When your baby is screaming from trapped gas, time seems to slow down. You know she needs to burp. Her little body is rigid, back arched, face beet-red, and her fists are clenched in unbearable pain. You would give anything–anything–to ease her pain. You’ve tried throwing her onto your shoulder and patting her back but…
Figuring out how to announce your pregnancy to family in person is alternately exciting and terrifying. I’ll admit that in the past I wasn’t known for my creativity in this area. Thousands of miles separated my husband and I from our close family members. So, when it was time to inform our direct family members…
Choosing a baby name can be so hard. Choosing our firstborn’s name was tough, but now that we’re expecting our second child, my husband and I have literally gone through thousands (no exaggeration) of baby name lists to find the one that just “clicks.” One list held my attention in particular: Italian baby names. If…
About 4 weeks into the newborn phase, I shared my nighttime woes with pediatricians, lactation consultants, and other breastfeeding mamas. I expected to hear wise advice on how to extend my daughter’s nighttime hours (by 6 weeks, she was sleeping 4 hours at a time). The only “advice” I received was to “go with the…
If your baby is breech after 36 weeks, you have three options: coax that stubborn baby to turn naturally, have a doctor perform an external cephalic version (ECV), or schedule a c-section. When I found out that my baby was breech, I struggled with this decision. To me, it seemed like there were just as many…
Nothing is more nerve-wracking than having cramps during your first trimester. I still remember the first day I experienced early pregnancy cramps. My husband and I were getting ready for a week-long trip to the Grand Canyon. We were putting gas in the car when I felt the first, shocking twinge. Throughout the trip, the…