YES YES YES. I can’t stress enough that formula is not like breastmilk and never could be. If you need to use formula, it can be a good thing. But if you have the choice, I strongly suggest that you breastfeed!

Breastfeeding provides SO many benefits to your baby (and to you!) that you’ll miss out on if you formula feed. To learn more, check out Breastfeeding vs. Formula: 25 Benefits of Breastfeeding.

I wrote all my best tips and advice for preparing for postpartum in How to Prepare for Postpartum: The Ultimate Guide. I talk about what to expect, what to prep, what to learn, what to buy, and what you can do now, during pregnancy.

If you’re ready for some real talk and some insights into the exact things I did to prepare, check it out now.

There’s not one right answer to this question, but my top recommendation is to make freezer meals ahead of time. A few weeks before your estimated due date, dedicate a Saturday to making some freezer meals.

Recruit your husband, your mom, your friends…whoever you want. Team up, gather the supplies, and assemble several meals.

I made 11 before my first birth and that fed my husband and I for 6 weeks (with other frozen and dry foods we already had).

If you want the exact recipes I used plus 10 more good ones, check out 21 Freezer Meals for Postpartum (+ a printable list for your fridge).

During pregnancy, your abs have to separate to make room for your growing uterus. This movement stretches the connective tissue in between your abs, called the linea alba).

Sometimes, the linea alba gets so stretched that it has a hard time shrinking back to its normal shape and size.

When this happens, you might have a persistent pooch and you may even look like you’re still pregnant.

This is called diastasis recti. It’s fairly common and, good news, it can be healed.

To learn more about diastasis recti, check out these blog posts:

For unknown reasons, babies are not born with sufficient vitamin K levels, and they do not reach high enough levels of vitamin K until they are about 6 months old.

If a baby’s body does not have enough vitamin K, they are in danger of spontaneous internal bleeding.

This internal bleeding is rare, but it is dangerous. It’s called “vitamin K deficiency bleeding.”

Receiving vitamin K after birth helps newborns avoid deficiency bleeding in almost all cases.

For more information, see The Vitamin K Shot vs Vitamin K Drops: Pros and Cons.

Yes, there is an alternative to the vitamin K shot: vitamin K drops.

If administered according to the proper schedule and in the right amounts, vitamin K drops can be just as effective as the shot at protecting your baby.

To learn more, read The Vitamin K Shot vs Vitamin K Drops: Pros and Cons.

Go to Pregnancy FAQs.

Go to Labor and Birth FAQs.