This festive season, more than ever we’re seeking out thoughtful holiday gifts. If you’re not able to see loved ones in person, you can show them you care with a thoughtful gift (and perhaps a Zoom or FaceTime gathering). Not sure what to buy? We curated some of our favorite Christmas gifts (and Hanukkah gifts, and nondenominational winter-solstice gifts) for the new and expecting Mom in your life.
Halloween is the best and this year it’s on a Saturday night with an extra hour of the day. Talk about bewitching perfection. But it also happens to fall in the scariest year in recorded history, 2020, during a worldwide health crisis. Still, the kids shouldn’t suffer and miss out on the fun of celebrating Halloween. Even high-risk Halloween can be fun at a distance. Who says costumes, laughter, and fun can’t still be had by all ages?
Nearly 90 percent of women will have a child. Yet for an event so common—and dramatically life-altering—it’s striking how rarely we discuss what happens to us. Forget diapers and pacifiers. We want to talk about how motherhood transforms our minds, our bodies, and our health. (And why talking about it just might save our lives.) Welcome to the WH unfiltered reality guide.
Breastfeeding can be one of the most rewarding—and challenging—experiences for both mother and baby. For some, the process comes easily; for others, it’s the opposite and can lead to stress, even judgment. It’s a layered topic and one that Jennifer Lezak knows well.
Moms who have just given birth need good nutrition to support their healing and recovery. And for mothers who are breast-feeding, their diet also has a direct impact on their baby's health and growth. Nutrition is so important after childbirth, here are our five most important nutrients for postpartum mothers. Below are highlights from our discussion.
If you had an uncomplicated delivery, you can get back out there sooner than you might think. If you had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, you can start gentle exercise almost immediately after delivery. Just be sure to clear it with a medical professional first. If you had a cesarean or if you had any kind of birth trauma, you may need to wait longer before resuming exercise.
Now, more than ever, postpartum wellness is getting the attention it deserves. These gentlepak-mom-approved apps address needs that while seemingly minor in comparison, make the first six months (and beyond) a little bit less overwhelming.
No matter what the situation or how far removed we were are from normal life, let's encourage our children to play. The games kids play are not nonsense: they’re full of cultural meaning; they help children (and coyotes, and gorillas) develop empathy; they encourage resilience; they help motor development; and they help children work through their feelings around otherwise unsettling events, like a global pandemic, productively.
A new mother may be one of the hardest people to shop for. What does she need? Time with her baby—and sleep. What does she want? Time with her baby—and sleep. But there are a few considered choices that will help celebrate this tender, whirlwind time (and might even make it a little easier).
Ah, summer: backyard barbecues, beach vacations, fresh lemonade and...a baby the size of a watermelon sitting on your bladder all day? While this time of year can invoke a breezy sense of freedom, being pregnant in the summer (especially if you're in the third trimester) can also be challenging, to say the least.
