smart ideas:More Ideas

Step one: Make a list

You’re itching to wield the registry wand. But before you hit the shelves you should start with a checklist. There are lots of reputable baby gear book or web sites that can help you list out what and how many of everything you’ll need. Always be a little skeptical of any registry list supplied by a store itself.

Step two: Do your research

An alarming number of baby products, including cribs, crib bumpers, quilts, infant slings and bath seats have been associated with serious baby accidents but are still sold anyway. You want to make sure your list is only safe stuff that you really need. The Web site for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.uscps.gov) is a good place to become familiar with baby product risks.

Step three: Field test

Don’t be shy about doing some hands-on field-testing for big-ticket items like your baby’s crib, stroller, high chair and car seat. Go to a store that lets you get hands-on and “test drive” models, buckling the buckles, taking high chair trays off or folding and unfolding the strollers. Remember, if a buckle is annoying or difficult in the store, you’re going to face that same problem a thousand times when you’re using it with your baby.

Step three: Edit down to your essentials

Here’s another money and space-saving tip: don’t register for too much of the fun stuff. Sure, the dress-up outfits, toys and novelty pacifiers are adorable, and if there’s something you’re absolutely dying for, put it on the list. But it’s also fun to let your friends and family surprise you with that cute-and-yet-totally-impractical stuff. Keeping a short and simple list will help your friends and family focused on what you truly need to keep your bases covered when the baby is born.

Step four: Exchange

If you do get a dozen baby monitors, save those gift slips and don’t hesitate to exchange extras for what you’re lacking. You can also get gift cards to use later — they will come in handy as your baby grows older to buy bigger sized baby clothes or even diapers and wipes.

Sandy and Marcie Jones are the authors of Great Expectations: Best Baby Gear. Order your copy from Barnes & Noble

By: Sandy & Marcie Jones

An article from the HUGGIES® Brand

When should you hold a baby shower?

Baby showers are traditionally held around the 36th gestational week. This lets guests see mom in all of her pregnant glory, but also allows a little wiggle room in case she goes into labor early or just gets too uncomfortable to enjoy herself.

Can you throw your own baby shower?

By definition, a shower is a party held by a host or hostess on behalf of a guest of honor. Baby showers were traditionally casual get-togethers hosted by the guest of honor’s closest female friend, who invited her best girlfriends to shower the mom-to-be with little handmade things like bloomers and booties. But today the tradition has evolved to include an expanded guest list, national registries, crazy games and big-ticket items (though the simple gifts like HUGGIES® Diapers and Wipes are always in good taste).

Can a shower be coed?

Absolutely. More and more, both parents are getting involved in baby planning and want Dad at the shower. And lots of moms these days have close male friends or co-workers who they want to invite.

Can you have a shower for baby number two or three?

Back when families were larger and kids are more closely spaced, it would have been silly to have multiple showers — babies after the first one would benefit from hand me-downs. But these days families are more likely to be smaller, blended or with longer gaps between kids. Holding a shower for your second baby is perfectly fine, as long as your guests won’t groan, “Oh no, I have to buy a present for her again?”

Are there other types of new baby parties?

Another option to a shower is to have a “Welcome Baby” party after the baby’s born and invite your friends over for a casual cookout or potluck to meet your baby and to share laughter, stories and support.

Sandy and Marcie Jones are the authors of Great Expectations: Baby's First Year. Order your copy from Barnes & Noble

By: Sandy & Marcie Jones

An article from the HUGGIES® Brand

You’ve decided to leave the financial rewards of the work world in favor of the emotional rewards of being a stay-at-home mom, at least for a time. Is there a way to leave your job on good terms?

Update your records. Before you inform your boss that you’re expecting, plan ahead for a distant future when you might consider returning to the working world again. Update your resume before you go while all of your achievements are fresh on your mind. Make sure you have contact information for co-workers and business connections. Business networking sites like Linked In (www.linkedin.com) can help. In a few years, it may be tough to remember your colleagues’ last names, not to mention the details of the projects you worked on together. Also, you might want to change your contact information with trade journals and professional organizations — they can help you stay on top of developments in your field from home.

Consider part-time or working from home. Your employer may offer you those options. Just keep in mind that it’s pretty much impossible to get any work done and take care of an infant or toddler, too, but if you can arrange babysitting and the price is right, it may be worth considering. You can also offer to try out a flexible arrangement for a week or two.

Calling it quits. If you do go, two weeks’ notice is standard courtesy. But if you happen to be approaching a busy season, like tax time for accountants or the holidays for retail, it’s a good gesture to give more notice. It’s also nice to offer to train your replacement or leave notes to help your successor settle in.

Don’t forget your 401(k). If you have an employer-sponsored savings plan, you might want to roll any funds in it to an Individual Retirement Account.

Sandy and Marcie Jones are the authors of Great Expectations: Baby's First Year. Order your copy from Barnes & Noble

By: Sandy & Marcie Jones

An article from the HUGGIES® Brand

Get Outta Dodge

If your doctor gives the okay, a romantic getaway with your man will generate memories that can last through the sleepless nights and countless diaper changes of early parenthood. Whether you book a room in a Jamaican resort on the beach or pitch a tent on a nearby mountain, every relationship can use an infusion of carefree indulgence before undertaking the responsibility of child-rearing. Bonus points for last-minute fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants adventures.

Sleep In!

A mother's work is never done. This is a nice way of saying that becoming "Mom" means you may never get a good night's sleep again. Soon, you will be up all night feeding and changing your newborn and nursing a sick child back to health. The next phase involves waiting up for your teenager who is out past curfew, worrying about him adjusting to college life and waiting for the call alerting you to the birth of your first grandchild. If this thought alone doesn't make you drowsy then you might be getting too much sleep. Indulge in an early bedtime and fifteen minutes extra in the morning while you can.

Make Time For The Girls

Get out with your girlfriends and dish about shoes, relationships and your friends' problems because in the near future your favorite subjects will all revolve around your baby. Discussing baby poop -- smell, color, frequency -- sounds gross now, but just you wait. Take advantage of your flexible schedule and work around your friends' before you have to time departure and arrival times around baby's feeding and napping schedules.

Be Prepared

Use this time wisely to make your first days and weeks with baby a little easier. Taking a breastfeeding class in advance can make all the difference. Learn how to tell if your baby is properly latched on and getting enough to eat before you are sleep-deprived and stressed. Also, make a list of lactation consultants and breastfeeding support professionals you will feel comfortable calling if you need more help. This is no small thing. When all your baby does is eat, unsolved nursing difficulties can make life miserable for everyone.

Take A Bath

Luxuriate in a bubble bath with a good book and maybe even fall asleep. Check with your doctor first to make sure you don't have a condition (bleeding, ruptured membrane) that would make taking a bath unsafe. Also, make sure the bath water is lukewarm and ensure most of your abdomen stays above the water.

After you get the green light, relax and enjoy. Once baby comes, bathing will probably consist of a quick jump in and out of the shower, making faces around the curtain at baby in the bouncer on the other side. Believe it or not, you may even end up switching to a shampoo and conditioner in one, so pamper yourself with all the bath salts, oils and conditioning treatments you can handle for the time being.

Work Out The Kinks

Not only can a pregnancy massage ease the ache of your lower back and reduce stress, but it can also decrease swelling, improve your circulation and alleviate pregnancy insomnia. With so many benefits, pregnancy massage is now seen as less of an indulgence and more of a necessity.

Take a load off

of your soon to be packed, post-baby schedule by putting together diaper changing stations -- at a changing table or just in a box where you will be changing baby -- complete with diapers, cream, powder, Vaseline for boys, a burp cloth or two and maybe even some lanolin and nursing pads for you. Your days will run much smoother if you are not fumbling around looking for things.

While you're at it, preparing and freezing a few meals that you can throw in the oven when the time comes can help to de-stress mealtimes for your new little family.

Treat Your Tootsies

While doctors warn against pedicures or foot massages during pregnancy due to the risk of bringing on labor, this is just the kind of risk that's worth taking once you are full term. Overdue? Even better. And what could make you happier between contractions than looking down and seeing ten lovely, brightly colored toes (maybe even glittering with rhinestones?). Anything that helps you feel pretty while you labor is definitely worth it.

Just Be Alone

Take yourself to a movie, curl up with a book, and follow your whims wherever they take you. The quality time you are currently able to spend with yourself is envied by mothers worldwide. Of course, once he comes you will want to spend every waking minute with your baby, and you will, but for a few more weeks you can leave the house without having to make sure baby is fed and changed, the diaper bag is stocked and the stroller is in the car. Enjoy it!

Bringing baby home will turn your life upside down ... nothing will ever be the same but truth be told, you won't care. While you may occasionally miss former freedoms, your life will be full of so many wonderful, even better things that you won't miss them often. Nonetheless, why not take advantage of these simple pleasures? If nothing else, keeping busy can speed the countdown and keep your eyes off the calendar for a few hours.

By: Brittney Walker

An article from

You deserve a relaxing trip before baby arrives. Take our advice for safe and happy travels.

Travel safe

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the ideal time to travel is between 14 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. ACOG also recommends that moms have a copy of their pregnancy medical records and know where the nearest hospital is at your destination -- just in case. Check with your specific airline or cruise line to find out what -- if any -- pregnancy travel restrictions they have. You may want to travel in the second trimester when morning sickness usually subsides and you have more energy. If you wait to take a babymoon until the third trimester, check with your healthcare provider to see if it's safe to fly. Airlines and cruise ships can let you know specific guidelines for pregnancy travel, too.

Deciding where to go

Do you want to fly to a special destination or stay closer to home? A great place to start is babymoonfinder.com. Ashley King created this site after having a hard time finding places to take a babymoon when she was pregnant with her first child. Her site now lists over 200 babymoons at destinations worldwide, including many for budget-conscious parents-to-be.

If a bed and breakfast is more your style, another site to check out is BnBfinder.com for special babymoon packages at B&Bs nationwide. For example, a babymoon at Montgomery Inn Bed & Breakfast in Versailles, Kentucky is $365 plus tax and includes sparkling cider on ice, hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries, 24-hour snack bar, special body pillows for mom's comfort, robes and access to temperature-controlled hot tubs -- be sure to ask your healthcare provider if it's safe for you to use a tub while pregnant.

Babymoon budget

Megan Hendricks of Tampa, FL and her husband decided on a babymoon budget of about $300 including gas, food and lodging. "We drove an hour and rented a vacation house on Pass-a-Grille beach for the weekend. It was fun, relaxing, and very cost effective. We even ate breakfast in and grilled out for one of our meals to save money."

Connect with your partner

Babymoons are a great way for partners to get some much-needed rest and relaxation -- for both of you. "Pregnancy is all about your wife and once the child comes it is all about the baby," says expectant father Jack Miller. "A babymoon is one of the few times you can celebrate it being all about 'us' as a couple."

Jack and his wife Cathy recently took a Carnival cruise that only cost $250 per person. "This trip was necessary for us to share quality time together, relax, and reflect on where we are in our lives and how it will change in the near future."

Staycation babymoon

"For couples like us on a budget, I suggest creating your own babymoon if you can't find the perfect fit," says babymoonfinder.com King.

Shannon Choe is a mom who planned a trip in her own city. "We were expecting our third, so got a sitter for our other two kids and booked a hotel, spa, brunch in Philly. It was great to sleep in, get a massage, eat yummy food without interruption."

By: Ami Burns

An article from

"It's very difficult to go from two to three," says Dr. Shari Lusskin, Director of Reproductive Psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center. "Even two bright, successful hardworking parents can completely lose their bearings when they have to care for a new baby."

It's not that couples can't make the necessary transition over time. It's just that they don't have any prior practice.

"We grow up in a society where we're not taught how to care for children and babies and it is very stressful until we know what we are doing," says Dr. Lusskin. That stress takes a toll on your relationship.

So how do you keep the love flowing as you make that transition from woman to mother, man to father, and couple to parents?

Analyze your mental health risk

Mood or anxiety disorders make the transition into parenthood much more challenging for both partners. "To minimize the effect on your marriage, know your risk profile and act to minimize those risks. If you have a prior history of anxiety or depression, do not assume that pregnancy will be protective," says Dr. Lusskin. If you're taking medication (or think you should), talk to your medical professional about how to safely treat your mental health.

Build a psychosocial support network

The most obvious place to turn for postpartum help is your extended family. But many couples are isolated from their families, living in a different city, far from familial support. That's where friends and childcare workers can fill in. You need to line people up ahead of time so they'll be ready to take some of the burden off of you when the time comes.

"Don't sit around and wait for people to offer help," says Lusskin. "You have to ask for it, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that."

Get enough hours of sleep

"Sleep deprivation is the root of all evils," says Dr. Lusskin. For some couples, getting enough sleep may mean taking turns handling the overnight feedings. Others might benefit from having someone else take care of the baby at night.

If you're planning to nurse, someone can bring the baby to you or handle the task of diapering and or burping for you. If it is possible, one (or both) of you should nap when the baby naps. Make a solid sleep plan ahead of time so you don't feel you need permission once the baby comes.

Make couple time a priority

It's important that the fondness and affection you feel for each other doesn't dwindle after the baby is born. It's also important that the lines of communication remain open between you, especially during this transition.

"Make time for each other right from the get-go. Get a babysitter lined up. Build in time as new parents where you will go out on dates. Learn how to trust other people with your child because you can't do it all alone," says Dr. Lusskin.

Consider lining up professional help

Marriage and family therapists regularly practice short-term therapy for clients. It can't hurt to seek out a professional's help prior to giving birth if you are worried about how you'll make the transition as a couple. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy has a great service on their website to help you locate a therapist near you. Check it out at www.therapistlocator.net.

By: Karen M. Lynch

An article from

Good old American pie and baseball are just some of the hallmarks of American culture. Capture a bit of the essence of the pure American spirit in your baby's name. There is so much more to Jack and Sue than meets the eye.

American pop culture influences baby name choices not only in the States, but in Europe, Asia and other remote regions. A writer's decision for a character name on a TV show can have lasting effects on a whole generation. Take the soap opera Days of Our Lives for example. A character named Kayla gave the name incredible popularity, and hundreds if not thousands of Kayla's today are the product of the show's trend-setting influence.

A similar phenomenon can be seen in the UK. The name Keira, and its alternative spelling Kiera, jumped up in popularity when British actress Keira Knightly became famous worldwide for her roles in Bend It Like Beckham and Pirates of the Caribbean. Even a bad reputation has been known to spark trends. An evil nanny named Peyton in the film The Hand that Rocks the Cradle made the name an instant favorite, whereas before it was virtually unheard of.

Name Your Baby After Your Favorite Song

It seems some names became extremely popular after appearing in a hit song dedicated to a person of that name. After all, who can think of a better name choice, than one that is worth writing songs about?

Retro Names for Your Baby

So you know what the popular names of today are, but do you know which names were popular in 1880? The "fashion" of names has changed throughout the years, but some names have stayed on top of the charts.

The 80's-are back -- Names inspired from bulls & bears, the Ivy League and the Trumps
80's inspired names are the new trend according to recent polls and surveys. These names are more traditional, conservative and are inspired by T.V. series, universities and the global money market which boomed and crashed in the spandex decade.

Popular Baby Names in New York
So what does the New York State parent think of when naming their baby? In the case of naming baby girls, it looks as if naming is all about glamour. According to the most up-to-date US Social Security Statistics, Emily, Isabella and Ava ranked in top 3 spots.

Baby Name Ideas from New Jersey
New Jersey is the "it" state for parents looking for a unique baby name or ideas for inspiration. The Garden State just happens to be one of the most racially and ethnically diverse states in the country.

Popular Baby Names in California
California's parents have their trends set for their baby name favorites. For baby girls, Emily, Isabella, Ashley, Mia and Samantha came in at the top 5 spots, respectively. As far as baby boy names go, the names Daniel, Anthony, Angel, Jacob and David have been chosen by California's parents more than any others.

By: PregnancyandBaby.com Staff

An article from

By: PregnancyandBaby.com

An article from

Help him help you

The things that come most naturally to you around the house may not be second nature to your hubby. From grocery shopping to cleaning duties to laundry cycles to menu planning, everything that used to fall on you is now going to require a big chunk of support from the big guy.

Every new mom needs to know that this "backup" is going to be there. When you are confident that all the little details are being taken care of, your every-other-hour feedings of a newborn with a voracious appetite will be a little less draining. Here's a checklist of things to implement sooner rather than later in your household:

• Stave off hunger:

  Baby will be fed, but what about the two of you? If you do the majority (OK, all) of the meal preparation in your household, your hubby may end up standing in line for some breast milk. Put together a grocery list of must-haves and, if you have the energy, try to organize the list aisle by aisle (you know you have that store memorized) so he can find everything quickly and easily. Details are good -- less room for error and he'll feel like a hero.

• Back to basics:

  This is the ideal time for your electronics guru of a husband to learn Appliances 101. Let him put a load of towels through the washer and dryer, heat up his own leftovers in the microwave or run the dishwasher (though you may end up with some melted Tupperware if you neglect to point out what doesn't belong on the bottom rack). And don't forget to point out the importance of finishing a job -- making the wash happen is great, but the task isn't complete until he unloads, folds and puts things away.

  Money, money, money: Do you handle all of the household finances? If so, your bills might not get paid when you're fuzzy from sleep deprivation. Better to start prepping for this one far ahead of your last trimester so he can get in the habit of reviewing the bills and balancing the checkbook. If you don't already pay your bills online, set up as many accounts as you can this way so that it's merely a matter of visiting a website, entering some numbers and hitting "pay."

• Teamwork:

  It's not just about what dad needs to do. Just because you're breastfeeding, that doesn't mean the proud papa can't help with feedings. Consider pumping and letting him take a few middle-of-the-night shifts so you can get some much-needed rest. It's a good opportunity for him to bond with baby and he'll feel like he's contributing to the greater good by giving you a break.

• Showing your appreciation

  The thing to remember is this -- guys like figuring things out for themselves, but deep down they appreciate your suggestions. So try not to turn into Little Miss Bossy when you deliver your instructions. Schedule a time to chat so he can express what might be concerning him and you can tell him what you're hoping he'll manage for you and the house while you're settling into your all-encompassing new role.

  Remember, you both might be rookies in these mom and dad roles, but you're always on the same team. Show him that you appreciate him and his efforts -- even if he mucks it up a little bit when the time comes -- and accept that he is doing the best he can, just like you always do.

  And you never know -- he might like some of these jobs so much that you'll never have to do them again!

  A girl can dream, can't she?

By: Elizabeth Weiss McGolerick

An article from