Pregnant moms are plagued with random symptoms that aren’t always in the medical books. Other moms can collaborate, however, about how uncomfortable pregnancy can be and how you’re always caught off guard by a pregnancy-caused sensation that you simply weren’t expecting.

Charley Horse
For many women, leg cramps and muscle spasms in their calves and feet occur thanks to the pressure and weight those poor legs carry. These usually unexpectedly happen in the middle of the night when you’re suddenly awakened by an intense cramping in your legs you can’t get rid of. You must simply wait it out. To help the spasms increase your potassium intake naturally with a banana a day and plenty of stretches to loosen the muscle.

Constipation
It’s not mentioned much around the lunch table, but more women than not get severe constipation during pregnancy. You can’t use much to help, but a brisk walk, plenty of water and some delicious fruit and vegetables might help clear the system.

Forgetfulness
At first you might think your mind is simply too full to remember all the details you used to, but soon you realize that somehow or another you simply don’t remember well anymore. It’s frustrating, but work on a system of lists and reminders and you’ll get through it.

Looking to start (or finish) potty training? Most toddlers are motivated by nice, tangible rewards no matter how much you were hoping to get by on praise and loving support. If you’re in need of cheap, easy rewards, look no further:

Stickers
Toddlers love stickers and you can get so many for so little money. Give your child a sticker to wear each time she uses the potty or put one on a special chart to keep track of her successes. (There is no need to track her failures, of course.)

Candy
If you’re okay with the idea, a small piece of candy such as a Skittle or M&M makes a nice reward for a job well done. A toddler doesn’t exist who doesn’t salivate after some kind of candy.

Toys
If you make a chart and check off a certain number of boxes, you might reward your child with a small toy at the end of the day. Visit the local dollar store or look in the “junk” section of the toy store to find toys less than a dollar that will help keep everyone motivated.

Special Treats
Much like candy, you can use anything for a motivation if it is special enough. Junior sized popsicles might be a good idea during the summer, especially sugar free ones. You can also use popcorn, fruit snacks or any other item that is a special treat to your child.

It happens to every new mom. You are so excited about the pregnancy you go a bit overboard with your planning and buying. Of course you should plan and prepare for the newborn, but many of the large baby stores seem to insist you need everything the moment your first contraction hits. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Newborn Essentials
There are most definitely newborn essentials such as a place to sleep, blankets, diapers, bottles, formula (if necessary), a breast pump, and much more. There are even some items that aren’t necessary, but still nice to have around such as stroller travel systems and swings. Other items, however, can easily wait until you actually know what parenting is all about. You might be surprised how your preferences change.

Skip This (For Now)
The Exesaucer – Your baby doesn’t need it until she’s at least four months old and has great head control. Skip it for now or leave it in the box to save on storage space until you need it.

The High Chair – Even reclining highchairs swallow up newborns. Keep the highchair in the garage or just put off buying one for a few months. Your baby won’t start eating solids until close to six months, although she might like the high view a bit earlier than that.

Baby Proofing – Baby gates, outlet covers and cabinet locks are completely essential – once your baby can move, that is.

Convertible Carseat – Unless you’ve opted to skip the bucket carseat, which is a great idea for some families, you can put this one off for almost six months to a year. It will just collect dust in the garage until then.

Jogging Stroller – You’re not allowed to jog for at least a few weeks, and most jogging strollers are for babies who can sit with assistance. Unless yours has a space for a newborn carrier, skip it until your baby’s neck can handle the pace.

It’s hard to bring a new baby home from the hospital and resist the urge to dress her up like a little doll, but newborn babies have an astonishingly simple wardrobe requirement. After all, your newborn doesn’t go anywhere for weeks most likely and spends the vast majority of her time sleeping, probably swaddled.

Pajamas and Sleep Sacks
The first collection you’ll need to make for your newborn is an assortment of pajamas and sleep sacks. Sleep sacks are the easiest item to use at home as they are simply nightgowns for baby with elastic at the bottom to keep her little feet warm. The sleep sack doesn’t travel well, however, so your next easiest item is the pajama.

Pajamas with feet and zippers are absolutely a must for newborns, There are no complicated snaps and you don’t have to keep chasing little lost socks. Your baby is covered from neck to foot in comfortable cotton and you have the option of lightweight pajamas for summer months or heavily swaddled babies and warm, fleece pajamas for cooler months.

T-shirts and Onesies
A nice collection of simple t-shirts and onesies works well, too. T-shirts are best for the first few weeks as you need to keep the healing belly button from getting agitated, but onesies stay put a bit better with all the carrying you do.

Socks
The only other item you truly need for the first month or so of your child’s life is plenty of socks. Babies lose heat through their heads and feet. Socks should be worn most of the time if her little feet aren’t already in pajamas.

There is a huge trend right now among celebrities and the rest of us to keep our babies and baby gear earth-friendly. Naturally this is a trend we should all jump on in hopes of it outlasting trendiest and heading into practicality.

More and more parents are switching to earth-friendly materials such as organic cotton and other natural fibers in clothing, baby blankets, bedding and even diaper bags. If you’re looking for some earth baby tips, try these on for size:

Go Organic – Not only is organic baby food, clothing and products better for your baby, it’s better for the environment, too.

Take a Walk – If your destination is within walking distance, why would you bother driving? Grab a stroller or backpack and take a stroll to your destination with baby. Not only will she love to be outside, you’ll love the exercise and the gas you saved.

Try Cloth Diapers – Traditional diapers don’t biodegrade very well meaning your old diapers might still be hanging out in a landfill somewhere. Using cloth diapers helps eliminate that much more waste and might also help your child potty train more quickly – what parent doesn’t want that?

The Fourth of July is such a fun holiday for families and children, but it can also be one of the most dangerous. The many hazards of the day including open bodies of water, firecrackers, cooking grills, strangers and parents distracted by friends, neighbors and alcohol contribute to the potential hazards. That being said, this Fourth of July might very well be your most enjoyable one yet – if you play it safe.

Fireworks
Toddlers love everything about fireworks, except maybe the noise and the late hour. It’s probably worth it to keep your young one up past her normal bedtime to enjoy the big fireworks, but be very careful with fireworks at your home. Not only are firecrackers and sparklers illegal in many areas, they are unsafe for almost everyone who uses them.

Sparklers are a childhood favorite, as are bottle rockets, but toddlers are too young for either. If older children are using any sort of firecracker in your area, keep your child well away from the action and be sure the other child’s parent is actively supervising. The biggest danger of fireworks is how unpredictable they can be. Stick to the large fireworks which are much too far away to be anything but loud and beautiful.

Other Dangers
Most other Fourth of July dangers are areas you are normally vigilant in. You don’t normally let your toddler run by the swimming pool and playing by a smoking grill is a bad idea any day of the year. Don’t let down your guard at any time and help keep other children who might be influencing your child in line.

You might also consider limiting or eliminating your use of alcohol this year as you’ll need your full wits about you with so much going on. Alcohol can make a party more fun, but it can also make the situation more dangerous. Be safe and have fun!

A study was recently performed in the United Kingdom that has very applicable meaning around the world. The study by Oxford University found that grandparents who are actively involved in a child’s life have an incredibly important role that can increase a child’s security and well being.

For a grandparent to have such a profound impact on a child, the older adult must take an active role. That means she’s not just loving on her grandchildren, but she’s showing that love by taking them to the neighborhood swimming pool, taking Junior to soccer practice on occasion and cheering the loudest at the weekend games.

The study found what most parents already know. When two parents are working, there are gaps in how much the parents can do with the children. Active grandparents fill these gaps making the child extra secure in the amount of love and support he has from all the caring adults in his life.

Even children whose parents divorce fair much better both in the short run and long run as they have a soft layer of protection in the form of their grandparents. Further, grandparents are vital as children age. Older children and adolescences are more prone to tell their thoughts and feelings to grandparents than their parents.

If you have active grandparents living nearby, count your blessings many times over.

When new babies come home, many new parents are clueless as to how they will survive the feedings around the clock and the constant needs of that new baby. Sleepless nights and incessant demands from a seven pound child can be exhausting, but you can survive.

Take Turns
If baby is waking every two hours, take turns feeding the baby so the other parent can get some sleep. If mom is breastfeeding, dad can feed a bottle of expressed milk during one feeding or just bring the baby to mom and change the diaper after the feeding letting more stay in bed at least.

Nap
New babies sleep around the clock, and so should you. Dishes and vacuuming will wait. When baby naps, you nap, too. Then when baby is awake take care of chores while wearing her close to your chest or letting her watch you in action.

Stay Comfortable
Nobody expects you to be dressed and primped for the day with a young baby. Invest in some good loungewear and wear it to bed and up around the house. Stay comfortable so you don’t waste any time changing clothes to nap. Loungewear is also easy to wash following exploding diapers or spit-up.

Unfortunately pregnant women tend to swell toward the end of the day, particularly at the end of their pregnancies. This swelling might be indicative of a condition called preeclampsia, but if your doctor tells you your swelling is the more typical kind related to general pregnancy, you likely want to find a way to return your ankles and face to their previously svelte size.

Drink Water
It seems counterintuitive, but drinking water will help your body release some of the stored water that might be causing your swelling. If your body feels it needs more water, it hangs on to what is already in the system causing swelling (and water weight.) Give your body what it needs, which is more than eight glasses, by the way, and watch some of your swelling disappear.

Skip Sodium
Nothing keeps water and swelling around like salt. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and keep salt to a healthy minimum.

Exercise
A good walk will move blood around the body and help to dispel toxins and stored fluids that might be causing your swelling. You might swell more after exercising, but given the chance, your body will level off shortly after.

Prop Your Feet Up
During the day and every chance you have, elevate your feet. Fluids including water and extra blood settle in your feet making your ankles swell and your shoes feel tight. Prop those feet up to get fluids circulating again.

Taking baby out often means feeding baby while on the go. Depending on the stage and age of your baby, the way you feed your baby might be as simple as pulling out a bottle or as complicated as a four course meal.

Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding moms have the easiest means of feeding baby on the go. A few minutes in a car or nursing room or a quiet bench away from the action can give baby a chance to fill up, often followed by a little nap.

Bottle Feeding
When bottle feeding, you can bring cold bottles with ready made formula that may have to be heated or one you made right before leaving the house. Bottles that are already prepared should be used in less than 1-2 hours, however. A can of ready-made formula poured into a waiting bottle can create a meal or a formula dispenser with pre-measured formula shaken into a bottle with water is an easy way to make a meal on the run.

Solids
Once a child starts eating solids, you’ll need a bit more than a bottle or breast. Every outing that will span a meal will include jars or containers of baby food, a spoon, a bib and a change of clothes. You might also bring a highchair cover or wipes to keep eating conditions sanitary.

Finger Foods
Life becomes a bit easier once a baby is comfortably eating finger foods. Tear off or cut small pieces of your own meal for baby and supplement with foods brought from home. In a matter of months your little one will be capable of grabbing and chewing a real meal (so long as you cut it up for him first.)

Celebrity moms are getting more down to earth with their baby names and their baby gear. Sure there are still thousand dollar prams marching down the street, or in the case of the Lopez twins, two matching prams, but many celebrities are becoming more focused on what baby needs to feel comfortable – no matter the price tag. In this case, that often means the price tag is lower than you might think.

Slings and Carriers
Celebrities, like any new moms, find that carrying baby close is the easiest way to get things done and keep baby comfortable. Gently wrapping slings and carriers are being spotted more and more with young babies.

Practical Strollers
No matter the brand, more practical strollers are being seen rather than bulky prams. A well designed stroller will take a child through the toddler years and many celebrities are keeping it simple with basic designs and simple color schemes.

Diaper Bags
Designer label or not, a diaper bag is necessary with a baby of any age. Large bulky bags that hold all that baby needs in dark colors are seen everywhere. Even large purses with an extra diaper and sippy cup inside are meeting the needs of many celebrity moms.

If anyone deserves a present this Father’s Day, it’s the father of your adorable baby. After all, that baby wouldn’t be here without him – even if he still changes diapers with great reluctance. This year, give the Daddy in your life something extra special – a personalized gift from his baby.

Personalized Gifts
Any one can buy candy or a card, but making something personalized is much more meaningful. Even very young babies can contribute to Dad’s gift this year with help from you, so get creative and make something truly special.

Mementos
Moms aren’t the only ones who love pictures and keepsakes. Buy a little jersey for Dad’s favorite team or a junior fishing set and take baby to the local photographer. Get some shots and then frame the print in a suitable manly frame. Dad can bring his personalized picture to the office or just put it somewhere special in the house. If you don the team jersey and pose up with your baby, that might make the picture even more special.

A classic memento is a handprint or footprint of your little one on inside a card or in plaster. Write dad a meaningful message inside a card you’ve created and then “sign” it with baby’s handprint. Make the message from you or the baby. Either way it will have a lot more meaning than something the card store created.

If there was ever a good parental debate, the pacifier deserves recognition. Some parents feel the pacifier is a lifesaver when it comes to a baby with a high need to suck, while others feel pacifiers deter breastfeeding or create unhealthy sleep habits. So do you need a pacifier?

Yes! – A pacifier is recommended to help reduce the risk of SIDS in young babies. Sucking on a pacifier keeps baby in a lighter state of sleep helping to keep her safe.

Yes! – A pacifier can help a baby with a strong suck reflex feel satisfied when she’s not really hungry.

Yes! – A pacifier can satisfy the urge to suck that is extremely relaxing for babies helping her to fall asleep and comfort herself.

No! – A pacifier uses a different form of sucking which might confuse babies learning to breastfeed.

No! – A pacifier can become a crutch for older babies who need to learn more natural ways to self-comfort.

No! – A pacifier can cause poor sleep if baby can’t sleep without it and can’t replace it herself when it falls out in the middle of the night.

A first tooth is very exciting for parents, but baby isn’t always so thrilled. Babies react differently to teething with some showing almost no outside symptoms other than a tooth that appears virtually overnight while others have drawn out misery waiting on each tooth to cut through the gums.

Babies teeth at different times, but the first tooth appears between four and eight months on average. After the first, a companion tooth will likely appear. The bottom two teeth come in first followed by the top two. Then generally teeth continue to appear in pairs on the bottom followed by the matching set on the top. By thirty months, your child will have an entire collection of teeth including two sets of molars.

At the age of three, parents are urged to take their child to the dentist for the first time. Even though his teeth are baby teeth which will fall out and be replaced by permanent teeth in a few more years, caring for these teeth is very important. If baby teeth are damaged, permanent teeth can be misaligned or damaged as well.

Teach your baby healthy dental habits from the start. Brush his gums with a special toothbrush. Then when the first tooth appears, make brushing that tooth, or at least wiping it with a clean washcloth, part of your routine. Good dental hygiene now will make for an adorable smile the rest of his life.

Postpartum depression hits a large percentage of pregnant women after delivery. Some feel that every new mother suffers from some degree of the condition within a few days of giving birth. The primary cause for the depression is the surging hormones following delivery, and the degree to which you’re affected is not something you can control.

Degrees of Depression
At the light end of postpartum depression is the condition called “Baby Blues.” When a new mother is suddenly weepy for no apparent reason, is worried constantly about her baby and feels like motherhood is suddenly overwhelming, she has what is considered by many to be a very normal, routine effect to hormones and emotions following delivery. Baby Blues pass in a few days or a week once your system has settled back down. For years all degrees of depression were written off as Baby Blues, but now there is much more support for mothers who suffer from a more extreme case of depression.

Postpartum Depression
When full scale depression hits, the mother might feel sad, but she might also feel angry, frustrated and even apathy toward her baby. Her feelings of worry for her little one might be so overwhelming she can’t function or care for him correctly. She might be so frustrated and down that she doesn’t always keep the baby’s best interests at heart and in very extreme cases might even harm her child.

Dealing with Postpartum Depression
Some rocky emotions following delivery are normal, but if you suspect your emotions are going beyond a few good sobs and tearful midnight feedings, call your doctor immediately to seek out assistance. In rare cases, doctors treat postpartum depression lightly when it is indeed serious, so if you’re unsatisfied with your doctor’s handling of your concerns, continue to seek help. Your baby and your own condition are too important not to be treated properly.