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Picking out a car seat is one of the most important things that expecting parents can do to prepare for a baby’s arrival. The process is always a lot to navigate, with so many styles and features available, and fewer opportunities to check out your options in person, how can you decide which car seat is best for you?  At Tadpole, we’ve been helping families choose the right car seat for years. Let’s take a look at the different types of car seats and how to determine which one makes sense for your family.

As a parent of a new baby, there is a lot to learn... and it won’t be long before the phrase “tummy time” enters your vocabulary. Tummy time is a great way to support your baby’s development while helping baby explore and become comfortable with the world around them. Before you have your baby, you'll want to know the best tummy time positions to start with in the newborn phase and beyond so you can set your baby up for success. The good news is that our Baby 101: The Parenting Prerequisite course covers all of this and more, including tummy time demonstrations wit

 There’s no other way to say it: the U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis. We are the only developed country with a consistently rising maternal mortality rate, and families of color are suffering disproportionately. In fact, pregnant people of color are 3-4 times more likely to die from complications during pregnancy, birth & postpartum than their white counterparts.

Newborn babies. Caring for such a little body can feel so intimidating at first, and for many parents, umbilical cord care in particular can come with its own set of anxieties. And we get it. It’s not exactly something you have to deal with every day. But good news is, this strange looking little stump is a short-lived part of babyhood and will soon becom

Does it seem like your baby might be ready to have their first taste of solid food? Congrats! That first feed is such a fun milestone for both parent and child. Along with breaking out the camera, we asked our pediatric nutritionist, Vanessa, for a few pro tips to help get you prepared. Here are her top suggestions, five easy ways to ensure you are both set up for success and that you are helping baby establish a healthy relationship with food, right from the start. 

There’s generally one aspect to starting solids that makes a parent’s heart beat just a little faster… allergens. After all, no parent wants to feel like they are putting their child in life-threatening danger, and especially not with the food they’re putting on their plate. But introducing allergens is a crucial part of the solids process, and you can take some of the anxiety away by knowing you are introducing each allergen as safely as possible.

Spring is on the horizon, and with it comes daylight saving time—we’ll move our clocks forward an hour. The mornings will be brighter, and the evenings will stay lighter longer, giving us an extra hour to enjoy longer days. But for parents, the prospect of another sleep schedule disruption can be daunting. Rest assured, here are some simple strategies you can use to prepare your family for the time change.  For some children, especially babies, the jump of a full hour can be too much at bedtime during the time change. One option to prepare your child is to gradually adjust their schedule leading up to the time change to train their internal clock. This meth

Baby sign language can be a fun and effective way to communicate with babies before they learn to speak verbally. When should you start and which signs should you teach first? Let’s review the fundamentals of baby sign language, then learn eleven signs that you can use to introduce baby sign language to your family.Baby sign language basics

By Liz Moorhead I’m breastfeeding. Is it safe for me to get the COVID-19 vaccine?While there is no definitive answer just yet, the consensus is that yes, it most likely is safe for a breastfeeding parent to get the COVID-19 vaccine. No one can say with 100% certainty because breastfeeding parents and nursing infants were not included in the first round of clinical trials. We can, however, use what we know about vaccines in general, the two approved mRNA coronavirus vaccines, and the recommendations of your specific provider to make educated assumptions. Though we haven’t studied the effects of the

If you’re pregnant, you’re probably wondering how COVID-19 impacts you and your baby. With so much information online, in the world, and in the media about COVID-19, it can be confusing and hard to trust a single “source of truth.”  At Tinyhood, our goal is to provide you with current, factual information to help keep you safe and help you make the best decisions for you and your family.  

Baby sign is a powerful technique that parents can use to communicate and bond with their baby before the baby learns to talk. Introducing baby sign is simple, and it’s not just for babies. Even toddlers who have already begun to use spoken words can benefit from signing. As a speech language pathologist, I’ve seen countless families use baby sign to build trust and two-way communication with their little ones. Here’s what you need to know to get started.

1. Wait, what’s going on? Maybe you’ve seen some articles with intense headlines regarding toxic baby food. In November, Congress investigated claims of high levels of heavy metals in baby foods and released a report last week. It included some scary findings about the levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead andmercury in processed baby foods sold by certain brands.  

Having a baby is an enormous event, involving so much preparation. Your body has been changing for nine months. You've been mentally preparing, perhaps with classes or reading. You've likely begun to arrange the baby's space and clothes and toys. But, how can you prepare for the emotional weight of this huge experience?Welcoming a baby is exciting, but with

On the list of slightly nerve-wracking and unglamorous things about giving birth, vaginal tearing is right up there. Given those chances, it’s important to understand what to expect and how to heal — as always, knowledge is power.What are vaginal tears and why do they occur?Vaginal tears are exactly what they sound like: a tear i

What exactly is a cesarean section, why are they performed, what should you expect, and what is recovery like? Cesarean births are common, safe, and nothing to be afraid of. While most expectant parents plan on a vaginal birth, about 32% of birthing parents in the U.S. give birth via cesarean section. Let’s dive into all things cesarean. Wha

When you’re pregnant, it’s natural to be nervous about labor pain. It’s a big unknown of the birth experience — What will it feel like? How intense will the pain be? How will I react? — and often features prominently in friends’ and family members’ birth stories. But here’s the thing: everybody and every birth are different. While you can’t know exactly how yours will respond, we can assure you that our bodies were made to do this. Successful pain management starts with minimizing fear. Fear breeds tension, which increases pain, which causes more fear, operating in a negative cycle that can make birthing more challengin

Throughout your pregnancy, your baby will move around in your uterus. And, as your due date approaches, your baby will start to move into position for birth. Their positioning as you go into labor can be more or less favorable for a vaginal birth, which will dictate fewer or more potential complications. There are three possible positions that your baby can be in: Vertex, Breech, and Transverse — each with different variations. Ideally, when you go into the labor your baby will be in the Vertex position, meaning head down. If your baby ends up being in one of the two positions, your healthcare providers will take special considerations and action to either help move

By Mairead Kelly It’s natural to focus on your baby during pregnancy—for first-time parents especially, there’s so much to prepare for and learn before they arrive. But rarely, in between bulk-buying diapers, forming your birth preferences, and building your labor support team (to doula or not to doula?), do we stop and think about the recovery period after birth. 

When it comes to your baby, it's a seemingly endless list of choices to make. You know which baby names you like, you've picked out everything from wipes and onesies to a crib and car seat for your registry, and likely even taken classes to prep for when baby arrives. Chances are, you've also spent some time picturing moments of your labor and birth. The truth

By Alena Bowen2020 is officially behind us — hooray! — but unfortunately, COVID-19 is not. If you’re currently expecting, it’s important to understand how your provider and birth place will keep you and baby safe during your pregnancy, labor, and birth.Ask these 11 questions to get a clear understanding of how your provider’s and birth place’s particular protocols and policies will impact your birth experience.

It’s common for first-time parents to spend months leading up to the day baby arrives juggling a million to-dos. From choosing a pediatrician to staging a picture-perfect nursery nook and building your maternity wardrobe from nursing bra up, it's no secret that there are lots to tackle when preparing for your baby's grand entrance into the world. Tha

Kick counts: in your pre-pregnancy days, this phrase may have sounded more like something from the latest fitness trend than a way to stay in tune with your baby. Counting kicks, however, can be an important part of your pregnancy that keeps tabs on baby’s well-being while also building a connection with your little one.

“Is my baby’s bath too hot?” “Could my baby suffocate in this baby carrier?"We get it! Even the everyday moments with a newborn baby can get you seriously second-guessing your baby’s safety. So, we asked some actual experts — from certified sleep coaches to registered nurses — to give you some everyday, basic infant safety pro tips.  Psst: All of these safety tips along with many more tips and hacks are covered in our Baby 101 course. Our expe

One of the most common questions we hear from breastfeeding parents is, “Why can’t I get a good latch?!” Many common feeding challenges, including nipple pain, can be resolved from ensuring a good latch. We asked our certified lactation expert Dana, to talk about what makes a good latch and how to troubleshoot if you think your baby is having

As baby’s first Thanksgiving rolls around, you are probably excited to include your newest family member in all the holiday festivities. And what does Thanksgiving involve? Lots and lots of eating! For those families still getting the hang of solids, we asked our expert Pediatric Nutritionist to give you some tips for how to safely include your baby in the Thanksgiving feast.Before we jump into what foods to serve and some ways to serve them, let’s cover a few solid food basics.