The Joy Issue
The first time your baby laughs back, everything changes. Here is to the moments you'll keep forever.
For every new mom, from hoping to holding to the toddler years.
Where are you right now?
This is your place for every moment: the joy to celebrate, the answers you're looking for, and the moms and experts who've been there.
New here? Start here →Hoping
Before the bump, before the name, there is the wait. You count the days, you wonder, you hope. Then one morning, two little lines change everything. Here's when a test can give you the answer you're waiting for, and what to do next.
When to take a pregnancy test →
Expecting
Somewhere between weeks 17 and 20, most moms feel it for the first time: a tiny tap from the inside. It's soft enough to wonder about, and then it happens again. This is the season of firsts before the first day. The heartbeat on the screen, the 20-week scan, the name you keep saying out loud.
I was in line at the grocery store. I just stood there with my hand on my belly, grinning at nobody.REAL MOMS · Expecting · sample voice
Birth
Skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat. The first hour you'll remember for the rest of your life, told by the moms who lived it.
Read the story →
Coming Home
The first weeks are a blur of feeding, rocking and learning each other. Then one morning your baby looks right at you and smiles back. It's one of the first milestones babies reach by about two months, and it makes every late night worth it.
Nobody tells you the first real smile is for you. It was. I cried.REAL MOMS · Coming Home · sample voice
The First Year · Photo Essay
Around six months, a whole new world opens up, one spoonful at a time. Here's what it looks like, and what to know.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests around six months.
She sits up with support, holds her head steady, and opens her mouth when food comes her way.
Squishing, smearing and tasting is how babies learn to love food.
Little firsts to look forward to
Ages follow the CDC's milestone guide, which marks when most babies have reached each one. Many get there sooner, and every baby has her own pace.
Her
Your body, your rest, your friendships, your heart. A happy baby starts with a mom who feels cared for. This is your space for recovery, movement, sleep, and the friends who get it.
The day I took ten minutes for myself, with her right there on my legs, I felt like me again.REAL MOMS · Her · sample voice
Ask
Clear, warm answers to the things every first-time mom wonders, from the experts and the moms who've been there.
The simple signs to watch for in the first weeks.
On her back, on a firm flat surface, nothing else in the crib.
For most moms it eases in the second trimester.
The signs of labor, and when to call.
What recovery really looks like, and how to ask for help.
Little Helpers
Simple, free helpers for every chapter. No sign-up, nothing to download, and everything you enter stays on your phone.
See all Little Helpers →How far along you are, and the little wonders happening this week.
→BirthContraction timerOne big button and the 5-1-1 guide, for the moment you've been waiting for.
→BirthBirth plan and hospital bagTap what matters and your plan writes itself. Then pack, one checkmark at a time.
→HerYour first weeks checklistWhat to expect, when to check in, and what to ask at your checkup.
→The First YearNap time helperHer age and when she woke up tell you when the next nap is likely.
→The First YearHer first 100 foodsTrack every new taste on the way to 100, and see her favorites.
→The First YearYear of firsts keepsakeThe date and the story of every first, ready to print.
→TogetherShare the loadDecide together who does what, and see how your days are shared.
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Together
His side of the story: the songs, the silly moves, and the moments that belong to the two of them.
Read Together →Moms We Love · October
Two new arrivals, three babies on the way and a whole lot of love. The famous families celebrating this season, in their own words.
This week's big news
See Kaley's post on Instagram
Toddler Years · The Good Life, Outside
Sand between tiny toes, wind in a pinwheel, the whole world to explore.
The Village
Grandparents, best friends, the mom down the street. The people who show up make the good life. Find yours, and stories from theirs.
Meet the village →a little letter, just for you
One letter a week, made for exactly where you are: what's coming, what to look forward to, and a little encouragement.
