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Heartburn, diarrhea, and indigestion…ughhh! Having an upset stomach is no fun at all. It can be very difficult to function when your stomach is acting up, and if you are having to take care of a baby on top of that, it can feel nearly impossible. If you are a breastfeeding parent experiencing tummy trouble, you might be wondering what you can take for some relief. Perhaps Pepto Bismol has always been your go-to medicine of choice, or maybe it is all you have in your medicine cabinet and you are wondering if it’s OK to take, or if you have to trek out to the drugstore for an alternative....

Nearly every decision when you’re pregnant feels like it’s up for debate, especially when it comes to what you ingest. Every food is questioned, every medication scrutinized, and every supplement eyed with suspicion. Some supplements, like folic acid, are often recommended during pregnancy and are included in prenatal vitamins. Others, like collagen, might have been a part of your daily regimen before you became pregnant. With a reputation for improving the look of skin, hair, and nails, it would be understandable if you wanted to continue taking collagen throughout your pregnancy....

Cognitive impairment is the loss of brain function. As we age, there is usually some degree of cognitive impairment (often seen as memory loss). Turns out that you can change certain risk factors to reduce your risk of cognitive impairment. Interestingly, these risk factors are not the same for men and women. Sex Matters for Cognitive Impairment Risk Gender makes a difference in your risk of developing cognitive impairment (loss of brain function often associated with aging)....

Sometimes, parents can treat kids’ minor illnesses and conditions with home remedies or over-the-counter medicines. While you should always consult with your pediatrician, you may find that they recommend these simple treatments as well. One pediatrician commonly prescribes the three S’s to patients when they have a cold: suckers, showers, and soup. Lollipops or suckers might relieve a sore throat, while the steam from a shower could help congestion. And of course, chicken soup is a common home remedy for colds and flu....

Navigating conversations with someone in your life who is living with an addiction can be challenging. How can you offer your love and support, avoid miscommunications, and protect your own boundaries all at the same time? Though not all people living with addiction are the same, there are some communication strategies that can help you show support and compassion. Be Kind Show that you care by speaking with kindness and understanding....

One of the more serious health conditions checked in routine prenatal diagnostic screening is Edwards Syndrome, a chromosomal condition with a devastating prognosis. Edwards Syndrome is also known as trisomy 18 syndrome because there are three copies of chromosome 18. Statistics Edwards Syndrome is occurs in 1 out of every 4,000 births. However, the incidence during pregnancy is much higher because it may be unrecognized. Many women whose fetus has trisomy 18 have a miscarriage or stillbirth....

In a recent Opinion piece for The New York Times, “I Was the Fastest Girl in America, Until I Joined Nike,” Mary Cain details how her Nike track coach Alberto Salazar encouraged her to lose weight to become faster. Instead of increasing her speed, she developed relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) which resulted in low estrogen and weakened bone strength. She did not menstruate for three years and broke five different bones....

By the time your baby is 8 months old, they should be eating cereal, fruits, and vegetables in addition to breastfeeding every four to five hours. At this age, they may even be learning to grab finger foods and drink from a cup. Breast milk is still an integral part of your baby’s diet until at least 12 months, when cow’s milk can be introduced in place of, or in addition to, breastfeeding....

If your baby was born early, then the childcare you had planned during your pregnancy may no longer be an option. Babies who are born prematurely are more susceptible to illness and common bugs like the flu and RSV can cause serious complications in preemies. Additionally, some preemies may have chronic health problems or developmental delays that make finding quality child care more difficult. Some preemies do fine in conventional child care settings, but others, especially those who were born very early or who had additional complications, may have immune systems that are too weak for group child care settings....

There’s no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on teenagers, many of whom missed out on sports, activities, club meetings, prom, in-person learning, and opportunities for building social connections, all while facing public health concerns, the threat of a recession, and other societal issues. Key Takeaways The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on teens, both emotionally and developmentally.As the pandemic slows down, teens face the daunting task of getting themselves back on track....

Most treatments for addiction involve some kind of “talk therapy” or counseling. This often focuses on helping the person with the addiction to figure out why they continue to engage in addictive behaviors despite negative consequences. Therapy also helps people develop more effective ways of managing the feelings that help fuel addictive behaviors. While these approaches to treatment are helpful to many people with addictions, some feel they need an approach that helps with the physical, as opposed to the mental or emotional aspects of addiction....

Sexual assault can come in many different forms. But the emotional toll it takes on your life is often the same. Fortunately, it’s possible to move forward in a healthy way after being assaulted. Learning and practicing healthy coping strategies can help you get through it, so you can be able to move on and live your best life in the future. Some forms of sexual assault include: What Is Sexual Assault?...

“Grown don’t mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What’s that suppose to mean? In my heart, it don’t mean a thing.” — From Beloved, by Toni Morrison Mother-in-law relationships may get all the press, and the jokes, but mother-daughter conflict is all too common. Many times the root of the conflict is the mother whose heart does not recognize that a daughter is “grown....

Summer is right around the corner, and warmer weather is generally a welcome change. Still, high temperatures come with very real circumstantial risks for kids. Key Takeaways Around 38 children die in hot cars each year after becoming trapped inside the vehicle.Kids aren’t able to get themselves out of a car the way adults can and also become overheated far more quickly.These tragic deaths are preventable if you follow some proven strategies....

A lumbar puncture, also known as an LP or spinal tap, is a procedure that doctors use to collect spinal fluid. During an LP, a needle is inserted between the bones of the lower back and into the spinal column. A small amount of spinal fluid is then extracted and the needle is withdrawn. The very thought of a spinal tap can be scary to many people, the feeling of which may only increase when a baby is involved....

When you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, it’s important to start watching for signs of contractions—and to know what real contractions feel like. There are different kinds of contractions, and only labor contractions signal your baby is on the way. But if you time your contractions and know the characteristics of the real thing, you’ll know whether you are truly in labor—and when it’s time to call the OB/GYN or midwife and head to the hospital or birth center....

Fear is one of the more unpleasant emotions we can experience. But in life-threatening situations, fear can motivate life-saving behaviors, making it a useful tool. Without fear, we might endanger ourselves more frequently. Key Takeaways A new study suggests that minimizing the stress of the pandemic through cognitive reappraisal can jeopardize physical health.The coping strategy requires an individual to reinterpret an emotional situation in order to alter its meaning and impact....

What Is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy? Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a type of psychotherapy that involves a combination of cognitive therapy, meditation, and the cultivation of a present-oriented, non-judgmental attitude called “mindfulness.“​ MBCT was developed by therapists Zindel Segal, Mark Williams, and John Teasdale, who sought to build upon cognitive therapy. They felt that by integrating cognitive therapy with a program developed in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn called mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), therapy could be more effective....

While being afraid of the dark may be a part of normal development in young children, that is not the case for older children and adults. Nyctophobia is an age-inappropriate fear of darkness that can prompt someone to limit their activities, avoid certain situations, and experience anxiety in anticipation of there being no light. It is when the concern crosses over from being an inborn protective mechanism to disrupting everyday life that it is designated a phobia....

Unfortunately, the problem of new mothers abandoning their babies, typically in unsafe places where they may not be found, is not uncommon. Although the exact numbers are not known, a survey of the HHS Administration for Children and Families found that 65 babies were abandoned in public places in 1991 and 105 in 1998. They also found that 8 of those infants were found dead in 1991, which increased to 33 in 1998....