Every smoker has been told: “You should quit smoking during pregnancy.” There is little debate that smoking is an unhealthy habit, causing potential harm to nearly every organ in the body. Once a woman gets pregnant, that risk also exists for her unborn baby. Still, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only about half of women who… Read More »11 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking During Pregnancy
Once you become pregnant, you realize pretty quickly that there’s no exact science to much of what happens during pregnancy. Nine months is often closer to 10 months, morning sickness can happen at night, and the timeline of when you feel those first few kicks can be wildly different than what you’ve read or heard.
It’s no wonder that the ‘due date’ you’ve been staring at on your calendar for months may come and go without a twinge. The last month of pregnancy can feel like an eternity! Frankly, you’re uncomfortable and tired. You’ve been preparing for months, and you are ready for your new baby to be here. Now. Read More »Five Things to Know When You’re Past Your Due Date
Pregnancy comes with a lot of rules, many of which center around what you should (or shouldn’t) eat and drink. Meanwhile, your hormones and the experience of growing a baby also bring on new cravings. Before you know it, your doctor may be asking a lot of probing questions about your weight. You may also be shocked to see where your line falls on the weight gain chart, compared to what is considered “normal.”
The question of how much weight is acceptable to gain during pregnancy is loaded with implications. It is also highly emotionally charged. Of course, everyone wants do whatever they can to deliver a safe, healthy, and happy baby. Still, you may find that you’re too nauseous to eat right during the first trimester, or that the pounds are adding up fast and furiously in your final weeks. Read More »The Effects of Weight on Pregnancy
Shopping for maternity clothes can be frustrating. Who wants to spend a fortune on new outfits that they may never wear again? Plus, every time you feel like you’ve completed your wardrobe for the upcoming trimesters, something comes up: a friend’s wedding, your nephew’s graduation, or yet another work event. You head back to store racks, credit card in hand. Meanwhile, you’re also trying to save money for the new baby and everything that comes with adding a new little person to the family.
To help you look and feel great, we’ve put together an inexpensive pregnancy wardrobe that will get you through spring and summer. You’ll even be able to continue wearing some of these pieces after the baby arrives! Read More »Spring & Summer Maternity Clothes: 7 Tips for Pregnancy Fashion on a Budget!
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Whether you’ve been trying to conceive for a long time or were surprised by the news, pregnancy can be an emotional roller coaster ride. You may be feeling a sense of wonder, hope, and joy for the future. At the same time, there is typically some anxiety about how your life will change, and how you will manage the responsibility that comes with raising another human being.
During pregnancy there are immediate needs that are keeping you busy such as planning the new baby’s room, picking out names, and choosing gifts for your baby registry. Hopefully, you are also putting long-term protections in place such as purchasing life insurance, setting up a college fund, and researching cord blood banking.
In the midst of the rest of the pregnancy ‘to do’ list, it is also critical that you don’t forget to take care of yourself. Remember that your health during your pregnancy will impact your child’s life, now and in the years to come. There is no time like the present to focus on your health!Read More »Giving Your Child a Healthy Start
April is Autism Awareness Month, and organizations around the world will continue to spotlight awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) throughout the month.
ASD is a set of complex, brain-based disorders that affect a person’s behavior as well as social and communication skills. According to Autism Speaks, “ASD affects over 3 million individuals in the U.S. and tens of millions worldwide. Moreover, government autism statistics suggest that prevalence rates have increased 10 to 17 percent annually in recent years.” Autism is found more often in boys than girls, and affects all racial, ethnic, and social groups.
Clinical trials are currently underway for the use of umbilical cord stem cells to treat Autism. While there is no definitive list of what factors do or do not cause autism, many studies have been done to decipher specific genetic or environmental factors. Regardless of those findings, it is worth considering a few changes that may result in better health for both mom and baby. Read More »April is Autism Awareness Month: Healthy Practices During Pregnancy
Picture this: It’s 3 am, you have heartburn (again), and you’re not sure what to do. Can you take anything? Is there another way to get rid of it so you can get back to sleep? Could you have done something to prevent it in the first place? Or, you’re seven months pregnant and contemplating a delicious-looking deli sandwich platter in front of you at an event. You can’t remember what’s okay and what’s not. You could try to do a search online, but many of the websites don’t work well on the smartphone you have handy. Even the mobile websites may lead you down a rabbit hole of bad information and everyone-has-an-opinion forums. What do you do?
Behold the smartphone apps that will carry you through pregnancy when every day brings more questions. There are a multitude of mobile applications available at your fingertips, and we’ve narrowed down the list to seven of our favorites.
This BabyCenter app is full of videos, articles, checklists, and timers. It also has healthy recipes for meals during pregnancy and breastfeeding. There’s even a special “Bumpies” space to save pictures of your growing belly. There’s even a special offer available to users of this app for cord blood banking at New England Cord Blood Bank, valid through June 30, 2016 – download the app to access it! Read More »7 Best Pregnancy Apps
By now, you’ve probably heard about how stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood are being used to treat more than 80 diseases and illnesses. You may also know that clinical trials are currently underway to determine if these stem cells can be used to treat syndromes like autism or diabetes in the future.
You may even be aware that stem cells are stored in both private and public cord blood banks. What you may never have learned, however, is how a person would go about accessing stem cells from stored umbilical cord blood if there is a need, for themselves or a family member. Read More »How to Access Stem Cells for Treatment
You’ve probably been to more baby showers than you can count at this point. They’re all pretty much the same, aren’t they? At your own traditional baby shower, you can look forward piles and piles of onesies, mostly in newborn to six-month sizes, which may not make it past the first few months. You may also get a few must-have items, more blankets and stuffed animals than you’ll ever use, and a few ‘unique’ gifts from well-meaning aunts.
Two months in, when you’re staring in disbelief at the receipt from your recent trip to buy diapers and wipes, you might be shaking your head. Why didn’t you just ask for gift cards to stock up on a year’s worth of essentials?
Before you head to the store with your Pinterest boards and that barcode-scanner, check out some different ideas below from parents who have been in your shoes and lived to tell about it. Read More »Five Alternative Baby Registry Ideas for Modern Parents-to-Be
5 Tips For Planning Your Maternity Leave As your delivery date approaches, you may be feeling a variety of emotions from excitement to overwhelm. If you work outside the home, the thought of leaving your job for several weeks may make you feel almost as anxious as the idea of bringing a baby into the world! With proper planning and… Read More »5 Tips for Planning Your Maternity Leave