Traveling with babies can be tricky, but it doesn't have to be a major struggle. The key to an easy-going vacation is to make sure you have everything your baby may need. | What to Expect
Once your toddler starts walking, it’s just a matter of time before she’s living life in the fast lane. It all happens in the blink of an eye — soon after those first steps, she’s just a hop, skip and jump away from running, jumping, climbing and more. | What to Expect
A thin, clear or white vaginal discharge (known in the obstetrics business as leukorrhea) is a normal part of having female parts. Healthy discharge comes in a variety of colors, though changes are usually signs something’s going on inside.| What to Expect
As adorable as they are, just-born babies do many odd things — at least from a new parent’s perspective. But all those strange twitches are signs that your baby’s nervous system is developing just as it should be.| What to Expect
You've likely seen headlines about measles outbreaks across the United States and around the world — even after health experts declared the disease "eliminated" in the U.S. decades ago. | What to Expect
Let’s face it, when it comes to breastfeeding, new moms can experience a variety of frustrating challenges, from struggles to master a proper latch to clogged ducts to painful mastitis. One condition that can make breastfeeding especially difficult is having hypoplastic breasts.| What to Expect
Strep throat in toddlers and babies isn’t all that common. But it’s still possible for your little one to contract the infection, and if she does, it’s important for her to see her pediatrician.| What to Expect
One second your child is laughing and playing; the next, they’re gasping for breath. Choking is every parent’s nightmare, and for good reason: It’s the fourth leading cause of accidental death in children under the age of 5. And sadly, it can happen in an instant. | What to Expect
Even if you love its flavor or believe in its purported health benefits, honey isn’t a safe choice for your honey before she hits toddlerhood. And after that, it’s a sweet still best served in very small quantities.| What to Expect
As exciting as it is to introduce new foods when you start solids with your baby, there are a few things that should stay off the menu for the first year. Some foods pose a choking hazard to young eaters, while others are not well suited for babies.| What to Expect
Once your little one discovers he can get food into his mouth, it's likely time to break out the Cheerios and other tasty bite-sized finger foods. Get ideas on what to feed your adorable eater with this go-to guide.| What to Expect
Now that your child has turned 1 — hooray! — he’s ready to make the big switch from formula or breast milk (if you choose to stop breastfeeding) to cow’s milk. But with so many different milks — and milk alternatives — on the market, the big question is, what kind should you choose?| What to Expect
After months of reclining and tummy time, your baby might be ready for a change of scenery, and he’ll need to accomplish a new movement milestone to do so: sitting up. | What to Expect
If your baby is ready to graduate from spoon-feeding — or you're trying a baby-led weaning approach — it’s time to introduce a new utensil to the high chair: baby’s fingers.| What to Expect
Has your child's pediatrician said it's nearly time to start your sweetie on solids? You may imagine mounds of mushy rice cereal and puréed peas, plus lots of coaxing baby to open that tiny mouth.| What to Expect
They make it look so easy, those breastfeeding moms you’ve seen. Without skipping a beat of conversation or a bite of lunch, they open a button and latch on a baby, as if breastfeeding were the most natural process in the world. But while the source may be natural, nursing know-how — especially for newbie moms and their babies — often doesn’t come naturally at all at first.| What to Expect
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Transitioning to solid foods is one of the most exciting milestones during baby’s first year. But getting your little one accustomed to eating with a size-appropriate spoon is an equally important milestone.| What to Expect
During pregnancy, your body undergoes some incredible changes to accommodate your growing baby. One of them is the expansion of the muscles in your abdomen: As your pregnancy progresses, the right and left sides of the rectus abdominis muscle separate while your linea alba (the tissue between that set of muscles) stretches to make room for baby.| What to Expect
There's one thing you can expect at every well-child visit: Your baby will be weighed and measured. The pediatrician will then plot those measurements on an infant growth chart to help keep tabs on how your little one is growing, both over time and compared to national averages. | 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
Are you worried your baby might have a lip-tie? Severe lip-ties have gained more awareness in recent years because of their potential link to breastfeeding problems. | What to Expect
Are your baby's bowel movements frequent? Rare? Loose? Firm? Yellow, brown or multi-hued?| What to Expect
If you're planning on breastfeeding, it's normal to be unsure what to expect when it comes to actually nursing your newborn for the first time. Some new moms don’t realize that while they can start breastfeeding their child right away, it takes a few days for their milk to fully "come in."| What to Expect
The fact that your breast milk changes throughout a feeding to give your baby exactly what he needs is pretty amazing. But it can also be a source of anxiety if you're worried that the milk's nutritional composition somehow isn't right.| What to Expect
For the most part, bottle-feeding is pretty straightforward: Once you’ve selected the bottle you want to use and filled it up, you just need to find a comfy seat and offer it to your baby. But before you get to this sit-and-feed moment, the formula must be chosen, bought, sometimes prepared and often stored — which means you'll need a bit of know-how before you mix up that very first baby bottle.| What to Expect
Just when you’re getting the hang of a somewhat reasonable feeding schedule for your baby, your little one can sometimes suddenly change course. He may start eating more frequently and still acts like he’s ravenous when he's done.| What to Expect
A pacifier can seem like magic: It’s easy, quick and for many babies it turns on the comfort and turns off the tears.| What to Expect
In addition to all the fun stuff that goes along with being a mom-to-be, like picking out a name and the perfect paint color for baby's nursery, make sure you’ve set up a prenatal appointment schedule. Regular visits to an OB/GYN, midwife or family doctor trained in obstetrics ensure that everything is as expected and they can help spot any health issues early on, when complications are easier to treat.| What to Expect
The first test most babies are given — and which most pass with good scores — is the Apgar test. Here’s what you need to know about your baby's Apgar test and scores.| What to Expect
The first hours after delivery are busy ones for your baby, involving a host of newborn screenings to make sure he’s healthy and thriving. One of the standard procedures you can expect is a vitamin K shot — a safe and effective method to prevent a very serious bleeding condition that can occur in young children.| What to Expect
The hepatitis B vaccine is one of the very first vaccines your baby will get before she leaves the hospital. This vaccine protects her from a dangerous (but preventable!) liver infection and is given in multiple doses.| What to Expect
As a part of your baby’s first health screening, a doctor or nurse takes just a tiny drop of blood from her heel — but it’s packed with important information.| What to Expect
You might have dreamed of gazing into your newborn’s sweet peepers while getting to know each other in the hospital. Instead, you’re looking into goopy, slightly puffy eyes. What’s the deal? Well, the goo comes from a special eye ointment that protects your baby’s eyesight. | What to Expect
It’s normal to think that a diagnosis of congenital heart disease means a child will spend much of their life on the sidelines. But if detected early, most heart defects are treatable and won’t stop a child from living an active life. | What to Expect
It might be hard to believe when you’re being jabbed from the inside by a pointy elbow or when a little bottom is pushing on your bladder, but your baby’s bones don’t grow in fully developed. They are very much formed by what both of you eat over the months (and years!). | What to Expect
Your baby’s sweet noggin is undoubtedly cute, but it can also — perhaps surprisingly — clue you in to one aspect of your baby’s health. All it takes is a quick check of the top of your baby’s head.| What to Expect
Does your newborn look more like an alien than a baby? Most babies aren’t born perfectly photogenic — especially if they’re delivered vaginally.| What to Expect
Your baby has reached month 3, the beginning of what some seasoned parents may describe as the enchanted stage.| What to Expect
"My newborn seems so fragile — that wobbly head and neck, those tiny little arms and legs — I'm afraid I'm going to break something every time I dress him or pick him up. How do I make sure I won't hurt him?"| What to Expect
Chances are that at birth (and for a few weeks after), your beloved baby’s head won’t look like the charming cue ball you’d imagined. In fact, it may be downright pointy or mysteriously misshapen. Or it may sport a soft spot that pulses with every heartbeat. (All this and you’ll still think he’s adorable.) | What to Expect
Your little one came into the world accustomed to background sounds. If you're wondering why, remember that the womb can be a noisy place. While it provides a fair amount of padding, your baby in utero was surrounded by ambient sounds — like the beating of your heart and the air moving through your lungs — for nine months.| What to Expect
Swaddling is a smart strategy for helping your newborn sleep more soundly. Tucking her in a snug wrap can make her feel safe and secure as she adjusts to life outside the womb, keep her cozy and warm as her internal thermostat ramps up, and prevent her from flailing her arms and legs and triggering the startle reflex. | What to Expect
When your baby rolls over for the first time, it usually comes as a surprise for both your little one and her parents. But rolling from tummy to back may soon turn into one of your little one's favorite tricks.| What to Expect
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Your newborn may look pretty helpless, but she actually is born with ways to get what she needs to thrive — mainly food and comfort. That’s where the rooting reflex comes in. It’s nature’s way of giving your baby the moves to locate your breast and start nursing.| What to Expect
You wouldn’t be the first proud parent to believe that your baby knows just what she’s doing when she grasps your finger in her tiny hand. In fact, this gesture actually is one of several reflexes that babies are born with — but that shouldn’t make it any less remarkable (or adorable). | What to Expect
All babies come into this world with a set of reflexes to ensure that they survive and thrive. Sometimes it might be tough to figure out the point of some of these reflexes (the fencing reflex, for starters).| What to Expect
In the rush of excitement at meeting your newborn (and the flurry of activity in those first hours post-delivery), you might not realize your little one gets his very first well-baby checkup, including a physical exam, while you’re still in the hospital — either from your chosen pediatrician or a staff pediatrician.| What to Expect
Being a new parent is already a lot to handle, but when a baby is born early, the job comes with its own set of special issues. But thankfully, due to a myriad of medical advances, even some of the tiniest premature babies born after 28 weeks have a good chance of surviving— and thriving. | What to Expect
The first time your baby visited the hospital nursery, she probably came back wrapped in a neat little package with only her head poking out. That's because nurses know one of the secrets to a happy, calm baby: swaddling.| What to Expect
Halo SleepSack Swaddles are a popular pick among What to Expect parents and editors alike. “I like hybrid swaddle sleep sacks because they are easy to Velcro and secure your baby,” says Dr. Resnick.| What to Expect
By your child’s third birthday, all 20 of her baby teeth (also called her primary teeth or milk teeth) should be up and in business. But within a few short years, her permanent teeth will start rearing their little white heads and gradually push out the primary teeth, eventually causing them to fall out one by one. Trusted SourceAmerican Dental Association (ADA)Eruption ChartsSee All Sources [1]| What to Expect
Since the COVID-19 vaccine has been available for babies, toddlers, and young children, many parents have opted to vaccinate their little ones each year, like they would with the flu shot. Others, however, have held off, citing concerns about the shots' safety.| What to Expect
You wait, you peek, you might even poke. You get through some fitful nights with your unusually fussy baby ... and ta-da! That first teeny-tiny baby tooth appears. But once those little pearly whites start popping up, then what? | What to Expect
Maybe your baby’s drooling a little (or a lot), or maybe he’s a bit more irritable than usual. While your little one likely doesn’t understand why he has an itchy chin or an achy mouth, you may be able to assume that baby teeth are on their way. | What to Expect
Even if you were a seasoned traveler pre-parenthood, flying with a baby or toddler can be intimidating. Procedures that were once straightforward — like buying a ticket and having the right documentation — might now seem a little perplexing. | What to Expect
Buckle up! You're about to embark on a car trip with a toddler, which means you're in for the ride of your life.| What to Expect
Despite what your mother used to tell you when you were a kid, snacks don’t have to spoil your appetite. In fact, when it comes to toddlers, healthy snacks should be a staple of their diet.| What to Expect
When it’s time to go to sleep at night, you probably don’t just hop into bed in the clothes you wore all day and turn out the light. Whether you realize it or not, you follow a routine — brush your teeth, wash your face, change into pajamas and maybe read for a little while before lights out. Like you, your baby can benefit from a consistent and predictable bedtime routine.| What to Expect
Your baby’s skin is smooth and soft, and smells addictively delicious. But it’s also pretty sensitive, so at some point or another, he might get exposed to an irritant that triggers hives.| What to Expect
Many a new mom dealing with a fussy newborn (and truthfully, what newborn isn’t fussy?), has suspected that her suffering sweetheart must have a cow's milk allergy or intolerance, especially when well-intentioned friends and relatives are also blaming milk.| What to Expect
Does your baby have patches of dry, flaky, rashy skin? There's a good chance it's infant eczema.| What to Expect
Whether it’s a dry cough or a phlegmy one, a wheezy cough or a barking one, no cough sounds good to a parent’s ear. | What to Expect
Dr. Kelman says she generally prefers that parents transition from a bottle directly to an open cup, but if you do go the sippy cup route, she suggests a spoutless model. “Although there have been some concerns regarding positioning of the tongue with [spoutless] cups, they aren’t as damaging to the teeth as traditional sippy cups,” she explains.| What to Expect
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If your baby or toddler is sick with another cold or virus and needs more than the usual cuddles, fluids and rest, medication may be in order. But before you head to the drugstore, you'll want to make sure you're getting medicine that's safe for your little one and know the right doses to dole out.| What to Expect
There’s nothing scarier for a parent than seeing your child gasp for breath. It’s normal to worry and even panic, so learning how to handle this situation ahead of time is key.| What to Expect
As much as you might want to have eyes on the back of your head, it's just not possible to watch your curious, adventurous toddler every second of the day, and there will be times when your tot takes advantage. At this age, they are testing their limits and exploring all kinds of places — including their noses! | What to Expect
If your tot never seems to stop sniffling and coughing, you're not alone: Many healthy children catch between eight and 10 colds or other viral infections in the first two years of life, and their symptoms can last for up to 10 days or longer, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).| What to Expect
By now we're all pros at handwashing — or ought to be with all the germs from COVID-19, flu, colds and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) flying around. But while you might know the handwashing steps for scrubbing your mitts, getting a wiggly baby, toddler or even preschooler to clean their hands regularly is a different story. And yet it's one of the best ways for keeping the whole family healthy.| What to Expect
If you have a baby or are about to have a baby, it’s understandable if you're concerned about how COVID-19 could affect your little one.| What to Expect
By now, you’ve probably realized that newborns do more than just coo and gurgle. They’re also capable of making plenty of other odd noises. They hiccup often, burp loudly (make that very loudly) and yes, even sneeze frequently.| What to Expect
It’s tricky for anyone to have to quarantine during the pandemic, but it’s infinitely more so if it’s with a baby or toddler. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines may seem straightforward enough for an adult, how do you isolate from a wee one who needs to be fed, changed, put to bed and cuddled?| What to Expect
Dealing with COVID-19 concerns has been a way of life for families for almost two years. But with the rapid rise of the highly infectious Omicron variant and other subvariants — particularly in kids — it’s understandable to have new questions and concerns about what to do if your baby or child develops symptoms of the virus. After all, can babies even be tested for COVID? | What to Expect
Spitting is par for the course in babies as new parents well know. If your baby is spitting up, it’s usually nothing to worry about.| What to Expect
It's heartbreaking to see your baby sniffling, stuffy, coughing and miserable when she has a cold. But those over-the-counter cough and cold medicines that can be helpful at relieving your symptoms are not only ineffective for your little one, they might also be quite harmful to her.| 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
Children's flu (short for "influenza") is the same virus as the grown-up variety, but the flu doesn't affect babies and toddlers in the same way as it does adults.| What to Expect
Because infants and toddlers can’t blow their own noses, caregivers need to take matters into their own hands (and sometimes mouth) to help baby breathe easier. Using a baby nasal aspirator will allow you to clear all that mucus out of your little one’s nose — and it’s an item you’ll want to have in your medicine cabinet at all times, just in case.| What to Expect
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With a new baby, a pacifier can work wonders — quieting tears and inducing calm almost instantaneously. But now that your little one is walking and talking, you may start to wonder whether it's time to ditch the binky. Get up to speed on the age-appropriate benefits of pacifiers, when to start pacifier weaning and how to make this toddler transition go as smoothly as possible. | What to Expect
You know the signs all too well: the cranky mood, the cold symptoms (runny nose and low-grade fever), the tugging on the ear, the loss of appetite and the difficulty sleeping. Yup, now that your child is a toddler, you've probably seen an ear infection or two (at least), and you can spot one from a mile away. | What to Expect
If your toddler has experienced ear tugging, a low-grade fever and crankiness for days, you know that few things are worse at this age than an ear infection. But when these painful episodes become more frequent or even chronic, it’s time to speak with the doctor about treatment such as ear tube surgery. | What to Expect
The shots on your child's vaccine schedule all play an important role in protecting your little one from preventable illnesses. One of them — pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) — targets a common and sometimes serious type of bacterial infection. | 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
Yesterday your baby was nursing peacefully. Today he's rejecting the breast. What should you do?| What to Expect
Your child has a fever, swollen glands and glazed eyes. You rush him to the pediatrician, eager for medication that will help him feel better. Whether or not your doctor prescribes antibiotics will depend on the bug that’s making your little one sick.| What to Expect
A runny nose or mild cough probably doesn't worry you much — as a parent, minor cold symptoms can be common. But a sick baby or toddler with a fever will probably kick your concern up by at least a few notches.| What to Expect
Your little one’s eyes are red and watery. Is pink eye to blame? It could be, since pink eye is one of the most common eye infections in American kids and adults, with around 3 million cases diagnosed every year.| What to Expect
Choking happens when an object gets inhaled and then stuck in a person’s airway. Babies and small children are particularly at risk of choking because of their small throats and tracheas, making it easy for things to get stuck.| What to Expect
Introducing solid foods is one of the most exciting (if messy) milestones of your baby's first year. Think of all the tastes and textures that await your little one — from savory cheese and scrambled egg to juicy mango and creamy avocado. There's a whole world of flavors to discover and explore, and starting solids is the first step.| What to Expect
My, how time flies! Your toddler may always be your baby, but, well … she’s not really a baby anymore now that she’s turning 2 years old. Intellectually, that little brain is bursting with activity, arranging dogs and cats into the animal category, pants and shirts into the clothing category. | What to Expect
Wondering when babies start sleeping through the night and whether your little one will be a "good sleeper"? The answer mostly depends on your baby's age and stage, and whether or not he's learned to self-soothe.| What to Expect
If there's one way in which parents want their babies to be average, it might be when it comes to weight. Too low and parents fret that their little ones are, well, too little or perhaps ill; too high and they start to worry about other health problems.| What to Expect
Though most babies are born healthy and stay that way, a very small percentage are apparently healthy at birth and then get sick because of a metabolic disorder — which can be potentially life-threatening if left undetected and untreated.| What to Expect
If the soft spot on top of your baby’s head makes you a bit nervous — especially if you’ve noticed it pulsing or occasionally bulging out a bit — you're not alone. | What to Expect
Itching and scratching and red patches, oh my. At some point or another, your baby or toddler will likely get hit with an uncomfortable rash. Most of the time, rashes are no big deal and go away on their own, or with a little help from at-home care or a doctor-prescribed medication.| What to Expect
They say timing is everything, and that's definitely the case when it comes to childhood vaccines. They're most effective when they're given at the right time — and lots of careful consideration goes into deciding when exactly that is. Trusted SourceAmerican Academy of PediatricsImmunizationsSee All Sources [1]| What to Expect
