Magazine

An exhausted mom holding a coffee mug next to a spilled sippy cup of apple juice

When Can Babies Have Juice: The 3 AM Apple Juice Disaster

It was 2:14 AM on a random Tuesday, and I was sitting cross-legged on the cold linoleum of my kitchen floor staring blindly at the humming refrigerator. I was wearing a maternity tank top that I'm pretty sure had three-day-old...

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A blurry black and white baby monitor screenshot showing a baby asleep

The 3 AM Monitor Panic: Surviving The Stomach Sleeping Phase

The glowing screen of the baby monitor was blinding in the pitch-black bedroom, and my heart was hammering against my ribs at roughly 140 beats per minute. It was 3:14 AM. The temperature in the nursery was exactly 69.4 degrees,...

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Portland dad looking at a baby immunization schedule on a smartphone

When Do Babies Get Measles Vaccine? A Portland Dad's Guide

I was sitting in Dr. Lin's examination room with a color-coded spreadsheet printed on actual paper, which should tell you everything about my mental state at the time. My daughter was six months old, we were exactly three weeks out...

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Baby staring intently at a bright red toy on a playmat

When Do Babies Start Seeing Color? A Letter to Past Me

Dear Jess from six months ago, You're currently sitting in the rocking chair at 2 AM, running on three hours of sleep and a cold cup of coffee, frantically waving a muted sage-green wooden toy in front of your new...

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A stained baby tee covered in drool and tiny silicone finger toothbrush

The Ugly Truth About Figuring Out Early Infant Tooth Brushing

Dear Sarah from exactly six months ago: Put down your lukewarm half-caf oat milk flat white, stop scrolling through Instagram reels of perfectly beige minimalist nurseries, and listen to me. Because right now, you're sitting in the ridiculously brightly colored...

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A tired mom holding her sick baby next to a cool mist humidifier

When to Take a Baby With RSV to the Hospital: A Nurse's Guide

I usually sit in the dark next to the crib at 2 AM, listening to my toddler breathe like a congested pug, and think about all the terrified first-time parents I used to triage. Back when I wore scrubs instead...

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Mother pacing a dark nursery while soothing a crying baby over her shoulder

Why do babies cry: A late-night letter to my exhausted self

It's 3:14 AM and you're standing barefoot on the cold hardwood floor of our Chicago apartment. The radiator is hissing that metallic, rhythmic sound it only makes when the temperature outside drops below zero. Your three-week-old is screaming a jagged,...

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Mom holding a sick baby with a medicine syringe and oral rehydration drink

What I Wish I Knew About Using Pedialyte for Baby Stomach Bugs

It was 2:14 in the morning and I was standing in the middle of the nursery covered in what used to be breastmilk and cherry-flavored fluid, wondering if I needed to call an ambulance or just burn the rug. My...

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A tired mom holding a silicone binky while her infant sleeps in a crib

The Ugly Truth About Raising A Pacifier Baby In A Perfect World

The nurse lactation consultant at the hospital looked at me like I had just suggested feeding my newborn a shot of espresso. It was 3 a.m. on my second night postpartum, I was bleeding through my mesh underwear, and my...

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