A perfect dress for doc appointments & more health/wellness reads

Hey -,

👗 If maternity leggings are the unofficial pregnancy uniform (these are the best), one fashion writer says a certain dress is the ideal IVF outfit. Hint: it was made popular in the pandemic. (With lube-stain resistant material and pockets that are deep enough to hide your undies—ha!—or hold a good snack, we’d say it’s a nice addition to first-trimester wardrobes, too.)

🗞 “Babies don’t come with instructions. But in Oregon, they now come with a nurse.” The statewide Family Connects program sends trained professionals out to visit postpartum parents, for free, up to three times during an infant’s first weeks. In North Carolina, where the program began, the benefit was shown to reduce postpartum anxiety. 

If you don’t live in NC or OR, you could check out these other resources for finding postpartum support. And no matter where you live, don’t miss this postpartum health coach’s tips for decking out your home before a baby arrives (for your wellness) (the nursery can wait).

⬇️ For more of what we’re reading and learning about this week—parenting with an astrology app, manifesting a family home, reacting to nosy questions—just keep scrolling.

IN THEIR WORDS

Illustration: Slate

SLATE 

Is an astrology parenting app in your future?

A self-professed skeptic gave one a whirl, keeping a journal of the experience. Her goal: return her otherwise-perfect baby to his former (better) sleeping habits—with a boost from the cosmos. 

AT HOME

Photo by: Justin Chung

DOMINO

Can you manifest the perfect home for a growing family?

This California-based manifestation expert did just that. Learn how and take a peek inside the restored, rustic cabin. 

NURTURING YOU

Illustration: Dror Cohen

BON APPETIT

Fourth-trimester food: a second-time mom is preparing for baby #2 with nostalgic eating.

“My abuelita…always had this soup in a giant pot at home.” She shares her recipe for the nutritious Mexican beef soup called caldo de res (postpartum self-care in a bowl). You'll be asked for an email address in order to view this free article.

HEALTHY HYDRATION

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LMNT

This fruity electrolyte drink mix = fewer ingredients + tasty flavors like mango chili 🌶️

You need more water & electrolytes during pregnancy & postpartum, & LMNT can give your changing body a much-needed boost, without added sugar or hard-to-pronounce ingredients. Get a free sample pack with any purchase so you can try allll the flavors.

EXPERT ADVICE

Illustration: Nicolás Ortega

THE NEW YORK TIMES 

No more nosy questions!

True, they can be impossible to avoid. But experts are sharing helpful tips for controlling how you react to phrases like “Are you pregnant yet?” and “When will you have another kid?” etc. 

DO OVER

EXPECTFUL 

A life coach shares 10 things to avoid as a new mom.

There’s a bonus idea for keeping sex alive, too. (If you want to.) 

Looking for something to read?

📚 Favorite fiction: for a mental vacation from the news, try one of these titles (from The New York Times’s new list of the 100 best books of the century)

👶 Baby books: for what to expect before & during pregnancy, start here; for parenting (from newborn care to working through childhood trauma), start here

💕 A happy story: meet the McKays, who went from first-time foster parents to an overnight family of five

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