M+A Edit

Curious about what superfoods can do for you and your bump? Guest blogger Carla Jian, a personal trainer and holistic health coach based on Chicago, dishes on the best foods for a healthy baby and happy mama during pregnancy. When I was first became pregnant, all the restrictions that came with a prenatal diet felt a little overwhelming—and a little scary. All of a sudden there was a list of foods I wasn’t allowed to eat because they could harm my baby. Then I was warned that since I was...

Gearing up to give your little their first bite of real (pureed) food—or running into questions as you transition into bigger bites? Consider this your ultimate cheat sheet. Our go-to pediatrician Payal Adhikari, MD, with Child and Adolescent Health Associates in Chicago, is sharing her ten best tips for teaching your baby the art of a good chow. 4-6 months is a good time to start solids “I like to start closer to six months, or when your baby shows an interest in food and has good head and trunk...

Any mom will tell you—even if you read all the baby books and take all the classes, the journey through new parenthood is an on-the-fly, messy, trial and error experience. And the best info doesn't usually come through google—it comes from your mom friends. Which is why we asked ours—what do you wish you had known before leaving the hospital for the first time? (We could have written a book—but picked our ten favorite real-talk tips to start.) If you are a seasoned mama, let us know what you'd add!...

It’s reason number 999 babies are as fascinating as they are cute: your little starts to absorb language while he’s still swimming around in the womb. And then every interaction from day one is a chance for baby to build their speech (not that you need to start flashcard drills with your newborn– your warm and happy coos work wonders in the early days.) “Your baby might not understand the semantic meaning of what you’re saying, but he or she can feel the loving meanings of your voice tones,” says...

For those accustomed to tracking their steps and sleep with the swipe of a finger, it would make sense that pulling up data about our ovaries should be just as easy. A number of startups and drug developers think so—as more women put off having a baby (or another baby) until their late 30’s and 40’s, at-home fertility tests (a relatively cheap and easy way to ease that biological clock panic—or trigger it) are popping up. But do they work? Is it possible to tell how fertile you are before...

There’s really only one thing you can bet on when it comes to delivering a baby—unpredictability! Babies tend to arrive on their own schedule, in their own way. But there are lots of choices to be made in the delivery room, and before the action starts, it’s helpful to write down your preferences and hopes in a “birth plan.” (Because hey—even if that all natural water birth doesn’t go as planned, you’ve still got control over the music.) To get started, create a bulleted list answering these questions: Who should...

Compiling a baby registry—and figuring out how to dress your bump—can feel like learning a different language. As you sift through a sea of recommendations from friends and family, don't miss these six Monica + Andy mom-approved brands designed to make the mama life a little easier. From a stylish swing made to soothe the fussiest of babies to clothing brands that will live in your closet for longer than a trimester, you won't want to miss out. For Moms... 1. Hatch These effortlessly-chic maternity clothes made by a mom-of-two...

You’ve probably heard about those naturally great sleepers—the baby who snoozes through the night at six weeks, or the six-month-old who exclusively takes two-hour naps. But for a good majority of parents, getting baby to sleep well takes work. (Sometimes, hours of it—at 3 a.m.) And that’s where sleep training comes into play: it’s the process of teaching baby to self-soothe, so he or she can fall asleep on their own, minus the song and dance (ie: 45 minutes of rocking and sneaking quietly out the door) from Mom or...

Playing with a newborn is pretty simple—funny faces, high-contrast colors and music is enough to keep your little stimulated during those short breaks between naps and feeding. But once your baby reaches three months, she’s ready for a little more action—toys to swipe and grab, textures to feel, and even more silliness and conversing from mom. (If you're dealing with new mom information overload, here's some good news: play is easy.) “A lot of times moms think they have to be the initiator or educator, but babies are built to...

Welcome to The Delivery Room Dish—a place for new moms to spill on the highs, lows, and nitty gritty of giving birth. What you'll learn: there's no one 'right' way to have a baby, the delivery room is full of choices (even when labor doesn't go as planned), and every mom's got a birth story worth sharing. Up next: Monica + Andy's Director of Brand Strategy and Digital Content Jessie Mash, who gave birth to her daughter Maxine in November.The first sign of labor was: contractions I thought were Braxton...