If you’re struggling with breastfeeding — whether your baby is having a hard time latching or you’re dealing with soreness and pain — you may wonder if nipple shields could help.| What to Expect
While premature babies often need state-of-the-art medical care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), there’s one special, simple service that only parents and caregivers can provide: kangaroo care, or skin-to-skin contact. This well-studied method of closely snuggling newborns offers multiple benefits to both premature and full-term infants — and it’s free!| What to Expect
Most new parents devote a lot of attention to the sleep their babies get, always hoping (fingers crossed!) that each overnight stretch gets a little longer. Of course, your little one will eventually get a full night of shut-eye, but newborn and baby sleep generally falls within a range and varies by age. And while it’s tempting to compare your babe with your friend’s, know that your cutie's sleep schedule is unique to her, just like her adorable nose. Trusted SourceNational Institutes o...| What to Expect
Preemie babies are born weeks and sometimes months ahead of their actual due dates, often before their nervous systems and little bodies have fully developed. As a result, they can fall behind full-term babies for a while after they arrive. That doesn’t mean that premature babies won’t develop into perfectly normal and healthy kids, but it does mean that their timelines can be a little different.| What to Expect
If you’re faced with the possibility of giving birth very early, you’re likely filled with questions and concerns about fetal viability.| What to Expect
First, the good news: Advances in medical care mean the outcomes for preterm babies have improved in recent decades, and even the smallest of premature babies have a greater chance of surviving and living healthy lives.| What to Expect
No one plans on having their newborn spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but roughly 78 out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. each year stay in these specialized nurseries. Most of them are premature babies, as 1 in 10 newborns are born before 37 weeks in the U.S. So it’s worth learning about the place all preemies visit upon arrival. Here’s a quick guide to what you can expect while your baby is there. | What to Expect
Every time your doctor measures your fundal height (the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus) beginning halfway through your pregnancy, they are estimating your baby’s size and weight.| What to Expect
Tired of explaining your preemie daughter’s size and age to passersby? Indeed, premature infants are smaller in terms of length and weight, but they do put on the ounces and pounds, just like their full-term peers. And keep in mind that the differences between on-time and premature babies are most pronounced in the first year, with the gaps generally closing by age 2 or 2 1/2.| What to Expect
As you watch your little one snooze (or listen in closely on the baby monitor), it’s easy to worry about every whine, whistle or wheeze you hear, and wonder whether or not it’s normal newborn breathing. Chances are, it is. Newborn breathing sounds very different than it does in older children. | What to Expect
If your newborn's beautiful skin has started turning a bit yellow, it could be jaundice. But your baby is in good company: Many infants experience this usually benign condition shortly after birth. Here are the basics on jaundice in newborn babies.| What to Expect
You bring your newborn home, and for weeks you marvel at your baby who does little more than sleep, eat, pee and cry.| What to Expect
Every new parent rejoices when their baby logs an unexpectedly long nap or block of nighttime sleep. (More rest for you, hooray!) Still, the additional snooze time might also leave you wondering or even worrying: Can a baby sleep too much?| What to Expect
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is such a common virus that nearly all adults and young children are affected by it sooner or later.| What to Expect
If you're worried that your baby might suddenly stop breathing during the night, know that the chances of a child succumbing to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) — which is defined as the sudden and unexplained death of an apparently healthy infant — are very, very small.| What to Expect
Babies are pretty darn smart right from the start. Healthy babies are born with basic motor responses, known as newborn reflexes, that help them survive and thrive in their brand new environment.| What to Expect
