Today's Motherhood Pulse
Evergreen Podcasts relaunches ‘Newbies’ for first‑time mothers
Evergreen Podcasts has relaunched *Newbies*, a weekly Thursday podcast aimed at first‑time mothers navigating the first year of parenthood. Hosted by former local reporter Kaile Garcia, the show tackles topics such as post‑birth fitness, colic, and breastfeeding. An exclusive Patreon tier offers ad‑free early access to episodes.
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11 Expert Tips for Getting Pregnant
The article compiles 11 expert‑backed tips to help couples conceive faster, emphasizing ovulation tracking, timing intercourse, and lifestyle tweaks. It highlights the importance of using fertility‑friendly lubricants, maintaining a stress‑free environment, and recognizing when to seek specialist care. Data points include a 90% pregnancy rate within a year and a 49% drop in sperm motility with certain lubes. Overall, the guide blends medical advice with practical, low‑cost habits for those trying to conceive (TTC).
Eggs Pack Hundreds of Thousands of Mitochondria, Powering Life
Your heart cells have about 5,000 to 8,000 mitochondria each. Your muscle cells have about 1,000 to 2,000. Your eggs have over 100,000. Some estimates go as high as 600,000. Nothing else in your body comes close. That should tell you something about...
Sunlight Stops Kids' Eyes From Becoming Myopic
One reason outdoor time matters so much for young children is what it does for their eyes. Bright sunlight releases dopamine in the retina, which prevents the eyeball from becoming elongated. When the eyeball elongates, light focuses in front of the...
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Why Babies Suck and Chew on Their Hands
Babies instinctively suck and chew on their hands as a form of self‑exploration, signaling early fine‑motor and visual‑motor development. The behavior often coincides with teething between four and seven months, but can also indicate hunger, a need for comfort, or...
Pregnant Runners Share Real Experiences: Pros, Cons, Timing
Calling all my pregnant runners 🏃🏽♀️✨ I need a real check-in. If you ran during pregnancy… What did it feel like in your body? Did it help you feel better or did it get harder over time? What trimester was your sweet spot?...
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6 Ways to Tell the Difference Between Gas and Labor Contractions
Pregnant women often confuse early labor contractions with gas pain, but key differences help distinguish them. Labor contractions occur in rhythmic waves, tighten the uterus, and are often accompanied by discharge changes, whereas gas pain is irregular, sharp, and eases...
Ghana Unveils First National Maternal Mental Health Policy (2026‑2037)
Ghana's Health Minister announced the launch of a 12‑year Maternal Mental Health Policy that will embed mental‑health services into prenatal and postnatal care nationwide. Backed by the WHO and UK‑FCDO, the plan targets a country where up to half of...
Aubrey Plaza Reportedly Expecting Her 1st Child with Girls Alum Chris Abbott
Aubrey Plaza has confirmed she is expecting her first child with partner Christopher Abbott, according to a People magazine statement. The couple, who have collaborated on projects such as the film "Black Bear" and an off‑Broadway revival of "Danny and...
Minnesota Daycare Operator Charged with Manslaughter After Infant Suffocation
Janel Kay Dierkhising, 53, was charged with two counts of second‑degree manslaughter and operating an unlicensed daycare after 2½‑month‑old Karson Asfeld suffocated in a pack‑and‑play on Nov. 11. The case underscores growing concerns about safety standards in home‑based child‑care settings.
TJ Raphael: Coercive Adoption, Liberty Lost, and Who Gets to Be a Mother
In this episode, host Zahn Valines talks with investigative journalist TJ Raphael about her award‑winning documentary series *Liberty Lost*, which exposes coercive adoption practices at the Liberty Godparent Home—a maternity home tied to Liberty University and the anti‑abortion network Heartbeat...
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What Your Zodiac Sign Says About Your Parenting Style—And Where You Shine
The article explores how each zodiac sign’s elemental traits influence parenting styles, detailing strengths and blind spots for fire, earth, air, and water signs. It cites astrologers Carmen Turner‑Schott and Jill Brown, who describe fire signs as energetic leaders, earth...
Science-Backed Vaccines Protect Kids and Save Futures
My all time favorite ingredient of vaccines? SCIENCE. Follow the evidence. It is the safest place to be and the best way to protect your kids. Vaccinate your babies. Vaccines save lives and futures.
I'm a Literacy Specialist and a Mom. One Simple Habit Helps Preschoolers Build Reading Skills Long Before Kindergarten.
A former first‑grade teacher and early‑childhood literacy specialist argues that memorizing letters isn’t the primary driver of reading success. Instead, she recommends turning storytime into an interactive conversation by pausing to ask open‑ended questions about the plot, characters, and illustrations....
'The Hormone Crash Is Just Insane': Lorraine Kelly's Daughter on the Postpartum Anxiety Nobody Warned Her About
Rosie Kelly‑Smith, daughter of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, opened up about a severe bout of postpartum anxiety that began the night she brought her 18‑month‑old daughter Billie home. A sudden hormone crash triggered weeks of panic, intrusive thoughts and sleeplessness,...
Babies: Raw, Nuanced, Real – What This BBC Drama Gets Right About Recurrent Miscarriage
The BBC drama "Babies" offers a raw, nuanced portrayal of recurrent miscarriage through the story of Lisa and Stephen, a couple in their thirties grappling with repeated loss. The series slows its pacing to mirror the liminal experience of trying...
Psychologist’s Simple Trick to Reset ADHD Brain Post‑Screen Time
A child psychologist trick: how to detox an ADHD child’s brain after too much screen time
Eat Breakfast Early to Boost Fertility and Ovulation
"I skip breakfast and fast until noon because I heard fasting is good for you." It's not if you want to be fertile. Cortisol is highest in the morning. When you skip breakfast, your body has to lean on cortisol and adrenaline...
Aubrey Plaza and Chris Abbott Are Having a Baby
Aubrey Plaza announced she is expecting her first child with actor Chris Abbott, a relationship that had remained private until the pregnancy news broke. The couple have collaborated on screen in the 2020 film "Black Bear" and off‑Broadway in 2023,...
One Moment Doesn't Define Parenting; Keep Moving Forward
When things start to change, many parents ask: “Where did I go wrong?” But one moment doesn’t define the whole journey. There’s still a way forward. #ParentingWithSusan #PreparationBuildsProtection #ParentingSupport #TeenParenting #FamilyConnection
Addressing the Crisis of Black Maternal Health: A Critical Role for Black Fathers
The United States faces a stark Black maternal health crisis, with mortality rates over 55 per 100,000 live births—more than triple the rate for white women. Over 80% of these deaths are deemed preventable through early intervention, yet systemic racism...
LendingTree Study Shows Average U.S. Child‑rearing Cost Tops $303,000
LendingTree's latest study estimates the average cost of raising a child to age 18 at $303,418 for 2026, up 2% from the prior year. The figure, based on median‑income families, excludes college expenses and underscores mounting budget strain for parents...
Kids' Tears Signal Feelings, Not Power Struggles
Say it with me: When my child cries because I said no, that's them having a feeling, not winning an argument or challenging my authority.
Apologies Aren’t Enough When Behavior Can’t Change
Ideally the best apology is changed behavior. One thing I'm not seeing in the social media space is nuance around behavior that can't or can't easily be changed. Lighthearted example: My child wants me to stop ever brushing her ears...
Slurrp Farm Taps Into the Everyday Struggle Behind School Tiffins
Slurrp Farm, the millet‑based children’s food brand, launched a Back to School campaign featuring a short film that dramatizes parents’ daily worry about unfinished tiffins. The ad follows seven‑year‑old Kabeer’s chaotic morning and shows his mother packing Slurrp Farm Millet...
Toddlers Are Happier Giving Treats to Others than Receiving Them, Study Finds
A new study in Developmental Science observed 134 toddlers aged 16‑24 months and found they displayed higher happiness scores when giving treats to a puppet than when receiving treats themselves. The boost in mood occurred in both costly (giving away...
Moms Are Speaking. Are We Really Listening?
The article argues that modern mothers are consistently devalued by cultural narratives that prioritize career success over caregiving. Personal anecdotes illustrate how professional women feel “less than” after having children, while stay‑at‑home moms are dismissed as non‑contributors. It frames this...
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe Signs Bill Ending Divorce Ban for Pregnant Women
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed HB 1908 on April 7, 2026, repealing a decades‑old statute that prevented pregnant women from finalizing divorces. The unanimous legislation, championed by Rep. Cecelie Williams, removes a legal obstacle that trapped many women, especially those...
Millions of Preterm Births Were Linked to Plastic Chemicals in New Study. Here’s What Experts Say
A new eClinicalMedicine study links exposure to the plasticizers DEHP and DiNP to roughly two million preterm births each year, accounting for more than 8% of global premature deliveries and about 74,000 newborn deaths. Researchers estimated exposure across 200 countries...
Reframe ADHD Struggles: What to Say When Kids Feel Inadequate
A child psychologist trick: what to say when your ADHD child feels like they’re “bad at everything
Counting Down to Freedom From Decades of Daycare Bills
i've been paying hundreds a month for daycare or after-school care for one or both of my kids for the last 16 years. that will end in june, and i'm basically counting the days at this point.
UK Government Scrapes Two‑child Benefit Cap, Boosting Large Families by £4,100 a Year
The UK government has removed the two‑child benefit cap, delivering an average £4,100 ($5,200) a year to 480,000 families with three or more children. The change coincides with broader universal‑credit adjustments and a 4.8% state‑pension rise, prompting both relief among...
Earning Enough to Afford Daycare Changed Everything
I second this. What did it for me was us finally making enough to afford daycare.
Late Pregnancy Stress Meets Global Empathy for Iranian Mothers
I’m 30 weeks pregnant and the amount of cortisol coursing through my body today is hard to conceptualize. And then I remember there are also pregnant people in Iran and I just… have no words.
Bonnie Wright Announces Second Baby Ahead of Easter 2026
Actress Bonnie Wright, best known as Ginny Weasley, announced on Instagram that she is pregnant with her second child, due around Easter 2026. The revelation comes a year after the birth of her son Elio and underscores her evolving role...
Unhelpful Baby Advice We All Heard and Questioned
I think we all got at least one piece of baby advice that made us think… wait, that didn’t actually feel helpful at all. I’m curious… what was that piece of advice or comment you heard during pregnancy or the newborn...
Sophia's Story - We Had to Move Country to Get Her Out
Sophia and her husband moved their family from the UK to the US after their 11‑year‑old daughter began a rapid succession of gender‑identity changes at a costly private school. The school’s inclusion of explicit LGBTQ‑focused material and lack of parental...
Postpartum Nutrition Demands Exceed Pregnancy; Prioritize Recovery
Pregnancy gets all the attention for nutrition, but nobody talks about postpartum. You lose blood during delivery. Your body is repairing tissue. You are producing milk around the clock. Your nutrient stores are depleted. And this is when most women...
Designing a High-Traffic Mudroom That Stays Clean
A well‑planned mudroom transforms a high‑traffic entry zone into a clean, functional buffer between the outdoors and the home. The article outlines nine design strategies, from durable porcelain or textured tile flooring to washable eggshell paint, built‑in storage, and a...
Put Yourself First: Set Boundaries for Health
This is your sign to put yourself first for your health and sanity baby. Letting people (kids, family, spouse, employers included) walk all over you doesn’t make you a better person.
The ‘Jessica’ Trick for Toddler Tantrums Is All over TikTok — Here’s What a Pediatrician Wants You to Know
A TikTok‑fueled "Jessica" trick—calling an unexpected name during a toddler tantrum—has gone viral as a quick de‑escalation tool. Pediatrician Dr. Madison Szar explains it works by delivering a pattern‑interrupt that pauses the child’s emotional loop without adding sensory overload. The...
Meteorologist Dylan Dreyer Debuts Parenting Podcast “The Parent Chat”
TODAY meteorologist Dylan Dreyer launched her new parenting podcast “The Parent Chat” on April 6, 2026, kicking off with model Ashley Graham as a guest. The show aims to give parents practical, emotion‑focused advice for raising boys, marking a high‑profile...
The Power of the Pause in Your Child’s Anxiety and OCD
In this episode, child therapist Natasha Daniels explores the "power of the pause" when parenting children, teens, or young adults with anxiety, OCD, or related disorders. She explains how parental urgency—driven by the child's crisis feelings—can unintentionally reinforce anxiety cycles,...
Infertility Diagnosis Needs Whole-Body, Not Just Basic Labs
Every time a woman tells me she was diagnosed with unexplained infertility, I ask what labs were run. The answer is almost always the same. AMH, FSH, TSH, an ultrasound, and if you're lucky, a basic metabolic panel. That is like...
Strength Training in Pregnancy Boosts Delivery, Recovery, Energy
I strength trained through all three of my pregnancies and I honestly think it made the biggest difference in how I delivered, how I recovered, and how much energy I had postpartum. When your joints get looser during pregnancy, your...
I Am Rarely Helpful, but I Have some Advice on Bullying.
A mother recounts her three children’s experiences with severe bullying in Dutch schools, contrasting the hands‑off approach common in the Netherlands with the more proactive anti‑bullying stance she observed in California. She describes physical assaults, online harassment, and social ostracism...
Viral TikTok Videos Prompt Moms to Spot Early Development and Postpartum Anxiety Signals
A TikTok of a 2‑year‑old caught drawing on walls and a separate clip of a mother revisiting postpartum‑anxiety footage have together amassed over 12 million views. The videos have ignited discussion on early developmental red flags and the emotional toll of...
Apology Doesn't Equal Change: Skill Still Developing
Say it with me: My child repeating the same behavior after a genuine apology is not proof they don't care. The remorse was real. It just means the skill isn't fully developed yet.
Consider Grandpa's Character when Potty Training Fails
Grandpa, upon learning that potty training did not go well this weekend: One must also take into account his character.
A New Book Finds Parenting Inspiration in the Animal Kingdom
Elizabeth Preston’s new book, *The Creatures’ Guide to Caring* (Viking, $30), uses animal parenting examples to illuminate human child‑rearing. The author blends humor with scientific research, from beetles that regurgitate food to fish fathers that release oxytocin, showing how caregiving...
TikTok Parents Use One Word to End Toddler Tantrums, Video Hits 19 Million Views
A TikTok video posted by mother Tiffani Ortega shows her toddler stopping his tantrum when her husband pretends to call the name "Jessica." The clip, now over 19 million views, has sparked a wave of parents sharing the same one‑word trick,...