Category: Motherhood

For as long as there have been bodies, we have fretted over them. (Yada yada Genesis yada yada Adam and Eve yada yada original sin, shame, etcetera.) We have been especially obsessed with female bodies, which throughout time have been regarded with varying degrees of fetishization, confusion, and revulsion.

It’s no wonder, then, that public breastfeeding has been a point of contention—not only in places that view an exposed female body as tantamount to treason, but also in places that just have weird puritan roots and a resulting ambivalence about nudity.

Fortunately, people are really coming around to the idea that women’s bodies have purposes other than being objects for male consumption or corruption. Some have even begun to make it easier for nursing mothers to breastfeed in public spaces. (Some.)

Read on to learn about eight places where women are breastfeeding and what the reception has been like:

Target

As you may have already heard, Target is getting a lot of good press about its decision to provide “feeding stations” at some of its store locations. Back in 2015, Today ran a piece called “Moms get pumped about Target’s breastfeeding policy.” As it reads in the store’s employee handbook:

“Guests may openly breastfeed in our stores or ask where they can go to breastfeed their child. When this happens, remember these points:

“Target’s policy supports breastfeeding in any area of our stores, including our fitting rooms, even if others are waiting

“If you see a guest breastfeeding in our stores, do not approach her

“If she approaches and asks you for a location to breastfeed, offer the fitting room (do not offer the restroom as an option)”

Target was positioning itself in a different light than it had been in 2011, when mothers arranged a “nurse-in” at its stores nationwide to protest the treatment of a breastfeeding woman in a Texas Target who was asked by staff to cover up.

Now, continuing on its path of showing support to parents, specifically mothers, and normalizing public breastfeeding, Target is testing “feeding stations” where parents can sit down to feed their children. As Wendy Wisner points out in Babble:

“Even though the post was shared on a breastfeeding-specific page, commenters were happy that Target had specifically called it a ‘feeding station,’ making it more inclusive, and celebrating all the ways that mothers feed their babies.”

Airports

This listicle from MomAboard names 28 airports with areas specifically designated for nursing and pumping mothers. As Jennifer Chen comments, “PHL Minute Suites gives pumping moms 30 minutes of free time in one of their private rooms for pumping! Such a wonderful thing for them to do”—and herein lies the problem.

She says this with no trace of irony. The fact that the company does this just means that they’re fulfilling some of the most basic standards of human decency. Unfortunately, because women have been taught to ask for and expect so little, these things seem like special feats. 

Let us be clear: Demanding that the people who actively facilitate the continuation of the human species have clean, comfortable, and available spaces to feed young humans is not a favor or something that is so nice to do.

(Jennifer, we’re not mad at you, we’re just heated. We could go on a whole related rant about the U.S.’s abysmal, absurd paid parental leave policies, but we’re trying to have a good day.)

Public places should be required to provide these spaces to the vast swaths of our population who are growing human beings inside their bodies and then keeping them alive, often by feeding them with their own bodies.

Despite a number of airports that do provide these spaces, many do not. As U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth wrote in 2016 for the Chicago Sun Times:

“Finding a clean and private space to breastfeed or pump breast milk in an airport can be burdensome and stressful, if not impossible. It’s not uncommon for moms to be directed to a bathroom. We would never ask our fellow travelers to eat their meals in bathrooms stalls, yet we ask new mothers to feed their children while sitting on a toilet seat.”

Court

“No matter what they’re doing or where they are, breastfeeding mothers need to express milk every few hours,” Duckworth points out in her op-ed. “Missing even one needed pumping session can have several undesirable consequences, including discomfort, leaking, inflammation and infection, decreased milk supply, and ultimately, breastfeeding cessation.”

And yet, in 2013, nursing Missouri mother Laura Trickle was held in contempt of court for bringing her then 5-month-old baby with her when called for jury duty. Trickle had told court officials that she was still breastfeeding her son; they told her to come to court anyway, either arranging for childcare elsewhere or bringing someone with her to court who could care for her baby.

When Trickle arrived to court with her son and no caretaker, she said the judge gave her two options. “I would be able to pump on breaks. Unfortunately, Axel doesn’t take a bottle, so that was not an option for us,” she told ABC News. “The other option was to have someone stay with me all day and then be able to nurse on breaks. But since I’m a stay-at-home mom, we don’t have child care.”

Trickle then received a court order at home, charging that she “willfully and contemptuously appeared for jury service with her child and no one to care for the child.” As of 2013, ABC News reported that Missouri was one of 39 states where breastfeeding women weren’t exempt from jury duty.

A Pool in Wyoming

Amber Hinds had recently moved to Wyoming when she was asked—for the first time in her life—to stop breastfeeding in public. Oddly enough, it was at a public pool, by a teenage lifeguard. She wrote about the experience for The Huffington Post:

“For an instant, I completely disconnected from everything around me. All I saw was this girl standing before me in her white t-shirt, her dirty blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, obviously so far from motherhood and without any understanding of the implications of what she had just said. For a second, I wondered if that could really just have happened.

“Could this girl have actually thought that me feeding my baby was something that shouldn’t be done in a space that was built for families? I took a deep breath and with it, the chaos of the noisy pool deck returned. I sat up straighter, looked her square in the eyes, and said, ‘State law says I can breastfeed wherever I am legally allowed to be.'”

The girl’s face got red, she apologized, and she walked away, but the afternoon had been “soured.” (Discrimination/public shaming has a way of doing that.) Hinds wrote that she was lucky that this was not her first nursing rodeo and that she had developed a certain degree of confidence in her right to breastfeed publicly.

“However, the more [my husband] Chris and I discussed what had happened, the more I became concerned about how such an experience might impact a new mom, who may already be struggling with nursing or feeling self-conscious,” Hinds wrote. “Being told that she can’t nurse somewhere could be the thing that makes someone stop breastfeeding.”

Work

On March 23, 2010, the federal law Break Time for Nursing Mothers came into effect, requiring companies with at least 50 employees to give new mothers the time and private space—bathrooms don’t count—to pump milk until the baby is a year old.

In January 2017, folks were starting to get nervous about how the new administration’s plans for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, popularly known as Obamacare) would affect working mothers who are producing milk, because the law protecting their right to time and space to pump in the workplace was part of the ACA.

As Claire Zillman wrote for Fortune:

“The problem that the breastfeeding provision sought to solve is uniquely American. Since the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world without paid maternity leave, many new mothers are forced to return to work shortly after giving birth. In fact, 59% of first-time mothers return to paid work in the first three months postpartum.

“At the same time, the American Academy of Pediatrics urges them to exclusively breastfeed their newborns for six months, since breastfeeding is shown to benefit the health of both babies and new moms. That leaves many women with an agonizing choice: Stop breastfeeding, take unpaid time off work, or figure out a way to nurse or pump milk on-the-job.”

Fortunately, for now, Obamacare continues—and so do protections for nursing mothers.

Resource Centers

Some places are exclusively devoted to facilitating healthy relationships with breastfeeding, such as the Pump Station & Nurtury in California, with store locations in Hollywood and Santa Monica.

The center, which describes itself as “a breastfeeding support and new parent resource center that educates, guides and encourages new parents in a soothing environment as they learn to care for their newborns,” provides programs including prenatal breastfeeding and baby care classes as well as International Board Certified Lactation Consultant–licensed assistance for nursing moms.

In 2012, The New York Times ran a fun piece that opened with the anecdote that launched the business idea:

“Twenty-five or so years ago, Wendy Haldeman, a nurse and lactation consultant, was standing in a Toys ‘R’ Us parking lot when a female acquaintance ran up, yanked up her shirt and cried out, in reference to one of her exposed breasts: ‘What is this on my nipple?'”

Isn’t transparency liberating?

At Least 40 Places in New York City

Ah, New York City—sometimes an overpriced, vicious, foul-smelling minefield; sometimes a beacon of creativity and progressive values and ideas. In 2010, a blogger for Mommy Poppins enumerated places around New York City where mothers could breastfeed without being harassed.

“In New York State, legally, you can nurse in public anywhere you want, but knowing you’re protected under the law doesn’t always make it easy,” she wrote. She came up with a list of 40 safe spots (some of which appear to have now closed, unfortunately).

One entry reads:

“Word has it that at the Ciao for Now Cafe in the East Village the owner sometimes nurses while serving customers (you go girl!) Described as “super kid-friendly,” they have a children’s menu and other toothsome offerings. This tip was for the 12th Street location but they do have two other downtown locations under same ownership.”

Looks like Ciao for Now Cafe is still open. Go forth, sweet milkful mothers, and breastfeed!

Restaurants

Women breastfeeding in restaurants have brought no small amount of ire. In 2015, Ashley Kaidel posted a photo of herself breastfeeding in a restaurant while staring down a woman trying to publicly shame her for d
oing so. The social media post was shared more than 125,000 times. She wrote:

“I don’t mean to say ‘Everyone should breast feed without a cover. Show the world your boobs!’ If a mother is more comfortable covering herself because SHE feels better doing so, then I totally support that.

“With that being said, the reason I post these types pictures is for the mother that tried breastfeeding uncovered once and she got shamed, she got stared and pointed at, she got nasty comments, she got asked to leave the room, she got asked to cover up.”

Amen, Ashley! The sad reality, as evidenced by the comments, is that many people are incapable of holding multiple things in their minds at once. If your gut reaction when seeing an exposed breast in public is to find it jarring or to sexualize it—well, we’d say that’s pretty normal, given our repressed culture’s weird aversion to and simultaneous fetishization of nudity.

But if you’re incapable of then examining that gut reaction and asking whether it deserves to be brandished as a moral code, or as the only viable perception, then we have some serious problems.

You are a human being, capable of rational thought that can modify knee-jerk reactions. Be respectful. She is not there for you to shame or to ogle. She is not for your consumption.

Breastfeeding a child is a beautiful, natural act. Let’s support moms who are keeping their babies fed by making it as easy as possible for them to do so. 

The name you give your baby can be tough to decide, especially when you want to come up with something unique. Don’t worry, though. With a little global inspiration, you’ll come up with the perfect name that’s just as worldly as it is beautiful.

Nara

The name Nara is one with Gaelic origins, and it means “happy.” Nara is also a prefecture in Japan located in the Kansai region, which served as the framework for Japanese civilization.

Kent

Kent is a Welsh name that just sounds sophisticated, strong, and smart. Comic book fans might even take it as a nod to the Man of Steel.

Tangier

This unique and exotic name could work for either a boy or a girl, and the word means “harbour.” It’s actually a city in northern Morocco, and it’ll easy transport you straight to a Moroccan bazaar when you hear it.

Skye

Although Skye isn’t too uncommon as a name for little girls, you may not have seen it spelled this way before. This particular variation comes from Scotland and its Isle of Skye. The island is well known for its incredibly scenic landscape, picturesque villages, and even medieval castles.

Dominica

Also known as the “nature island,” Dominica is a country in the Caribbean that’s known for its hiking and diving. You can always give this name to your baby girl if you’re a big fan of the tropics.

Zaire

This is essentially the girl version of the name Zaine, which isn’t all that common either. The name is related to the word “nzere,” which is Kongo for “the river that swallows all rivers.”

Odessa

Odessa was actually a pretty popular name for quite a while during the early 1900s, and it’s one that has roots in the Odyssey, the epic poem written by Homer. It’s also a city in Ukraine that is famous for its theater, ballet, and 19th-century architecture.

Vienna

If you or your spouse are music lovers, then Vienna is the name for your baby girl. We all know that the name represents the capital city of Austria, which is also referred to as that country’s “city of music.”

Adelaide

For any Aussies out there, or anyone who has ever dreamed of going there, why not name your little girl Adelaide to bring a little bit of the Land Down Under into your everyday life? Adelaide is a coastal city that’s the capital of South Australia, and it’s one that’s famous for its festivals and art museums in addition to its beautiful coastal views. The actual word “Adelaide” comes from “Adelheid,” a German word that means “nobility.”

Verona

Ah, fair Verona, the setting of the world-famous Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

Valencia

From Italy, we head over to Spain and the city of Valencia. It’s a name that might seem unexpected to some, but it’s so classic and beautiful. You might even say it’s sweet, seeing how it shares a name with a type of orange. Although the orange was named after the city in Spain, which is known for its orange trees, it was originally cultivated in Valencia, California.

Brighton

Brighton is a name that could easily be given to either a boy or a girl, as it doesn’t sound overly masculine or feminine. With the word “bright” right in the name, it’s one that’s happy and fun, destined to belong to an expressive child. The name comes from a small town located in southern England that sits along the coast, where families can spend the day at the beach and have fun along the piers.

Dhaka

Dhaka is another name that could easily suit either a boy or a girl. It’s the name of Bangladesh’s capital city, which is also the country’s largest city, giving it a sense of worldliness and intrigue.

Quintana

If you happen to give birth to your fifth child and you know that it’s going to be a girl, we’ve got the name for you. Quintana, which is pronounced “keen-TAH-nah,” is a name that actually translates to “fifth girl” in Spanish. Quintana Roo is also a state in Mexico with a beautiful coastline that sits on the Caribbean Sea. Along the coast you’ll find coral reefs, underwater caverns to explore, and even some remains of Mayan ruins.

Lille

We’ve all heard of the name “Lily,” but “Lille” offers an uncommon take on what is considered to be a more traditional spelling. The name comes from a town in northern France that shares its border with Belgium.

Zaria

If you’re a fan of “Z” names, Zaria is another one to consider, and it’s also one you’ve probably never heard before. The name has roots in the Arabic language and means “flower”; it’s also a city in the country of Nigeria. Not only that, but Zaria is the goddess of beauty in Slavic lore.

Not only is the name Nara bright and adventurous, but it’s a new take on the more classic name “Nora.”

Looking for something else?

The origin gives the name a sense of ease, but one of fun, as well. You can ultimately pronounce it however you want, but it’s meant to be said as “Dom-i-NEE-kah” as opposed to a pronunciation that sounds more like the island chain.

It’s a pretty powerful name for a child, but one that somehow sounds very soft and sweet at the same time. If you’ve been looking for a “Z” name but didn’t want to go with anything too traditional, Zaire is the name for you.

Odessa is a name that’s not only beautiful but also deeply rooted in both history and culture.

As a name, Vienna is sophisticated and classic and also incredibly sweet. It comes with an endless number of built-in nicknames, too. Try Nina, Vee, Enny, or Enna to start. With a name like this, you may even end up with a musical prodigy on your hands before you know it.

If you end up having twins, one girl and one boy, Adelaide and Adelheid would make an incredible pair of names fit for a princess and prince.

As a girl’s name, Valencia serves as a unique but old-world take on the name “Valerie.” The two could even share the nickname “Val.”

In some ways, it’s almost like giving your child the name “Sunny,” but with a new twist.

Any Harley Quinn fans out there might also find the name a suitable tribute to the character with the nickname “Quin.”

What’s cool about it is you can choose how you want the name to be pronounced without even changing the spelling—it can be pronounced in the traditional way like the flower, “lil-EE,” or as one syllable, “Lil.”

With so many different origins, a little girl named Zaria is sure to have an adventurous spirit and zest for life.

In reality, it’s the name of a county in southeastern England that’s referred to as the “Garden of England” because of its high production of hops and fruit. Though it’s traditionally been a man’s name, it could easily work for a girl in these times.

As a name, Verona is not only a nod to Shakespeare and the Italian city, but it’s also a unique spin on the more traditional name Veronica.

There are still many mosques and palaces that remain from centuries past, making the city a center of culture.

While you’re taking this trip around the world, throw on some slippers, kick your feet up, and get ready for a wild ride. Here are some worldly names to consider for your next baby.

If these names don’t fit your fancy, have no fear! The Baby Name Wizard is the perfect book to help you decide on a name for your baby. Unlike other books of names, this one goes into the popularity of names around you,
names that would work well for siblings, other possible names based on ones you already like, and more.

Long story short, enjoy your time imagining the names of your unborn child. It’s a precious time you won’t get back. To remember this incredible time of anticipation and joy, be sure to record your experiences with The Belly Book. That way you can look back on this experience and remember every little kick and roll. We know you can’t wait to meet your little one!

Way back when, extended family members like grandparents, aunts, and cousins filled the role of caretaker for kids. In modern society, life has changed, and nannies who are unrelated to their employers are sometimes hired to do the work. The nanny is not technically a family member, but she’s often treated like one. She lives in the home of the family that she works for, eats with them, plays with them, and even goes on vacations with them.

Because of the nature of the close relationship, the line between employer and employee often gets blurred (or even erased), and employers end up doing things in front of their employee that they would normally keep private. They treat their nannies as if they were family, and that’s not always a good thing.

Wonder what it’s like to be a nanny? Here are some things that nannies wish their employers (er, the parents) would stop doing in front of them.

Talk About Money

Whichever way this discussion heads, it never ends up being a good idea. If a parent talks about how they’re struggling financially, it’s going to make the nanny feel like she’s charging too much or should worry about the security of her job. If a parent talks about how they’re raking it in, it can leave a nanny feeling undervalued and that she’s not getting paid enough.

Regardless, it’s a no-win situation, and all matters regarding money that don’t involve the nanny directly should be kept private.

Fight With SO

Have you ever been in the company of couple that has been fighting? It’s super uncomfortable. Nannies feel the exact same way when their employers fight. They don’t know whether to stay, to go, to pretend like nothing is happening, or to take sides.

Either way, fights are usually about private matters, and a nanny shouldn’t be involved in or privy to that information.

Belittle Their Kids

A nanny’s job is to love the kids she works with, care for them, keep their schedules, and make sure they’re safe. When parents talk badly about their children—whether it’s deserved or not—it puts the nanny in a really awkward position. She’s torn between her loyalty to the child and the loyalty she has to her employer.

Does she defend the child in front of the parent or does she side with the parent in fear that she’ll lose her job? It’s an unfair spot for a parent to put her nanny in.

Belittle Their Nannies

Belittling an employee—especially one who lives in the privacy and close confines of a house—is disrespectful and abusive. It also sets a bad example for the kids with whom she works. It teaches them that it’s okay to treat her (and others) in a disrespectful manner.

Expectations and specific instructions should be clear in advance so that there is no confusion or room for misunderstanding.

Make Them Feel Guilty About How They Choose to Spend the Money They Make

It’s never a good idea to look in other people’s pockets, especially those of employees. For an employer to comment on how an employee spends her money is disrespectful, degrading, and will leave the nanny feeling like she doesn’t deserve her salary.

She may also feel that her employer isn’t happy with the salary that she pays her.

Belittle Their Spouse

It never bodes well for an employer to bad-mouth another employer to an employee. It shows lack of cohesiveness and respect, and it puts the employee in an uncomfortable position when dealing with either one of them.

In the case of a nanny, will her agreement with the bad-mouthing parent put her temporarily “in good” with her one employer but eventually work against her with the other? What if the other parent finds out? The nanny may feel torn and that her job is at stake.

Talk About Politics and Other Sensitive Issues

A wise man once said, “Never talk about religion or politics in polite company.” These subjects are often taboo because of their highly sensitive natures. People can be emotionally attached to their beliefs, and heated discussions don’t often end amicably. A nanny may feel pressured if she doesn’t agree with the viewpoints of her employer.

It’s not a wise (or fair) practice to discuss these topics with the people who live in your home to care for your kids.

Get It on With Their Co-Employers

It’s lovely that two parents feel passion for each other and like to show affection. A little is great; a lot, not so much. Overdoing intimate acts of affection in front of an employee—even though it’s done in the privacy of one’s own home—can cause an employee to feel uncomfortable.

It’s best to close the door and keep private things private!

Complain About the Last Nanny

Talking about how bad the previous nanny acted or dressed may make a current nanny feel secure and wanted at first, but ultimately it will end up doing the exact opposite. She can feel insecure about herself and in her job—and also may worry that her employers are talking about her as well (which never makes anyone feel good).

If a parent wants to highlight things that they’d like a current nanny to do that the old nanny wasn’t so great at, that’s perfectly fine…but it must be done in a positive and professional manner.

Make Them Feel Guilty About Lack of Overtime

Forcing someone to do something out of guilt often leaves the person feeling used and disgruntled, which is not how a parent should want her nanny to feel when she’s logging in extra hours watching her precious children.

It’s just savvy management and common sense.

Bribe Them to Stay With Their Family

The parent/nanny relationship must be based on mutual understanding and respect. If a nanny decides that it’s time to move on and puts in her two-week resignation notice, the parent must respect her choice. If the parent expresses a desire for her nanny to stay, it’s acceptable to make her an offer. But anything more than that is completely inappropriate.

Bribery, manipulation, and guilt are disrespectful and inappropriate—and may make the nanny sprint away even faster.

Put Them in a Position to Choose Between the Child and the Parent

A nanny’s relationship with the children she cares for is sacred and dear—and also built on trust. The sure way to degrade this precious relationship is to put a nanny in a position to “rat out” the child in front of the parent.

The best approach is to take the nanny aside and discuss the issue at hand instead of putting her in an awkward position that might compromise her trust with the children.

Make Them Talk About Other Kids and Other Families

Parents wouldn’t want their nannies talking about their own kids and personal matters to other nannies and families; so it should be common sense and part of a moral code that they wouldn’t put their nannies in a position to talk about others.

Asking a nanny for “secret information” about another family is immature and unfair.

Try to Steal Their Nanny Friends Away From Other Families

If a parent needs extra help and asks her nanny if she has any suggestions, that’s totally fine. But coercing a nanny to act without integrity and try to “steal” her friends away from other positions is totally unacceptable. This puts the nanny in the bad spot of having to do something that lacks integrity in fear that she will lose her job.

If a parent wants to act as such, he or she should at least do their own dirty work and not exploit their relationship with the nanny—or the nanny’s own personal relationships.

You dream about your beautiful baby for 9 months and expect it to be the most perfect little angel…and then you give birth to your little alien look-alike. How could something so beautiful look so strange and do the weirdest things? Newborns are funny! As unsettling as it may be for new parents, many of the things about newborns that look so odd are totally normal.

Here are the most common—and how to tell if the weird should be worrisome.

Explosive Poop

Babies’ bowel movements consist mostly of liquid, so it’s easy for them to be propelled out with force. Don’t be surprised if you have a couple of diaper sessions in which your baby (or you) end up covered in the stuff.

We have one piece of advice: just get used to it. Oh, and have lots of wipes handy.
Weird or Worrisome:
As long as the color and texture of baby’s bowel movements stay consistent, your baby is fine.

If you notice a major change in hue or consistency or blood in her stool, it’s time to call your doctor.

Spastic Movements

There’s a loud noise and your baby jumps and reaches his arms out. What the heck?!

In the beginning, your baby is learning how to control his body and reactions and is often interrupted by natural reflexes. This funny one is known as the Moro reflex and is exhibited when a baby is startled by something or feeling scared.

Babies may experience even more of these jerky movements when they’re sleeping. Their nervous systems are immature and uncoordinated, and their involuntary actions often become even more uncontrollable while they’re napping. Babies can flail about so much that they wake themselves up! There’s no need to worry, though. These spastic movements normally pass by 3 or 4 months of age.
Weird or Worrisome:
If your baby’s not exhibiting any of these funny movements, you should be worried. Call your doctor if you fail to see any funny or jerky reactions.

Baby Boobs

Remember those hormones that made you crazy during your pregnancy? Well, guess what? They affected your baby too. Extra estrogen can be passed through the umbilical cord and cause your sweet baby (yes, even boys) to develop breast buds.

The same hormones that cause your breasts to swell and milk glands to be stimulated can do the same to your baby’s breasts. What’s even crazier is that these tiny little breasts can actually leak fluid. No need to fret, though! This condition should go away as your baby clears himself of the extra hormones. That’s usually within a few weeks or months.
Weird or Worrisome:
If you notice any redness or severe tenderness around your baby’s breast you may want to call the doctor.

It’s helpful to take your baby’s temperature to make sure that he’s not running a fever due to infection.

Cradle Cap

Flaky, dry, brownish crusty spots on your baby’s head can look nasty, but it’s totally normal. No one really knows why it happens, but it’s considered a form of dermatitis (inflamed skin). Some experts think that hormones babies get toward the end of pregnancy cause a baby’s oil-producing glands to go nuts, resulting in cradle cap.

It often shows up in the first few months of life but goes away after six to 12 months. It’s not contagious, and you can help your baby get rid of it more quickly. Doctors recommend that you rub your baby’s head with a little natural baby oil daily, and then use a fine-toothed comb to lightly scrape some of the dry skin off.
Weird or Worrisome:
There’s nothing really to worry about with cradle cap, but if you see the rash getting more severe or spreading to different parts of your baby’s body, it’s time to call the doctor.

Whatever do you, don’t pick it off with your fingernails!

Sneezing and Mucus

There’s nothing cuter than the sound of a baby sneezing. There are a bunch of reasons why your baby may be filled with mucus, and the main one is once again Mom’s overabundance of hormones. Remember how you were stuffy and felt like you had a perpetual cold—especially in the later months of your pregnancy? Well, your baby is experiencing the same thing.

Hormones make mucosal linings thicker, causing airways to get clogged. Your baby also may be sneezing because she’s trying to get some stuff out of her nose like dust, extra mucus, or sometimes even amniotic fluid. This condition should also clear up on its own, but in the meantime, some moms swear by nasal aspirators to help make baby more comfortable.
Weird or Worrisome:
If your baby is coughing or wheezing along with sneezing, it may be a sign of infection or allergies.

Have your doctor check her breathing passages and swallowing to make sure that everything is normal.

Swollen Genitals

So you’re presented with your baby and you think “Holy cow!” His genitals might look huge compared to the rest of his body. Before you panic, know that this is a very normal condition for both newborn girls and boys.

For up to a few days after delivery, hormones and extra fluid that your baby retains can collect in the genitals and cause swollen testicles in boys and swollen labia in girls. In time, your baby will shed the extra bloat across their whole body (sometimes up to 10 percent of their weight!) and everything will return to normal size.
Weird or Worrisome:
If you still notice swollen tissue after a week or two, you may want to check with your doctor, particularly if you have a boy.

They can develop a condition known as hydrocele, which is benign but can take some time to clear up.

Odd-Shaped Head

Your baby comes out of your womb and his head is shaped like a cone. You panic and think “My baby’s going to look like an alien forever!” Let us ease your mind.

Coming out of the birth canal is pretty tough work, and fortunately, nature has provided tools to make it easier on your baby. His head is malleable and can adapt to the shape of the canal to allow for a smoother exit. It may look weird at first, but his head will return to its normal shape within a few weeks after birth.

You may notice, however, that in time he might develop some flat parts on his head. This can be caused by lying on one side for an extended period. To avoid or cure this, doctors recommend alternating sleep positions, holding baby a little more often, and increasing tummy time.
Weird or Worrisome:
If you’ve tried everything and your baby’s head won’t return to normal, your doctor may recommend some help, such having him wear a helmet.

Crossed Eyes

Your newborn has a lot of new things to manage and can sometimes can have a little trouble with muscle control and being able to focus. No worries! Your baby is getting stronger every day and should be able to master the skill in no time.

Sometimes, though, it may only appear that your baby’s eyes are crossed. This is an optical illusion known as pseudoesotropia. The broad bridge of your baby’s nose and extra skin folds can hide the whites of her eyes and just make it look like her pupils are pointing inward. You can check to see if this is the case by looking closely to see if her pupils match up and move in the same direction together.
Weird or Worrisome:
If your baby is still showing signs of crossed eyes at 6 months of age, you may want to bring her in to have her checked.

She could have a condition known as lazy eye or another issue.

Although breastfeeding rates continue to rise in the U.S., experts agree that most women don’t nurse for as long as recommended. In 2011, 79 percent of newborns started to breastfeed, but at 6 months only 49 percent were still breastfeeding, and at 12 months, only 27 percent.

The reasons that women stop breastfeeding so quickly are plenty, including frustration with getting the baby to latch on, fear that the baby isn’t getting enough nutrition, and the mother’s own exhaustion. Lack of support plays a huge role in the cessation of nursing too. New moms often rely on the advice of well-meaning family and friends, which often is inaccurate or just not true.

Are you thinking about breastfeeding? Are you just starting out and are nervous about the advice that you’re getting? Let us help you! Here are the biggest myths about breastfeeding your baby.

1. Breastfeeding is easy.

Statistics show that three days after beginning to breastfeed, 92 percent of new mothers say they had trouble with it. Yes, breastfeeding is natural, and yes, your body was made for it. But that doesn’t make breastfeeding easy. Trouble with milk production and maintenance, latching on, sore nipples, baby fussiness, and worries about baby getting enough milk are among the top concerns of new moms.

And nothing adds to a struggling mom’s frustration more than a family member asking, “How come you can’t breastfeed?” or “Why don’t you just give her formula?” The truth is, the experience of breastfeeding is different for different women. It comes easily to some and harder to others.
Additionally, the breastfeeding experience is often unique with each child. During the first couple of weeks, it’s can be really helpful to have a lactation consultant or trained nurse to offer guidance, support, and useful tips for breastfeeding.

2. You can prep your breasts.

“Toughening up” your nipples, like once was recommended, does nothing more than leave you with sore nipples before you even start to breastfeed. Unfortunately, the only thing that you can do to prep for breastfeeding is buy a great pump, read up on latching positions, and figure out where you’ll pump at work if you need to.

Other than that, the rest is up to your baby—and your baby’s temperament. As the old saying goes, “Mom plans and baby laughs.”

3. If you have small breasts you won’t be able to breastfeed.

Nonsense! The amount of milk that’s produced by a mother’s breast isn’t determined by the size of her breasts.

The mother’s breast tissue that’s needed for breastfeeding increases in response to pregnancy. The milk ducts are located in this tissue, not the fatty tissue that gives un-pregnant breasts their size.

4. If you drink water and eat properly, your milk will come in.

Or this variation: “If you don’t drink enough water, your milk won’t come in.” Proper nutrition and hydration are critical for the health not only of lactating moms but of everyone else as well.

It’s true that if you don’t drink enough water your milk will be affected, but proper hydration doesn’t ensure that your milk will be plentiful. And neither does a proper diet. There is so much more that goes into milk production that can’t be chalked up to just proper nutrition.

5. Breastfed babies feed more often.

The truth is: They do and they don’t. Internal feeding times are established by the baby and can range from every two to three hours to every hour if they’re hungry or quickly growing.

You should discuss with your doctor or lactation consultant whether it would be better to have a feeding schedule or to feed on demand.

6. You won’t get pregnant if you breastfeed.

Think you don’t need birth control if you’re breastfeeding? This time you’re right! But only partially. Doctors agree that breastfeeding can be an effective form of birth control only if your baby is 6 months or under, you’re breastfeeding exclusively, your baby is nursing at least every four to six hours, and you haven’t gotten your period yet.

This is called the lactation amenorrhea method, and although it’s pretty effective, it’s not foolproof. Studies show that 1 in 100 women who do all of the aforementioned still get pregnant. If any one of these components isn’t practiced perfectly, your chances of getting pregnant increase.

As a side note, experts also caution that if you allow your baby to use a pacifier, it can cause him or her to suck less often or less intensely, which can affect your hormone production and the efficacy of this birth control method.

7. Your baby will never take a bottle from you.

Never’s a really long time, and the reality is that there is no set rule when it comes to babies and moving back and forth between the breast and the bottle. Experts say that whether a baby prefers a bottle to a nipple, or vice versa, has to do with milk flow rather than the dreaded “nipple confusion.”

And some babies are pretty finicky. They may prefer a bottle from one person at a certain time but not at others. Just because a baby gets introduced to a bottle early on doesn’t mean that she’ll prefer bottle over breast.

If a baby is guided the right way, she may have no problems switching between breast and bottle. Experts do suggest, though, that you wait until your baby has mastered breastfeeding (usually at about 6 weeks) before you offer a bottle.

8. Only birth mothers can breastfeed.

Even if your child is not your biological one, you can still absolutely breastfeed her. If you’ve previously breastfed a child, most of the time you can just start by pumping.

If you haven’t ever breastfed, your doctor can give you hormones, along with a pumping schedule, that can coerce your body into nursing.

9. It’s going to hurt.

If it’s painful to breastfeed, that’s a sign that there’s something wrong.

For the first couple of weeks of breastfeeding, it may feel a little different as you get used to the sensation, but pain during breastfeeding shouldn’t be your normal. You should never be cringing before you breastfeed, and your nipples should never be cracked or bleeding.

If it hurts to nurse your baby, an improper latch is most likely to blame. Contact a lactation consultant to help you and your baby nurse correctly.

10. If your milk hasn’t arrived, there’s no need to breastfeed.

For the first few days after your baby’s birth and before your milk comes in, your body produces a nutrient-rich fluid called colostrum that contains immune system boosters and other things the baby needs.

This “practice milk” is so important for the baby because of its protective properties. The flow of colostrum is also a little slower than regular milk and can help to teach your baby how to nurse properly.

11. You’ll get less sleep if you breastfeed.

It’s true that some formula-fed babies go longer between feedings because formula takes longer to digest, but that doesn’t mean that moms who breastfeed are logging fewer hours of sleep. There’s a lot more that goes into the sleep patterns of babies, including their size, digestion rate, and temperament.

Breastfeeding moms have the additional benefit of not having to get formula and warm it up, and they also experience a boost of oxytocin every time they nurse, which may help them fall back to sleep faster.

Family and friends want to see cute pics of your kids, and you want to show them as well. But not all is safe on the internet—even when you’re in private mode. You risk embarrassing your child, exposing him or her to bullies, or worse, offering a potential target for child predators like this man:

Statistics show that there are more than 50,000 sexual predators online at any given moment. Law enforcement officials warn that cases of identity theft keep their phones ringing off the hook, with parents calling to report that their kids’ pictures have been stolen and used by someone trying to break the law.

In these days of constant digital interaction, it’s nearly impossible not to share some part of your personal life with others with whom you are connected. The key is to be mindful of what you post and know the potential consequences. Here are some pictures that should be left offline.

When They’re Sick

When you’re about to post a picture of your kid, the most helpful thing to ask yourself is, “Would I want someone sharing this type of picture of me on the internet?” If the answer is no, then you know you should refrain. No one looks good when they’re not feeling well. And most don’t want pictures of themselves sky-written like that.

Shaming Pics

Disciplining your child by embarrassing and shaming them publicly seems to be all the rage right now. Often parents who choose this controversial method of parenting open up the door to copycat artists who mimic the same abusive behavior.

Studies have shown that shaming violates the trust between parents and children and can cause severe problems in children, including post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.

Group Pictures

You may be okay with posting pictures of your kids online, but that doesn’t mean that everyone else is too. Be sure that you have the permission of other parents before you post pictures of their kids in group shots.

Many a friendship has been ended over not respecting others’ wishes or boundaries regarding the privacy of their kids.

Bath Time

As adorable as your baby’s naked bum may look in a bubble bath, that sort of picture is absolutely not for the public eye.

We know how it is: There’s some serious cuteness going on, and you want to showcase it for your hundreds of friends and followers. But don’t. When your child is old enough to understand these things, they’re not going to appreciate their body being displayed on social media. We promise.

Aside from the embarrassment factor, there is the real danger that the photo could wind up in the wrong hands. Pictures of naked babies may seem cute and innocent, but the sad truth is that there are really bad people out there who might see the photos and use them for unspeakable purposes. Don’t be an unwitting accomplice to your child’s exploitation.

Private Information

Private information is meant to be just that…private. Information like your address, where your kids go to school, where they’re traveling on vacation, or (for older kids) where they work is not meant to be public knowledge. It can be used by others for nefarious purposes.

Pictures of your child in their everyday environment can provide information to strangers about their habits and patterns. No one needs to know where your child spends most of their day, what activities they might do after school, or where your house is and what it looks like. The risks of possible harm coming to your child certainly outweigh the benefits of sharing details about your family’s life.

Bullying Fodder

You may think that some pictures of your kids are funny or dorky and that others would get a laugh or a lift at their expense. But it’s important to view your post f
rom their perspective and eyes. Try asking yourself, “Does anything I post make it easy for others to make fun of my child?”

You may love the cute nickname that you’ve given him, but it could make him the butt of a joke or an easy target for bullies. The best practice is to ask before you post. If he’s old enough to determine that he’s okay with it, then it’s up to you to foresee any possible future issues and determine if it’s the smart thing to do.

On the Potty

You may be super psyched that your kid is reading Nietzsche while he performs his first successful act in the loo, but this is absolutely something that should be kept as an inside celebration among family members.

Unsafe Activities

Is the picture that you’re about to post a shot of you holding your kid on your lap in the front seat of a car? Is your 5-year-old playing on a tire swing that’s being supported by a frayed, single strand of rope?

Pictures like these invite criticism and further problems. Before you post, be sure you consider how the shot may be viewed—and if you could be offending or opening yourself up to a world of hate from others.

Pics With Geotags

Smartphones and apps can now post where your kid is at that exact time with the exact coordinates. There is no reason why anyone needs to know where your kids are at any given time…except for you and your close circle.

Pics of Academic Degrees or Diplomas

Experts call these pictures “personal identifiers” and strongly caution against putting anything up that predators may learn about your kid. This includes birthday parties, pictures with passports, and pictures with drivers’ licenses as well.

As exciting as the event may be, it’s best to text or email these to interested family members and friends and keep them away from the gaze of prying eyes. Identity thieves search the internet for this type of information and look for images that can be counterfeited.

Messages Meant to Hurt

Little Suzie didn’t include your daughter in her after school playdate. So you take to Facebook to passive aggressively air your issue and post a picture of your daughter and Suzie’s best friend having lunch.

Behavior like this is not not only immature, it can also end up hurting your daughter in the end. Refrain from airing your issues on Facebook and keep your private squabbles private.

Medical History

Facebook can be a wonderful and effective means of gaining support for your child’s medical cause. Unfortunately, child identity theft can occur with medical records. All of your kid’s medical information—including personal IDs, specific conditions, and allergies—should always be kept private.

Your Kids Behaving Badly

Kids can be obedient, they can be naughty, and they can be somewhere in between. The public space is no place to judge and ask for advice for the good or bad behavior of your child. Posts like this will not only embarrass him but also cause others to judge him or to judge you for your parenting skills (and lack thereof).

Anything Your Child Asks You Not to Post

Your child begs you not to put a picture of her up on Instagram. You think it’s so darned cute that you ignore her and post it anyway. You’ve not only betrayed her trust, but you’ve also opened her up to potential bullying. Respect your kids and their wishes—especially when it has to do with their privacy on social media.

In all of these cases, let this thought be your guide: If you find yourself questioning whether a picture should be posted, the answer is always a most definite no.

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting and wonderful times in a woman’s life. She’s thrilled, and she wants to share her enthusiasm with the world. She wants everyone else to be just as excited too. And they are!

What she may not realize, though, is that her raging hormones, combined with her over-the-top elation, can make her do things that she may not normally do. It’s not that others don’t appreciate all of her cutesy gestures. But sometimes it’s not just one of them, but some combination of them, that makes people want to run for the hills (or log off social media).

Are you wondering if you might be guilty of in-your-face enthusiasm about your pregnancy? Perhaps you find your friends avoiding you lately and don’t know why?

We’re here to help! Here are the top pregnancy trends that women (who asked to remain nameless) wish would be retired.

Look! I’m pregnant!

Before social media—heck, before home pregnancy tests—a woman would have to go to the doctor, get a blood test, wait for the results, and then actually call her friends and family with the good news.

Today, instant gratification is the norm, and one can find out the exact second that they’re pregnant just by urinating on a stick. They can then post it immediately for the world to know. As exciting as it may be to sky-write the news, we feel that urinating on a wand (or anything else for that matter) should be a private matter, and the announcement of a pregnancy more tactful.

Dual Bump Pictures

Pregnancy bellies are natural and beautiful. Everyone wants to see them and touch them because they are a testimony to one of life’s most magical wonders. We love seeing mom’s bellies!

What we don’t love seeing are pictures of her partner’s big, hairy belly (that is not so magical and beautiful) next to hers.

Every…Single…Stage

We were really excited when she posted a picture of her newly pregnant belly. We even toasted to it! We were super pumped when we saw the picture of her in her first pair of maternity jeans. But it started to get old after that.

Every week we’re bombarded with “stage” pictures…in different outfits and different backgrounds. We wish we had a fast forward button and baby Sara were here already.

Empire Waists

Maternity fashion has come a long way! It seems as though every women’s clothing brand on the market wants in on the action, and choices are plentiful. You can get cool maternity clothes like leather pants, hip mini skirts, and fashionably fitting leggings.

So why is clothing still being designed to make a woman’s bump look the most unflattering, as if she were shaped like a tepee? Because some designers think that no clothing will actually fit around a pregnant woman’s waist?

Another Child Kissing Your Belly Pic

We get that brother Jimmy is excited about the baby (and forgive us if we’re a bit jaded), but perhaps a little creativity is in order, because pics of a sibling kissing mom’s belly are so done already (like every other post on Facebook).

As a side note, we did love it the first 80 times we saw it.

LIVE Streaming Births

We all know that one day a woman’s pregnant, and the next day her baby is screaming by her bedside. We also all took eighth-grade health education and know how babies are delivered into the world (and we can’t wait to witness our own baby’s birth). But the interest stops there.

High definition footage of a woman screaming during real time delivery—and everything else that goes along with it—has us begging for it to stop. TMI!

Heart Sign With Your Hands Pics

We know that having a baby is a cute, adorable time but…are we 14 years old on Snapchat?

This has to be one of the most overdone poses in the maternity shoot repertoire. We know you love your baby, and we will too, but a little creativity goes a long way.

Social Media Accounts for Your Unborn Baby

Social media accounts for a baby-not-yet-born ranks up there with fake accounts, pet accounts, and “favorite object” accounts.

There’s something really weird and creepy about it. It’s hardly necessary.

Pregnancy Announcement Cards

In the spirit of defending the Earth, we believe that a couple of trees could be saved by avoiding this trend.

The announcement of such a private and momentous occasion deserves a call to your closest family and friends.

Keeping Baby’s Names to Yourself

This was a big one. If a couple really has no idea what they’re going to name their baby, or they do know and let it be known that they would rather not share it, most people are okay with that.

But things get super uncomfortable for everyone when couples say that they don’t know, and others know that they do know…but they’re keeping it from everyone on purpose.

Sonogram Picture Gifts

Nothing is more exciting than seeing a baby in the womb kicking and playing. Some parents want everyone to share in the excitement and take the baby from the sonogram screen to a silkscreen in the form of gifts with said new baby’s pic in utero.

This is the perfect example of a “you had to be there moment,” and although others love seeing the picture in print, they don’t love looking at it during their morning coffee (on their mug), when they run (on their t-shirt), when they’re washing their faces (on their towels), or when they’re paying their bills (on their pens).

Pics of Paintings on Pregnant Bellies

We know that Picasso may agree that everything should be a canvas for the world’s imagination to run wild, but we must stop short at pregnant bellies.

Hearts, baby rattles, gender signs, and smiley faces are all better served on card stock and hung on the fridge for all to admire.

Gender Reveal Parties

It’s super exciting to find out if you’re having a girl or a boy. We get that! And we know that you’re so excited to tell us that you want to make the act of telling us a big deal. But we want you to know that just telling us is the big deal.

You don’t have to throw a big party with the launching of pink or blue balloons or have us shoot each other with gender color coordinated paint or spend thousands of dollars to have us watch colored fireworks in the sky. Can’t you just text or call us?

Not to mention, any dramatic reveal party has the potential to go awry. Just watch what happened to this couple:

Extravagant Baby Showers

First there was the engagement party, then the bridal shower. Next came the bachelor party and then the wedding. After that, the pregnancy announcements arrived, then the gender reveal party, and finally the baby shower.

It’s not that we don’t love celebrating your milestones, but the whole to-do, along with the demand for an $850 stroller, kind of has us thinking that it’s a bit much.

Giving Birth Parties

Yay! You’re giving birth! We actually know that your sweet baby is about to enter the world because we’ve read your weekly newsletters, seen your daily posts on Facebook, and been to both the gender reveal party and the baby shower.

It’s not that we don’t love to party with you, but the festivities that go along with this kind of party kind of have us a little weirded out. Most particularly the part where we slice into and eat the cake that looks like your baby.

Pregnancy Newsletters

As much as we love letters in the mail and via email, your weekly updates about what you’re eating, how big your belly has gotten, what you’re wearing, what makes you sick to your stomach, and how many hours you’ve slept every day are a bit much.

It makes us view our usual weekly phone chats with you as not only unnecessary, but unwelcome, as well.

News stories and friends are always warning you about children’s products that you need to watch out for. They’re right to be worried! Accidents such as burns, drowning, falls, and poisoning are the leading cause of mortality among children in the U.S. each year.

More specifically, for kids under a year old, two-thirds of injuries and deaths were due to suffocation, and in kids ages 1 to 4 years of age, drowning was the leading cause.

These incidents were all accidental, and most of them could have been prevented. Through awareness, preparedness, and proper safety, you can keep these from happening in your house and ensure your kids’ safety.

We’ve targeted the most common accidents with babies and toddlers and the best (and most underrated) products on the market that can help prevent them (and take a load off your mind).

Mesh Window Safety Guard

Studies show that 5,200 kids a year (that works out to 14 per day) get treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained from falling out of windows. Keeping kids safe from accidental falls used to mean boarding up windows like a prison cell. This product, a mesh window screen, keeps your windows safe from inquisitive kids and still keeps your decor pretty.

Get a guard for one window here for $40.

KidCo Universal Outlet Cover

Electrocution is a real concern with kids. Each day seven kids are treated in emergency rooms for electrical shock or burns caused by messing with wall outlets. The best way to avoid this is to cover all of the outlets in your house.

The KidCo outlet cover allows you to insert plugs by safely sliding them in. When a plug is removed, a spring-loaded cover keeps open outlets (and kids) safe.

Get a 12-pack of these outlet covers for $35.

Safety 1st Blind Cord Wind-Ups

Unfortunately, accidental strangulation on the cords of window blinds and shades happens to kids all too often.

Experts recommend securing all loose, hanging cords. This product bundles all of them together and keeps them securely away from your child.

Get a pack of six cord wind-ups here for $9.

KidCo Stair Gate

Each year 35,000 kids sustain severe injuries from falling down the stairs. Most of the falls occur in kids age 2.5 years, and most of these falls could be prevented with the use of a stair gate.

The problem is that many of these gates are not well made and are hard for parents to open. Enter the KidCo stair gate! It’s made of sturdy steel, mounts easily, and adults can open it with one hand.

Get one here for $43.

KidCo HearthGate

If your house has a working fireplace, you must secure the area surrounding it. Not only do thousands of kids per year get burned by flames and the hot glass that often surrounds fire sources, but sharp, hard stone surfaces also pose a risk of injury.

The HearthGate is a great pick to help keep your kid away from the danger while still allowing for the enjoyment of a fireplace. It’s made of strong, heat-resistant steel and can adjust to fit any size fireplace (extensions are also an option). The gate door closes automatically, but it can be kept open if necessary with the touch of a button.

Get one here for $170.

Mommy’s Helper Toilet Seat Lid-Lok

Accidental drowning, along with slips and falls from an overflowing toilet, can present really dangerous situations for your toddler. Protecting them is a cinch with the Toilet Seat Lid-Lok.

It’s easy to install without tools, fits most toilets, is simple for adults to use, and most important, is nearly impossible for even the cleverest child to open.

Get one here for $5.

Prince Lionheart Corner Guards

Often-overlooked areas of danger in the home are the sharp corners of furniture and molding. Kids can bang their heads, fall on top of them while trying to stand, and also land on them during horseplay.

Protect your kids’ bodies by protecting all of the sharp corners in your house with these ingenious corner guards. They’re fire retardant, nontoxic, and stick on easily.

Get a set for one table (with four guards) here in beige, light brown, or chocolate brown for $7 to $14, depending on color.

Skip Hop Moby Bath Spout Cover

Children slipping and falling in the tub accounts for about 40,000 visits to emergency rooms every year. Studies show that kids age 4 or younger are most at risk because they’re unbalanced and uncoordinated.

Protect their precious heads and bodies from sharp, hard faucets by covering them. This product covers unsafe faucets in a fun way. It’s nontoxic and has an adjustable strap so that it can fit securely around most spouts.

Get one here for $13.

Vita Guard Medicine Safe

Of the 2.2 million exposures to poison in 2014, half of the cases involved kids under the age of 6 years. Pain medications, vitamins, and antihistamines are all included on the list of “most common substances implicated in pediatric exposures,” according to the National Capital Poison Center.

Keep all of your medication and supplements safe from curious hands with a guarded medicine safe. This one from Vita Guard locks up potentially poisonous medication with a foolproof lock system that can’t be opened by little hands. It’s durable and can be easily stored in cupboards or on countertops.

Get one here for $25.

Mudder Door Stoppers

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that over 40,000 injuries to the fingers, hands, and wrists of kids under the age of 14 are caused by the slamming of doors. Keep your kids safe from this risk by securing all of the doors in your house.

This ingenious little product keeps doors secure. It cleverly fits under most doors and keeps them from moving even a millimeter. It comes with a handy hook to hang the product on the back of a door when it’s not in use.

Get a four-pack here for $8.

Prince Lionheart Crib Rail Protector

Babies love to put things in their mouths, and crib rails are the perfect height and surface for curious teething mouths. Unfortunately, this surface can do a number on your baby’s teeth and gums and also cause her to possibly ingest unsafe paint or wood chips.

These crib rail protectors are made of nontoxic, soft plastic and act as the perfect teething surface for curious babies. They’re easy to install, easy to clean, and fit over most crib rails.

Get a set here for $10.

Lollaland Play Mat

Hard falls account for major injuries in toddlers and babies who are learning to walk and crawl. If only you could cushion everything around them. This play mat does the next best thing!

It’s a nontoxic, hypoallergenic protective play mat that cushions your child during their day. It’s reversible, easy to clean, waterproof, and textured so your baby won’t slip. It is oversized so that it can take the place of a rug in a play room or any other room in your house.

Get one here in one of four colors/patterns for $80.

Summer Infant In View Digital Video Monitor

Keeping your children safe in
volves watching them when you’re near them and also when they’re away from your eyes. A good infant monitor can help be your eyes and ears when you’re not nearby.

The Summer infant monitor is your perfect caretaker. It provides great image quality in regular and zoomed-in viewing, offers black and white night views, digital technology for privacy and security, a nice far range of 600 feet, a swivel camera design that can be mounted on a table or wall, and options to add more cameras for monitoring of multiple children and multiple rooms.

Get the full system here for $82 and an additional camera for $50.

Summer Infant Step To Open Gate

Keeping your baby safe from harm often involves keeping him or her in one area (and out of others). Room-to-room gates are a pain because they’re usually made from flimsy metal and require an engineer’s degree to open, making them ridiculously frustrating to use.

This Summer Infant gate is a cleverly designed, sturdy, and easy-to-use model. You simply step on the pedal on the bottom of the gate and the door swings open. It’s pressure mounted so it fits in most doorways.

Get one here for $92.

Get ready for a nostalgia overload.

When you were a kid, there was nothing better than curling up with your favorite book. Now that you’re older, and you’re a parent (or an aunt, uncle, or teacher), why not introduce the next generation of readers to a few of the classics?

Some children’s books have aged remarkably well. We’re talking about titles like…

1. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

Published in 1992, this compendium of off-kilter fairy tales benefits from the brilliant wit of writer Jon Scieszka and the postmodern illustrations of Lane Smith. It retells famous fairy tales but adds in strange twists.

For example, the Frog Prince isn’t really a prince, just a frog who wants a kiss. The title story features the Stinky Cheese Man, who has the opposite problem of the Gingerbread Man: Nobody wants to get anywhere near him.

This classic captures a kid’s sense of humor without getting too gross, and it’s worth it for the illustrations alone.

Get a hardcover copy of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales here for $9.

2. Corduroy

You might know it as “Corduroy Bear,” but the official title of this Don Freeman book is simply Corduroy.

Published in 1968, it’s the story of a teddy bear in a department store with a button missing from his overalls. A girl named Lisa asks her mother to buy the bear, but the mother refuses, because the bear is imperfect. Naturally, the bear comes to life at night and sets out on a mission to find his missing button, hoping that he’ll be able to get Lisa to buy him.

He is unable to find his button, but Lisa comes back the next day with money from her piggy bank. After taking the bear home, Lisa replaces the lost button, and they share a hug. There’s a decent message about friendship, and the artwork is absolutely adorable. Freeman followed Corduroy with a sequel, A Pocket for Corduroy, which is just as enchanting if you’re familiar with the original.

Get a paperback copy of Corduroy here for $6.

3. Frog and Toad Are Friends

Published in 1970, Frog and Toad Are Friends tells the story of a frog and toad who are friends. Who says that you can’t judge a book by its cover?

Author and illustrator Arnold Lobel tells five stories about the titular characters eating cookies, looking for buttons, reading stories, and writing letters.

It’s light on the drama but heavy on the charm. Although this is a picture book, it’s got enough text to challenge younger readers.

Get a hardcover copy of the Frog and Toad Storybook Treasury here for $8.

4. James and the Giant Peach

Really, we could have chosen any of Roald Dahl’s books, as they’re all childhood classics. Once your child reads one, they’ll want to read the rest.

James and the Giant Peach
is the fantastic tale of an English orphan who flies around on a massive peach with seven magical garden bugs. They must deal with mischief from the Cloud-Men and James’ cruel aunts, but they eventually triumph, navigating the peach to New York City (where it’s eaten by hungry children).

A breathtaking work of imagination, James and the Giant Peach references other Roald Dahl books, engaging young minds and bringing them into a rich world of fantasy.

Depending on which version you had as a kid, the illustrations of your copy were probably done by one of two illustrators. Get a copy of the Quentin Blake–illustrated version (top picture) here for $8 or the Lane Smith–illustrated version (bottom picture) for $8.

5. Charlotte’s Web

Although Charlotte’s Web might not be appropriate for the youngest readers—it contains a death, so it’s not entirely free from drama—this 1952 novel is one of the greatest children’s books of all time.

The story starts when a little girl rescues a piglet named Wilbur. Years later, Wilbur is brought to a new farm, where he quickly makes friends with a spider named Charlotte. The farmers intend to slaughter Wilbur (again, not the best story for younger kids), but Charlotte saves him by weaving messages into her web. While Wilbur is saved, eventually Charlotte dies of old age, but not before she leaves behind a sac of eggs.

It’s hard to imagine a more charming story involving a spider and a pig. E.B. White’s beloved tale has delighted generations, and it still packs a surprisingly emotional punch. It’s been produced as a musical, a film, and even a video game, but the book is still the best way to experience the journey.

Get a hardcover copy of Charlotte’s Web here for $8.

6. The Giving Tree

What, exactly, is the point of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree? This is one of the few children’s books that leaves its message up to the interpretation of the reader, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so timeless.

In The Giving Tree, a boy grows up with an apple tree, playing on her branches and eating her fruit. As he grows older, he visits the tree less often, but still stops by for things that he needs. The tree allows him to sell her apples, build a house from her branches, and make a boat from her trunk. When the boy grows into an old man, he returns to the tree, which is now a stump. He rests on the trunk, and the book ends by noting that the tree is happy.

Whether you interpret this as an environmental message, a statement on parent–child relationships, a religious allegory, or all of the above, it’s one of those books that you can’t get out of your head.

Get a copy of The Giving Tree here for $8.

7. The Velveteen Rabbit

The Velveteen Rabbit is speeding toward its 100th anniversary, and although it was written in 1922, it has aged remarkably well.

The story is about (shocker) a velveteen stuffed rabbit that is given to a boy at Christmas. The boy prefers other toys, but the rabbit slowly becomes his favorite. Meanwhile, the rabbit learns that the love of children can turn toys into real animals.

Tragedy strikes when the boy becomes sick with scarlet fever. Doctors order that all of his toys should be quarantined and burned; the rabbit is left in a sack while he awaits his fate. Thinking of his friend, he cries a single tear and becomes a real rabbit with the help of a magical fairy.

He later returns to look at his human friend one more time, and of course the boy notices that the rabbit looks something like his old stuffed toy. Even the synopsis is enough to make us tear up.

Get a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit for $6.

8. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

There are two versions of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. One features the terrifying artwork of Stephen Gammell, whereas the other has decidedly less scary illustrations from Brett Helquist. Although Helquist does a perfectly adequate job, you’ll want the version with Gammel’s nightmarish ink drawings; they’re the ones you remember from your childhood.

The Scary Stories series features American folklore, original tales, and urban legends, often told with a grim sense of humor. The first book was published in 1981 then followed up by two more anthologies, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones.

Buy all three, and you’ll have 82 terrifying tales accompanied with some of the most fear-inducing artwork ever created. Granted, any kid who reads through these will have at least a few nightmares, but that’s part of the fun.

Get a set of all three books illustrated by Gammell here for $15.

9. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Kids love Laura Joffe Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie because of its circular story. When you’re only a few years old, it blows your mind.

In the book, a boy gives a mouse a cookie (so you get what you paid for right away on the first page). The mouse asks for milk, then a straw, then a mirror, then nail clippers, then a broom.

Pretty soon, the boy is telling the mouse stories, tucking him into bed, and helping him draw pictures. The mouse asks to display his picture on the refrigerator, and when the boy obliges, the mouse realizes that he’s thirsty. He asks for a glass of milk, then a cookie, and…well, the story starts over again.

Yes, it’s sort of an allegory for the parent–child relationship, but really, it’s just a cute little story about a mouse and cookie. What’s not to love?

Get a copy of the classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie here for $11.