The results are in

The latest in parenting news, tips, and trends:

How the end of pandemic-era childcare funding in the US could cause daycare closures. Meanwhile, Canada is lowering childcare costs to $10/day. Take notes.

These moving first-hand accounts of moms struggling with postpartum depression, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. Plus, how the mind re-molds itself for parenthood. 

How a new task force was formed to look into the safety of water beads. They do look like candy, tbh.

The very appropriate name Maury Povich has given his new at-home paternity test. 

How the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires companies to give longer breaks, flexible hours and time off to pregnant and postpartum workers. About time.

Q: How can I tell if my child is ready for potty training?

It depends on the kid. There is no optimal age to start training, but many toddlers between ages 2-3 have easier success, says Dr. Jen Trachtenberg, a pediatrician, and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Signs that it may be time to ditch the diaper:

• They’re showing interest: For example, they may ask to use the toilet or potty chair. Or they may ask to wear big-kid underwear. 

• They don’t like wet diapers: Your kid may tell you that they have a dirty diaper and they want to be changed. They may also pull at it. 

• They stay dry: At least two hours at a time during the day or they’re dry after naps.

• They communicate when they need to go: Toddlers may start to show signs when they’re about to pee or poop, like grunting, freezing, or squatting.

• They’re physically prepared: Your kid should be able to walk to and from the bathroom and help undress themselves. Bonus sign: They can climb onto the training potty.  

P.S. Here are some resources to help you prepare and come up with a plan. 

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Exercises to Kickstart Postpartum Recovery

You can support your core strength and healing after birth starting from day one, says Gina Conley, birth doula and owner and head coach of MamasteFit. 

Exercises she recommends:

Breathwork: This is the foundation of core stabilization, says Conley. Start by gently breathing from your diaphragm while laying on your side, back, or in a reclined position. You can follow along to this video. 

• Inhale to feel your back expand and stretch. This will cause a gentle expansion of the belly and pelvic floor. 

• Then exhale while you lift the pelvic floor up and the abdominal wall in to engage or contract the core. 

• Don’t force it. Aim for gentle breathing that’s no more than 50-60% of your full capability.

Mobility training: During the postpartum period it’s common to spend a lot of time in static positions, which can cause tension and feelings of heaviness or discomfort in the pelvic floor. Thoracic mobility of the spine can be helpful to add in gentle movement, including flexion and extension, side-body opening, and rotational work. Here’s a video to get you started. 

P.S. If you’re looking for more postpartum recovery exercises, MamasteFit offers a free course to help you reconnect with your core and pelvic floor.

Emily Oster on How to Tell if a Study Is Legit

“Part of what is hard about parenting is there is a lot of noise – a lot of different suggestions from a lot of different sources,” says Emily Oster, an economics professor at Brown University, author, and data expert at ParentData.org. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you’re trying to keep up with the latest research. But data can be your friend, and it can help you feel confident in the decisions you’re making. 

Just remember: “No single study has all the answers to a question,” she says. Before you take a headline and run with it, think about it within the context of what science has previously shown (as well as your own intuition as a parent — it matters).

Here’s what Oster says to look out for:

Random or not? Randomized trials (participants are randomly assigned into an experimental group or a control group) can reduce bias and are the gold standard for examining cause-and-effect relationships. That’s why they tend to hold more weight than non-randomized studies, where participants can choose a group or they’re assigned to one by researchers.

How many people participated? “Larger sample sizes are [almost always] better than smaller ones,” she says. Bonus points if the study was peer-reviewed.

What do the results actually show? “One of the most significant issues with many alarming headlines is that they are based on correlations [how two things are related], not causal relationships [if one thing causes another],” Oster says.

• For example, there are studies relating breastfeeding to higher test scores in kids, but there are several other factors that could be impacting those scores. Statistically, women who breastfeed tend to have more resources or education, for example. It’s nearly impossible to account for all of these differences in a single study, so we can’t say breastfeeding alone directly caused higher test scores.