Category: Baby

Before you spend a dollar on this page: under the Affordable Care Act, your health plan must cover a breast pump, and federal guidelines say a double electric pump shouldn’t be withheld until you’ve failed with a manual one. Coverage also extends to pump parts, milk storage supplies and lactation counseling. So the real question isn’t “which pump can I afford” — it’s “which pump do I want, and is it on my plan’s list.” With that settled, here’s the 2026 market, which looks nothing like it did when we first wrote this guide.

Milk storage bags are the least glamorous purchase of the pumping year and the one where a bad choice costs the most — a seam failure at 3am means pouring hours of work down the drain. The bags themselves have barely changed since our last guide; what has changed is the storage guidance you’ll find (the authorities now disagree with each other in ways worth knowing), a research finding about microplastics, and the arrival of reusable silicone as a real option.

Two things make a 2017 crib guide dangerous rather than merely dated. First, crib bumpers and inclined sleepers — standard accessories back then — have been federally banned since November 2022. Second, the “top 10” format hides the industry’s biggest open secret: Babyletto, DaVinci, Namesake, Franklin & Ben, Nursery Works and Ubabub are all the same company, so a ten-crib roundup is often one manufacturer wearing six hats. This rewrite is five genuinely different cribs, plus the safety rules that actually matter.

When we first wrote this guide there was no federal crib mattress standard at all. There is now — and the headline requirement is firmness. Since August 2022 crib mattresses must pass a federal firmness test (as of May 2026 it lives in the industry standard ASTM F2933-25), because an overly soft mattress is a suffocation hazard. That single change reorganizes everything below: firmness first, then fit, then everything the marketing wants to talk about.

The baby monitor category changed more than any other in this decade, and one part of it needs stating before any product does. In September 2025 the FDA issued a safety communication about infant vital-sign monitors, and its language was unambiguous: the agency is not aware of clinical or scientific evidence that any currently available baby product prevents or reduces the chance of SIDS, and no device has been authorized to do so. The American Academy of Pediatrics says the same thing — don’t use home monitors as a way to reduce SIDS risk, and don’t let one create a false sense of security. Safe sleep practice is the intervention. A monitor is a convenience, sometimes a reassurance, never a safety net.

With that established, here’s what’s genuinely good in 2026 — and how to read the “FDA-cleared” labels you’ll see on the boxes.

Firstly, congratulations! Maybe you’ve heard it a few times already, but becoming a mom is special. Becoming a mom for the first time is extra special.

For some women, the idea of being a mom was always on their radar, for others – it was the last thing on their mind. The prospect of having your first child can feel intimidating and a little overwhelming. Emotions you may be feeling could be a mix of fear and excitement.

Some take to pregnancy straight away, others find it an ordeal. For other women it varies, depending on which trimester they are dealing with. In any case, pregnancy is a very personal experience.

Now that you’ve (hopefully) wrapped your head around what’s happening – or about to happen, it’s time for a few words of advice.

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Pregnancy is a time that should be chockfull of joyous moments but many moms to be find that they are stressed out with an overload of constant information about what they should and should not do. Trying to figure out what you should be eating, what nutrients you need and what supplements you should take can put a damper on the joy of being pregnant.

You likely are getting a ton of information from well-meaning friends and relatives that often will conflict with what your health care provider is telling you. It can be very confusing. Most of the nutrients and vitamins that you need during pregnancy are the same nutrients and vitamins that you need when you are not pregnant just at a larger dosage.

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One of the biggest decisions that new mothers will need to make in caring for their newborn is the decision between nursing their their baby or giving them formula.

This debate has been going on for decades, and it is still a lively issue among everyone from mothers and fathers themselves to doctors, nurses and society at large. It seems that everyone has an opinion on the matter.

Below, we’ll look at the pros and cons of each type of baby feeding method and unpack some of the feelings and emotions that seem to be ingrained in this hot debate.

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I must admit something. When I was about to became a mother for the first time, I was terrified. As an only child and someone who hadn’t spent much time around babies in general, I knew nothing about what it was like to take care of a little one.

Well, let me just say that that changed quickly. I did tons of research before I had my twins, but the real lessons I learned from doing. Babies are fast teachers!

Still, there were some extremely important tips that I wish I would have known. Here they are, and I truly hope they help you on this new phase of your life.

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