Before Pinterest and Instagram and those perfect photographed maternity and newborn photos, we had photographerAnne Geddes who created phenomenal and creative portraits.
We could only imagine recreating them ourselves but in these days and age with the onset of digital cameras, reasonably priced props, any mom or dad can try their hand at recreating some of the most adorable and beautiful portraits they’ve seen in social media!
The devil is a liar because Lord knows our babies are not interested in taking part in any of these shenanigans yet…they are thrust into a DIY prop set and well…take a look at how some of these have panned out compliments of a curated roundup by Habit Life of 60 hilarious images.
These are my faves:
“Whyyyyyy? No really, Whyyy dad?!”
“Listen, you really have to stay off Pinterest, mom!”
“Nope! Nah! I said noooooo!”
“You didn’t feed me enough pop tarts to make this work, ma but Ima give it a try anyway!”
“Nope. Still no neck muscle strength yet. Try again in a month, mmm kay?!”
“If you insist but you cannot make me smile!”
“Seriously, folks, this wool is itchy!”
“Not again…”
“Now who thought this was a good idea?”
“This thing is cold. And I can’t fit, ma! I. Cannot. Fit!!!”
Anyone who works in DC for a year, for at least 50% of their time, even if he or she teleworks or works remotely for a DC-based employer will be eligible to receive about $1,000 per week for up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, thanks to a new law that just went into effect in the Nation’s Capital.
This new benefit which many new mothers (and dads) will likely take advantage of after having a baby is now being funded thanks to a new law that started July 1 called the Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act.
DC businesses have now started paying into a special payroll tax to fund the pool of money for eligible employees who will receive between 70 and 90 percent of their average weekly wage (or combined wage, if working multiple jobs), as summarized by Employment lawyer Tom Spiggle of the Spiggle Law Firm who penned a recentLinkeIn articlesummarizing the new universal benefit.
“Another benefit of the program is that it isn’t limited to just full-time employees,” Spiggle explains. “Seasonal and temporary workers may be eligible for paid-leave benefits, although their eligibility will depend on when their employer reports their wages, as well as when the qualifying event occurs.”
That’s great news for contractors, freelancers and other “Self-employed individuals, including those working in the ‘gig economy,’ can receive paid leave benefits too,” Spiggle states.
To calculate an exact amount a worker can expect per week, check out this Weekly Benefit Calculator.
Spiggle summarized some of the most important aspects of the new law and these two stood out:
What happens if an employer improperly denies benefits?
The worker may sue his or her employer and can recover lost compensation, interest, liquidated damages (this can potentially triple the lost compensation award) and reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.
Will my employer explain how this works?
Yes. The D.C. Paid Family Leave program requires employers to post notices at the office or worksite where employment rights notices are typically posted. Additionally, the employer must remind all workers of their rights at least once a year, an individual worker within 30 days of hiring and whenever a worker provides notice of a qualifying event that will result in taking paid family leave.
Will changing jobs reduce or terminate D.C. Paid Family Leave benefits?
No. As long as a worker’s new job is still with a covered employer, their paid leave benefits eligibility will be unaffected by the job change. ‘
The 2019 Espy Awards celebrating sports phenoms went down last night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California
Among those attended were several of the moms and parents featured in Bellyitch in the past including, singer/model Ciara and her husband Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Ciara donned her signature slick dark colored gown with cut outs with Giuseppe Zanotti heels.
Also in attendance was boxer, author and entrepreneur Laila Ali.
Brand new parents actress and America’s Got Talent newest judge Gabrielle Union and her husband NBA player Dwayne Wade. Union wore a short lace dress by Raisa Vanessa and Jimmy Choo heels.
New mom Allyson Felixdidn’t showed up and out in a neon yellow crop top with matching pants.
The Cleveland Clinic in Ohio says it has delivered the first baby in North America from a womb transplanted from a dead donor.
Uterine transplants have enabled more than a dozen women to give birth, usually with wombs donated from a living donor such as a friend or a relative. In December, doctors in Brazil reported the world’s first birth using a deceased donor’s womb.
“Through this research, we aim to make these extraordinary events ordinary for the women who choose this option,” transplant surgeon Andreas Tzakissaid in a statement on the hospital’s website. “We are grateful to the donor. Their generosity allowed our patient’s dream to come true and a new baby to be born.”
These types of transplants were pioneered in Sweden, where the first successful procedure was performed five years ago.
The Cleveland hospital said Tuesday that the girl was born in June. The clinic has done five uterus transplants so far and three have been successful, with two women waiting to attempt pregnancy with new wombs.
Australian influencer Belle Lucia, 24, recently told her 1.4 million Instagram followers that she has only gained 10kg despite being in her third trimester.
Posing in a navy blue bikini, Belle captioned the post: “Loving my pregnancy body, weight gain isn’t a negative thing! Don’t ever feel ashamed.”
Giving an update on her little one, the mum-to-be added: “Baby is roughly the size of a papaya and 36cms long.”
Although the majority of fans were quick to comment on how slim the pregnant model looks, others were preoccupied with the size of her baby bump.
One replied: “I’m literally so intrigued with your pregnancy, it’s amazing how little your tummy is! I can’t believe how different everyone’s bodies can be.”
The internet is a powerful tool – you can learn a lot, communicate with others, shop and even date. Its wondrous vastness is even more impressive in the eyes of the young and inexperienced. Kids can learn a lot but they could also be exposed to unsuitable content online.
Studies show that 42 percent of internet users aged 10 to 17 will see adult content online. Of these children, 66 percent saw the content unwillingly.
As a parent, you’re responsible for preparing your child. You have to prepare little ones for the exciting aspects of life, for embarrassing and even dangerous situations.
When kids have the knowledge, they’re equipped with the tools to address uncomfortable or confusing situations.
While talking about adult content is difficult, it can have a profoundly positive effect on the development of your child.
Take Control Over How Your Child Gets the Information
Sex-ed should be age-appropriate and it should occur before a child ever has the chance to view adult content online.
There are many books and resources you can rely on to determine what’s appropriate at the age of five, at 10 or 15.
It’s Not the Stork!, for example, is a great choice for children aged four and up. The book presents anatomical terms and aspects of human sexuality that kids within the age range can understand.
Their questions will be answered and more complex issues will be addressed as they grow older.
Talk about Online Safety
Understanding one’s sexuality is just one part of the process. To prevent online exposure to online content, however, you should also address the issue of internet safety.
Exposure to online pornography when kids aren’t prepared may have serious consequences.
Thus, you should address some of the dangers lurking online. You should also talk about the ways to stay away from such dangers.
Kids should know what to do if they come across inappropriate content online.
Tell kids that such images and videos are meant for an adult audience and they should never be seen by children.
Tell kids what to do if an adult ever sends them inappropriate content. You should build trust so that little ones come to you immediately in such situations.
If children believe that something inappropriate has happened and they keep the information from you, chances are that the consequences will become even more serious.
It’s only a matter of time, before your child becomes a teen or tween and young adult and eventually get exposed to popular dating sites that are mentioned in memes, YouTube videos and the sort, like DoULike.com and others. Make sure they can recognize when they’re getting re-routed.
Let Your Kid Ask Questions
While giving information is very important, you should also listen to your child.
Give your child a chance to ask questions, whether they’re curious or they’ve already seen something they shouldn’t have seen.
Be prepared for such conversations.
Your child could ask about issues that may shock you, that you feel uncomfortable with. If you freak out, however, you will potentially lose some of the trust that you’ve already established.
Give yourself a moment to calm down and provide an age-appropriate explanation. If you’re worried, ask your kid about whether they’ve encountered a term or an activity. Keeping the conversation going, even if you’re worried out of your mind, could help for the best possible resolution.
Set Some House Rules
The model you establish at home will affect many aspects of your child’s behavior at school or when they visit friends.
Make it very, very clear what’s permissible and what’s not.
You may also want to use browsing filters to limit access to certain types of websites or content. Parental control software can accomplish numerous goals and choosing one option or the other depends entirely on your preferences and the level of control you are to achieve.
Don’t Get into Too Much Information
While an open discussion is a key to preparing your child for unexpected situations, there’s such a thing as TMI (too much information).
There are issues that aren’t appropriate for kids and that little one cannot understand. A child’s maturity level and the information you’ve already provided will be determining for what’s appropriate to discuss and what isn’t.
Even if your kid has questions, you’re not obliged to answer comprehensively. Tell them that a specific conversation can be had later on or that they’re too young to understand the specifics. Telling your child to remind you about the question, later on, is a good way out of the situation.
Having a discussion about adult content is not easy but this is a normal part of life. Online media and the tech-savvy nature of little ones both contribute to new parental challenges you will have to handle as an adult.
If your child has already been exposed to inappropriate online content, you will first of all have to comfort them. There are websites out there that could be pretty disturbing even to an adult audience.
Tell your child that they haven’t done anything wrong. Once the initial emotions subside, you can move on to answering questions and providing a bit of important education. Remember that this is an ongoing process and maintain your involvement, even after the original discussion has been had
Last week, TLCCounting On stars Joy-Anna (Duggar) and Austin Forsyth revealed that their second child was stillborn at 20 weeks.
The little girl was due this November, however, when the pair went for their second trimester ultrasound and gender reveal, they learned the sad news that the baby’s heart had stopped beating.
A couple with Asian descent spent $100,000 to have two girl embryos implanted in the woman who wound up giving birth 9 months later to two non-Asian boys in a horrible mixup, a new lawsuit alleges.
The couple not only lost all their money, precious time, energy, pregnancy symptoms, labor and delivery, but in the end, they ended up having to give up custody to the twin boys that were carried to term.
[edited to add: Each of the boys born were genetically different and belonged to different parents each. The two boys had gotten accidentally implanted in the mom]
According to news reports about a lawsuit the couple filed, the babies were born in March after the New York couple traveled all the way to Los Angeles to undergo in vitro fertilization.
The couple, identified in the lawsuit as A.P and Y.Z., say that they first consulted CHA Fertility Center in January 2018, and that a first attempt at in vitro fertilization in July failed, NY Post reports.
There was a red flag during the process, however.
According to The New York Post, a second attempt just a month later was successful, but the couple claims that they raised alarm early on in the pregnancy after they were told they were carrying twin boys, as they had only unfrozen two female embryos.
Dr. Joshua Berger and Simon Hong, co-owners of CHA Fertility Center, allegedly told the couple that the sonogram was “not a definitive test” and let them continue through the pregnancy thinking they would be welcoming twin girls, the lawsuit alleges.
A genetic test confirmed the babies shared neither of the parents DNA.
According to the lawsuit, the couple was forced to give custody of each child to their biological parents, who are also clients of CHA Fertility Center. They also do not know what became of their two female embryos
Congrats to Bravo TV‘s Real Housewives of Potomac star Ashley Darbyand her husband, restaurateur, Michael Darby on the birth of their first child, a son.
The athleisure wear founder shared the news of the arrival with her fans and followers on Instagram by posting a photo of her Michael holding their son in the hospital while she rested.
“I never thought this day would come,” Ashley shared with her fans.“When I learned I was pregnant, I started thinking about when I’d feel the first kicks,” she added. “Then, when I was feeling the flutters, I wanted to know when I’d finally start to show. After watching the bump grow, my mind went to birthing day (WILL THIS REALLY HAPPEN?!) And when the day finally came that this sweet child came into our world, it felt like the sunniest day after a sky filled grey. The most sensational day of our shared life. Mickey and I are savoring every moment with our wonderful son.”
Just six days ago, she shared a sweet Instagram post about making it to the finish line and reaching 40 weeks.
The couple announced they were expecting this past February after suffering a miscarriage which was part of their storyline in their hit reality TV show.
The story line also includes open discussions about their marital problems, near divorce, Michael’s strained relationship with Ashley’s mom, their disagreement about whether to have children and finally, this season, their reconcile and work on starting a family.
Congrats! No news on the name of the bouncing baby boy yet.
Whether you’re a spouse,
family member or friend, the birth of a new baby is always a joy. To celebrate
this joyous occasion, it’s natural to want to shower both baby and mom with
plenty of gifts.
Ideally, your gift
should be both heartfelt and thoughtful. However, in a market saturated with
baby gifts, it can be difficult to make a choice. Not all of us are
particularly great at gifting. While the thought really does count, buying the
new mum a wrong gift is a major boo-boo.
Oftentimes, new mums are
inundated with baby shoes and clothes amongst others. Get to know the
mother first and who knows, maybe she is a sports fan and you can give her a
themed baby gift. You would be surprised, but since we are in the NFL preseason, do you know the American football league has a section for toddlers, with bodysuits that have the badge or logo of the different teams?
But what about mum
herself? Doesn’t she deserve to enjoy herself to? To lend you a hand, here are
some great gifting ideas for the new mum.
1. Gift cards
While not the most
original, gift cards allow the new mum to buy herself or baby something nice.
After the initial stress of childbirth, she should be allowed to reward
herself. For a different take, you can also put together an assortment of gift
cards for the new mum. This allows her to pick and choose gifts for her and the
baby.
2. A spa session
While we can all agree
that childbirth is a beautiful thing, the entire experience often leaves new
mums drained and tired. This is why a comprehensive spa session may be just
what the doctor ordered. From relaxing deep tissue massages to cleansing body
scrubs, she’ll leave the spa feeling refreshed and energized.
3. The Amazon Echo Dot
Chances are mum’s gonna
have her hands full caring for her bundle of joy. Why not lend her a hand with
the Amazon Echo Dot, a voice-controlled virtual assistant. With the Echo Dot, let
Alexa lend a hand around the house. Whether you’re making appointments with the
pediatrician or checking the weather, the Echo Dot is a great gift for
tech-savvy mummies out there.
4. Personalized clothing
The birth of a child
should be a commemorative affair for the entire household. For something a bit
special, personalized clothing like a t-shirt for mum and a jumper for baby are
a great choice. The t-shirt and jumper can have baby’s name and date of birth
or something cutesy like a picture embroidered on.
5. A yoga mat
Post-birth, mum would
most likely be very eager to shed off those pounds. So why not help her out by
giving her with a yoga mat. Yoga is a low-impact form of exercise that helps
new mum’s shed weight. Along with this, yoga helps to relax the mind and reduce
stress, all of which would be extremely helpful for a new mother.
6. Baby car seat
For any parent, the
safety and wellbeing of their child is number one. This is even more so for the
mum and dad of a newborn baby. Give them the gift of safety with a top-quality
baby car seat. These car seats are designed to transport a new-born baby safely
and comfortably thus giving mum or dad peace of mind when they’re on the road.
7. Baby accessories
Besides being absolutely
adorable, baby accessories also ensure that baby is warm and comfortable at all
times. With their weak immune systems, it’s fairly easy for a newborn child to
catch a chill. A baby cap will protect the little one from catching a chill
while baby mittens will protect him/her from accidentally scratching
themselves.
8. Maternity bras
Nursing the newborn baby
can be a challenge for any mum as breastfeeding can mean sore or tender
breasts. So, give her all the support she needs with a quality maternity bra.
These bras are specially designed to be soft and easy to wear while also making
feeding baby a cinch.
