Olivia Leon

How to Have a Safe and Festive Halloween

Contributed by Pamela Brawer, R.N., CCE, certified American Heart Instructor and Certified Childbirth Instructor, and founder of Save-A-Tot.

It’s that time of year again when the weather gets cold, pumpkin lattes pop up everywhere and houses are decked with black bats, cobwebs and witches hats. It must be Halloween! As parents we are always excited for baby’s first anything. First words, first steps, and the first Halloween is no exception. Even though your baby will be too young to trick or treat, it is still a great opportunity to create memories. So attend a party or throw your own, take lots of pics and be sure to read some helpful tips from Pamela Brawer about keeping everyone happy and safe this Halloween:

When to Start Pumping After Having A Baby

Contributed by Elina S. Arulraj, MSPT, IBCLC

Elina leads a weekly breastfeeding support group at the Yummy Mummy Store in NYC every Tuesday at 10am.

If your baby has been nursing exclusively and gaining weight well and you are feeling ready for a break here and there after 3-4 weeks of exclusive breastfeeding it is safe to begin giving your baby 1 bottle every or every other day without it impacting the baby's ability to breastfeed.

The best way to do this is either one of the following ways:

Five Prenatal Exercise Myths Debunked

Contributed by Brittany Citron, Founder of PROnatal Fitness. Brittany is a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, Certified Personal Trainer and a Specialist in Training the Pregnant and Postpartum Client as well as a Specialist in Prenatal and Postpartum Exercise Design.

Over the past three decades, research has shown an overwhelming number of benefits from exercise during pregnancy.  Unfortunately, when it comes to the specifics of exactly what type of exercise is safe or beneficial, the myths seem equally as overwhelming.  Here are some of the biggest myths explained to help you feel more confident about your ability to exercise for two!

The Five Things People Tell Us They Wish They Had Asked An Employer BEFORE Maternity Leave

Contributed by Julia Beck who is the founder of the It's Working Project by Forty Weeks

We’ve all seen the checklists for the baby registry, the nursery, and the hospital bag, but what about the checklist for your maternity leave? When you’re getting ready for maternity leave or even thinking about pregnancy, HR is a great clearinghouse of information. But the guiding details that can often make the biggest difference in working parents’ leave and return to work don’t come from a manual, they come from real life experiences.

This is where the sisterhood of motherhood comes in.  

Here at the It’s Working Project, we’ve talked to moms (and dads!) about their back-to-work experience: what they’ve learned, what they wished they’d known, and what insights they have for other parents.  The conversations are candid, honest, and sometimes not always easy. The biggest takeaway? Many wished they’d spoken up sooner about taking leave.

Over 200 parents have shared their stories with us at the Portrait Project. Many have done so because they want to see one another succeed. We know that sharing stories with other working parents in the private sector can spark a conversation and support positive change in real time.

Here are the top five things contributors to the Portrait Project wished they had asked their employer before going on maternity leave:

10 Tips for successful baby wearing

Contributed by Bianca Carolina Fern, founder of Metro Minis. http://www.metrominis.com/the-team/

Baby wearing promotes healthy mental, emotional and physical development. Babies who are worn spend more time in the “quiet alert state,” which is the ideal time for learning and observing their surroundings. Being close to a parent’s heartbeat, breathing, voice and warmth helps the newborn “get in rhythm” much faster.

Here are 10 tips to help you and your baby get off on the right step with your carrier or sling.

Navigating Life as a New Mom—and Away from the City

Contributed by Suburban Jungle Realty Group. Suburban Jungle Realty Group has offices in NYC, L.A., Miami, Chicago and San Francisco.

Being a first- (or second- or third-) time mom is, hands down, tough. But in the city you’ve got some unique benefits that other moms don’t. There’s the 24-hour Duane Reade on the corner where you can, and do, grab diapers, wipes, milk, baby food and countless other goodies for you and your little one at literally any hour of the day. There’s the stroller group at the park, the mom’s group down the block, and the playroom in your building. And, of course, if you can’t or don’t have time to track it down, you can have it delivered with a quick click, and that “it” could be anything from breast pump parts to loaner strollers to tonight’s dinner.

So, yes, being an urban mom has plenty of perks. Not only is ours an all-access city, but through its 24/7 pace and proximity both moms and babies have plenty of opportunities to mix, mingle and make new friends almost every day. What happens, though, when that same city duo finds themselves in the ‘burbs, miles from a 24-hour drugstore and void of takeout anything? We’ve been there and we get it. Here are some tips from urban to suburban mamas to help you both navigate and love life in the ‘burbs. Because in NYC you might have the new mom world at your fingertips, but in suburbia you’ve got the space, pace and day-to-day lifestyle you’ve always dreamed about. All you have to do is make your new town your own. And that’s where Suburban Jungle Realty Group comes in! Read on for some of our pro tips.

Congratulations! You are expecting twins. So now what do you do?!

Contributed by Shannon O’Reilly-Fearn. Shannon is a mom to identical twin girls and the Founder of Twin Love Concierge – the USA’s only twin exclusive maternity and parenting consultancy.

Finding out you are expecting twins is a blessing and a shock rolled into one. Your initial reaction of ‘wow, we are having TWO babies’ will likely be followed quickly by ‘HOW are we going to do it?!’ You are not alone – these are the initial, confused feelings of ALL expecting parents of multiples.

Preparation is essential. As a mom to identical twin girls I’ve learned firsthand how important it is to be ready for twins. Unlike singletons you can’t just hope everything falls into place, because it doesn’t. Here are my five key points to keep in mind when preparing for your new babies: 

Safe Slumber: Tips on setting up a safe nursery

Contributed by Wee Sleep Solutions: Certified Infant and Child Sleep Consultants

You recently learned that you’re expecting! Congratulations! One of the most exciting things to do when preparing for a baby is setting up and decorating the nursery.  As sleep consultants, we want to ensure all of our little ones are as safe as possible at all times, especially when we put them to sleep.  So here are some of our top tips and reminders for a sound and safe slumber for all of your babies.

Five Things to Look For When Hiring a Nanny or Babysitter

By Lynn Perkins, CEO and co-founder of UrbanSitter.com

Finding and hiring the right babysitter can be unnerving for parents. While we’d all like to leave our kids in the kind and capable hands of Mary Poppins, the reality is that you’re not going to find a babysitter or nanny who “has it all.”

Take time to think about the skills, characteristics and “extras” that are most important to you, your spouse and your kids. Set up a formal interview with the caregiver, or try a “working interview,” where you can get tasks done at home while the babysitter or nanny watches your kids for the first time.

Here are a few things to look for when you decide on a new nanny or babysitter:

Protect Your Baby's Sensitive Skin from the Hot Summer Sun

Contributed by Tara Hilton, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who specializes in the care of infants.

You love your little one and want to him/her safe, so it only makes sense that you want to protect your baby from the summer sun.

Did you know that children who experience just one bad sunburn have a twofold risk of developing melanoma later in life? Protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation should begin early and continue throughout one’s lifetime.

Children under age two years have more sensitive skin that offers minimal protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation, allowing skin damage to occur within minutes of exposure to direct sunlight. Such damage can occur as early as a baby’s very first summer.

But don’t have to worry, you can take some simple steps to keep your baby safe.