Say gaga!
You’ve got the new camera and an adorable baby who’s with you 24/7, so how do you turn out photos that do justice to your budding model? Several local photographers have a few hints for taking photos that will show your baby at his or her best.

Pregnant pause not necessary
Before Natalie Jachtorowyz became pregnant, she exercised six days a week. When she discovered she was expecting she wondered how her impending bundle of joy would affect her daily routine.

What you really need for baby
Because babies are just so gosh darn cute, it’s easy to get caught up in a buying-for-baby frenzy that destroys your budget on things you’ll probably never use. The best way to decide the must-haves is to consider each of your baby’s needs:

Celebrations with style
Michele Reiter of Chicago might be a novice when it comes to taking care of a baby (she’s just days away from giving birth to her first), but she’s an expert when it comes to attending baby showers. She’s honored many women throughout the years in the "ladies-only" shower fashion.

What is the strangest thing in your diaper bag?
"I always have little baggies for dirty diapers and garbage."

Moms you should know
Ronda Locke, April Cesaretti, Michelle Lia and Andrea Newman are like most moms who enjoy hanging out at the neighborhood park with their kids

Postpartum depression: When it's more than just the blues
It took four maternal suicides in Chicago in 2002 and the case of Andrea Yates, who killed her children, to get people talking about postpartum depression.

‘We knew she was lost’
Joan Mudd sensed a deep sadness in her daughter Jennifer Mudd Houghtaling.

From despair to joy
A new mom, married to her high school sweetheart, Jennie Silha couldn’t figure out why, when her son Cole was 10 months old, she was sitting in her locked garage with the car running.

Cosmotot
Summer’s ending, and it’s time for tots to trade in tanks for long-sleeved tees and bucket hats for blankets.

Diaper bag essentials
Between diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream, snacks and the mandatory two changes of clothes, moms and dads are lugging a lot of extra baby weight.

She’s having a baby, but how?

 

When the contractions get closer together and the baby is ready to arrive, it’s a little too late to consider how you want to give birth. Luckily, you can research your options and have a good idea of how you want to bring your new baby into the world before labor begins.

 

Living room welcomes Theodore
Kerry Maiorca has always been interested in the natural way of doing things.

A little Baby talk
From the editor
Certain life-changing events seem to go in cycles—in my life, the past couple of years have been dominated by marriage, both my own and my friends’.

Before baby makes three
When Josh Shear and his wife, Karen, decided to have a baby, they wanted to make the conception part of the process special. So the Valparaiso, Ind., couple planned a vacation.

A special touch
As adults, we love getting a good massage. But did you know massages can be good for your baby, too?

The trouble with teeth
While pregnant with her first child, Lombard mom Patricia Mendoza often had bleeding gums when brushing her teeth. It turned out to be gingivitis.

Healthy eating for two
For most people, it’s hard to eat a healthy, nutritious daily diet, but for nine months, moms-to-be have to be extra cautious of what they put on their plates.

Products for mom and baby
Badger Diaper Cream
All-in-One T-shirt and Nursing Bra

The kick count debate
As a diabetic, Chicagoan Jennifer Slota was told by her doctor to count the kicks her baby made beginning at week 28 of her pregnancy.

Food for thought
Every parent wants their baby to be healthy and eat the healthiest foods available. But what do you do when it comes to products that contain "new" additives?

Tips on raising an only child
The Seven Common Sins of Parenting an Only Child

A humorous and enlightening read
The Tao of Poop