Not sure how to do that? No problem, here’s some advice.

It’s not as hard or as arduous as you might think.

How Long Does It Take To Fall Off?

Your little one’s umbilical cord stump will stay on anywhere from 10 to 21 days after they’re born.

Some might fall off sooner rather than later, but rest assured that it will fall off and heal on its own.

Does It Require Special Care?

Sure it does, just like your newborn does as well.

You’ll want to be sure that you keep your baby’s umbilical cord stump clean, dry, and free of their diaper so to not snag it.

Nowadays, there are newborn diapers that actually have a small cut out area to help keep baby’s diaper free of their stump while it’s drying up. You can choose to buy those diapers or you can also just fold down the top of a regular newborn diaper as well.

When Should I Be Worried?

In many cases, there’s nothing to worry about when it comes to your baby’s umbilical cord stump.

Nature will take over and air and time will easily allow for the stump to fall off on its own. Once that happens, your baby’s body will heal the hole on its own into what we’ve come to know as our belly buttons.

But sometimes, in certain instances, infection can occur to your baby’s umbilical cord stump.

You’ll know something’s not right because the area will be red, slightly swollen, and may exude a puss-like substance.

If that is the case, then it’s time to call your baby’s pediatrician right away and bring your baby in to be seen.

They will recommend treatment or medication for healing the infection and then the cord will fall off once it’s ready.

• While your baby’s cord is healing, try to keep them in loose fitting clothing so that nothing snags on their stump.

• It’s also recommended that you never attempt to pull off the cord on your own. Let your baby’s body heal the area first – have patience and allow the cord to fall off when it’s ready.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

These five gift ideas won’t cost a thing and they can be adapted for aunts, sisters, and whomever else you share Mother’s Day with.

The best gifts aren’t ones that you buy anyway – so get the kids involved in these free gift ideas and shower mom with all of your love and attention on Mother’s Day.

1. Go Photo Happy

Break out the kids’ baby books and old family photos and scan them into your computer. With plenty of sites offering tons of free online storage (think Google and Photobucket) you can easily preserve your family’s memories virtually forever.

This way, when anyone in the family wants to reminisce of all the special times you’ve shared, you can simply click a link to do so.

All this gift idea takes is your time, and the kids can help as well.

2. Head Over To Your Local Craft Store

Places like Michael’s are always offering free craft classes on the weekends.

Most of these classes are age appropriate for the kiddies as well, so take them along with you so they can add their own flare onto the gift.

You can make mom cute things like bird houses, bracelets, cakes, and even frames.

You may or may not have to dish out around $5 for the supplies, so do keep that in mind.

3. Cook All The Meals For The Day

No, really. I’m not joking.

Plan out breakfast, lunch, and dinner ahead of time – get all the shopping and prepping done and go to town cooking and preparing a wonderful day of meals for mom.

The meals don’t have to be gourmet or even extravagant – and you may find that if you do your menu planning right, that you probably already have all of the ingredients you need right at home.

Browse online at the many recipe sites available and I’m sure that you and the kids can come up with a fantastic menu for the day.

4. Create A Coupon Book

Have the kids draw up ‘coupons’ for things like ‘fold the laundry’, ‘vacuum the house’, and even ‘do the dishes’.

‘Bind’ it by threading string through punched holes and wrap it in a nice box.

Let mom know that she can turn in the coupons as she sees fit and there won’t be an ounce of resistance from the family.

5. Give Her Some Time

While we all love our children to pieces, the one thing a lot of moms miss most is their alone time.

Take the kids for the day and let mom indulge in whatever tickles her fancy.

Maybe she’ll want to run to the spa, or go on a nature walk, or simply sit at home and delight in the silence.

Either way, mom can have a few hours of peace to rejuvenate her soul and you get to spend some quality time with the kiddies.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

I know that mom just got tons of baby shower gifts, but after all her hard work bringing her baby into the world, any new mom would be delighted to receive a heartfelt surprise from a good friend.

For those of us who relish raining sunshine down on a mom who has just delivered, here are five wonderful and thoughtful gifts that we know she’ll just adore.

Think Pandora

These bracelets have gone from ‘what’s that’ to ‘I need more charms’ overnight.

You can start off your new mom’s collection-o-charms by supplying her with the bracelet and the baby’s birth charm.

From there, friends and family can join in the charm fun by adding to her wrist when they see fit.

Its guaranteed to put a smile on her face.

Spa Treatments

Being a new mom can be stressful, and having a gift certificate for a spa day can be a welcoming Zen for her.

She can use the certificate when she sees fit and I’m sure she’ll be thinking of you as she’s enjoying a relaxing massage.

Go Digital

Displaying your baby’s photos has never been easier now that the world has caught on to digital frames.

Your new mama friend can simply upload all of her photos onto the frame’s memory card and viola! – tons of baby and family pictures all in one place and continually rotating.

Any mom’s dream!

Hand Print Maker

They have so many options in this area nowadays.

You can get one to hang on the wall or one that you can display on a shelf in baby’s room.

There are also options that include adding the parents’ hand prints as well.

No more forgetting how tiny those little hands and feet were!

Parenting Books

Think along the lines of the “What to Expect’ series.

If you have a mom that’s into Attachment Parenting techniques, there’s a book for that.

Or perhaps you go with a funny ‘now that you’ve become a parent’ book.

You have endless choices to consider and your new mom will love reading up on what she has to look forward to as her little one grows.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

So long as you and your baby aren’t in any life-threatening danger, then you always have the option to say no to any practice that can be considered labor inducing.

Some ladies prefer to listen to their doctor rather than do their own research into the labor process. Remembering that you have options when it comes to your pregnancy and delivery is such an important factor for women to consider.

If you’d prefer that your labor start on its own and that your baby come when he’s ready, then here are three ways that you can point yourself in that direction.

Consider Your Medical Provider

You have the option to thoroughly interview whom you choose to be your prenatal caregiver.

This means you can dig into their background, confirm their educational credentials, and have an intimate sit down with them to see if you’re both on the same page concerning your pregnancy, your health as well as that of your developing child’s, any interventions, and how you foresee your labor and delivery happening.

It’s always best to rely on a doctor or midwife who shares your general outlook on pregnancy, this way you two are less likely to bump heads throughout what’s considered ‘routine’ and ‘elective’ components of your pregnancy and delivery.

Take your time when choosing a prenatal provider, ask friends for their recommendations, research and read reviews of them online, and write down your desires for your entire pregnancy and delivery and see if the both of you are looking down the same path for the next nine months.

If not, then find one who is.

Stay Informed

Being in the know if half the battle.

Read up on pregnancy, research it, know what is forming in utero this week and what will be happening the next.

Pregnancies can last anywhere from 38 to 42 weeks and your baby will tell your body when to begin labor. Once your little one’s lungs are fully formed, your baby will secrete a substance and your body will naturally react by starting the labor process.

That’s not to say that babies born before the 42 week gestational period will not survive, as modern medicine has proven this point already. But letting your little bun bake until they’re ready to come out is always the best way to go so long as there is no medical emergency present in the need to induce.

If you become and stay informed throughout your pregnancy, you’ll up your odds at keeping your baby in longer and have more confidence in knowing that you can say no to any prenatal practices you deem unworthy.

Watch Your Health

Give your baby and your pregnancy a solid head start by taking care of yourself.

It’s fine to give in to your pregnancy cravings, but learn to incorporate healthy food choices and refreshing water into your meal planning.

Your body will be working double time to compensate for housing a little one, so feed it the freshest and most purist fuel you can and stay active. Walking during pregnancy, even leisurely, will help your odds of staying healthy and in the best shape possible for labor and delivery.

• It’s important to always remember that you have choices throughout your pregnancy. Knowing your rights, limitations, and laws will help keep on the side of the informed mama – and that’s exactly where you want to be.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

One of the hardest parts for an outsider is coming up with a compassionate way to lend your condolences.

Since we all experience and react to grief and loss differently, it’s impossible to have a universal route to partake in to be there for the one experiencing the loss.

Here are three ways that you can offer your blessings to one who is experiencing a miscarriage.

Listen

This is perhaps the easiest and most supportive way that you can help anyone that has experienced a miscarriage.

The human race longs to be heard, and it’s extremely rare that we find anyone who actually and wholeheartedly listens to what we have to say.

Even if it feels like you’re doing nothing but sitting there and nodding, you’re helping – a lot.

You may not have ever been in the same situation, and that’s okay, just the act of lending your ear to someone who needs to empty their emotions will be an instantaneous act of love and support to the person who is experiencing the loss.

Acknowledge

Because this area is tricky – some women want their baby to be spoken about in the first person, while others deal better if the event is laid out on the table for what it is – acknowledging what is taking place and what was is a huge step in recovery for lots of ladies.

Showing your support by universally accepting and acknowledging her baby is what most women crave during their loss.

If you’re unsure of what boundaries to hold fast to, then simply ask or read her cues. If she’s speaking of her baby by name, then it’s okay for you to do so as well. If she is being more secluded about the baby, then you know to tread lightly until she opens up her heart a little more to accept her situation.

All babies deserve to be remembered and acknowledged, and most grieving ladies will admit that their and others’ acknowledgement is often the first step in the healing process.

Be Patient

Because we all react to loss differently, our times of healing vary greatly.

Some women wish to try again immediately while others will need more time to heal.

Continue to be a crutch, an inspiration, and a pure friend throughout their grieving process.

There’s no need for fancy chocolates or bouquets of flowers, what is really needed is a friend who’s willing to listen, acknowledge, and lend their support in a time of need.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

I enjoyed being pregnant and everything that came along with it. Although, I didn’t experience any morning sickness so I might be stating otherwise had I dealt with that – I hear it’s not fun.

Regardless, there are some sensational perks about being with child.

Here are five that you’ll miss, whether you want to admit or not.

1. Keeping Your Secret

If you chose to spill the beans on your pregnancy early, that’s wonderful. But some mamas tend to want to hold the secret in until the three month mark in case any unforeseen circumstances arise.

That’s the route I went and it was so exciting to know that I had a little one busily growing inside me while no one was the wiser. And when we finally let out our news, it was extremely cathartic seeing everyone’s warm reactions.

2. Naps

I adore naps, I really do. And the first three months of a pregnancy are extremely tiring on the body.

Your insides are so busy adjusting to a new life being formed that it literally wipes you out. So whenever I could throughout my pregnancy, I’d hop on the couch and catch an hour or so of rest.

It’s amazing what a cat nap can do a pregnant lady.

3. Not Counting Calories

Sure, some ladies watch what they eat whether they’re pregnant or not, but I didn’t count anything when I was expecting – except the days until my due date.

I indulged, went up for seconds, even double plated some evenings. For me, I relished eating for two and so long as my son and I were not in danger, it felt fine in my book.

And even after your darling child is born, should you choose to breastfeed – you’ll need extra calories to help your body produce its demand in milk, so you may get to ‘eat for two’ a little longer.

4. Being The Center Of Attention

Who doesn’t like someone giving up their seat for them, or holding a door open, or being waited on hand and foot?

When you’re with child, the world tends to become a nicer place for those few months – and that’s a wonderful thing.

5. Feeling Your Baby Moving

Oh how I loved those flutters and kicks. As soon as I delivered my son I missed them, and I still do to this day.

I’ve never felt so alive and more powerful than when my little one would move and thump inside my belly.

I loved to rub my baby bump and be woken up to an excited kicker.

It makes us ladies feel alive, all-encompassing, and divine in our right as life-giving forces. The kicks remind us that we’re so much more capable than we know, and that once our babies are born, we’ll continue to remain a huge life-force in their lives.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

Women tend to expect men to jump right in and help out with their baby, but that’s not always the case. Men don’t usually compute their role in baby rearing all that well – some do, yes, but others need a little nudge in the right direction.

Here are three ways that can help dads understand their role and become more engaged in the baby process.

Get To Know Your Baby

This is such an important step. The more time that dads spend with their babies, the more in tune they’ll be at deciphering their needs and understanding them.

This way, when the baby is crying or fussy, dad will feel more confident and comfortable at settling down a crying infant.

Moms should help by letting dad in on what each cry means – what toys, motions, or moves help soothe baby, and what to do if none of those steps work.

Leave everything out and easily accessible so that dad doesn’t have to go crazy trying to find a bottle and a pacifier.

Communicate With Mom

Not all men are good feeling-talkers. Us ladies have learned that years ago.

So it’s important that dad talks with mom about the baby. Is she usually fussy between these hours, does she like her bottle warmed or room temperature, if she’s really cranky, try this.

All of those things are important for a dad to know, and it’s also imperative that the both of you are there to help and support each other through this big transition.

When two people become three, life changes in a big way. That transition isn’t always smooth for those involved.

Communicating with each other about what you’re feeling, what the baby needs, and how you both can work together will help ensure that your new world spins more smoothly.

Be Patient

Having a baby takes some getting used to. Handing off parenting duties, babysitting alone, and making sure that your child is well cared for is no easy task for anyone – be it mom or dad. None of these things are mastered overnight – they are all learned behaviors and tasks. The more you do them, the better one becomes at them.

True that, in some cases, it may come more naturally to a woman to instantaneously take on raising a child, but a man is always a great asset in his own right to his child.

The key is to be patient, learn the ropes, get to know your baby, and become a unified family unit with mom and baby to procure your child’s safe and stable future.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

Not all of your child’s senses mature at the same time, some, like sight, take longer than smell to develop fully.

Here are five ways in which you can help your baby to understand what they’re working with.

Vision

When your newborn enters the world, they see best when things are in contrast – think black and white.

Their vision reach is only about 8 – 12 inches, about the distance your face would be if you were breastfeeding them.

It’s not until about four weeks of age that your baby will be able to spot you from up to 20 inches away.

In the meantime, keep both black and white toys around as well as brightly colored ones and let your child tell you which they prefer.

One thing that your baby will always want in their vision is you, so keep them close to mommy for reassurance.

Hearing

Your baby’s hearing has been honing its skills from inside the womb – that’s why your child recognizes your voice immediately upon their arrival into the world.

However, newborns are sensitive to extreme changes in sound – think slamming doors or loud TV’s.

Talk to your newborn in soft tones rather than loud, demanding undertones. Feel free to also sing all the songs you want to your baby, they love the harmonious melodies while nestled in your arms.

Touch

Your baby’s sense of touch is so firmly integrated into their psyche from birth that they lovingly crave it.

Stimulating your infant’s sense of touch is super easy, all you have to do is touch them admiringly.

Cuddle your baby, gently touch their face, marvel at their little fingers and feet, even give them a relaxing infant massage after bath time.

Babies also enjoy skin-to-skin contact — think breastfeeding, babywearing, and cradling.

Smell

The nose knows, and your little one’s is no different.

Infants are born with their mothers’ smell ingrained within them. As soon as your child is with you after their birth, your smell and voice are the two senses that let your baby know that their mommy is close.

So what better way to allow your baby to inhale you then to keep them close to you – think babywearing and skin-to-skin contact.

No need to wear perfumes or lotions, your normal everyday smell is what your baby appreciates most.

Taste

While taste buds tends to develop as your baby gets older, newborn do tend to favor sweet things over sour ones.

That’s why infant formula and cereals tends to smell and taste sweet and your breastmilk can indeed take on hints of whatever you’ve been consuming.

Let your child tell you what they prefer once you start to introduce solids. Some babies will love green beans while others won’t even look at them. This vastness to flavors is normal, you don’t like everything you’ve tasted, right?

With taste, it’s a give and take. And with babies, it’s never a good idea to force feed them anything – let them set the pace for trying new flavors. Their palate will grow as they do.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

Whether moms find them embarrassing or we simply just forget to pass them on as details when we talk about our own births, either way they have the ability to happen during childbirth.

Here are three things that usually fail to make their way into labor and delivery conversations.

You May Vomit

Regardless if you have a natural or medicated childbirth, there’s a good chance that you may vomit during the whole ordeal.

Not only is labor nerve wracking but it’s also painful, the vomiting can be attributed to the physical pain that you’re feeling, a reaction to any meds that you’ve been given, or even just your body’s nerves acting up.

You May Have A Bowel Movement

Yes, it’s true, mamas.

There is a good chance that you will have a bowel movement while you’re in labor.

As your child is descending down the birth canal, they put a lot of pressure on your rectum and your body simply handles it the only way it knows how — it lets things out.

Rest assured that hospital staff as well as midwives have seen and been through this stage many times before, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed or anxious about it.

It will be dealt with normally and naturally and you’ll all move on from the experience unscathed, trust me.

Weird Actions Appear

Labor is hard and you may make sounds that you never knew you could.

Your emotions will be all over the place and they may result in crying, screaming, anger, teeth chattering, and even silence.

We all react to pain, excitement, and exhaustion differently and you may see a side of yourself that you’ve yet to experience and may never again until your next labor and delivery.

You may also feel like ripping your clothes off and being naked.

It’s really an ‘anything goes’ environment during labor. Just remember that your nurses and/or midwives have heard and seen it all before and they’re trained not to take your nastiness, weird sounds, or emotional levels seriously unless they become a danger to you or your baby.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.

Procrastinating is a very simple trap to fall into, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get out of.

Here are three tips to help you and your family keep their cool when it comes to managing your time effectively.

Keep A Master To-Do List

Having one major list of things that need to be done is a great way to be able to see where your attention needs to be.

Use this master list to pull from and create mini to-do lists for your daily running around.

Pick simple tasks when your day is hectic and save the bigger tasks for when you know you’ll have the time to cross them off.

For instance, on Monday morning when there isn’t a lot of time, choose two or three smaller tasks such as running to the Post Office and picking up the dry cleaning.

Turning your master list into smaller, more manageable daily lists will help you not feel so overwhelmed at everything that seems to need your attention.

Use Technology To Your Advantage

It’s a safe bet for me to assume that you have a smartphone, tablet, or other advanced gadget that you can easily get your hands on daily.

Set up reminders to yourself via email, text, or alarm to keep yourself from getting sidetracked.

If you know that your gas bill is due on the fifteenth of the month, set up a monthly reminder to sound the alarm on the tenth of each month so that you have enough time to either log-on and pay it via the Internet or enough time that you can write the check out and get it in the mail so it reaches the office by the due date.

I use Google Calendar a lot to keep my tasks all in one place. I then can choose whether I’d like to receive email and/or text messages as my reminders. It’s worked very well for me and my family for years now and I enjoy the fact that Google Calendar syncs with my smartphone as well – I can input new tasks and reminders directly from my phone and have them sync up with my calendar no matter where I am.

Use Color-Coding

For all of my visual mamas, this tip will work wonders for you.

Grab a pack of highlighters and color-code your to-do lists. You can also use various colors when managing your online calendars as well.

Pick which color-coding method works best for you — it could be that assigning a color to each day of the week works well, or picking a color for the most important tasks.

This way, when you’re looking at what needs to be done, the colors will pop out to your eye that much quicker and you’ll know right where to look and what needs to be done pronto and what can wait a little longer.

You can also color-code your entire day if you’re a list lover. Perhaps yellow needs to be done before 10 a.m., blue by 2 p.m. and green by 7 p.m.

With color-coding, it’s all about finding what works best for you and your family. If you’re really into it, you could also color-code each child and their activities as well. This way, one glance and your entire family will know the day’s activities.

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About the author: Danielle is a freelance blogger and website content manager specializing in parenting, family, pregnancy, social media, and entrepreneurial topics. To learn more about Danielle, please visit her website at www.PenPointEditorial.com.