When you’re putting together a baby registry, it can be really easy to get distracted by all the adorable baby products and forget about the essentials. It’s so fun to pick out newborn outfits, nursery decor, and toys, but it’s important to also register for postpartum recovery products.

After you give birth, your body is going through a lot. When you’re dealing with the physical recovery and taking care of a newborn, you want to make sure you have all the postpartum care items you need on hand. Here are some postpartum recovery products to put on your baby registry:

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Pregnancy and childbirth can be beautiful, but they can also be full of scary and potentially dangerous conditions. In the past few years, more and more women have been speaking out about their pregnancy experiences, and they aren’t always positive. While most expecting parents have heard of preeclampsia, a serious blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy (typically after the 20th week), there’s much less information out there about postpartum preeclampsia.

Recently, Meghan Markle opened up about her experience with postpartum preeclampsia, sparking a broader conversation about the dangerous condition. “It’s so rare and so scary,” she shared on her podcast.

Here’s what expecting parents should know about postpartum preeclampsia.

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Since becoming a mom almost a year ago, there’s one question I’ve been asked hundreds of times that always makes me mad: “Is she a good baby?” This question is always asked with good intentions, usually as a way to check in on how I’m doing as a mom, but it always strikes me as a ridiculous question.

What do you mean, “Is she a good baby?” Of course she’s a good baby! By virtue of being a baby — by existing in this world as an infant — she is a “good” one. Let’s be clear here: Every baby is a good baby. The only thing a baby needs to do to be “good” at being a baby is to just exist.

I’m never sure how people expect me to respond to this question — what parent is out there telling people they have a bad baby? My sarcastic answer is always, “No, she’s actually a terrible baby. She goes out every night to rob banks and kick puppies.”

More from Mom.com: Sleeping in Shifts Saved My Sanity During the Newborn Phase

In reality, what would qualify as a “bad” baby? A baby with colic? A baby who wakes up every hour? A baby who is struggling to latch? A baby who isn’t gaining enough weight? “Bad” implies a poor quality or a moral failing, and that isn’t the way I’d describe any infant.

I understand that people ask this question as a way to check in on new parents, to see how they’re coping with the big life changes. So here’s my suggestion: Ask the direct questions you want to know about. Is she sleeping well? Is she fussy? How are you feeling? Has recovery been challenging? Are you settling into parenthood OK?

Parenting, especially when you have a newborn, is challenging, and it can be especially difficult if you don’t have an easy baby. If your baby is having difficulty adjusting to life outside the womb, it’s important to remember that it’s not your fault. And in the tough moments, remind yourself that your baby isn’t giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time.

No matter what, your baby is a “good baby.”

The post Please Stop Asking Me if My Daughter Is a ‘Good Baby’ appeared first on Mom.com.

WARNING: Graphic image below

Just over five years ago, I gave birth to my first child and opted not to cut the cord — and, subsequently, the attached placenta — allowing it to fall away naturally. Cord non-severance is otherwise referred to as a lotus birth, a process that felt so instinctual to me that nine months ago I also chose to birth my second baby in the same way. Baby number two was delivered in a birth pool in the presence of her dad and big brother, now 5 years old.

The benefits of lotus birth are the same physical benefits as delayed cord clamping including ensuring your baby receives the full 30–50 percent remainder of their blood supply, which continues pulsating through the cord from the placenta for around 3–10 minutes after birth, and finally receiving their vital stem cells. This results in decreased chance of developing anemia and also increases immunity to other potential diseases.

More from Mom.com: Home Birth Isn’t Just for Hippies

Often overlooked in lotus-birth discussions, the emotional benefits feature just as prominently for mother and child when opting for a lotus birth—the physical connection between the baby and the placenta ensures that the after-birth is not hurried unnecessarily. In my first birth, with a 12-hour labor, the after-birth took five hours to deliver and an even longer 12 hours for the second birth, which was ironically a lot shorter than the four-hour labor. This extended period of literally remaining connected ensured I could bond successfully with both of my babies without any interference or unnecessary weighing, bathing, or medical tests.

For the second birth, we delayed the first bath until the placenta had fallen away, as the sticky white vernix acts as a moisturizer, protecting the newborn’s delicate skin. Furthermore, during the six days it took for both of my baby’s cords to naturally detach, I was able to respect my postnatal body’s need to stay in, rest well, and establish a successful breastfeeding relationship with my children.

When I watch videos of babies being born and having the cord clamped and cut, I feel sorrow that our medical system feels such an urgency to inflict unnecessary trauma to the newborn who often displays an ear-piercing scream when the cord is cut. My babies were very peaceful after birth and only let out one cry to indicate the first few breaths of air as the lungs transitioned to take over their role from the placenta.

I was not concerned about the cord being potentially wrapped around their neck as I am aware that the placenta continues pumping oxygen to the baby for at least five minutes after birth, giving plenty of time to gently unwrap a cord.

To keep the placenta smelling pleasant, we sprinkled it with a coating of rock salt and rose petals before wrapping it in muslin cloths, which were changed every few days. For easy transport, the placenta was then placed into a hand-held cooler bag, which kept everything clean and aerated.

More from Mom.com: I Tore at the Top and Bottom During Childbirth — Here’s How I Recovered and Accepted My New Vagina

Some obstetricians suggest that lotus births carry a risk of infection. This potential risk seems highly unlikely as the cord literally begins to dry up and shuts off the supply to the placenta as soon as the blood and stem cells have finished traveling through to the baby. Evidence of such an infection occurring in lotus-born babies is zero, unlike the many cases of infected cord stumps brought about by cutting the cord.

Five years down the line, with two lotus-born babies, I cannot say for sure whether having lotus births versus simple delayed cord clamping has made a difference to their quality of life. I guess this is something that could never be proven. My first child did not sleep well as a baby, while the second has slept exceptionally well. Both have very different personalities.

They do share a few commonalities — both have above-average physical development and are very alert, and neither have any developmental issues. Overall, I can say that the lotus birth made for a much more relaxed birth experience and kept my babies safe and sound in my arms where they were allowed to experience the golden bonding hour of skin-to-skin contact without interruption.

And that will give my babies the best gift that cannot be severed: an unbreakable connection of love and security.

EDITOR’S NOTE: All thoughts and opinions expressed belong to the author and not mom.com.

The post What a Lotus Birth Really Looks Like appeared first on Mom.com.

I’m sure you’ve read countless articles tackling Baby Registry Must-Haves, Baby Shower Themes, How to Prepare for Labor, Creating your Birth Plan…. Before giving birth, you think a lot about pregnancy and birth, but what about after the baby gets here? There are far fewer articles about how to become the parent you aspire to be or strategies to survive those early days as a new mom. 

The truth of it is, your baby won’t care what their nursery looks like (not for the first few months at least), your birthing plan probably won’t go to “plan,” and you will be so exhausted after birth that you will forget about that overly packed hospital bag. 

In retrospect, I wish I had focused more on what I would do after the baby arrived in order to better set my expectations and manage my time. I did read Emily Oster throughout my pregnancy. I dove into “Expecting Better” early on and “Cribsheet” closer to the big day. I would highly recommend both, with “Cribsheet” being the catalyst for me thinking about the type of parent I hoped to be once the baby arrived.

Here are the top 10 things I wish I knew, or thought of, before giving birth:

The post I Have an Infant — These Are 10 Things I Wish I Knew (or Thought Of) Before Giving Birth appeared first on Mom.com.

Ten days after giving birth to my daughter, my husband and I drove into Manhattan to check in at a postpartum hotel. Boram, a postnatal retreat, focuses on caring for new moms as they begin the Fourth Trimester, setting them up for success in the journey of motherhood.

From the moment I heard about Boram, before I even got pregnant, I was fascinated. When babies are born, so much of the attention is (rightfully) on them — but a lot of times mothers are forgotten or overlooked. During this extremely vulnerable time, moms deserve hands-on postpartum care from experts and specialists, without expectations or judgment.

When most families get home from the hospital with a newborn, they're in survival mode — taking care of the baby is the priority, which means eating, sleeping, and recovering from childbirth often get put on the back burner. Rest and recovery are essential for new moms, though. Giving birth is exhausting, and it is traumatic on the body — it takes months for bodies to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. At Boram, a professional care team focuses on rest, recovery, and bonding, as well as guiding new parents through the first few days of newborn care.

Boram's model is based on the postnatal centers of South Korea, where postpartum care is seen as essential. Co-founder Boram Nam told Fortune, "All my friends who were having babies in Korea were checking themselves into one of these retreats, feeling better, feeling supported, learning so much more, and just feeling ready to go back to what they had before… This culture of supporting women after birth has been around for centuries. But it turned into a business about 20 years ago in South Korea when people were migrating to the city, living more in the urban setting away from their village, away from their families. It became a business idea to set up a facility to support women right after giving birth."

When I got pregnant, I immediately started planning for my birth and recovery (what can I say, I'm type A); I looked into local hospitals, I interviewed doulas, and I started working with a new psychiatrist. When it came to my postpartum care, I knew I wanted to stay at Boram. Although the postnatal retreat is expensive (the nightly rate ranges from $950 to $1,050), it seemed worth it for the comfortable room, 24/7 mother and baby care, nourishing meals, lactation support, community workshops and education, and physical and mental wellness.

Here's what my experience was like at Boram Postnatal Retreat:

*My stay at Boram was gifted in exchange for an editorial review.

The post 10 Days After Giving Birth, I Checked Into a Postnatal Retreat — Here’s What It Was Like appeared first on Mom.com.

If you're breastfeeding and your little one's coos are replaced by cries, your baby may be experiencing discomfort because of trapped gas. Choosing your foods carefully can help reduce the amount of gas your baby experiences, says Dr. Zubaida Sadik, a board-certified pediatrician in Freehold, New Jersey.

"In general, we advise all our nursing moms to avoid foods … that make the mom gassy," she says. When you're breastfeeding, the foods you eat directly affect your milk — so if you're eating gaseous foods, you and your baby may both end up with intestinal gas.

If you're wondering how to reduce gas in breastfeeding babies, consider consulting with your doctor. Here are some gassy foods to avoid while breastfeeding.

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I am officially one month away from my due date for my first baby, and it's really starting to set in that I have just a few weeks left before my entire life changes. My husband and I are so excited to welcome our little one into the world, but we're also feeling a little overwhelmed thinking about what's to come! Luckily, I've been working in the parenting sector for years now, so I'm very familiar with all the classes, books, products, and other offerings out there, which has helped me feel more prepared. As we put together our birth preferences and make our plan for labor and delivery, there's another piece of the puzzle that feels equally (if not more) important: preparing for the fourth trimester.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, the fourth trimester refers to the first few months postpartum, since the major physical and emotional changes don't just end the minute baby is born. This can be a challenging time for new parents, because it's a huge transition. But there are a lot of ways to plan for the postpartum period that can help you feel more prepared and confident.

The post I’m Expecting My First Baby — Here’s How I’m Preparing for the Fourth Trimester appeared first on Mom.com.

We all know that a mother’s milk is like no other. “Breastfeeding provides unmatched health benefits for babies and mothers. It is the clinical gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, with breast milk uniquely tailored to meet the health needs of a growing baby,” said Dr. Ruth Peterson, director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.

Breastfeeding takes a mother’s willingness and a supportive healthcare community to make breastfeeding successful.

Yet for those reasons, black mothers have had the lowest rate of breastfeeding at 69. 4 percent as opposed to 83.2 percent of all women. And with August being National Breastfeeding Month, it is time to give our attention to Black Breastfeeding Week, August 25th to August 31st, and generate an awareness of what is happening in the Black community.

So, to all of the Black mothers out there — we are here for you. And, as a black mother myself, let me tell you that there are breastfeeding resources ready for you.

The post 11 Resources for Black Breastfeeding Moms appeared first on Mom.com.

You may have heard that moms are super fertile after birth, but the truth couldn’t be more complicated. How fertile you are after giving birth depends on a myriad of factors like breastfeeding, stress, diet, age, birth complications, and fertility issues.

On top of all that, your period isn’t an accurate indication of fertility, as some women don’t ovulate during their first cycle after birth — and, while rare, women can also get pregnant before their first postpartum period.

So, how do you know if you can get pregnant? The answer is found in being as informed as you can be about the state of your body and knowing which contraceptives are safe to use.

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