Moms, it’s time to relax. You’ve earned it! While watching your belly expand before your eyes, odds are that your shoulders are tight and tense, your lower back is aching or those poor feet are begging for some love (hopefully not all of the above!). Enter the prenatal massage and the greatest city to get one in: NYC! We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite spots around town to lie back and be pampered for an hour or two. A Few Pointers Before You Get a Prenatal Massage in NYC: Most doctors advise delaying prenatal massages until you are in your second trimester as there are specific pressure ..read more

During pregnancy, you are indeed eating for two. It’s not that you can eat as much as you want, but that baby’s development is completely dependent on your health. So it’s important to keep up with a wholesome, nutritional diet, and one of the most important nutrients you need to get is protein. You use protein, either from animal or vegetable sources, in every critical function of the body. Not only is it the building block of life (every cell in the human body actually has protein), it also is necessary to break down food for absorption, to carry oxygen around your body, to grow hair and nai ..read more

If you’re anything like most mamas-to-be, you’ve become very aware of what you put on and in your body. You’re reading labels, avoiding undercooked food, and steering clear of any restaurant with a grade-pending sign in the window. And if you’re an aromatherapy enthusiast, you may have put away your trusty bottles of essential oils. But, what if I told you you don’t have to say goodbye to most of your favorite oils? You just need to know how to use them. Equipped with the right info, most women can safely use essential oils throughout their pregnancy. With these five steps, you’ll be well on y ..read more

You may think of high blood pressure as a problem you’ll have to confront when you’re older, but it turns out, many pregnant women deal with it too. Hypertension can be common in pregnancy but can lead to complications—from preeclampsia to low birth weight to higher risk of placenta abruption (placenta separating from the uterus before labor) to kidney problems. If you were diagnosed with gestational hypertension or are at risk of developing it during pregnancy, it’s important to find a way to keep your blood pressure under control; and since a lot of hypertension medications are not recommend ..read more

By the time you hit your third trimester, baby is heavy, and your body is preparing for birth. This can lead to some aches, pains and unwanted ailments that can actually keep you up at night! Want to get some good sleep before baby gets here and you have to do post-midnight feeds and diaper changes? Here are 5 reasons why you’re likely tossing and turning during the final stretch of pregnancy and what you can do to soothe some of these pregnancy insomnia woes. Motherly's Digital Classes Your body in the third trimester $Free The home stretch and so many questions! This quick class is design ..read more

The 20-week appointment marks the halfway point of your pregnancy, making it a milestone in its own right. You’ve spent the past five months building and growing a human, and now you’re halfway through, mama. Remember your first prenatal appointment? That was ages ago! At this point, you might be waiting with bated breath to get a visual of your baby’s growth—to get a glimpse of that cute button nose in profile, or even to find out your baby’s assigned sex or get an updated due date. And now’s your chance. The 20-week appointment typically involves an anatomy scan, which means you’ll get an ul ..read more

There’s so much creativity and excitement that goes into planning a pregnancy announcement. And for soon-to-be parents who have a sense of humor, sharing a funny pregnancy announcement is the perfect opportunity to show off your witty side.  Telling the world you have a bun in the oven is as classic as pregnancy announcement puns go. In the age of social media, you may feel the need to come up with something a little more original or extra funny. Maybe you want to make people laugh with a witty letter board or graphic onesie? If this isn’t your first rodeo, you may like the idea of involv ..read more

If you’ve watched “Bluey,” you already know that the adorably sweet show about the Heeler family isn’t just for kids—it’s for parents, too. But what about parents-to-be? Because if you break down the cast of characters, you can find some serious baby name inspiration thanks to the show’s creators. Related: The supersized ‘Bluey’ finale has parents & kids everywhere in their feels: ‘Hit me like a truck’ Sure, you might be thinking, “I already know this isn’t the baby name list for me,” and it’s understandable. But you’re also wrong! Not all of the recurring characters have canine-appropri ..read more

The journey of trying to conceive can be emotionally overwhelming for both partners. Often men want to make sure they are able to perform and produce. Meanwhile, women are using ovulation strips, taking their temperature and mentally and physically preparing their bodies for pregnancy. It’s a lot to take on. In fact, an Ohio State study found that women who had high levels of alpha-amylase, a biological indicator of stress, were 29% less likely to get pregnant each month. Of course, “just relaxing” is easier said than done. But men, you can help! Here are 5 ways you can support your partner wh ..read more

We checked with some of our most trusted experts on mom and baby wellness to craft this simple guide to chemicals, toxins and environmental hazards to steer clear of when you’re trying to get pregnant and when you’re pregnant. Here are the 10 crucial chemicals to avoid for a safe + healthy pregnancy: Parabens in cosmetics & beauty products Dr. Aaliya Yaqub, a doctor who specializes in whole-life wellness, cautions women to pay attention to the chemicals found in makeup, creams and soaps. Read labels and avoid anything that has the word “paraben” in it. Some examples include: Methylparaben ..read more