Real-Life Guides for Pregnancy, Babies, Toddlers & Travel

Before I had my first baby, I had every intention of breastfeeding. I had the nursing pillow, nursing bras, pumps, nipple balm, cooling pads—all of it. But one of the best pieces of advice my doula gave me had nothing to do with breastfeeding: bring the bottles and formula I wanted to use to the hospital, just in case. I am so glad I listened. My son latched right away, so initially I thought everything was going well. But he was extremely fussy, and I felt like I was feeding

Wondering what you actually need before bringing your baby home? After two babies, these are the newborn essentials I’d buy for the first three months and the popular baby products I’d skip.

If you’re flying with a baby and staring at the growing pile of bags by your front door, you may be wondering: Does a diaper bag count as a carry-on? The frustrating answer is that it depends on the airline. Some airlines allow you to bring a diaper bag in addition to your regular carry-on and personal item, while others count it toward your standard baggage allowance, particularly when you’re traveling with a lap infant. I’ve flown more than 20 times with my kids on most of

Flying with a baby can make you feel like you need to pack your entire house. You don’t. After flying with my kids more than 20 times, I’ve learned that the best travel gear for flying with a baby isn’t necessarily the stuff marketed as a “must-have.” It’s the gear that makes the airport easier, keeps your hands free, helps your baby sleep, and prevents you from hauling way more stuff than you actually need. It’s the gear that makes the airport easier, keeps your hands free,

I’m a big believer that you need less baby gear than the internet makes you think you do. There are so many products marketed as “must-haves” when, realistically, you can get through the baby stage without most of them. That said, there are a few expensive baby products that I think are genuinely worth the money. After two kids, my definition of “worth it” is pretty simple: Does it make my life noticeably easier? Do I use it enough that the cost per use makes sense? Can it la