Motherhood

A birth plan can be an invaluable guide to help you prepare for childbirth so it is best to have one even if you have no idea what you want it to include yet!

Baby showers are a great celebration for the soon-to-be mom, but planning some party games can be extra stressful. Check out this list of awesome party games to make your shower shine!

DIY pregnancy tests that you can do at home are fun, easy, cheap, and fast! Find out how to make your own homemade pregnancy test from items you have at home.

Prodromal labor can be difficult to distinguish from active labor. Here’s how to tell the difference.

New motherhood is a time of healing and self-care, and these products will help you focus on both while being the best mom you can be.

Bleeding during pregnancy does not always signal an issue with pregnancy. If you have some minor cramping and light spotting near your scheduled period – possibly even before you know you’re pregnant – it may just be a sign of implantation.

Wondering if you might be pregnant, but not sure if it’s the right time to take a pregnancy test? We’ve got answers to all your questions about how pregnancy tests work, when you should test, and why you shouldn’t worry if your period is late.

If you’re trying to get pregnant, here are the early signs you can look out for before you take a pregnancy test.

Breastfeeding can be a beautiful and wonderful experience for a new mom. But if your milk supply is low, it can be scary and upsetting. Here are some common questions and answers about how to tell if your supply is low, what causes a low milk supply and how to boost your milk supply naturally.

If you’re looking for some New Years resolution ideas, you have to check out these HILARIOUS and totally relateable ideas that every mom should strive for in the coming year. Have a laugh and try not to pee your pants as you look through these Real Mom Resolutions.

Having a baby is wonderful. But the changes to our bodies aren’t always to our liking. If you’ve got loose skin, we’ve got tips on how to tighten it up!

While no one should feel ashamed of their stretch marks – they are, after all, completely natural – it is not always easy to ignore these feelings. Luckily, there are many products out there that can help to diminish the look of stretch marks. In some cases they can even cause them to be almost invisible.

Lactation cookies are such a boon to any mama who is struggling to build up her milk supply. Breastfeeding a baby is difficult at the best of times, but if you don’t make a lot of milk, it can be an uphill struggle for as long as you choose to nurse.

If you have ever breastfed your baby, you will know that at times it can seem impossible to produce nearly enough milk. Even those blessed with an abundance of breastmilk can sometimes feel like they’ve been sucked dry – especially during a growth spurt! Luckily, there is a ton of science showing that there are …

When it comes to Postpartum Depression, I feel like I’ve been through it all. Not only have I dealt with it after each of my children’s births, but I also suffered from traumatic Perinatal Depression, which is depression during pregnancy. Somehow, though, this time around, it took me a while to realize that I was suffering …

Picture this. You’ve just had a(nother) baby and you’re just about recovered from the terror of childbirth. Your body is your own again (aside from 23 hours a day of breastfeeding, of course), and you are ready to get back to the gym. Of course, going to the gym is kind of hard with a …

New moms are often bombarded with advice about feeding a new baby. Well-meaning friends and family members will often try and guilt or shame you into their way of doing things. But the truth of the matter is that FED really IS best. Whether you are a die-hard formula mom who is confident in her …

I have been hesitating to publish pregnancy updates lately because all in all, this fourth baby has caused me very few issues (unlike his brothers!), and I didn’t really want to bore anyone with posts about random pregnancy things that most everyone deals with. But a few weeks ago, things changed up a little bit, …

Depression before, during and after pregnancy is all too common. Whether you have longed for a child for years or you’ve been through it all before, depression can hit at any time. Sometimes it is expected because the mother has a history of mental illness, and other times it comes out of left field and …

If you’ve ever read my posts on pregnancy before, you’ll know that I’m the kind of mom who complains A LOT. I don’t mean to. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to create life and carry it to term, and I never take for granted my kids or my beautiful ability to have a family. …

It seems that whether we ask for it or not, moms are subjected to advice from well-meaning third parties, hoping to impart their knowledge and be congratulated on their own parenting prowess. The problem is, half the time, those dropping their so-called expert advice don’t even have children of their own. Ironically, this doesn’t stop …

In the beginning… As babies and toddlers, we, as parents, get to pick our kids’ friends. It’s cute at that age. There’s an abundance of cherubic smiles. There’s the melodic giggles that come from a child who is still at the age where they’re learning to crawl, then walk—both literally and metaphorically. There’s the adorable …

Oh help me, OB-GYN Kenobi! You’re my only hope! I can’t believe this is happening again. And so early! That’s right – my body has gone into super crazy overdrive with the unbearable itchiness associated with Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). As you may or may not know, I’ve dealt with this in every single …

This was it. My time to relax. The two older boys were playing video games in the play room (who knew they’d reach that age so soon?), and the baby was down for his afternoon nap. Everyone was fed, and the housework was done. I was ready to take 45 minutes out of my day …

I hope you’re sitting down for this. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am currently unable to sit down with any sort of comfort. Let me explain why – last night I had my first ever Brazilian bikini wax. Now your reaction to this, as far as I can tell, will be one of three. …

When Mark and I first met, during our nine hour first date, the subject of kids came up. A weird first date conversation, I’ll admit, but as we had both just left long term relationships, it was on both of our minds that any prospective future might involve children. In the course of our conversation, …

Collect dirty laundry from around the house. Don’t forget to check under and inside the couch, the bathtub and the cat beds. Place as much laundry as you can fit into the washing machine.  Don’t worry if it is falling out. Just keep pushing it in while pressing the door closed and quickly remove your …