebration and honoring our armed forces. Even if your family doesn’t know any veterans, you can still discuss the origins of this day with your children and explain to them how it plays a role in the country’s history. Whether your family has celebrated Veterans Day every year or you’re looking for how to celebrate it for the first time, here are six ways to share this day with each other....

Ways to Deal With Guilt After Miscarriage Recognizing that you were most likely powerless to prevent your miscarriage or stillbirth is a difficult but important step in relieving your guilt. You may never completely eliminate those nagging feelings of “what if…” and “if I only…” But you may be able to channel your self-blaming tendencies into something positive. There is no simple way of getting rid of guilty feelings or to stop blaming yourself, but there are some techniques you can try to alleviate those feelings....

Your hard work has been a gift and will impact the health and wellness of your baby throughout their entire life. As you move into the next stage, you can rest assured that every drop you expressed was shared with love. How to Wean From Pumping The following strategies are effective methods for weaning from pumping without having to stop “cold turkey,” which can cause incredible discomfort, clogged ducts, mastitis, and other discomforts....

Then there’s a type of twinning, known as polar body twinning, which is only theoretical, with no confirmed cases. (It’s also called half-identical twinning.) Polar body twins would occur if an unfertilized ovum splits into unequal parts and then each part is subsequently fertilized by two separate sperm. How Polar Body Twins Happen The ova, the female sex cell, undergoes a process of division called meiosis to reproduce. The process produces four haploid cells, each with half a set of chromosomes....

If you’re pregnant and your due date is fast approaching, you probably have a lot of questions about what your labor and delivery is going to look like, and we wish we had all the answers. Unfortunately, because the pandemic is an evolving situation, there are a lot of things we don’t yet know…and even the things we do know are subject to change as we continue learning about the virus and its effects on pregnant people, newborn babies, and the general population....