Hormonal changes and stress after pregnancy make your skin dull, and you may develop dark patches or itchiness. Stretch marks are very common; though other issues such as pimples, acne, and dark circles around the eyes are also seen quite often. Hair loss is also very common after giving birth. Hormonal changes taking place in pregnancy will make your nipples and the area around them go darker. Now that your baby is here, your body is changing again. Some of these changes are physical, like your breasts getting full of milk. Others are emotional, like feeling extra stress. Many discomforts and body changes after giving birth are normal. Your skin color may also darken a little, either in patches or all over. Birthmarks, moles and freckles may also darken. Some women develop a dark line down the middle of their stomach, called 'linea nigra'.   How to support hormones after pregnancy? Know what to expect.  Eat plenty of clean proteins and healthy fats.  Don't cut calories. Sleep as much as you can. Lean on your support system.   The question almost every new parent asks is, “when will I feel like myself again?” Though this varies greatly from one person to the next, typically, symptoms related to hormonal imbalance should get better about six to eight weeks after delivery. It can take weeks or months for the body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Typically about 13 pounds comes off immediately after childbirth, and another 5 to 15 pounds over the first six weeks. It can take six months to a year to lose the rest. Your ribs may have expanded, and your hips will often widen to make it easier for the baby to exit the birth canal. For some women wider ribs and hips will be permanent. As your baby grows during pregnancy you will gain weight. Widening hips allow for the baby to pass through the pelvic bone during birth. You can rest assured that your widening hips, in most cases, will return back to their pre-pregnancy state, usually by 12 weeks postpartum. Postpartum melasma (chloasma) Pregnant women can get dark patches on their face, neck, and arms called melasma. But these dark patches can last long after your baby's born. They're not harmful, but they can be frustrating to deal with. Applying a mix of 1 tbsp lemon juice and a pinch of turmeric powder on the affected areas and washing off after five minutes with cold water helps in reducing the pigmentation significantly.   Maintain your beauty after delivery by doing these: Wash away excess oil to prevent acne on your face.  The best way to remain fit and get glowing skin is to start doing yoga. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Making a few changes in your diet is a good step. Get plenty of sleep, and make sure you do hit the bed whenever you're little one is sleeping.   The researchers found that women who had live births had telomeres that were an average of 4.2 percent shorter than their counterparts with no children. This equates to around 11 years of accelerated cellular aging, said Anna Pollack, an epidemiologist at George Mason University and the lead researcher of the study. Given that there is hypercell production during pregnancy, it makes sense that those telomeres would shorten and, therefore, appear to age dramatically.   Beauty tips and tricks for new moms: Skip the foundation and use a tinted moisturizer. Use baby wipes for more than just the baby. Achieve easy beach waves. Dry shampoo is a must-have item. Use baby wipes for more than just the baby.   No one should expect you to achieve these idealized beauty standards immediately after going through childbirth. You're already beautiful after delivery, just in a different way than how media standards typically define it. By the same token, if makeup helps you feel beautiful, by all means, put it on.

Stay-at-home parents do the jobs of several people, but when it comes to re-entering the workforce, it can be challenging to figure out all the details that go along with it. Whether you’re thinking about looking for a job outside the home or starting your own business, it’s a good idea to consider continuing your education in order to boost your prospects and your confidence. The key to finding success lies within achieving work/life balance, as well as finding the right educational program for you. These days there are so many options available online that you can find an affordable course or degree plan that meets your needs in no time. Ready to get started with finding work/school/life balance? Check out the resources at Ebaby, which helps parents with everything from infant health questions to coupons. Here are a few tips on how to get started when you’re ready to continue your education and go back to work: Give yourself a great at-home setup Whether you’re going to be learning at home or starting your own business, it’s important that you have a spot in the house that allows you to get things done. Set up an office area, if possible, and make sure it will give you some privacy. Not only will this help you focus on your to-do list, it will help you reduce stress and guilt as you juggle everything on your plate. If you don’t have room to give yourself an office that’s separate from the rest of your house, get creative and set up a work area in a quiet corner. There are lots of resources available for creating small offices these days, especially since the pandemic caused so many changes to the way we work and learn. Consider taking a professional development course Once you have a setup at home to work and learn in, you can take a look at your educational options. There are many ways to start, including taking online courses toward a two or four-year degree or working on a professional development course, which is a great option if you already have experience in a particular field. For example, if you’re knowledgeable about project management, you can find a job helping professional teams collaborate and communicate. Look online to find the right Scrum Master course for you, then take an assessment to ensure your skill level is where you want it to be when you’re finished. Build a stellar resume Once you’ve completed your scrum course, it’s important to look over your resume and give it an update, especially if it’s been a while since you worked outside the home. You’ll want to highlight your skills and accomplishments, but you don’t have to worry about creating a great resume from scratch; with a free resume creator, you can utilize a template that allows you to customize a professional-looking format with your choice of colors, fonts, images, and copy. This will take the pressure off so you can focus on the content of your resume rather than making an eye-catching design. Start your own business Not ready to go back to work for someone else? Starting your own business may sound like an overwhelming project, but it can actually be pretty simple if you start small and use some of the small business resources that are available online. You can even plan out your business while going to school or taking a professional development course. Build a detailed business plan, secure a great name and register it, and figure out how you’ll fund everything. If you have a winning idea, there’s no time like the present to share it with the world. Whether you want to start a business, take a professional development course, or find a new job outside the home, it’s important to get your spaces organized and create routines that you and your family can easily follow. This will help you find work/life balance and keep stress at bay. Photo via Pexels  

At Ebaby, we know that life totally changes once your baby arrives. And while it’s all good things, breastfeeding is not easy - in fact, for many women, it can be painful and uncomfortable. However, there are plenty of things you can do to care for yourself during this time. To help, we put together a few self-care tips that you can implement while breastfeeding to make your experience more enjoyable for both you and your baby. Choose a Comfortable Nursing Bra When you’re breastfeeding, comfort is of the utmost importance. That’s why you’ll want to choose a durable nursing bra that gives you the support you need. For extra ease, choose a style that’s comfortable enough to wear while you sleep! Look for bras made from breathable fabric with robust support and convenient nursing access. Bonus points for finding one that offers double-duty as a hands-free pumping bra. You can start your search by shopping online, and as you check out online marketplaces like Amazon, you can purchase bras while picking out other items you need, like toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers, cleaning products and more.  Balance Time With Your Other Children Breastfeeding takes up a lot of your time and energy, and if you have other children, you might be worried about whether or not they’re getting enough attention from you - especially if you’re heading back to work soon. It can be hard to balance time with all of your kids when you’re breastfeeding a new baby. Talk to your partner about designating time with your kids so that you can work out a fair, informal “schedule.” For example, you might want to put your kids to bed at night, ask them to join you while you’re cooking dinner, or plan some nearby weekend outings without your newborn. Think of it this way, your partner can get some quality time with the baby while you get quality time with your other children Create a Cozy Environment Lots of mothers start “nesting” in the final weeks of pregnancy - it’s only natural that you want to create a cozy environment where you can care for your baby! But you can keep brightening up your home after your baby arrives, too. You might want to pick out cute new throw pillows or blankets, hang photos of your baby on the walls, or order fresh flowers online! Depending on your tastes, you can click here to put together your own unique bouquet or choose a curated combination. Having fresh flowers is a simple way to add a sense of relaxation and beauty to your home.  Enjoy Hands-Free Activities Breastfeeding can take up a lot of time. When your baby needs you for so many hours of the day, it’s easy to feel like you have little to no time for yourself. However, breastfeeding does present you with the opportunity to enjoy some hands-free activities! Very Well Family recommends doing a little reading, which can be convenient with audiobooks, catching up on a TV series you enjoy, or calling your friends. Eat a Healthy Diet Eating a healthy diet can make breastfeeding easier. Certain foods will help boost your milk production in the long run. There’s no single “diet” that you have to stick to while breastfeeding, but you can definitely benefit from incorporating certain foods into your diet. Mustela recommends eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, a few servings of lean protein per day, whole grains, healthy fats, and foods that contain lots of calcium, such as milk, yogurt, and broccoli. It’s important to get plenty of calories into your diet while you’re breastfeeding - remember, you’re technically still eating for two! Breastfeeding can pose lots of challenges, but it can also be a time to truly bond with your baby. If you’ve been having trouble caring for yourself while caring for your baby, it’s only natural that it will take a bit of time to find the right balance. With a comfortable nursing bra, a plan to spend time with your other kiddos and healthy eating, you’ll be able to focus on self-care while breastfeeding. Are you in need of baby products? Check out the wide selection on Ebaby! Browse our online marketplace today to start shopping. Photo via Pexels      

Cognitive or intellectual development means the growth of a child's ability to think and reason. It's about how they organize their minds, ideas and thoughts to make sense of the world they live in. Now, as a two-year-old, the learning process has become more thoughtful. His grasp of the language is increasing, and he's beginning to form mental images for things, actions, and concepts. He also can solve some problems in his head, performing mental trial-and-error instead of having to manipulate objects physically. At this age, expect big feelings, tantrums, simple sentences, pretend play, independence, new thinking skills and much more. Activities that are good for development include talking and listening, reading, working on everyday skills and cooking together. Your 2-year-old will be able to put words together in phrases. He'll also be understandable to others about half of the time. He'll be able to articulate his curiosity with questions that begin with words like “where.” He'll also be using pronouns that discriminate between himself and others, like “me” and “you.” Between the ages of 2 and 3, most children: Speak in two- and three-word phrases or sentences. Use at least 200 words and as many as 1,000 words. State their first name. By age 2, kids start recognizing some letters and can sing or say aloud the “ABC” song. 2-year-olds can understand the concept of color and may begin to recognize and learn about colors as early as 18 months. Learning colors can be a fun activity for you and your child to practice together. Start with one color at a time, use flashcards to show your child color and have them say the name with you. By age 2, a child can count to two ("one, two"), and by 3, he can count to three, but if he can make it all the way up to 10, he's probably reciting from rote memory. Kids this age don't yet actually understand, and can't identify, the quantities they're naming. Most 2-year-old children are capable of counting to 10 although they may mix up the order of the numbers. Begin practicing numbers and counting with your toddler to help build a strong foundation for number fluency. Daily number practice with colorful flashcards and counting games can make learning fun for your child. You can buy  Montessori Toys for Babies here.   Fine motor skills: Stack 1-inch blocks, six high. Hold a crayon with thumb and fingers. String large beads on a stiff string. Copy vertical and horizontal lines and circles. Has hand control to build block towers. Points to at least two body parts when you ask him to show you. Uses more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes. Check out this Montessori Busy Board for Toddlers   In terms of skill level, most 2-year-olds can make a 'v,' a circle, and vertical or horizontal lines, although not with utmost control. By three, some children will be trying to write some letters or make “tadpole” people, which marks an important transition to representational uses of symbols. Toddlers start to explore simple shape puzzles and nesting cups, and can understand some size words, such as “big” and “little.” Toddlers are curious about the world and begin to ask lots of “why” questions about their environment. A 2-year-old not talking is a reason to seek advice from a speech pathologist or a health professional. There is a lot of variation and reason for delayed toddler talking, however, if they are saying NO words at 2, it is a definite red flag for them being at risk of development and learning delays. You can read another article here: Importance Of Socialization For Babies and Buy Your Kid A Toy They Deserve