What to Pack in Your Hospital bag—from the essentials to the nice-to-haves

8 Hospital Bag Must-Have Items... I Forgot to Pack!

Nightgown or pajamas Find out if your hospital requires you to wear one of their gowns. If not, you may prefer to bring a gown or pajamas from home. If you are planning to nurse, be sure to bring pajamas that open down the front (you don’t want to be lifting up a long gown … Read more about What to Pack in Your Hospital bag—from the essentials to the nice-to-haves

Your Growing Belly: What Your Bump Reveals about Baby

Your Growing Belly: What Your Bump Reveals about Baby

Too big? Too small? Pregnancy bumps come in all shapes and sizes. Find answers to common questions about the size of your expanding belly. All pregnancy bumps are different, so it’s no wonder that some women worry their pregnant tummies might be too big, too small, or the wrong shape. Some women even fear that their … Read more about Your Growing Belly: What Your Bump Reveals about Baby

The R.O.A.D. to a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Birth

The R.O.A.D. to a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Birth

The choices you make while you’re pregnant play a major role in the health of your baby, as well as affecting your own health and comfort during your pregnancy. An author and certified natural childbirth educator shows how simple diet and lifestyle changes can constitute the four components needed to set you on the R.O.A.D. … Read more about The R.O.A.D. to a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Birth

Popular Pregnancy Myths – Fact or Fiction?

Popular Pregnancy Myths - Fact or Fiction

From strange food cravings to gender prediction, to dream interpretation, there are handfuls of wild (and entertaining!) pregnancy myths. Here are some of our favorites. Gender Prediction Myth: According to folklore, you can deduce your baby’s gender without medical tests. Here’s how: Reality: The only sure-fire way to tell the gender of your unborn child is through ultrasound or amniocentesis. The Drano … Read more about Popular Pregnancy Myths – Fact or Fiction?

Dulling the Pain of Labor: Your Guide to Epidurals and Other Pain Killers

Ways dad can help manage pain during labor

“I’ve been told that birthing is unlike any other pain that a human can experience,” says Katherine Barnwell of Clinton Township, Michigan, when asked whether she’s nervous about birth of her first child. While Barnwell likes the idea of delivering her baby naturally, she’s considering her options before her September due date. Like many women, Barnwell’s waiting until her third … Read more about Dulling the Pain of Labor: Your Guide to Epidurals and Other Pain Killers

Dads in the Delivery Room: Help or Hindrance?

Dads in the Delivery Room Help or Hindrance

Thirty years ago, childbirth for dads-to-be was mysteriously locked behind closed doors. Millennium Dads, however, are expected to be present at the birth. Are all guys suited for delivery room duty? “Not all that long ago, dads weren’t expected—or even welcome—to attend the births of their children,” says Armin Brott, writer of six critically acclaimed … Read more about Dads in the Delivery Room: Help or Hindrance?

Pain Relief during Childbirth: An Overview

Ways dad can help manage pain during labor

Explore your options for pain relief during childbirth. Childbirth is a natural event. Because of this, many feel that it should be natural all the way, including no pain relief. To this end, techniques like Lamaze and the Bradley methods have done a lot to help women who choose to get through the experience with that-the experience. But there … Read more about Pain Relief during Childbirth: An Overview

Bringing Your Baby Home After Birth: Tips and Advice on Your Newborn Baby’s First Trip Home

Ways dad can help manage pain during labor

You’ve spent the last few months gearing up for the arrival of your bundle of joy. Now what? A mom teams up with a nurse-midwife and infant care expert to guide you through the next stages. You’ve spent the last few months gearing up for the arrival of your bundle of joy. Now what? A … Read more about Bringing Your Baby Home After Birth: Tips and Advice on Your Newborn Baby’s First Trip Home