Author Bio: Ryan Howard runs SmartParentAdvice, a site that provides parenting advice for moms and dads. Ryan writes about all of the different ups and downs of parenting, provides solutions to common challenges, and reviews products that parents need to purchase for babies and toddlers. For a lot of new parents, the first few months [...]
At 6 months, you may have noticed your newborn has reached some important development milestones. Your baby is starting to become aware of their surroundings, particularly with communicating and speech. They may begin teething, and solid food will start entering their diet. They might start sitting up, standing, and taking their first steps. And sleepwise, [...]
You can read dozens of books on what to expect with your first child, but when that time finally comes, everything you thought you knew may go out the window. Maybe you had certain routines and expectations for putting Baby to sleep, but those didn’t work. And that’s okay. New parents often make these mistakes [...]
From birth to age 2, babies spend more of their time asleep than awake. A sleeping baby can provide relief and a little rest break for new parents! Though it looks like babies aren’t doing much while sleeping (besides looking adorable), sleep is vital to their physical and mental development. Why sleep is important for [...]
Getting your baby to sleep soundly and consistently can be very frustrating for new parents. Newborns sleep most of the day and wake to feed every few hours–daytime or nighttime. Plus, babies’ sleep cycles change as they get older: they begin sleeping for longer periods at night or take naps during the day. If you [...]
Establishing your baby’s sleeping habits is an important part of early development. Teaching him how to fall asleep and stay asleep through good practices will lay the foundation for how they sleep when they are older. With different methods and opinions of sleep training out there, parents can easily become overwhelmed by conflicting information. We’re [...]
If you’re an expecting mother or brand-new parent looking for a little help with your newborn, you might be thinking of hiring a nanny. A nanny can certainly help you care for your baby, but you might consider hiring a newborn care specialist for this special time. What is a newborn care specialist? A newborn [...]
Just when you thought your newborn was an amazing sleeper, he or she suddenly begins waking during the night, fighting naps, or refusing to sleep at all. This is common behavior during the first year of your baby’s life. By knowing typical newborn sleep patterns and when sleep regressions can occur in the first year, [...]
Disclaimer: We are in no way qualified as licensed to give advice on any mental health assessments. If you, or someone you love may be experiencing postpartum depression, call 1-800-PPD-MOMS or click here. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as a substitute for medical advice. – Maternal Instincts Postpartum Depression [...]
What Happens to the Mother’s Body in the Postpartum Period? What is considered postpartum care starts right after birth for about six weeks. During this time, a mother’s body goes through hormonal changes and her uterus returns to normal size. Other health changes during the postpartum period can include the forming of colostrum (that ooey [...]