Mommy's little helper.
Editor's Pick
1 10 Things to Know Before Giving Birth
Health and Fitness
2 Jessica Alba's Baby Haven Was Born in the Caul; See What That Means
Poll
3 How Much of Your Childbirth Costs Were Covered?
Poll
4 Should Elective C-Sections Be Covered by Insurance?
childbirth
5 Are You Gonna Eat That? Placenta Rituals From Around the World
Pregnancy
6 Born in the USA! The Rising Trend of Birth Tourism
Pregnancy
7 Childbirth Readiness: Did You Attend a Childbirth Class?
Video
8 Jessica Alba Attends Childbirth Class With Jimmy Kimmel and Hilarity Ensues
community
9 This Labor Day, Share Your Birth Story From the Very First Contraction!
childbirth
10 Jersey Moms Pay the Most to Give Birth!
childbirth
11 Childbirth as Performance Art?
Halloween
12 Would You Try to Avoid a Halloween Birth? Many Women Do!
Gallery
13 Birthing Methods to Suit Every Style
Forget push presents; what wealthy pregnant women from around the world really want postchildbirth is US citizenship for their lil one. Hence the rise and booming popularity of birth tourism — where foreign women with substantial financial means come to the US to have their babies. The US is the only developed country, other than Canada, that grants jus soli, or birthright citizenship to any Read more
One man's treasure is another man's trash — and the sentiment holds true when it comes to placentas. While most US women dispose of their afterbirth, many cultures have very specific rituals concerning the placenta and wouldn't dream of tossing it into the bin labeled medical waste. Just as the rituals and traditions concerning pregnancy and fertility vary, so too do the cultural beliefs Read more
There's something scary about giving birth on October 31 — at least according to a new study conducted by Yale University's School of Public Health. Analyzing data collected across the US over an eleven-year period, researches found that fewer children are born on Halloween than any other average day. At the same time, Valentine's Day sees a higher than average rate of women giving birth. The Read more
Live from New York, it's . . . Live Childbirth! Marni Kotak is a performance artist who is due to give birth later this month. Nothing too remarkable about that, except that her birth plan involves a live audience. The birth will be the culminating event of the month-long exhibit The Birth of Baby X, in which visitors to the gallery-cum-delivery room will witness Kotak preparing for and Read more
It's hard to surprise an experienced mama, but that's just what happened when Jessica Alba gave birth to baby Haven in August. In addition to welcoming a daughter who didn't look like her big sister, Jessica Alba told People that the tot arrived still enclosed in her amniotic sac — otherwise known as in the caul. Such births are extremely rare, but as the proud papa noted, "She was born in her Read more
Expectant mamas might want to call a moving van if they live in New Jersey — the Garden State is the most expensive state to have a baby today. While the average US family will pay $9,617 to deliver vaginally and $15,799 for C-section, Jersey moms pay almost double that: $18,372 for a vaginal birth and $26,743 for a Cesarean. They may want to jump on the turnpike and head south a few hours to Read more
A person's story starts before he or she is born. Heritage, conception, and pregnancy aside, there's an amazing tale to be told of how each baby enters the world. While Labor Day is dedicated to the achievements of American workers, few people work harder than today's moms. Before our lil ones even utter the word mama, we labor (or enter the operating room) to bring our children to life. In honor Read more
Preparing for childbirth has been likened to training for a marathon — if only long-distance race training was this funny! Tina Fey and Amy Poehler's look at baby prep class in Baby Mama had experienced mamas doubled over in laughter. Now it's Jessica Alba and Jimmy Kimmel's turn. While a very pregnant Jessica Alba may be planning another hypnobirth when she welcomes Honor's new brother or Read more
Those nine months of pregnancy can be such a whirlwind. Mamas-to-be are excited, nervous, and extremely busy preparing for the arrival of their lil munchkins. It's common for expectant moms to experience anxiety about labor and delivery, and there are a slew of different childbirth courses to get ready for the "big day" — or at least feel better prepared. Due to time limitations and the Read more
Too posh to push? The phrase, which was coined after Victoria Beckham supposedly asked for a C-section to deliver her first baby, Brooklyn, 12 years ago, has come to represent a whole group of women who choose to forgo traditional childbirth in favor of the surgical method. Though home births are on the rise and celeb mamas are leading the charge, one-third of American tots enter the world via Read more
