BabyCenter •

8 pregnancy belly bands you’ll want for your second trimester — and beyond

Few moms are lucky enough to make it through pregnancy without experiencing a few discomforts: pressure on the bladder, backaches, and round ligament pain (ouch!), to name a few. One simple purchase that brought me immediate relief? A pregnancy belly band.  “Belly bands are generally considered safe and can be quite helpful in managing pregnancy discomfort,” says Rakhee Patel, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN and CMO with Pinewood Family Care Co., a direct care OB-GYN practice in New Jersey. “They p...
BabyCenter •

8 monogrammed baby gifts that are too cute to ignore

Congratulations! You finally picked a baby name… and now it’s going on everything. I was there too — my firstborn had monogrammed bibs and onesies in pretty much every color. I even ordered custom storage basket covers with his name emblazoned on the front for his nursery (as if I didn’t know those were his diapers and wipes).  Even if you’ve just got a shortlist going right now, once you settle on the perfect name, you’ll want to start customizing your baby’s world. Personalized baby gear is su...
BabyCenter •

The 12 best teething toys to soothe sore gums (and cranky babies)

Teething: such an exciting yet painful milestone! Crying, drooling, ear-pulling, and general irritability are all indicators that your little one’s pearly whites are about to make their debut. When that time comes, you’ll want to give them something to chew on to help relieve (some of) the pain. Having a rotating stash of teething toys at the ready was the only thing that kept my two sons from wailing non-stop.  Curious to know which teething toys gave my babies (and eardrums) much-needed relief...
BabyCenter •

Best diapers to handle every age, stage, and stinky situation

Even if you’re a baby gear minimalist, there’s one thing you’ll need plenty of: Diapers. Fun fact: You’ll likely go through 2,500 to 3,000 diapers in the first year alone. But with so many different brands, it can be hard to know which are the best diapers for your baby. Some differences, albeit subtle ones, make some diapers outshine others, especially when you have a unique need. My younger son has extremely sensitive skin, and we tried upwards of six different brands before finding diapers th...
BabyCenter •

10 best lunch boxes your toddler won’t (totally) destroy at daycare

If you’re anything like me, you might still be in denial that summer is winding down. But trust: it’s never too early to start prepping for back-to-school season. After buying about a dozen lunch boxes over the years for my sons (now 11 and 13), I’ve learned the hard way that not all lunch boxes are created equal. Some last for years, while others start leaking, ripping, or falling apart before winter break. Whether your child is headed to daycare, school, camp, or just the park for a playdate,...
What to Expect •

The 14 Best C-Section Recovery Items You'll Want On Hand in 2026

Best High-Waist Leggings for C-Section RecoveryLululemon Align Leggings Buying Options Lululemon$98 See Now Opens a new window ProsLots of sizeslengths and colors availablesuper comfortabledurableConsEpensiveMaterial: 90% nylon, 10% lycra elastane lining and body Why We Love itCommunity ReviewsWhy We Love ItNot only are Lululemon’s famed Align leggings a big hit with moms-to-be, they're also beloved by those of us who have been through a C-section. The leggings boast a buttery soft fabric a...
What to Expect •

10 Dermatologist-Approved Products to Relieve Your Itchy Pregnancy Skin in 2026

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Of all the bothersome side effects that can happen during pregnancy, I was not expecting to deal with itchy skin. At best, my itchy pregnancy skin was annoying or distracting, at worst, it kept me awake all night long. It was an exercise in extreme patience as I tried — and often failed — to find relief from lotions, creams and other topical anti-itch treat...
What to Expect •

The 12 Best Baby Spoons, According to Parents

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. I’ll never forget the first time I handed my oldest son a spoon. He was eating avocado purée that ended up absolutely everywhere, and the look of accomplishment on his (bright green) face made the mess worth it. Starting solids is an equally exciting and wonderfully messy milestone, if not a little bittersweet. As I quickly learned, the spoon you hand over...
What to Expect •

Say Bye to Swollen Pregnancy Ankles With The Best Compression Socks

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Compression socks weren’t on my radar during the early days of pregnancy. In fact, I hadn’t even considered them until my doctor suggested I try them to address chronic nerve pain. At first, I panicked — was something wrong? But as it turns out, compression socks are a popular pregnancy accessory. “Compression socks are used during pregnancy to improve circ...
What to Expect •

5 Best Formula Dispensers That You Can Safely Stash in Your Diaper Bag

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and relies on credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, highly respected health organizations and experts in various fields. All content is fact-checked by professional journalists prior to publishing. Formula powder usually comes in bulky containers that aren’t easy...
What to Expect •

7 Best Baby Nasal Aspirators to Help Your Little One Breathe Better

We believe you should always know the source of the information you're reading. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Mastering the art of sucking my baby’s snot did not come easily to me as a first-time mom. I was terrified to poke the pointy end of a nasal aspirator into my son’s teeny-tiny clogged nostril. Like so many gross parenting tasks, I eventually got the hang of it out of sheer necessity because — spoiler alert! — babies can’t blow their own nose…and most toddle...
Wealth of Geeks •

30 Nerdy Baby Names for Geeky Parents That Aren’t Ridiculous

As a nerd, you may have already latched on to a meaningful baby name specific to your fandom or fascination of choice. For geeky parents-to-be who are undecided or need inspiration, nerdy baby names can run the gamut from those originating in a beloved galaxy far, far away to the obscure corners of comic book worlds before their main characters were on every big screen. Sneaky fandom names that are fantasy-derived but still sound somewhat familiar in real life are like little nerdy treats. They
Romper •

Everything You Need To Know About Your Baby's Adorable Little Pincer Grasp

Of the developmental milestones your baby will reach during their first year or so of life, feeding themselves is a big (and helpful) one. The same skills they use to pick up their food or hold a spoon are the ones they’ll eventually use to start dressing themselves, drawing, and writing. But before all of that can happen, they’ll first need to master a fine motor skill called a pincer grasp. A pincer grasp is a fine motor skill that occurs when the tips of the pointer finger and thumb come tog
Romper •

The Most Common Nightmares Parents Have About Their Kids & Why They Happen

When you wake up from a dream that’s particularly frightening or anxiety-provoking, it can be tough to ease yourself back into a restful sleep. Stress dreams are common, but for parents, having bad dreams about your child can be especially upsetting. Dreaming about your child getting hurt or being in danger can feel so real and even traumatic, but experts agree that it can be helpful to learn what bad dreams about your child mean and how you can cope when they happen. "It's certainly common for
Romper •

The Best Places To Buy & Sell Secondhand Kids' Clothes, Toys, & More

Knowing the best places to buy and sell used children’s clothes is one of the top parenting hacks for surviving a major growth spurt with your wallet (mostly) unscathed. This knowledge also comes in handy when you want to save a few bucks on back-to-school shopping, gifts for birthdays, or even a toy box refresh. Shopping for kids clothes and toys second hand can be a total life-saver, but you have to know where to look. I’ve been a mom for more than a decade and the second hand kids clothing m
Romper •

20 Fun Activities To Ring In The New Year With Kids (Even Toddlers)

Some people think of New Year’s Eve as a time to kick off the new year ahead, but I prefer to think of it as one big, lavish last hurrah of the holiday season. It’s the official end of glittery lights everywhere, gifts galore, and a hum of general merriment everywhere you go, so it makes sense to wrap it all up with a shiny, festive bow in the form of a memorable celebration. Even when you have little ones, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve with kids so that you can end
Romper •

Meet Frida Baby’s New Cute & Practical Potty Training Products

Kids are messy, but there’s really no other part of childhood that’s quite as messy as the toilet training stage. No matter how you approach potty training, there’s bound to be plenty of clean up involved. Between accidents and bad aim, it’s crucial to arm yourself with the right tools to keep your toddler, yourself, and your bathroom as tidy as possible. The new line of Frida Baby potty training products can help you do just that. Between snot sucking, leaky boobs, and dealing with all of the
Romper •

Raise Your Hand If Your Kids' Sleep Was Personally Victimized By The Time Change

Twice a year, parents white knuckle their coffee mugs through a time change. Aside from the nursery-rhyme style trick to remember that you fall back in the fall, it’s confusing as can be to remember whether the end of daylight saving time (DST — and no “s” at the end, FYI) the second Sunday in November means you lose or gain an hour with the biannual clock shift. Honestly, they can both spell disaster for parents of littles and wreak havoc on carefully constructed sleep schedules. So, how do you
Romper •

Dear NICU Parents: Your Baby Isn't Lonely In The NICU, Promise

A hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a place no parent wants their baby to be unless absolutely necessary. Babies typically enter the NICU within the first hours or days after birth, and watching your fresh-from-the-womb newborn leave the safety of your care can be daunting. When a stint in the NICU is the best option for a baby’s health and safety, parents will undoubtedly have a lot of questions. Babies being alone in the NICU is a top concern for parents, so it can be reassurin
Romper •

Wet Or Dry? The Important Q Parents Need To Ask When Extracting Baby's Boogers

Caring for a congested baby can be difficult. They don’t sleep well, they can be extra fussy, and as a parent, it can be tough to know exactly how to help them. Babies have tiny nostrils, so even a small amount of nasal congestion can cause blockage from a build up of dried snot. Clearing their nose is one way to help your baby breathe easier, but exactly how do you get boogers out of a baby’s nose? Even if your baby isn’t super congested or sick, clearing their nose of a rogue booger now and t
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