Author: Lisa Douglas

Mention the word “childbirth” in a room filled with moms and you’ll be inundated with a whole host of advice, personal experience, and a heap ton of warnings of what to do, what not to do, what to be wary of, and what’s the worst thing ever.

Everyone’s got their own story about childbirth and something to say about vaginal deliveries, epidurals, C-sections, breech births, natural births, doctors, midwives, etc.
An exaggerated story makes for more interesting conversation, and an overly enthusiastic warning forces someone to wake up and pay attention. Unfortunately labor and childbirth tales aren’t spared this drama—even when they’re told by the most well-intended souls. It’s no wonder that pregnant women (or those considering becoming pregnant one day) feel freaked out and confused.

So what’s the truth? In reality, no one delivery is the same. Every body is different, and different women handle different aspects of delivery, well, differently.
Let us help put your mind at ease and shed some light on the most common myths about labor and delivery—that you can ignore.

Natural childbirth is through the vagina only.

The whole idea of labeling a delivery “natural” or not natural is so odd! Were the terms initially coined to make mothers feel like failures—as if their deliveries weren’t intended and were fake? What exactly is considered a natural birth? Much of society defines a natural delivery as being any type of delivery that doesn’t involve a C-section.

This doesn’t exactly make sense because 1. The delivering of a baby (whatever method) is a natural event—a baby is coming out of a mother’s body (probably the most natural event that Mother Nature ever made). 2. So-called “natural deliveries” are sometimes anything but. What about a typical vaginal birth is natural? The forceps used to aid getting the baby out? The breaking of the water in the hospital? The medications, epidurals, or monitoring of vitals by high-tech machinery?

You have a low threshold for pain if you have an epidural.

Going into labor and having a baby doesn’t exactly tickle…it’s going to hurt. For some people it hurts a lot for a short amount of time, and for others it hurts a little for a longer period of time—and there are variations to those themes as well.

How can you tell what your pain is going to be like? Some studies have found that delivery pain levels and tolerance are genetic; so it may help to ask your mom or grandmom how her pain was during childbirth.
Other studies have found that support (or lack of) affects your pain, as does your preconceived perception of the labor process—if you believe that it’s going to be painful, then that’s how your body will perceive it. The choice to have an epidural or not is a personal one.

The decision is often made after taking the following into consideration: the amount of pain the mother is in, the duration of pain, and how pain is affecting a mother’s vital stats, such as blood pressure. It’s also important to consider that the actual administration of an epidural is no walk in the park, and getting one is no indication that you have a low threshold for pain.

You have a higher chance of C-section if you have an epidural.

Studies have shown that with epidurals, the time that a woman is in labor increases. Researchers have also found that having an epidural can make women push for a longer period and increase something known as “ineffective pushing” (pushing without the baby coming out).

On the other hand, doctors sometimes are a little eager to push a woman into a C-section if they’ve been waiting around a longer time for a woman to deliver (i.e., they don’t feel like standing around anymore and waiting for the baby to come).
However, if your baby’s not in distress (and there’s no medical risk), and you want to have a vaginal delivery, then there’s no reason not to try.

C-sections are the easy way out.

Many people think that a C-section is an easier form of delivery than a vaginal birth. They assert that the woman gets spared the pain of going through the contractions of labor, she doesn’t suffer the common issues of a vaginal delivery, and she just schedules the surgery for the most convenient time.

This is not true, and anyone who has ever had a C-section (or any other major abdominal surgery) will agree that having your abdomen opened is absolutely not the easy way out. Sure, you don’t have to push, don’t end up with hemorrhoids and minor tears, and don’t experience the pain of pushing…. But recovering from major surgery is a pretty big deal. Initially, you have to worry about things like excessive blood loss, blood clots, and infections, and that’s just for starters.

Standing, walking around, carrying the baby, and breastfeeding are all made much more complicated by abdominal surgery. Whether someone chooses to have the C-section or not, it absolutely is not the easier route, and each childbirth option comes with its own set of issues.

It’s that yucky little feeling that you can’t shake. Nothing’s really wrong, but nothing seems to be right either. Something is off.
You should be excited and bursting with joy—because how could you not be? You just gave birth to the most precious, darling perfect little gift, and yet…you not only don’t feel elated, you can hardly muster up the energy to get out of bed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 to 20 percent of women who give birth suffer from postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms. With 4 million women in the U.S. giving birth every year, this works out to about 600,000 who are affected. Unfortunately, these numbers may be a bit optimistic as they only reflect the reported cases of PPD.
Many women are unaccounted for because they suffer silently due to feelings of shame and guilt. Previously not much was known about PPD, and support was hard to find, but in the 21st century there are many more options available for women who are dealing with PPD.

Increased awareness of the condition—along with medication, therapy, and support are doing wonders to help those who suffer. Think you may have postpartum depression? Here are some of the surprising symptoms that you may be missing.

Brain Fog

Remember when you were pregnant and you couldn’t remember anything—and everyone told you that you had “pregnancy brain” from all of the hormones circulating around your body? Have you given birth and found that instead of these symptoms going away they’ve gotten worse?

Do you feel like you have trouble processing information that’s relayed to you? Do you often forget your train of thought? Do you miss appointments? Lose your keys? Neglect to return phone calls?
Studies have found that both your working memory and your short-term memory can be affected by PPD. Working memory is the part of your brain that helps you process information, and short-term memory is what helps you remember where you put your bag. If you’ve been suffering from memory issues, you may have PPD.

Scary Thoughts

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted feelings and thoughts that come into your head that conflict with how you normally feel or behave. They can make you feel frightened, guilty, or scared.

For example, have you ever had the feeling of wanting to harm your baby if she’s been crying for too long? Ever feel like you impulsively want to pick up and leave your family behind? Intrusive thoughts—although scary—are very rarely acted upon. They are, however, not uncommon among women who experience postpartum depression.
It’s worth noting that intrusive thoughts are not that uncommon overall. One study found that across six continents, about 94 percent of people reported at least one intrusive thought in a three-month period. But an increase in these thoughts can signal that you’re experiencing PPD.

Anger

Have you noticed that you’ve gotten angry more often lately? Are you lashing out at people unnecessarily? Is your fuse abnormally short with your partner, your baby, or your family members? Does everyone and everything seem to irritate you?

Anger is often a surprising symptom of postpartum depression, because the typical depressed person is often thought of as quiet and withdrawn. But depression can bring about feelings of irritability, making you want to throw things and yell at anyone that so much as sighs wrong. It can also bring on a sudden bout of anger known as an anger attack.
These can manifest themselves physically as a pounding heart, sweating, and a feeling of tightness in your chest. Are you worried about how your anger is affecting your relationships with your friends and family? Are you worried about the well-being of your child? PPD may be to blame.

Numbness

You’re not feeling sad, not feeling misery, and you’re not crying…the problem is you’re not feeling anything.

Do you feel empty? Are you often just going through the motions almost like a robot? Does it feel like you’re disconnected to the people you used to be close to or the things that you used to love to do? Do you no longer get inspired by the things that once brought you joy and excitement?

Feeling numb or the inability to find joy and happiness day to day are often symptoms of PPD. Do you also feel unable to to bond with your baby? This is a symptom of PPD too. Unfortunately, most women feel very guilty over the lack of warmth they feel for their newborn, which serves to compound the issue.

Insomnia

You would think that as exhausted as a new mother becomes from caring for her child that she would welcome the opportunity for a bit of rest and fall blissfully to sleep when an opportunity presented itself.

Unfortunately, many women who suffer from postpartum depression experience trouble with sleep habits. In instances of PPD, many women can have problems falling asleep or conversely can end up sleeping too much.
Irregular sleep patterns are normal for a new mother trying to get accustomed to a changing schedule, but if you’re finding that you’re often having trouble falling asleep when the opportunity arises, you may be experiencing postpartum depression.

Want your children to live the longest and healthiest life possible? Move to Japan! A study reported in The Lancet shows that children born in Japan today enjoy the highest life expectancy in the world.

According to the study, Japanese boys and girls can expect to live to age 73 without any major illness or disability, with an overall life expectancy well into the 80s. The U.S. pales in comparison (and doesn’t even reach the top 10 globally), with kids in 2013 forecasted to be healthy until age 65 and live until they’re 76.

How do the Japanese do it? Naomi Moriyama and her husband, William Doyle, who are parents and the authors of Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Children: Why Japanese Children Have the Longest, Healthiest Lives—And How Yours Can Too, studied families and kids in Japanese society and found that good nutrition, sensible schedules, healthy habits, and moderate exercise are the keys to a lifetime of good health.

But how does a family accomplish these things day to day? Read on to learn how the Japanese do it and how you can put some of their healthy-habit skills to work in your home.

1. Be the boss over your kid’s health and wellness.

As parents, we sometimes tiptoe around sensitive subjects out of fear that we’ll push too hard or that our kids will rebel. Moriyama found that eating nutritious, delicious foods at home as a family was a strong predictor of children developing healthy eating habits later in life.

What does this mean? The more you introduce your kids to healthy foods and have fun doing it, the more your kids will want to do it on their own. The key is to make it an engaging family activity. Studies have shown that forcing children to eat only particular things and finish everything on their plates is counterproductive, because they will end up associating mealtime with discomfort and fear.

Psychologists have found that when parents are working toward establishing healthy habits for their children (and other good habits as well) an approach that’s known as authoritative parenting works the best. This concept was pioneered in the 1960s and is characterized by a parent establishing guidelines and rules that are expected to be followed.

But they listen and respond to kids questions and concerns and are nurturing and strategic in their approach to discipline. Parents are assertive but not restrictive. They apply firm control, but it’s justified by rational explanation.

As it applies to a healthy lifestyle, nothing is forbidden or off limits, and choices abound—along with the reasoning behind them. In Japanese culture, parents model healthy eating and don’t overreact when a kid doesn’t want to eat a new food, prefers something else, or isn’t interested in finishing their entire meal.

2. Encourage your child to explore new foods.

Kids can be fickle, yet they also can be daring. Additionally, their likes and dislikes will change over time. The earlier a child is exposed to a variety of food choices, the more likely they will be receptive to different foods that they’re introduced to.

Experts agree that the more diverse a child’s palate, the healthier their overall health will be. Studies have shown that when a child relies only on a limited number of food choices, they
aren’t exposed to a variety of healthy nutrients, and allergies and intolerances can also develop.

The best way to try to get your kids to eat new foods is to make it fun and do it without pressure. Try offering a new item every week and keep an open mind. It may even be helpful to let them search the internet and choose new foods or recipes that they’d like to try.

3. Rebalance your plate the Japanese way.

Super Size Me was not just a popular movie about obesity in the U.S., but it also depicted how the average serving size of meals has grown over the past 20 years. Japanese families control their family’s meal portion sizes by using smaller plates.

The Family Eating Laboratory at the Temple University Center for Obesity Research and Education discovered that children don’t normally serve themselves huge portions when left on their own—and they chose even smaller portion sizes when the size of the plate was smaller.

4. Choose foods that are high in nutrition, lower in calories, and more satisfying.

When you think about the typical Japanese-style meal, it frequently consists of a small bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, and three small side dishes. These are usually fish, meat or tofu, and two vegetables.

All meals are minimally processed, naturally derived, and well balanced. They are made from high quality ingredients and are both filling and tasty. You don’t have to feed your kids sushi and edamame for them to be healthy, but choosing more plant-based meals and “cleaner” foods will keep them satisfied, fuller longer, and healthier overall.

One option may be to include more of that Japanese staple, rice. The Japanese rely on this minimally processed carbohydrate to balance out their meals in a healthy way. Rice is offered instead of the U.S. staple—wheat, which tends to be less filling and less nutritious.

Nothing is taboo at the Japanese table, but you don’t often see highly processed foods, deep fried foods, or trans fat–laden options.

5. Make lunch a big deal.

Moriyama explains that Japanese school lunch programs are well thought out and planned in order to offer the most nutritious meals possible. Starting young, all children are served a lunch that is made from locally grown foods and is prepared daily in the cafeteria.

Unhealthy options aren’t offered, and this helps children learn the type of food that is nutritious and appropriate for them. Kids also help plan, prepare, and serve the lunches. They study nutrition, visit local farms, receive cooking instruction, and learn about table manners.

This combination teaches them how to choose wisely for themselves and gives them the knowledge they need to be in charge of their bodies and health. Even though most schools in the U.S. don’t have these types of programs for students’ lunch, the school program can help to guide American parents in choosing the right breakfasts and dinners for their kids.

6. Get your child moving more.

In Japan, physical activity is built into the lives of children from a very early age—98.3 percent of children walk or bike to and from school, which helps them to get the recommended 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Moriyama explains that this practice sets up a lifelong habit of regul
ar exercise. In Japan, it’s just assumed that you get up and start walking; traveling by car is typically not an option.

The World Health Organization reports that daily physical activity for kids not only keeps their weight at a healthy number, but it also makes the entire body healthier by supporting the development of strong bones and muscles, improving the cardiovascular system, helping memory and concentration, and developing the skills to deal with mental health issues such as fear, anxiety, and depression.

Even if your kids don’t have the option of walking to school, the take-away message of Japanese society is to try to make daily physical activity a habit. Whether it’s an after-school basketball game or an after-dinner walk, exercise habits established early on will stay with your kids into adulthood.

It seems that everyone, whether they’ve been a parent or not, has an opinion on how to be a parent. And they’re more than happy to share it! As it happens, some of the “wisdom” that they share turns out not to be that wise after all.

With parenthood comes a lot of joy, including unconditional love, lots of bonding with extended family members, and a whole bunch of unsolicited advice.

Family and friends mean well when they offer their cough opinions and “help,” but oftentimes the advice they give is not exactly accurate. Don’t know which are facts and which are fiction? Here are the most surprising and widely shared myths about parenthood.

You’ll spoil your baby if you pick them up whenever they cry.

You’ll hear this a lot from an older generation. It used to be believed that if you catered to a child’s need, they would get used to it and keep asking for more. Decades of study and research have concluded that you just can’t spoil a newborn.

Newborns need care, love, and attention. They need reassurance, bonding, and touch. It’s important for their physical and emotional development.

If your child cries and you pick him up and he stops crying—he needed to be picked up. Children need to learn trust and gain confidence that their needs will be responded to and met. Studies show that during the first six months of life, a baby’s primary job is to develop this sense of trust.

After six months, experts suggest that you can pull back just a little, but only to let them figure out that they’re okay on their own—and that you’re right around the corner if they need you.

The “twos” are terrible.

In truth, the period known as the “twos” (really the time between 18 and 30 months of age) are both terrible and wonderful at the same time! The twos really are only terrible if you’re unprepared and inflexible.

During this period, your sweet, agreeable, fun-loving baby can be replaced by a rebellious, stubborn, and tantrum-throwing toddler from hell. Don’t fret though! It’s a natural and healthy part of development—and it happens to most everyone.

The good news is that the more prepared you are for it, the better it will be for you and your child. If you also try to keep your sense of humor and remain flexible, the both of you will emerge brilliantly! During this stage of development your child will run toward independence and being an individual. She’ll want to make her own decisions, tell you what she thinks, and she’ll fight you hand over fist for what she wants. She’ll also test you and push your boundaries.

It’s important for your child to establish her own identity, and experts suggest that you encourage her to do so. Set limits by offering choices, “I see that you don’t want broccoli. Would you like corn or peas instead?” This gives your child the feeling of individuality and being in control.

Experts also recommend limiting the events when a rebellion may occur, say, if food shopping has become somewhat of an issue. Instead of forcing it, try to eliminate it.

Find a time when you’ve got help or when your child is in school so you c
an go by yourself. The good news is that this period does pass, and you will move on to easier times.

Bribing your child is always a bad idea.

Experts agree that most of time it’s not a good idea to bribe your child, but it can come in super handy in the emergency situations when you really need help. Say, for example, you’re at the doctor’s office and you need your daughter to sit quietly while you talk to the nurse about something critically important. It doesn’t hurt in this case to promise her you’ll get her ice cream after the visit if she stays quiet.

Experts also explain that there is a difference between bribery and offering rewards or incentives for positive behavior. For example, it would be fine (and not considered bribery) to offer your child a shopping spree reward for completing three months of Hebrew school.

Some would mistake this for a bribe, but it’s really an incentive for a job well done. What makes a bribe a bribe is paying your way to get cooperation for simple everyday things like being polite, doing chores, and being patient. These cases need to be limited, because you don’t want to instill in your children the understanding that they aren’t required to behave and listen unless they’re getting something out of it. Try employing reward-free logic first and turn to bribery as a last resort.

Children need “quality time.”

It’s believed that the concept of quality time was originally coined to reassure parents who had fewer hours to spend with their kids that the focused, uninterrupted time that they spent with their children was better than the hours and hours of unfocused time that other parents did.

However, research shows that both quality and quantity time with children are equally valuable, and really, any time spent with kids is considered important.

Researchers found that quantity time (time spent with kids in an unscheduled manner, also known as “hang-out”) was just as beneficial as quality time to the well-being of a child. They concluded that the key was to have a balance of both.

Oftentimes, the weight gets shifted too far in one direction and a child ends up getting pummeled with too much of one and not enough of the other. As long as a parent recognizes it and slowly makes the shift to more balanced parenting, the kids end up happy and healthy!

If you don’t discipline your child for every misdeed, they’ll end up bratty.

Have you ever heard the phrase “pick your battles”? It was indeed created for issues that arise with children. You can’t respond to every misdeed with a firm response—you’d spend your life battling!

Child behavioral experts explain that what matters more than consistency is your children knowing when you’re serious and mean business.

It’s fine for them to think that they may have gotten away with something, or that you’re being lenient, as long as they recognize when you’re serious and that they need to rope their misbehavior in.

Experts say it’s important to stand your ground when you do mean business so that kids can recognize the signs that they’ve crossed the line and know their boundaries.

Parents shouldn’t fight in front of their children.

This statement could be myth or tru
th depending on how parents fight. If you and your partner can fight maturely without screaming, blaming, cursing, and being abusive, then it’s a good thing for your kids to see you fight.

Children learn a lot from their parents’ behavior. Through observing calm, blame-free yet heated discussions, children learn conflict resolution and how to do it properly to keep communication open and relationships healthy.

Arguing is a component of every good relationship, and by disagreeing and working toward resolution, children learn how to model this behavior in their own relationships. Constant bickering, manipulative tactics, and verbal abuse benefit no one. If you see that your argument is headed in that direction, it’s best to put it on pause and continue the fight behind closed doors—away from the kids.

Another reason to put a fight on pause in front of the kids is if the fight is about the children and parenting them. Experts warn that making kids privy to this information is never helpful, and parents (regardless of their individual opinions) need to present themselves as a united front when it comes to parenting.

Pickles and ice cream, fried Oreos dipped in ranch dressing, bacon-wrapped caramels…none of these odd culinary delights are given a second thought if the person consuming them has another person growing inside of them. People just shrug and say, “Oh, she’s pregnant.”

But what if the weird gets even weirder?

Check this out: Pregnant women not only have weird food cravings but can also get cravings for things that aren’t food—like dirt and chalk. Pica is the “practice of craving substances with little or no nutritional value.” The term comes from a Latin word for a magpie—a bird that’s known to eat almost anything.

Picas are often seen in kids, and no one really knows why some women develop these cravings during pregnancy. Doctors think it may be connected to iron or other mineral and vitamin deficiencies—or that it may be related to a physical or mental illness.

Regardless of the reason, these cravings are real. Here are the top 14!

Wet Cement

Walk by a construction site and take a big whiff. That dirty, moist smell is one that drives pregnant women crazy!

Many women claim to loiter near construction sites to take in the scents, and some have even admitted to waiting for a good rain and then restraining themselves from running outside and licking the sidewalks.

Dirt/Clay

Dirt and clay are two of the most common of cravings during pregnancy. So much so that in some cultures, the craving or eating of dirt is one of the telltale signs of pregnancy (second to morning sickness).

As many as 56 percent of pregnant women have admitted to wanting to eat dirt or clay, and they’re in good company because Britney Spears has also said she’s craved it. Think we’re kidding? There is a shop in White Plains, Georgia, that caters to this dirt-loving crowd and boasts daily sales of “geophagic earth” (or kaolin).

Ice

Some pregnant women rush to the refrigerator not for leftovers but for one of the favorite weird cravings of those with child: ice. It’s so common that it’s got it’s own name, pagophagia.

Some studies have shown a connection between an ice pica and mineral deficiencies. The conclusions revealed that one-fifth of pregnant women craved ice because of the baby drawing extra iron from their blood.

Eating ice is one of the most harmless of pica cravings (and actually can be hydrating!), but doctors caution pregnant women to watch how much they rely on it. Ice has no nutrients and shouldn’t be substituted for healthy meals.

Charcoal

Many pregnant women quietly admit to have been pulled out of a cold fire pit in their quest to consume burned wood charcoal. Why?

Apparently charcoal is a huge pica hit among women who are with child. Experts recommend that even though some pica cravings are safe to satisfy, this one remains on the “to-don’t” list.

Chalk

A parenting website in the U.K. surveyed more than 2,000 women, and chalk (along with talcum powder) made the top 10 list of most popular pregnancy cravings. Oddly, some pregnant women often fantasize about chewing on sticks of sidewalk chalk or sprinkling talcum powder on their meals.

Although there are nontoxic types of chalk on the market, experts don’t recommend snacking on them. What they do suggest, though, is popping one or two Tums tablets to help satisfy any cravings for a chalky flavor.

Toothpaste

After charcoal and chalk, the craving for toothpaste comes as a sweet surprise! Pregnant women who crave toothpaste aren’t known to squirt tubes of the stuff in their mouths, but often eat or swallow a bit when they’re brushing their teeth.

There are no known side effects of swallowing a little more than your share of toothpaste (and on a positive note teeth become super pearly), but experts recommend not using it as a daily snack.

Sponges

This craving actually makes sense! Sponges are soft and springy and probably feel a lot like gum in your mouth. Pregnant women have been known to periodically give in to this nontoxic craving by chewing on a couple of corners of a sponge while passing the sink.

It’s deemed by experts as an okay craving to indulge, but only if it’s a clean, unused sponge and only chewed—not consumed.

Ashes

The smell of tobacco smoke is quite pleasing to some (judging by the tobacco-scented air fresheners and candles on the market), but the craving to eat the ash produced by burning tobacco can come as a shock to others. It may be weird, but the truth is that it’s pretty normal among pregnant women.

The American Pregnancy Association cites that next to ice, tobacco ashes are one of the most common pica cravings. Many a pregnant woman has been caught or dipping her finger in a pile of ashes.

Paint

Liquid paint, spray paint, paint chips…nothing is safe from the odd hunger pangs of the pregnant woman. The smell is intoxicating enough for them to want to lick a freshly painted wall, chew on some chips, or just down a gallon of their favorite shade.

As tempting as it may be, indulging in this craving is not only toxic but can result in deadly lead poisoning. It’s best to avoid this craving at all costs. Instead get your hands on some gum or other chewable substance.

Laundry Detergent

Like those sweet-smelling peanuts that they sell out of carts in the park, laundry detergent may smell heavenly, but the taste is vile. That doesn’t stop pregnant women from sneaking little bites of it to satisfy their intense yearnings for it, however.

Detergent is an unnatural chemical substance that can be super toxic to mom and baby, so do whatever you can to fight this urge.

Coffee Grounds

Many women who normally detest the taste of coffee have reported craving the heck out of it while they’re pregnant. Oddly enough, they don’t want to drink said coffee. Instead they report wanting to chew the grounds or the beans.

This is clearly linked to some mineral or vitamin deficiency, and doctors warn that eating the grounds of a partner’s morning cup may leave a pregnant woman feeling jittery (and often with black specks between her teeth). In truth, although craving these ground beans is weird, aside from the jolt, there’s really nothing wrong with eating coffee remains.

Sand

Life’s not exactly a beach for pregnant women who crave sand. Some women admit to having been tempted to dip their sandwiches or snacks in sand to satisfy their intense desire for the relatively nontoxic earth particles.

Although eating sand isn’t necessarily poisonous, pregnant women should be forewarned that eating too much of it can do a number on the enamel of their teeth (never mind their gastrointestinal systems). Plus there’s all kinds of gross stuff on a beach. Give this one a pass.

Rubber

Ever notice a woman leaning over and sniffing the tires on her car? She might be expecting! Many pregnant women love the smell and crave the taste of rubber, and as with several of these other picas, this is believed to be related to an iron deficiency.

Although it’s not particularly healthy or sanitary to be licking tires in the mall parking lot, it’s suggested that if one gets the urge to consume rubber items, chewing on a clean new rubber band may help keep the cravings at bay!

Gas

The smell that comes from the pump while one puts gas in a car is cited as being euphoric to some pregnant women, who admit that they often do all they can to stifle their urge to suck down a gallon or two.

As you can imagine, gas is not on the list of cravings that experts recommend giving in to. Even though the smell of it may be intoxicating to someone with child, unfortunately, it’s completely poisonous and can do serious harm to mom and baby. Ingesting it is not even a question.

If you’re expecting a baby in 2017, you’re in luck! This year is the most exciting to be picking out a stroller. There are so many options, and we’ve got a stroller to fit every need and budget.

Of course you want a stroller that’s going to keep your baby safe and comfortable, but nowadays you can get so much more than just the basics. When choosing a stroller, you’ll want to ask yourself some specific questions.

What’s the main purpose that you’re going to use your stroller for? Will you be getting it in and out of the car often? Do you need one to accommodate other kids too? Is style important to you?

You’ll be holding on to your stroller for a while (until your kid reaches 50 pounds or they’re well into preschool), so you want to choose one that will hold your child and that will match your lifestyle.

Don’t worry—we’ve got your back. Here’s our list of the top baby strollers for 2017, with splurge and save options for all budgets.

The Best All-Around

Splurge: Nuna Mixx Stroller

This hybrid stroller system is the perfect all-around stroller for your baby, from the newborn stage all way the up through toddlerhood. It’s stylish yet super functional. It comes with all-terrain wheels and a lightweight frame that doesn’t compromise strength.

The Nuna has four modes: carry cot, travel, rearward facing, and forward facing. The handle adjusts to the perfect height, and the large storage basket underneath is a big crowd pleaser with a divider to keep things organized. The stroller opens and closes easily with one hand, and the trolley function makes it very easy to carry when it’s folded.

Not convinced yet? Here are some more great features:

– Oversized canopy with an eyeshade that provides UPF 50+ sun protection

– Easy-to-move bassinet

– Five-position recline function

– Front- and rear-wheel progressive suspension technology

– One-touch rear-wheel braking system

Get yours here for $750.

Save: Chicco Bravo Trio Stroller System

The manufacturers claim that it’s the only stroller you’ll ever need from newborn to toddler stages—and we agree!

At $290 to $380 depending on your choice of colorway, it’s not the absolute cheapest option, but with all of its bells and whistles, we feel it’s the best bang for your buck.

Here are some key features of the Bravo Trio:

– Five-point harness

– Adjustable handlebar

– Adjustable canopy fitted with viewing window

– Excellent storage, accessible from the front and rear

– Forward-facing seat with different recline options

– All-wheel suspension system

Get yours here for $290 or $380.

The Best for Multiple Kids

Splurge: Baby Jogger City Select Stroller

This cool pick may look like a single-child stroller, but have no fear: It’s actually a standard stroller designed for a growing family that can accommodate up to three kids! It comes with one seat, but you can add another, along with a glider for a toddler to ride on.

The nifty part of this stroller is that the seats can be adjusted so that the kids face you, face front, or face each other.

But that’s not all! This stroller boasts 16+ available configurations to fit your family’s needs. It’s also easy to open and close and can maneuver through any kind of environment, including bumpy roads, slick snow, and tight shopping aisles.

Here are some of its other features:

– Five-point harness

– Adjustable handlebar

– Multiple reclining positions no matter which direction the seat is facing

– Fully adjustable seat with expandable head height and extendable foot well

– Seat back storage

Get yours here for $450 to $530, depending on color.

Save: Summer Infant 3Dtwo Double Stroller

This stadium-style seating double stroller is a real mom-pleaser! It’s as compact and lightweight as an everyday single stroller, but this stroller made for two is super easy to use with its folding and reclining features that only require one hand.

Its claim to fame is being one of the most compact folds on the market. Smooth glide wheels allow for easy operation and a comfortable ride. Even more comfortable? Both seats are reclinable, and the front seat can be laid down flat for sleeping children, long legs, or carrying extra stuff. At this price, it’s hard not to be impressed. Here are the other cool features:

– Five-point safety harnesses with easy-pop buckles

– Two large canopies that adjust independently and rear peek-a-boo window

– One-handed fold with auto lock and convenient carry strap

– Two-position recline

– Front seat padded bumper bar and adjustable calf rest

– Rear seat footrest

Get yours here for $170.

The Best On-The-Run Stroller

Splurge: BOB Revolution Pro Stroller

Jogging strollers used to be big, clunky, and hard to maneuver. Not the BOB Revolution! This dream of a creation glides along pavement almost effortlessly and manages to handle rough terrain equally as smoothly.

It’s easy to steer, easy to fold up, and has a hand brake that gives you maximum control when you’re running up and down hills. Another great thing about this stroller is that it can be adapted to accommodate an infant car seat—something that a normal jogging stroller could never do!

The state-of-the-art suspension system adjusts to two positions depending on the weight of your little passenger and the terrain. And the easy-to-glide, swiveling front wheels have a lock feature for stability when you’re jogging or walking on bumpy roads. Here are some more great features:

– Hand brake

– Adjustable handlebar to nine positions

– Runaway strap

–  Five-point harness

– One-hand recline and fully upright seating

– Adjustable suspension system

Get yours here for $425.

Save: Graco Fastaction Fold Jogger

So you want a decent jogging stroller, but think that you can’t afford it? Think again! This jogging stroller is heavy on the extras while being light on your wallet. Although slightly bulkier than more expensive models, it still only weighs 30 pounds. And there’s no doubt this stroller will keep up in performance.

It includes pneumatic tires with locking front-swivel wheels that track, a premium suspension package, and a one-handed folding system. It’s also got reflective tech fabric that will help keep you visible on the roads and paths and a UV 50 canopy to keep your kid safe from wind and sun.

It can hold your toddler comfortably and will also accommodate a Graco Click Connect infant car seat. Here are some other great features:

– Lightweight aluminum

– Pneumatic tires

– Premium suspension

– Locking front-swivel wheels with tracking

– Mesh pockets for extras like phone and wallet

– Oversized canopy

– Airy, reflective material

– Removable armrest bar

– Adjustable, multi-position reclining seat with convertible three- and five-point harness

– Wrist-attachable safety tether

Get yours here for $150 to $175.

The Stroller You Can Show Off

Splurge: UPPAbaby Vista

Known as the “glamorous” stroller, the 2017 model of this stylish staple features a luxe new look with genuine leather handlebar and bumper bar covers.

This all-in-one stroller is quite flexible. Infants can ride in their favorite car seat or th
e sleep-safe bassinet that’s comfortable enough to be used as their primary bed.

As your baby grows into a toddler, the UPPAbaby Vista is converted to a multi-purpose stroller with great features like a fully reclining toddler seat, generous sized canopy, and huge under-seat basket. Have more kiddos on the way? Not a problem! The Vista can go to a double or triple when new babies arrive. Some other great features include:

– Light, polyurethane wheels

– One-handed, 180 degree reclining toddler seat

– Adjustable canopy with peek-a-boo window

– Option to add more travelers with the RumbleSeat and/or the PiggyBack ride-along board

– Adjustable leg rest

– Lightweight aluminum alloy frame

– Single action, color-coded brake pedal

– Five-point safety harness

– Oversized storage bin

Get yours here for $840 to $900.

Save: Combi Catalyst

This 3-in-1 modular stroller looks like a celebrity stroller, but it’s available at an everyday price! Pretty and stylish, the Catalyst is many things: a bassinet stroller, travel system, or a toddler stroller that can be used with any infant car seat.

The ride is comfortable for parent and for baby because each wheel has its own suspension, and the front-lock swivel wheels absorb bumps to make for a really smooth ride. One of the best features of this stroller is the one-hand telescoping handle that allows everyone of all different heights to maneuver it with ease.

The oversized canopy with ventilation window makes it a cool and breezy ride, and the large easy-access storage basket is a big hit. Check out the Catalyst’s other cool features:

– Lie-flat bassinet position

– Three seat positions

– Adjustable incline (reclines and adjusts to a full bassinet)

– Five-point harness system and removable shoulder and buckle comfort pads.

– Forward or backward positions

– Single step lock for both rear wheels

Get yours here for $225.

When it comes to selecting the best thing for your little ones, it can be hard to sort through all the options. We hope this guide gave you a bit help in narrowing your list down. Whatever you choose, may you and your baby enjoy!

Americans can be a bit quirky and bizarre. We’ve washed our babies in lard, made sure not to breastfeed when we’re angry in fear of ending up with colicky babies, and given our 3-month-olds liver soup.

Some of these have made sense, others are just downright weird.

Think the U.S. has the corner on the market when it comes to strange childrearing practices? Check out these bizarre parenting trends going on in other countries!

Solapur, India

This is probably as crazy as it gets! Every year for the past 700 years, babies up to the age of 2 months are tossed from the roof of a shrine to about 30 feet below. No worries, though!

They are safely caught and cradled (after one bounce) by “catchers” in a soft hammock. Legend has it that the tradition dates to when infant mortality was high and people were looking for any kind of hope. A saint advised the people whose children who were dying to show their faith in the Lord by trusting in him through this extreme ceremony.

The ritual became a tradition as an offering to a god who has the power to grant the child a long, healthy, and lucky life. Although the practice is now illegal under India’s children’s rights laws, some villages claim that no harm has ever come to a baby in the years that they have carried on the tradition and they continue to do so in private.

Bali

The birth of babies in Bali includes a number of very strange ceremonies. One of the oddest involves the baby’s placenta. Balinese parents believe that the placenta (or ari ari) has a life and spirit of its own and acts as the child’s guardian angel.

Because it’s got its own spirit, it must be buried. After the birth of a baby, the placenta is ritually put to rest in a special cemetery. 

Another unusual Balinese ceremony involves newborns and the ground. In Bali, babies aren’t allowed to touch the floor until they are 3 months old. It’s believed that babies are pure, and any contact with the floor during the first three months of life will defile that purity.

Finally, at the 3-month mark, a ceremony is held by the family in which the baby sets foot on the unclean ground for the first time, and everyone celebrates the milestone.

Nigeria

In the Igbo tribe and Yoruba culture in Nigeria, a newborn is taken to the family’s ancestral house, where a relative (who is carefully chosen by the parents), chews up alligator pepper, spits it in their hand, and puts it in the baby’s mouth.

This ritual is considered a welcoming process for the baby and is thought to ensure that the child grows up to be as well spoken and articulate as the relative who blessed the baby.

Eastern Cape of Africa

Between the third and fourteenth day after a baby’s birth, the Sifudu (passing baby through smoke) ceremony is held. Leaves from a special tree are plucked and placed on top of a small fire in the middle of the hut.

The leaves, which have a strong aroma, burn and produce a good amount of smoke. The baby is held upside down and forced to inhale the smoke, which irritates their mouth, nose, and eyes.

The baby is then handed to their mother. She passes the child under one of her legs, then under the other. This ritual is to ensure that the baby will never be frightened, timid, or shy.

Greece

In Greece, evil spirits and bad luck are a big concern—so is the threat of the evil eye. According to Benjamin Radford of the American Folklore Society, “The evil eye is a human look believed to cause harm to someone or something else. The supernatural harm may come in the form of anything from a minor misfortune to disease
, injury or even death.”

In Greek culture, babies are thought to be especially susceptible to the evil eye. In order to ward it off, it’s customary to spit at a baby three times. The spit is said to insult the baby and take it down a notch, so that any harm by the evil eye is unnecessary.

Speaking of bad luck, it’s also considered to be bad luck if a child doesn’t cry during its baptism. Parents hope before the baptism that a normally cheerful baby will suddenly turn grumpy and glum during the ritual and let out a good wail.

Godparents (who hold the baby during part of the baptismal ceremony) have more than once been known to give the child a gentle push to tears by administering a loving but firm pinch on the leg. The temporary pain is believed to be the cost of a lifetime of protection!

Ireland

Some American couples save the top tier of their wedding cake for the celebration of their first year anniversary.

Irish couples have another plan and save it to bless their first child. At their child’s christening, the cake is served to guests and then some crumbs are sprinkled over the baby’s head for good luck.

Some Irish couple also save some of their wedding bubbly to pour on the baby’s head for even more good luck!

Vietnam

Having trouble potty training your children? Maybe you should try the Vietnamese way…using a whistle! Vietnamese parents discern early on the elimination habits of their children and whistle every time their child needs to “go.”

When the baby fusses and gives an indication that they need to go to the bathroom, the parents hold them over the toilet while they whistle.

By 9 months of age, most of these children are potty trained—almost a year faster than most children in the West.

Central America

In hot and humid countries like Guatemala, Mayan women bathe their babies in freezing water to fight the heat.

The icy water is believed to calm and sooth heat rashes and help babies sleep. 

Although some children scream during the ritual, the moms don’t mind—they say that it really does cure heat rashes.

Kenya

In Kenya, Kisii or Gusii moms are extremely caring and carry their babies everywhere, but they don’t believe in indulging in play with their children, and they avoid eye contact with their children at all costs.

This culture believes that eye contact bestows a lot of power on the one being looked at, and power is not something these parents want to give their children. Interestingly, researchers have found that Kisii kids exhibit less attention-seeking behavior than Western or other children.

Mauritania

The Wolof people of Mauritania have a super special ritual that involves spitting on a baby’s face. They believe that human saliva can retain words and affect the development of children.

When a baby is born, women spit on a baby’s face and men spit in the baby’s ear for good luck. They then rub the saliva all over the baby’s head so that the blessings “stick.”