Trying to boost your milk supply? There are a lot of ways to do that, but why not try the yummiest? There are so many tasty recipes for lactation treats out there, we can hardly count them all. Everything from cookies to smoothies -- whatever you crave, there's probably a milk-inducing version of it.

We've found 8 scrumptious recipes loaded with natural galactagogues, those special ingredients that help you make more milk. So enjoy snacking and lactating, mama!

More from The Stir: 5 'Controversial' Foods Breastfeeding Moms Should Know About

Image ©iStock/softservegirl

As parents, we sometimes send our kids off to daycare or school and hope they don't come home every other week with a cold, the flu, a cough, or any other kind of germy thing that happens when you have a bunch of dribbling, putting nearly everything in their mouth kinds of little ones together in the same playroom. But it's inevitable. Kids get sick. Sometimes we blame other kids for our own kids getting sick, but in order to not blame anyone, you have to live inside a tiny bubble without ever letting anyone in. So, kids get sick.

Oklahoma mom Consuela Smith is upset that her 1-year-old daughter is believed to have contracted herpes from her daycare teacher at ChildTime. I don't blame her -- any time our kids get sick, it is upsetting. But it is herpes simplex 1, a very common viral infection of the mouth that kids contract. It is not a sexually transmitted disease.

Smith said that her daughter has multiple sores in and around her mouth, and some are bleeding. I feel awful for this child, as it must be very painful and also difficult to treat since a baby that age is often putting everything into her mouth, including her hands, and then touching many other things. The mom reportedly said that one of the daycare workers has herpes simplex 1. It doesn't seem that there was any intentional wrongdoing. ChildTime issued this statement:

Our children’s well-being is of the utmost importance to us. We have strict policies and procedures to ensure we meet or exceed regulatory guidelines on health and safety. We take every precaution to prevent the spread of germs or illness, and investigate any reported concerns. 

Having cold sores isn't as scary as it may seem, even for children. It's awful, yes. Unsightly. Often painful. But I must stress that this is not an STD. Doctors have reported that the first outbreak tends to be the worst and how common herpes simplex 1 is. It can be spread easily, especially from one child to another. This makes a daycare setting particularly susceptible -- even at the cleanest facilities. Many adults who have oral herpes contracted it as a child.

There is an oral medicine a child can take to fight the virus and a numbing agent to use on the sores to ease any pain. Many experts suggest cool drinks and easy-to-swallow foods like applesauce and yogurt because sometimes the blisters are in the throat, making eating painful. It's often preceded by a fever. If you think your child has oral herpes, see a doctor. Most kids recover within 10 days -- and for many the virus stays inactive making new outbreaks rare. With any virus -- and general health care -- of course we should make sure our kids wash their hands often, and try to avoid them putting their hands in their mouth. If they are infected (or another child is), make sure they avoid sharing toys, utensils, and cups with each other. And no kissing.  

More from The Stir: Stop Sending Your Sick Kid to School or Start Paying My Pediatrician Bills

And unless a daycare has a special sick room, it's a good idea to keep a child with something contagious home until they are well.

I hope this child gets well fast.

Are you concerned about your child catching something like this at daycare? What would you do if this was your child?

Image ©iStock.com/Elkor

Proving for the millionth time that Snooki truly is Lucy to JWoww's Ethel (please say you get this reference, or else make believe you do), the adorable former Jersey Shore star gave her BFF and fiance Roger Mathews the surprise of their lives when they returned home from giving birth to Meilani Alexandra. Just two days after poor Jenni experienced the most pain of her entire life, she returned to her home to find Snook had thrown her a surprise party. Like, with balloons. And other people. Oh, and a freaking mariachi band.

Hold on, I think I just heard Ricky shout, "Snoooooookiiiii!"

So we know Snooki is all about the good times and Jenni definitely used to be the same way. It's possible Nicole knew her pal would want nothing more than to arrive home and get all the new baby meet-and-greets out of the way right then and there. And it's a smart plan, actually: instead of having to get all dolled up several times in the few weeks after birth because everybody you know wants to visit, you just make sure you look your best for one day and then prepare to hibernate for the next six months.

Genius, really.

And, sure, my first thought was: are you serious? A mariachi band is playing on my front steps while I'm still cramping and my boobs are killing me and I haven't slept in two days -- uh, great, thanks? But as Lorenzo's mommy, who has a little girl of her own on the way, Snooki knows what the rest of us moms know so well: two days after birth ain't nothing. Your precious newborn is, more or less, still a sleeping wonder. Just wait until three weeks after birth -- ugh, or the dreaded five-week growth spurt. At that point, you're so sleep deprived, you'll think nothing of using a mariachi instrument as a weapon.

Still, I have to wonder if JWoww secretly wanted to kill her best friend for going to such extreme lengths. Don't get me wrong, she's the sweetest person alive for throwing her this amazing party, but holy cow, postpartum hormones make it a wee bit difficult to see it that way.

I guess we'll find out how Jenni really felt when Snooki gives birth in a few months. Remember, JWoww, nothing says "welcome home from popping out a human" like a male stripper jumping out of an enormous pink cake.

Would you want your friend to throw you a surprise party when you return home from the hospital after giving birth?

Image via PacificCoastNews

If you could use a restoration of your faith in humanity, look no further than the inspiring turn of events that transpired recently when a father named Nathen Steffelposted a photo of his infant daughter Sophia on Reddit, writing, "My daughter recently passed away after a long battle in the children's hospital. Since she was in the hospital her whole life we never were able to get a photo without all her tubes. Can someone remove the tubes from this photo?" Tragically, little Sophia suffered a hepatic hemangioma in her liver at just 6 weeks old.

Incredibly, people responded big time to Steffel's request. Users posted a slew of PhotoShopped, painted, or drawn portraits. But that's not all ... Steffel got even more than the photos, way more than he ever bargained for.

He told HuffPo he was "emotionally taken back by all the support and personal messages from families who shared a similar experience of grief." So amazing.

It's one thing for someone going through a tragedy like this to have any support -- ALL the support they can get! But the kind of support they can get from others who've been there, who can really speak to having been in that same boat, is especially comforting. Those other parents can truly be an anchor for parents like Steffel, who are going through such a challenging, uncertain time as they attempt to cope with the loss of a child.

It can't always be easy for parents who have gone through this to speak up and reach out to others experiencing it currently -- for a variety of reasons, from not wanting to drudge up emotions or just not being able to verbalize how they felt at the time. But that's what makes it even more amazing to know Steffel and his wife have heard from others who've been there. That they have them to lean on while remembering their daughter and moving forward. The photos he received were beautiful unto themselves, but the outpouring of support is really what takes this heart-rending story to the next level.

Has an empathetic fellow parent's support ever helped you better cope with a personal struggle?

Image via Nathen Steffel/Reddit

Lindsey Monroe admits that back before she had her now 3-year-old son, Oliver, her work was "180 degrees" from what it is today. But she was lacking passion in her corporate marketing and communications job, and after having Oliver, she says she felt even more lost in her professional life. As it turned out, Lindsey didn't have to look any further than her own childbirth experience to identify the right career track. Today, the 29-year-old mom is a trained professional doulain Lake Forest, Illinois. She's also expecting her second son in November and her career has most definitely influenced how she's planning to bring him into the world. Although Oliver was delivered in a hospital, Lindsey's planning on a home birth this time around.

Lindsey talked to The Stir about her job as a caregiver to so many other women as they bring life into the world and how her career is shaping her birth plan this time around.

What inspired you to become a doula?
When Oliver was born, my husband and I were living in California and hired a doula, because we didn't have any family around. So that experience of hiring a doula and this road we went down and the type of birth we had just totally changed my experience. I went into motherhood feeling super-confident. I thought how different the start of motherhood could have looked for me had I not hired a doula, and that propelled me down this other professional path. I also got into doula work thinking I wanted to share my story of this amazing, unmedicated birth experience. I couldn't believe more people weren't talking about it.

How did you come to deciding that Oliver would be born at a hospital?
At the time, we didn't even think twice about having our baby in the hospital. It was a hospital birth with an OB/GYN and our doula, and we actually had a really lovely, unmedicated experience.

Why give birth at home this time?
We were actually really limited in the places that we could have our baby this time around, based on insurance. My husband works for the University of Chicago, so we would have to have our baby at that hospital, and I wasn't comfortable knowing that's a really research-based hospital, and they do birth from a really medical perspective. That's great if you're high risk or if you're okay going down that path, but I wasn't willing to take that risk. So, our other option was paying out-of-pocket to have a home birth. My first baby came pretty quickly, and we had this uneventful first birth, so making the decision to have a home birth, we feel confident and safe and prepared in that decision. And I have a husband who is on-board with it and feels comfortable with it, which I think is very important, to have someone who isn't fearful of a home birth.

So, who does a doula choose to be on her birth team when she's the one giving birth?
My midwife is through Gentle Birth Care, the biggest certified midwife group in Chicago. They have built strong relationships with providers, so if there happened to be a complication, we could go to a hospital they're allowed to practice out of. My husband plays a huge role, and then we'll have my doula [also Lindsey's business partner], an assistant to the midwife -- kind of like a nurse would be at the hospital -- and our 3-year-old will take part in the experience, too. He'll be home, but we'll probably have my mom or my sister be here for him, so he can be a part of it at points that seem appropriate.

What are you looking forward to about having a home birth vs. your hospital experience?
Being in a really comfortable environment is what's so appealing about a home birth. Being surrounded by all these people who love and care about me, and it's not such a sterile environment. I feel like they truly know me as opposed to when Oliver was born. I had four or five OB/GYNs at the practice, all of whom were really great and pleasant every time we saw them, but I never felt personally connected to them, so I think I'm looking forward to just being surrounded by familiar faces in a comfortable place. In the hospital, while I had an unmedicated birth, it was kind of out of control. The way I envision this birth is much more peaceful and having a much more calm environment than the first time around.

How have your patients influenced how you're doing things this time around?
The first time around, it was more about acquiring knowledge -- why are so many women having cesareans, what's the benefit of not having an epidural, etc. This time around, I want to incorporate what I've seen women accomplish in a calm, beautiful way. I've seen women achieve that state of mind during hypnobirthing and really get into that space and achieve that. That's something I've seen happen, and I would love to get there myself.

In addition to hypnobirthing, what are some other techniques you've seen your patients use successfully that you're adopting?
My husband and I listen to the hypnobirthing CDs together at night, so he has an understanding of what state of mind I'm gonna try to achieve at the birth. So, it's about relaxation, letting go, visualizing. I'm a really active person. I ran a 10K at 6 months [with Oliver]. This time around, I'm doing more exercises that are about me and the baby. So I'm doing yoga and different types of positioning, where I envision the birth while I'm doing exercises. And I recently took a two-day retreat called Sacred Pregnancy for moms, all around creating sacred space for yourself. It was a way to just spend time with the fact that I'm pregnant again and life is so busy, and I'm running after a 3-year-old, but I really want to connect with this baby. I'm trying to connect more emotionally this time and just be present for the experience.

More from The Stir: Do I Need a Doula? 11 Good Reasons to Use One

Can you think of any drawbacks being a doula has had on your birth plan?
I have tried to take myself out of the professional birth world with this baby. It's kind of hard and impossible, but I just wanted our choices to be about us and our family. I do know based on my experience that birth doesn't always go as planned. I know a little bit more than I should in terms of some risks. For example, I took a workshop on shoulder dystocia (when the baby's shoulder is stuck in the birth canal), which leads me down this path of wondering, 'What would we do in that situation at home?' and asking 101 questions about shoulder dystocia for myself! It's important to be educated on the risks, but so is being able to step back. I'm scared that I won't be able to get outside of my own head and just allow myself to be this laboring mother and not [thinking], 'Oh, I wonder if I should get into this position right now, because this could really help me!'

What about your line of work will make this birth easier?
I have this built-in community of people who support us in this decision. I feel like there's this whole misconception of what home birth can be and people who work in the community understand it. Outside of the birth community, I feel like we do get judged for this decision. Also, I feel like I'm far less fearful of the experience now that I've seen birth in such a normal light. I've seen the different stages. With the birth of my first, there's this fear I carried around of what it was going to be like and whether I'd be able to handle it. I've released a lot of that from my own personal experience.

Image via Lindsey Monroe

Here's something terrifying: So far this year alone, 15 kids have died from heatstroke after being left in their parents' cars -- and it's only July. According to KidsandCars.org, on average, 38 children die every year from vehicular heatstrokeafter being forgotten in cars. Now, you may think you're not the "type" to leave your child in your car, but the scary reality is there is no type. In the last decade alone, parents from all walks of life -- pediatricians, soldiers, nurses, rocket scientists -- have accidentally left their kids in the car with dire results.

More From The Stir: 'I Left My Baby in a Hot Car': One Mom Shares Her Tragic Story

"The stories of these deaths often follow the same trend: parents falling out of their usual routines, or leaving their children in the hands of others who are not normally involved in caretaking," says Deborah Hersman, president & CEO of the National Safety Council. "While most stories don’t occupy national headlines, the end result is the same. A life ending too soon."

Whether you think you would never in a million years forget your child in the car, please read these 7 tips for making sure you don't leave your child in the carthis summer. Better to be safe than sorry.

Do you have any tricks for making sure you remember your child is in the back seat?

Images via © istock.com/HStarr; © Tracy Kahn/CORBIS

Lots of women worry about what their breasts are going to look like after breastfeeding. It's a totally normal concern, of course. But imagine how your worries would be intensified if you were the star of a hit HBO show that often required you to bare your breasts while in bed with Alexander Skarsgard.

Anna Paquin, we feel your pain.

True Blood's Sookie Stackhouse, who gave birth to twins in 2012 with co-star and husband Stephen Moyer, recently revealed something about her post-breastfeeding breasts on Late Night With Seth Meyers that a whole lot of fellow mommies can relate to.

"It turns out that pre-baby t-ts are, like, so much bigger than post-baby t-ts," Paquin joked. "Sorry, babies."

The actress went on to correct herself by calling them "post-breastfeeding breasts," but we all know far too well what the girl was talking about.

Her breasts shrunk so much, she says, that her True Blood season 1 costume had to be altered (the new season features a flashback sequence that required Paquin to wear the same pretty floral dress she donned when she was all of 25).

As a mom who breastfed for all of five seconds with my first baby and has just, like, three minutes ago began the weaning process with my second baby, I can attest to the fact that your breasts turn on you after pregnancy. I'm not so sure this has as much to do with breastfeeding as it does simply being preggers (like I said, I've experienced body changes after being both a formula mom and a breastfeeding mom).

When my milk first came in, it was a lot of fun to play dress-up with boobs that defied logic. But then I really don't want to have to buy a whole new wardrobe, and I can't wear my cute shirts anymore, and this isn't as much fun anymore, so can they please shrink ... just a little bit?

And then, in my experience at least, your breasts go and answer your prayers -- and then some -- by shrinking a whole lot more than they're supposed to.

With baby #1, I found that my breasts went back to their original cup size a few months after I gave birth. Were they the pert, always-alert beauties that they were when I was 16? Um, no. But does any woman truly believe their breasts won't change after a few years, regardless of whether they decide to have a baby and/or breastfeed?

I'm biting my nails waiting to see what my boobs decide to do after this pregnancy. It's interesting how breasts are just breasts and aren't at all temperamental for most of your life, and then you get pregnant and, wham, they decide to have an opinion about their appearance. They get all fickle on you and inflate one day, deflate the next, grow another centimeter when you least expect it, etc.

But, like Paquin reminded everyone, as long as our babies are healthy and strong, breast changes are well worth it.

Did your breasts change after you gave birth/breastfed?

Image via Celebrity Monitor/PacificCoastNews

Everybody say awww! Olivia Wilde posted the sweetest picture of her 3-month-old son Otis Alexander Sudeikis on Instagram on Thursday, and we're already as smitten with this little guy as she obviously is.

The 30-year-old new mom added the caption to the snapshot, "Rock and roll, baby," which is totally appropriate since the little guy was named after the King of Soul himself, Otis Redding. "I've always been a huge fan," she said in June.

In the photo, Wilde is seen from behind, walking through the park while wearing a "ROCK AND ROLL" sweatshirt. Adorable little Otis is looking back over her shoulder, snuggled in a soft gray hoodie with animal ears. Basically, it's too cute for words.

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Couldn't you just eat him up? Or at the very least tickle his little cheeks? I bet his mom and dad (Jason Sudeikis) just can't get enough of him.

On a scale from one to eleven, how cute is this little bundle of baby boy?

Image via Pulicciano/Flickr

Imagine getting over the hurdles of breastfeeding when baby is born. No concerns that your milk is coming in. Baby has perfected her latch. You've found the right angle and position that works best to nurse your baby without hurting your shoulders and neck. You've finally gotten comfortable with it all. It's quite a victory. And then you're faced with the outside world and all their crazy notions that breastfeeding is an act that should be hidden from view.

But one cafe made a small gesture that gives a huge amount of support to moms who breastfeed -- they put up a sign addressing breastfeeding moms directly.

Emma O'Connor, the general manager of Brasserie Blanc in Cheltenham, England, put up this sign offering breastfeeding moms a free cup of tea to relax. (O'Connor also said the offer was for bottlefeeding moms as well.)

The UK is a place where it is illegal to discriminate against a breastfeeding mother, and yet this sign is still needed. Because society as a whole just isn't on board (in the UK or here). Laws aren't enough. We need support from friends, family, business owners, passersby. As a breastfeeding mom, there is often that hesitation when out and about to breastfeed. You think ... who is watching, who will scoff, will I get looks, will I be uncomfortable because people are looking or scowling? As a breastfeeding mom, we worry about these things because of the things we hear that happened to other breastfeeding moms, because of the fact that everyone wants us to wear a coverup. Women on planes get harassed for nursing baby, we get kicked out of stores, museums, even told to leave family court. So the fact that this restaurant went out of their way to put up a sign welcoming breastfeeding moms, allowing us to really relax, is so welcomed. Thank you. Thank you to anyone who has ever supported a breastfeeding mom.

These are the people who believe moms and babies should be banished to bathrooms, or babies should be kept under a tent mama wears around her neck because it would burn eyes out if anyone caught a glimpse of a baby nourishing herself with some breast milk. This is a reality breastfeeding moms face everywhere we go no matter what the rules are. Gestures of support and encouragement will only help others see breastfeeding as normal, common, not obscene in the least bit. We can only hope.

What do you think of this cafe putting up this sign?

Image via Daniel Lobo/Flickr

It's not easy being a mommy to two or more children -- especially when you're trying to incorporate the demands of breastfeeding into a schedule that takes your older child's needs into account. Schools, of all places, should be advocates for parents and make it as accommodating as possible for them to fulfill their kids' physical, social, and emotional needs.

And that's why it's super shocking that a mom in Utah was instructed to put her breasts away -- I should say, to put her already covered breasts away -- and stop nursing her babywhile volunteering her time at her older child's school.

Andrea Scannell attended a school lunch program with her family at Mount Logan Middle School. Like all of us selfish moms who drop everything we're doing to feed our child from our breast because we are just dying to offend people, she took time out from volunteering to nourish her baby.

And for her efforts, she was handed a letter written by the principal of the school that stated: "The concern is with the exposed breastfeeding of your baby. As a public school, we have children of all ages attending the lunch program. We also have numerous adults who share a wide variety of personal views and views on raising their own children."

By the sound of it, you'd think Scannell was publicly flogging her child as a form of discipline rather than providing her with the nutrients she needs to grow up and become a human being with more common sense than the people who complained about this mom nursing her child.

The school district explained that they just want to make sure everyone attending the program feels comfortable. And I'd be 100 percent behind them IF Scannell was actually exposing her breasts in front of middle school-aged children. But she, like so many of us, says she takes great care to cover up (don't even get me started on our society's infantile views on breasts, but you know, that's a topic for another day).

I'm disappointed that school administrators would risk losing a caring, dedicated parent -- those who can and agree to volunteer their time are rare -- because they fear a few parents don't want to deal with their sixth grader asking what Mrs. Scannell is doing with her baby behind a blanket.

Answer #1: "She's breastfeeding her child." There. Was that so difficult to say?

Answer #2: "Oh, like you don't know?" Because, chances are, a child in middle school isn't going to be scandalized by the notion of nursing. They've probably heard about plenty of things the human body can do. Knowing a woman's breasts are so miraculous that they provide food might actually discourage little boys from sexualizing and evaluating every part of a girl's body when they grow up. It might even encourage young girls to think of their bodies and breasts as more than tools they can use to grab a guy's attention.

But I guess we should continue to be offended by breasts that are doing their job. Covered-up breasts that are doing their job.

Do you think the school was right or wrong for asking this mom to not breastfeed in the building?

Image ©iStock.com/manley099

Carey D. Andrew-Jaja, M.D. may be an OB/GYN, but he can also add "viral sensation" to his resume now. The cheerful physician has become internationally known since word got out that at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Magee-Women's Hospital in Pennsylvania, he's known as the "singingdoctor." For almost 30 years and while delivering more than 8,000 babies, Andrew-Jaja has been welcoming little ones into the world with song. His first choice is usually "Happy Birthday," but he'll also sing other songs by parents' request or pull out one of his "greatest hits" -- like "It's a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong or "Not While I'm Around" from the Stephen Sondheim musical Sweeney Todd -- for newborns and their families after deliveries.

It's a tradition that has touched so many moms and their babies over the years.

"I will never forget Dr. Andrew-Jaja singing 'Happy Birthday' to my firstborn!" shared one patient named Joann Bolish-Anderson on the hospital's Facebook page. "It's been 19 years, but that heartwarming smile and exuberant personality are still as infectious as the day she was born!"

Another patient named Jennifurr Brazell recalls, "He was to deliver my second daughter, but she came 15 minutes before he got there. Still, he came in to sing to her."

The tradition is one that goes way back -- to Andrew-Jaja's childhood. As he explains to The Stir, "I have always loved to sing, and it was a part of my upbringing. I was in the choir from the time I was about 7-8 years old up through high school. Then, so I wouldn't embarrass myself or shock my friends when I sing, I found a voice teacher in the late '80s to polish me up! I love to sing."

Of course, his love for music wasn't something Andrew-Jaja thought he would be able to incorporate into his medical career -- that is, until his residency, when his attending physician, Frank Arch, M.D., OB/GYN, who he calls a "lovable man," sang to babies occasionally and encouraged Andrew-Jaja to sing in the operating room with him. "So, that made me feel comfortable with the notion," explains Andrew-Jaja. "And when I finished my residency, Dr. Arch was about to retire, and he asked me to take on the tradition." Clearly, Andrew-Jaja ran with his mentor's request! He says he sings for "every single delivery" if he can.

The doctor has also gone to great lengths to brighten his patients' day. He recalls how one Irish patient, who was naming her son Danny, asked him to sing the Irish traditional tune, "Danny Boy." "I had never sung it before, so I went online, looked up the lyrics, memorized it very quickly," Andrew-Jaja explains. "The parents loved it. They had tears in their eyes."

Though that's just one example of many in which parents have shown their gratitude to Andrew-Jaja for his singing, he says he knows it's not just about the singing or the songs themselves. "It's a easy way to connect with people for me," he says. "When you sing to a family, they just feel immediately that you're related, and that they can speak to you about things. It's a good icebreaker. And I see that baby and that mom, who has gone through so much to get through that point, and recognizing that with a song is a beautiful thing. If I picked up a microphone and sang the same songs at a concert, it would have no impact. It is about the baby and the mother. That is what is doing the magic."

Perhaps that's true, but Andrew-Jaja shouldn't sell himself short! It's also his devotion to celebrating the miracle of life through song that is bringing even more beauty and joy into one of the biggest moments in his patients' lives.

Here's a video of Andrew-Jaja in action ...

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

What do you think about Dr. Andrew-Jaja's tradition?

Stealing from a baby is just asking for trouble. Just look to Charlie the beagle, who quickly learned his lesson when the dog stole toys from his human sibling. He did, however, apologize to the baby girl once she started crying by showering her with every single imaginable toy.

Including a PlayStation controller. And the entire contents of the toy box. Check it out:

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Now that's how you win back a friend! And quickly learn not to take what isn't yours.

More from The Stir: Baby Gets Unforgettable Crawling Lesson From Family Dog (VIDEO)

Plus, how adorable is it that Charlie knew exactly what had gone wrong? It's moments like this when we realize just now in-tune our pets are to our kids!

How do your babies (both human and furry) get along?

Image via Thomas/Flickr

One of the most wonderful parts of summer is enjoying fun in the sun on the beach, though I think we can all agree that visiting the beach with a baby in tow is no picnic. From the extra gear you need to pack to survive the day, the diapers full of sand, and the constant worry about baby getting a sunburn -- it's really a wonder that any parent attempts such a feat at all.

Here are 13 photos that pretty much sum up why babies and beaches are simply NOT a winning combination.

More from The Stir: 12 Beach Tips for Parents Who Hate Sand But Love the Ocean

Do you enjoy taking your baby to the beach?

Image via ©iStock.com/digitalskillet

Jessica Simpson has two beautiful babies -- emphasis on the word babies, as Maxwell is 2 and Ace is just 13 months old. Two under 3. Two in diapers. Are you exhausted just thinking about it?

The 34-year-old singer announced something on her Instagram that doesn't surprise me in the least: while posing with her adorable friend's son, Jack, she wrote, "I love you Jack, but I do not want another!!" The star makes truly beautiful children -- um, with a little help from her husband, Eric Johnson, of course -- but in this case, I do not blame her one bit for only wanting two children.

Like Simpson, I had two children within three years of one another. My daughter just turned 3 and my son just turned 3 months old. As my baby quickly outgrows his clothing, I have been bagging his onesies and adorably impractical vests and button-down shirts in order to donate them to Good Will. But my mother keeps warning me to save them "for just a little bit longer," and the wistful look on her face says it all: she thinks I might just gift her with another grandson or granddaughter.

Sorry -- I love you, mom -- but not for all the tea in China. Not happening. Nope. No way.

I understand why some of my friends, whose children are older and further apart in age, begin thinking about having another baby -- just as they begin being able to have date nights again and sleep through the night (every night, not three out of seven nights). They miss the newborn baby smell. The newborn baby cuddliness. The newborn baby inability to scream in your face that he or she wants a cookie right now "or else."

They want to coo again. They see this as their last opportunity to create a family that won't fit comfortably in your average car, but that will enjoy one hell of a fun Christmas.

But when you have children really close in age  -- and when those children share similar baby qualities at the same time -- you kind of get your "fill" of the baby years. You feel so tired and preoccupied at ALL times -- with the constant feeding, breastfeeding, washing bottles, making formula, changing diapers, potty training, playing, teaching, coloring, taking to doctor appointments, giving time-outs, etc, etc. -- that you feel too zonked to contemplate having a third.

Where would you even find time to give birth to another baby with all you have to do?

I won't lie. I've had moments where I've thought: this is the LAST time I'll ever have a 3-month-old. This is the LAST time I'm ever going to breastfeed any baby, ever (because Salma Hayek, I am not). And these are sad thoughts that make me want to cling to my son and keep him a baby just a little bit longer.

But these thoughts are quickly interrupted by a crying infant. An adorable toddler who wants to play princess tea party with me.

And I can't imagine a third baby in the cards any time soon. But never say never, right?

Right, Jessica?!

How did you know when it was time to stop having more babies?

Image via Jessica Simpson/Instagram

If you've got a summer baby, welcome to the club! There are more babies born in the summer in America than any other season.

It's certainly not a bad time to give birth -- less fears of germs getting your baby sick and plenty of sunshiney days for backyard birthday parties when they're older. But what does having a baby in summertime mean for your child as they grow up?

Turns out the season when you were born can have a real effect on everything from your health to your personality! Check out what the scientists have found out about summer babies:

1. They're destined for mediocrity. Think your little Cancer or Leo is bound for the stars? Well, think again. When researchers from the University of British Columbia looked at the birth dates of the CEOs of some 375 S&P 500 companies, they found a shocking disparity. Turns out only 6.1 percent were born in June and 5.9 percent were born in July.

2. They're klutzier. Well, your little Junebug is, anyway. A report in the Journal of Sports Medicine shares findings that children born in the fall are better athletes than their peers, but especially better than babies born in April, May, and June.

3. They're less depressed. Sunshine really does equal a sunny, happy disposition, at least according to a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Scientists at Vanderbilt University looked at mice to determine that summer light cycles tended to reduce the risk of seasonal affective disorder (winter depression), bipolar depression, and schizophrenia for summer-borns and heighten it for winter-borns.

More From The Stir: 10 Surprising Facts About Babies Born During the Winter

4. They're more likely to be dyslexic. According to a study published by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1993, early summer birth accounts for as much as 71 percent of cases of dyslexia.

5. They weigh less at birth. Not necessarily a bad thing! But big birth weight comes if you conceive -- rather than give birth -- during summer. Or so say Economists Janet Currie and Hannes Schwandt of Princeton University who looked at birth data for seasonal patterns. According to their research, moms who got pregnant any time between June and August gained more weight during their pregnancies and gave birth to infants who were, on average, about eight grams heavier than those born in other months.

6. They're smarter -- if they're female. When a neuroscientist at Columbia University Medical Center looked at the gray matter in the brains of winter-borns and summer-borns, he found that men born in June had less than their December counterparts. The women were the opposite! Summer-born women had more! Pair that with science that says thicker gray matter makes one smarter, and there you have it!

7. They're wild. Is your summer baby on the naughty side? Don't blame them! Blame their birthday! When researchers at Australia's Queensland University of Technology matched the birth months of nearly 5,000 kids ages 4 and 5 with their results from a behavioral screening questionnaire, they found the summer babies had a harder time with consideration of others, sharing, temperament, fidgeting, concentration, and ability to make friends. (Note: Because this study comes from Australia, summer birth is defined as November to January, while winter is May to July.) Their guess is that moms who give birth in summer miss peak sunshine during their pregnancy, and the lack of vitamin D actually affects baby's temperament. 

8. They're at a (slightly) higher risk for celiac disease. You can blame all the talk about gluten intolerance on summer-borns, according to scientists out of Sweden who surmised that summer babies are typically introduced to solid foods in winter when viral infections are more prevalent. Apparently there's a possible link between early viral infections and one's risk of developing celiac disease.

9. They're optimists. When scientists in Britain and Sweden ran a survey, asking people to share their date of birth and then respond to 13 different statements about their belief in luck and their personality, they found winter-borns were more likely to give pessimistic answers, and summer-borns to do the opposite.

10. They have a higher risk of vision problems. A look at the birth dates of Israeli soldiers with myopia (better known as being near-sighted) found there was a 25 percent higher chance of having trouble seeing if you were born in June or July. Another study in Britain supported the findings.

11. They struggle in school. That is if they live in an area where the age cut-off for school is in or right around summer. Being the youngest in the class has been linked by numerous studies to problems in the early years in school -- from academics to being bullied.

Which one holds true for YOUR summer baby?

Images via © iStock.com/cronopios and ©iStock.com/uvendemir 

Parents are a child's first teacher. And face it, that little mumbling and teetering tot learns everything from you: how to talk, how to stand, and even how to walk. And at some points, you can be amazed just how incredible their impersonation of you can be. Take one comic-in-the-making, for example, who has perfected his imitation of mom, complete with grunts and a forward-facing belly. That's right, the baby walks just like his pregnant mom.

And it's all with the flip of a switch. That just makes this video so much better. Take a look:

See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.

Come on, how great is that? Immediately, he knows exactly how to change his posture, his expression, and even his sound bites. Absolutely golden.

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Be honest, moms, how many times has this happened to you? So often, it's the crazy things kids do that make us laugh the most. And even though we may not always consider it, they take in and copy most little things we do. They may be tiny, but they surely take notice. We're so thankful for it too, because seeing an itty-bitty munchkin waddle like his pregnant momma is hilarious enough to leave us lol-ing in our seats.

Do your babies ever mimic what you're doing?

Image via Dermot O'Halloran/Flickr

New and expectant moms are constantly fielding questions about what baby name they've picked out, and pretty much 99.9 percent of the time, it's assumed that the inquiry is about the kid's first name -- not the last name. That's obviously going to be the father's, right? Not necessarily! More and more, parents are choosing to give their children the mother's maiden name, a hyphenated name, or even a blended name (in addition to going the traditional route and using dad's, of course).

Research done over a decade ago, published in The Social Science Journal, found that while about 90 percent of women with an unconventional married name still gave their kids their husband's last name, sticking to a cohesive family name seemed to be declining in importance -- for a variety of reasons.

Here, moms explain which route they chose to go with their little one's surname and why.

Kept it traditional

"I didn’t change my name when I got married for a few reasons. Because I’m a writer and because it was my identity, but because I also happen to think that it’s an antiquated tradition that we must adopt our husband’s name and become someone different than we were before. If you want to, fabulous. I just didn’t. That said, I didn’t want to give my daughter (or future kids) a hard-to-pronounce hyphenate of a last name that would make them sound like a law firm. And I wasn’t that attached to them having my last name, so we’ll give all of them my husband’s last name. For everything from school to doctor’s appointments to just not being too precious, I thought it was just easier. So far, it’s worked out fine, but my daughter is just a toddler, so she can’t ask questions yet." -Carrie

"My kids have their dad's last name. Just because, to me, that was what you do. That's carrying on their name." -April

"Gave both the boys their dad's last name. Felt fine about it, mostly because I hate hyphenated names, and because my husband is an only child and his parents passed away not long before we got married. It was nice to surround my husband with a "new family" that carries his name. Also, gave our youngest my last name as his middle name, as a way to give a nod to not only me, my dad, and my brother, but to my grandfather on up the family line." -Sheri

"We decided to give our daughter my maiden name as her middle name and my husband's last name. This way, my last name is continued, and if our daughter decides to hyphenate, should she decide to marry, both of our last names will be continued." -Jennifer

"The decision was easy for us. His last name is Hawkins; my maiden name is Woodall. We chose the one closer to the front of the alphabet. I should add that while tradition played a large role in it, personal feelings also did. My husband is adopted, and his children are his first biological relatives. It was important to me to add to that bond by them sharing his last name." -Angela

"I gave my daughter my husband's last name just because that seems to be the default for people who don't think about it much. Only after I gave birth, I really regretted not giving her my last name, since I'd done so much of the 'work' (being pregnant, giving birth, etc). If I could go back in time, I'd probably try to give her my last name." -Judy

"My husband and I came up with a list of first, middle, and last names (using his/mine) that we liked. Our daughter's last name really came down to the first and middle names we chose for her. They sounded better with his last name so that's what she got. Had we picked one of the first and middle names that flowed off the tongue better with my last name, we would have gone that way." -Suzanne

Got two for the price of one and hyphenated

"My kids are all hyphenated. When our first was born, my husband was actually surprised that I didn't just give her my name. I feel VERY strongly about keeping my own name for myself, but since the kids are part of both of us, they get both of our names." -Hope

"We hyphenated the last name, because we could not agree. We do not see ourselves getting married anytime soon." -Anonymous

"My daughter got my last name, because her father wasn't around. Then, once her father came into her life, he was trying to force me to change her name to his which I completely disagreed to for various reasons. He finally agreed to having her last name hyphenated with my last name coming first. [But] she doesn't even go by his last name at all." -Payton

Went with mom's last name

"I took my wife's last name when we got married, and our daughter shares that last name. It felt natural to us that as a family we all share the same last name." -Kris

"I chose to give my daughter my name for a multitude of reasons. Mostly, with the future of my relationship with her dad uncertain, I wanted her to share my family name. It's much easier to change it to his later if we were to get married. Some people gave me flack for bucking tradition, but it's also tradition to be married or get married once baby is in the picture. Some people were worried it meant I was denying the father paternity, but his name is still legally listed on her birth certificate. Plus, I like my last name. And I wanted her to feel like she belonged to a group. We have a big family with my last name, and on her dad's side, there is no one with that name other than her dad." -Susan

"Went with my own last name. Husband hates his!" -Anonymous

"My first child was given my last name. Her father didn't bother to stick around through the pregnancy, so why should she be stuck with his last name?" -Jennifer

"I kept my name when I married, and we gave my son my last name when he was born. I'm the point person for school, sports, etc., so it seemed easier for us to share a last name. To me, the tradition of giving a child the father's last name seems archaic and ego-centric." -Barbara

"I gave my son my name, but only because I didn't know his awesome grandparents at the time I was pregnant. My son's father has a completely different name than his father. Had I known the grandparents, I might have given my son their name, but with what I knew then I stand by my choice." -Nycolle

Went with something out of left field

"The baby has a double-barrelled name but with no hyphen. My name and my husband's name. We are married, but I kept my name and never use my husband's name. I will correct people if they use Mrs. X." -Anonymous

"Neither my husband nor I changed our names after we were married. We agreed that if we were to have children, any girls would take my last name, and any boys would have his. That is what we have done - two girls with my name, and one boy with his. My girls did not realize that our naming method was unusual until fairly recently (they are 7 and 9)." -Kass

"I don't intend on staying with my baby's father, and in fact, didn't even want to put him on the birth certificate, because I know he'll fight me on custody. I was going to give the baby his last name just because it means more to him than to me, but at this point, I'm actually thinking of just picking something (a family name probably) or going with my mother's maiden name." -Anonymous

"We opened a phone book and chose a name we liked." -Anonymous

More from The Stir: I Seriously Regret Taking My Husband’s Last Name

How did you decide what your child(ren)'s last name would be?

Image via AleksandarNakic/iStock

This is hard for me to write. I'm usually the 'I don't care what other people think' type of person, but I feel like I've let myself down too this time. Which makes this particular situation even worse, because it's not just about me.

I have five kids. With each one, my goal was to breastfeed for at least a year. I love everything about the concept of breastfeeding. The bonding, the not having to get up in the middle of the night to make bottles, the benefits for mom and baby, donating milk to others, toddler nursing ... all of it. I can easily tell other nursing moms what to do to help with their breastfeeding issues. But for some reason, when it comes to me nursing, it's a different story.

For various reasons, my breastfeeding goal of at least one year didn't get met with my first four kids. So when I had Lily, knowing that she was going to be my last, the pressure was on. I was really excited because everything started off great. She was a great eater and didn't have any issues latching on, and I didn't have any supply issues. It felt like this time, the goal would be easy to meet and I was happy about it. 

Fast forward to a little over a month ago. She was almost 4 months old. It started with not wanting to nurse on the left side, and progressed to not wanting to nurse at all. When I finally got her latched on, if I so much as took a deep breath, it was over. If someone came in the room and started talking, it was over. Everything I read said it was a phase and might last a week or so. But it was so frustrating, knowing that she was screaming all the time because she was hungry, but not being able to get her to eat. I toughed it out for about a couple of weeks, but by that time, I was at my wits' end. I dreaded her waking up and the fight starting all over again. I wasn't enjoying taking care of her, she wasn't happy when she was awake, and the frustration was starting to take its toll. I dreaded being around my daughter. 

More from The Stir: 12 Most Common Breastfeeding Hurdles & How to Overcome Them

I had a sample can of formula in the cabinet, and Arick suggested we give her a bottle. I was hesitant, but I was just so frustrated, so I did it. She drank it like she'd been starving for days. When she was done drinking it, she was happy. She was smiling and cooing. I was smiling back at her. I WAS SMILING BACK AT HER. That hadn't happened in weeks. 

I started reanalyzing things. I didn't want to quit breastfeeding, but I realized that by both of us being so frustrated, I was robbing us both of a great bonding experience. I decided right then and there that I had a new goal: To do what made us both happy. I realized that she didn't care if I breastfed for a year, but she certainly did care about feeling hungry all the time and feeling like she wasn't being taken care of. I realized that I didn't even know why I set that goal of a year to begin with. And I realized that the stupid goal just made me more frustrated when nursing problems started coming up. 

More from The Stir: Breastfeeding a Toddler -- That's So Not My Plan

So I suppose my message to those that read this is to not have expectations about breastfeeding. Don't expect that you'll be able to nurse for a certain amount of time. Don't expect that your baby will just latch on and suckle happily ever after. Don't expect everything to work out just right. And don't feel like you are letting anyone down if you decide to quit nursing. The best you can do is try, and don't beat yourself up if it just doesn't work for you and your baby. And to those that can hack it, kudos to you. It's hard work, and you should be commended for it.

Check out these cute pics of breastfeeding moms who can hack it.

Did you have a hard time breastfeeding?

Images via Arya Claire Viol; Heather Reese 

A news story this week has taken the challenges facing breastfeeding moms to a whole new level of horrible. A teen security guard named Nick Carrington posted images of women breastfeeding at a Sears department store to his Twitter account, @Flex_To_Death (which has since disappeared). The photos were zoomed-in screenshots from the store's security camera footage.

Although Carrington appears to have deleted his Twitter account, WereParentsBlog.com was able to capture the photos before they were deleted and re-posted them to Twitter, adding black circles for the moms' privacy.

[code]

@sears Posting pics of #breastfeeding moms is NOT ok! What's your action? #searsbfingshaminghttp://t.co/6GU6b5zoOTpic.twitter.com/iEL6nKx6To

— We're Parents (@WereParents) July 21, 2014

As if it wasn't hard enough for breastfeeding moms, who are already far too readily shamed for simply trying to nurse their little ones while out and about. As if they weren't already being forced unnecessarily to tiptoe around and breastfeed discreetly (or in bathrooms or cars), so as to avoid being thrown out of a store or harassed in some other way. But now they have to worry about their privacy being totally violated and shamed for nursing in public? So, so wrong.

In the wake of the incident, Sears tweeted:

Sears respects the privacy of all shoppers. This matter is currently under investigation.

And later:

We regret this isolated incident. We have investigated this incident and terminated the associate who was involved.

But with no official statement from the company or involvement from the police, could you blame people for still being bent out of shape? Of course not! This -- or anything of the sort -- is the last thing nursing moms need to worry about.

Clearly, more needs to be done so that absolutely NO doubt remains that what this security guard did -- or any other similar violation of a breastfeeding mom's privacy and rights -- will not be tolerated. Obviously, this should have never happened in the first place, but not taking measures to ensure it never happens again would be utterly unacceptable.

What's your reaction to what this security guard did?

Image via iStock/wrangel

When pediatrician and childcare expert William Sears, M.D., coined the term "attachment parenting" over 25 years ago, he was referring to a parenting style many moms all over the world have been following for thousands of years. Sears observed that these mothers cared for and raised their kids in a natural, loving way, which, in turn, helped them form a strong, secure attachment. And it's this strong, secure attachment that much research has pointed to as the ideal foundation for a child to grow into a loving, trusting, and empathetic adult. No wonder so many moms gravitate to, incorporate, or fully follow the principles of attachment parenting.

Here, all moms need to know about the basics of practicing attachment parenting -- from A-Z.

Images via iStock/NerDerLander &© iStock.com/giorgiomtb1