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Can I eat and drink during early labor?

By Motherly Updated Jan. 13, 2022

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The truth about bonding after a C-section

Bonding is not a single golden hour, and a C-section does not put you behind. With the right support, connection grows skin-to-skin, eye-to-eye, and day by day—no matter how your baby was born.

Motherly, Birth, C-Section
Seasoned Moms Fourth Trimester
Motherly
Why seasoned moms call the fourth trimester “the hardest love”

Those first 12 weeks after birth bring tidal waves of physical recovery, round-the-clock care and identity shifts. Here is why it feels so hard, and how to make the hardest love gentler on you and your baby.

Motherly, Fourth Trimester, Postpartum
Postpartum is an Identity Rebirth
Postpartum
Postpartum is not just physical. It is an identity rebirth

Your body heals after birth, yes. Your sense of self shifts too. Here is how to understand the identity changes of new parenthood and what to do when it feels like you do not recognize yourself.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester
Activities Strengthen Child's Resilience
Child
7 activities that strengthen your child’s resilience

Resilience grows in ordinary moments. These seven playful, low-lift activities help kids practice coping, confidence and problem-solving with you as their safety net.

Child, Child Milestones, Motherly
Postpartum Needs
Postpartum
How to spot the 5 most overlooked postpartum needs

The fourth trimester is real, and many important needs fall through the cracks after that first newborn check. Here is how to recognize what your body and mind might be asking for, and what to do next.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester, Health & Wellness, Motherly
Transition Solid Foods
Baby
12 gentle ways to help your baby transition to solid foods

Starting solids does not have to be stressful. These parent-tested, expert-backed ideas make the shift calm, safe, and joyful for both of you.

Baby, Baby Feeding Guides & Schedules
Things Teens Wish Moms Would Ask
Teen
7 surprising things teens wish their moms would ask

Sometimes the best way to connect with a teenager is to ask a better question. Use thoughtful prompts and open real conversation without putting your teen on the defensive.

Teen, Teen Issues
Body Ready for Labor
Birth
6 signs your body is ready for labor

Your body often whispers before it roars. Here are the most reliable, evidence-backed signs that labor is near, so you can recognize what’s normal, trust your instincts and feel prepared.

Birth, Labor & Delivery
Career Growth Family Life
Career & Money
Habits moms use to balance career growth and family life: 6 that matter

You do not need a 5 a.m. club or a color-coded command center to grow at work and feel present at home. 6 habits that are realistic, repeatable, and proven to reduce stress while moving your career forward.

Career & Money, Work & Motherhood
Make Adoption Celebrated
Parenting
9 supportive rituals that make adoption feel celebrated

Your family’s story deserves to be honored. Simple, repeatable rituals help you mark milestones, nurture connection and keep your child’s identity at the center.

Parenting, Adopt & Foster & Surrogacy, Adoption
Sibling Bonding Activities
Child Learn & Play
7 sibling bonding activities to try before baby arrives

A new baby changes everything, including your firstborn’s world. Simple activities help older kids feel included and connected to the tiny person they have yet to meet.

Child Learn & Play, sibling bonding
Postpartum Habits Mental Health
Health & Wellness
10 postpartum habits that protect your mental health

Postpartum life is full and your mental health matters as much as your newborn’s feeding schedule. These small, doable habits support your well-being while you find your rhythm again.

Health & Wellness, Fourth Trimester, Mental Health, Motherly, Postpartum
Phrases for Struggling With Milestones
Children's Health
Phrases to try when your child is struggling with milestones (8 that connect)

When progress feels slow, words can increase a child’s stress or their courage. 8 phrases lower pressure, build trust, and keep learning on track.

Children's Health, Mental Health
Financial Truths Before Maternity Leave
Pregnancy
5 financial truths every mom should know before maternity leave

Maternity leave math is confusing, even when you have benefits. Here's facts that matter most and simple steps to take so your paycheck, premiums, and plans stay on track.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester
How Grandparents Can Help
Grandparents & Extended Families
How grandparents can help (6 ways without overstepping)

Grandparents are the village personified, and a steady presence matters. Here are six simple, research-backed ways to support your grandkids and their parents without stepping on toes.

Grandparents & Extended Families, Relationships
Money Practices Fourth Trimester
Postpartum
10 mindful money practices for families in the fourth trimester

The first 12 weeks after birth are tender, tiring and expensive. Simple, compassionate practices help you protect finances without sacrificing your well-being.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester
Tween Independence
Motherly
7 signs your tween is asking for independence and how to honor it

Tweens crave room to try, stumble and grow. Here are clear signs your tween is asking for some independence, they are ready for more say in their life.

Motherly, Children's Health, Teen, Teen Issues, Tweens
Toddler Snacks Nutrition
Toddler
15 tasty toddler snacks that actually meet nutrition goals

You want snacks to fuel growth, not just fill minutes until dinner. These 15 options check the big boxes for protein, fiber, iron, and healthy fats without piling on added sugar or salt.

Toddler
Pack Go Bag
Shop
Tuck in your go bag: 10 things veteran moms swear by

Ensure your go bag is working for you. A solid go bag buys you time, calm, and fewer meltdowns in the moments that matter.

Shop, Postpartum
Postpartum Meals Nourish
Postpartum
5 simple postpartum meals that nourish healing

You deserve food that is soothing, nutrient-dense, and ridiculously easy to get on the table. These five meals support tissue repair, steady energy, and milk-making if you are breastfeeding.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester
Grounding Practices for TTC Moms
Getting Pregnant
Your patience isn’t broken: 7 grounding practices for TTC moms

These simple, evidence-based grounding practices can help you feel more rooted. Remember your patience isn't broken, you just need some information to steady you.

Getting Pregnant
Supportive Phrases Surrogacy
Getting Pregnant
12 supportive phrases moms navigating surrogacy deserve to hear
Getting Pregnant, Surrogacy
Soon To Be Dads
Motherly
8 ways dads-to-be can truly show up during the third trimester

Eight concrete ways dads-to-be can show up in the third trimester. Learn warning signs, practice labor support and prep the fourth trimester. Practical, calm and evidence-based.

Motherly, Pregnancy, Third Trimester
Reset Child Sleep Patterns
Child Sleep
Signs your child’s sleep patterns need a gentle reset (6 to watch for)

Six clear signs your child’s sleep routine needs a gentle reset, plus small, doable tweaks to bring nights and mornings back into balance.

Child Sleep, Baby Sleep Guides & Schedules
Things To Know About C-Sections
Pregnancy
10 things seasoned moms want you to know about C-sections

Ten mom-tested truths about C-sections, backed by leading medical guidance, to help you plan your birth, advocate in the OR and recover with confidence.

Pregnancy, Second Trimester
New Moms Work Life
Postpartum
5 effective habits to help new moms ease back into work

Easing back to work after baby is a big shift. These 5 expert-backed habits protect your energy, feeding plan and mental health so you can find your new rhythm.

Postpartum, Fourth Trimester
Lauren Babb Tomlinson
Work & Motherhood
Lauren Babb Tomlinson on running for Congress with a 15-month-old at home

The Sacramento mom and first-time candidate is running for U.S. House in CA-06 — and she’s doing it without a trust fund or a political pedigree.

Work & Motherhood
Travel
The best kids’ museums you’ve never planned a trip around (but should)

These places tend to be easier to get to, easier to navigate once you’re there, and often significantly cheaper than their big-city counterparts.

Travel
Health & Wellness
Tick season 2026 is the worst in years—here’s how to actually protect your kids, according to an expert

From backyards to playgrounds, ticks are showing up in places parents don't expect. A physician-founder breaks down what's different this year, how to do a real tick check, and what to do if you find one.

Health & Wellness, Children's Health
Health & Wellness
What skincare actually matters in your 20s and 30s, according to an esthetician

An expert breaks down what’s worth your time, money, and energy — and what isn’t.

Health & Wellness, Women's Health
The Motherly Podcast
Esther Hallam on the formula aisle that failed her, seven years of building, and the superpower of endurance

“Your relationship with your baby is incredibly personal, and whatever choice you make, it’s the right choice. Full stop.”

The Motherly Podcast, Podcast
Entertainment
The ACLU just made a kids’ civics show—and it might be the Schoolhouse Rock of our generation
Entertainment, Child Learn & Play
Parenting
1 in 5 moms are going hungry so their kids don’t have to

According to a nationwide poll, moms across the country are struggling to feed their families, and making sacrifices no mother should ever have to make.

Parenting
Parenting
The case for “good enough” parenting: Why doing less might be the smartest move you make

A growing number of families are loosening their grip in the name of sanity.

Parenting

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