A First-Time Mom Shares the Truth About Life After Baby by  SACHA STREBE Becoming a mom for the first time is a dramatic shift in any woman’s life, bringing with it a whole host of new and often overwhelming emotions. First, it’s not just you anymore: There’s an entirely new tiny human being to care for, who requires devoted one-on-one attention and love. Second, your body is fraught with some pretty crazy hormonal changes, which can impact how you think and feel about everything—and you start crying all the time, even when you’re really happy. Despite the awe and sheer delight that this new bundle brings into your life, being a first-time mom is hard. New mom and digital influencer Chriselle Lim of  The Chriselle Factor  says having a baby is “possibly the hardest and most exhaustive thing” she’s ever experienced, while also being the most rewarding. We tapped Chriselle to share her motherhood confessions; read on for her thou...

As many as 1 in 5 moms deal with perinatal mood disorders. But stigma stops many from seeking help. By   STATESIDE STAFF The birth of a new baby is an exciting time. Family and friends come over to fawn over the new baby. They bring gifts and take turns holding the new addition. But what happens when a mother doesn't feel that same joy—when she feels disconnected from all the excitement around her? That can be a deeply isolating feeling, but it's far from uncommon. Experts estimate that as many as 1 in 5 women experience mood disorders like depression and anxiety during pregnancy and after giving birth. These feelings in the weeks and months after giving birth were once labeled the "baby blues."  But  Dr. Maria Muzik  says there is an important distinction between the "baby blues" and actual perinatal mood disorders.   "So what is the baby blues? It’s very common. It’s almost a normative experience of women after the birth," she exp...

‘It’s NOT postpartum depression. You aren’t suicidal.’ She said to buy essential oils. I feared the worst.:’ Mom’s postpartum depression dismissed for years, ‘I finally have the right people behind me’ by Yasmin Regan “You just have the baby blues.’ That’s what I was told when I hysterically called my OB’s office at 2 weeks postpartum. I had summoned up the courage to finally call and ask for help and I got pushed aside and put in the same basket as everyone else. I called through tears and said, ‘I think I have postpartum depression,’ which is hard enough to admit. The receptionist transferred my phone call to the intake nurse where she proceeded to ask a bunch of standard questions to ascertain if I was a risk to myself or others. I distinctly remember her asking, ‘Are you having thoughts of harming myself or others?’ Too ashamed to admit I actually was having thoughts of harming myself, I quietly said no. She then proceeded to tell me, ‘It is NOT postpartum depre...

Music Therapy In NICUs Can Help Babies Get Home Sooner By   STEPHANIE COLOMBINI   Research shows that music therapy in neonatal intensive care units helps infants get released from the hospital early. Experts in Florida helped pioneer the practice, and now it's expanding. For centuries, lullabies have helped soothe babies to sleep. But it's only in the last couple decades that research showed, for premature babies, these slow, simple tunes could be life-changing. Rich Moats, who manages the music therapy program at  AdventHealth Orlando , said babies in the neonatal intensive care unit are unique patients. Read the full article here . 

A Guy's Labor and Delivery Survival Guide A veteran dad shares the secrets to surviving the  birth  of your child. By  Ben Brashares The soon-to-be mother of your child is in pain. She's sweating, moaning, squeezing your hand harder than you can believe possible. You're doing your best -- telling her that she's doing great, that you're proud of her -- but it's not working. She's still miserable. And to make matters worse, she's not being very nice to you. No "please"s, no "thank you"s. At times it almost seems like she's mad at you. For what? You're trying! If there's one road not to go down while helping your partner through  labor , the sensitive, insecure one would be it. For 12 hours (or however long it takes), it will be all about her. You will feel unwanted. You need to be there but you don't matter. She pushes; you suck it up. That's how it goes. That's probably the clearest it gets ...

Your Ultimate Dad-to-Be Cheat Sheet You’re going to be a dad—congratulations! These tips, tricks, and guidelines will help you face first-time fatherhood.  By  Ken Gordon  Fatherhood: It's not rocket science, but it’s also not the simplest thing in the world. Get ahead of the game by reading these frequently-asked-questions from dads-to-be— then show off your newfound fatherhood skills when your little one arrives in the world.  Learning how to be a dad  has never been so easy! How Do I Prepare for Labor and Delivery? Even though your partner is actually delivering the baby, it's normal for dads-to-be to feel anxious about the ordeal. Deborah Krahl, M.D., of The Mother Baby Center, has a few pieces of advice: take a class offered through the hospital or your doctor's office, schedule a free tour of the labor and delivery area, read about the stages of labor, and  learn pain-relief measures  for the mother-to-be. "The more familia...

The Pre-Dad Checklist: 15 Things Fathers Need To Do Before a Baby Arrives Many pre-baby tasks will be taken care of thanks to friends and family. But some tasks aren’t as apparent and require some special time and thought. By  Patrick A. Coleman Preparing for a  baby  is a difficult task for soon-to-be parents. Despite baby book checklists and advice from friends with kids, no new  parent  every truly feels “ready.” To simplify the process, it helps if expecting couples look at preparing for the arrival of a child as an attempt to prepare for all contingencies. It’s also important to know that those contingencies are not just related to the kid, but are also to connected to parental time management,  potential friend visits , as well as self and relationship care. The fact is that not all of the prep work is self-evident. And much of it isn’t even covered in the baby books. What follows are 15 “must-dos” before the baby arrives — a list t...