science

I’m a little confused about research surrounding infant sleep and formula. I’m reading that it has been debunked that formula fed babies sleep longer. But the reason that breast milk — even when exclusively pumped — is protective against SIDS is because the formula sits longer on the stomach and...

I’m struggling with milk supply. I’m not even sure if I need the formula.

Our toddler (3.5) is likely gifted. We can't/don't want to get him assessed until he's 4 or 5, but our pediatrician, daycare staff, friends, and other doctors have commented about how advanced he is. This isn't something we bring up because (i) we don't want to label him this early and (ii)...

Hey you guys, my first pregnancy was unplanned, I wasn’t taking good care of myself before finding out and had a rough pregnancy. My daughter thankfully is very healthy (she turned 3 recently) but this time I would like to be as healthy as possible (assuming I get pregnant, planning on starting...

My 3 month old baby currently room shares with my spouse and I. We have been sleeping with the ceiling fan on, mostly because I read somewhere (back when I had my first almost 5 years ago) that doing so reduces the risk of SIDS. My baby is a great sleeper, she’ll sleep 5-7 hrs before waking up...

Wanted to share a few great, easy to understand articles that break down the pervasive myths around fertility and the COVID vaccine, since I still keep seeing fertility concerns post vaccine pop up in various mom groups. They’re great shares for those who are vaccine or booster hesitant because...

Hello fellow science-minded parents! My spouse and I are discussing trying to get pregnant with our second child. As part of that discussion, we are contemplating if home birth would be a suitable option. There are a number of personal reasons why we are considering this, but none of them are...

Hi all! I have a graduate degree in bioengineering, work in STEM, and doodle for fun. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I felt there was a ton of information being thrown at us all at once (and of it some misinformation). There was also a big gap of materials catered to kids that explains it in a...

This may be one of those things for which there isn't truly an answer. I watched this interview with Erica Komisar, who strongly advocates for attachment theory. She suggests that an appropriate amount of time to be physically away from a child is their age - so no time for a baby, 1h for a...

I'll save you the backstory and make it brief. I have a new work schedule in a new city, I might be away from my kids (1 y/o and 3 y/o) for 3 weeks of the month, with 1 week off that I could spend with them 24/7. This would be temporary until mid next year when the oldest will be almost 4...

Hi. So the pediatrician just called and said my 1 year old is anemic. His hemoglobin is 10.7 g/dL and it should be 12.5. He eats a lot of iron rich foods so I am confused by these results. Also, from researching, it looks like some charts don’t believe 10.7 g/dL is low? Although, sounds like...

My daughter turns 3 in September and will be starting preschool. They have 3,4, or 5 day options. She’ll be there from 9am to 11:30. Any evidence that points towards more or less days being beneficial? I decided to put her in for 4 days Mon - Thursday so she can stay home on Fridays and...

My one year old is meant to have his settle sessions at nursery (what we call daycare here) tomorrow, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Three times one hour and one time two hours. Just got an email from them saying there's a d and v bug going around. They're asking folk with symptoms not to...

Y'all, my girl (21 months) has been going to daycare part-time since March. We did a gradual transition, she was going on her own by mid April. And I thought it was going well. Some emotional days but some happy days, and usually no tears at drop-off. But I got a call the other day and...

I need some back and forth because my mom anxiety isn't letting me think straight. So my daughter just turned 2 this month. Our only current care option that is affordable is a pre‐school that opened nearby. The told us a lot about how they are Waldorf/Vygotsky school and something about Tools...

I’m curious what happens to infants with parent-led sleep associations (I.e. need support falling asleep after each sleep cycle) who are not sleep trained. However, I’m not looking for the pros and cons of sleep training :) I can find lots of info on that online but having trouble finding out...

UPDATE: it was the most likely answer. Grandma was wrong, dad is B+. I’m not sure where else to ask, and it looks like this might be my best bet! I was always under the impression that O+ and O+ would make another O+ but kiddo is apparently B+! From what I’ve read, that suggests that: one of...

My daughter has an egg allergy. 1 year ago when she was around 10 months old, she tested at 2.2 IgE kU/L. This year, after a year of baked egg goods, her levels had risen to 11.8 IgE kU/L, pushing her from a Category 2 to Category 3. The allergist basically told us that they are not sure why...

We have a 7 week-old l/o who will only turn his head to the left when laying on his back. We have tried to promote turning to the right while on his back by placing stimulating items and interacting with him on his right and making the left side unstimulating, but he will just shift his eyes to...

EDIT It is not anxiety that made this post so long. I have ADHD and was raised in an abusive/neglectful home and am over-compensating as a trauma recovery process. I shouldn’t have to disclose my medical and trauma history in order for a question to be taken seriously - y’all have some serious...