Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Elizabeth Helen Spencer is a mom of two and a freelance writer from the Philly metro area. She loves to read on the porch and dreams of someday having a regular yoga practice again. To see more of her work on parenting, personal finance, and literature, visit her website or connect with her on Twitter.
Recent Articles
Here's Everything You Actually Need To Know About The Wonder Weeks
It's normal to feel constantly baffled in the weeks and months after you welcome a new baby. First there’s a learning curve to figure out your baby’s temperament and learn what different cries mean. Just as you think you’ve got it and established a s…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
8 Mister Rogers' Clips On Being Scared To Help Your Kid Feel Brave & Understood
Helping a child process and overcome fears can be a difficult task for a parent. After all, kids have big emotions and are often scared of things that adults have long learned to shrug off, like flushing the toilet or sleeping with the lights off. Th…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's How Your Brain Reacts To Weaning Your Baby From Breastfeeding
Plenty has been written about when and how to stop breastfeeding, but most of this advice focuses on the baby. Of course, weaning will affect your child and you'll need coping strategies to help them through it. But what about you? Weaning creates em…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's How Accurate The Wonder Weeks Actually Are, According To Experts
If only you could read your baby's mind to know once and for all what the problem is. In the Sandra Boynton book What's Wrong Little Pookie? a mother asks a series of serious and silly questions to find out what's upsetting her child, who finally say…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
How To Properly Clean Your Baby's Belly Button
For 40 weeks or so of pregnancy, you planned and anticipated. Now the picture in your mind is a living and breathing newborn. After a short hospital stay that often feels too brief, you get to take baby home and care for them without the assistance o…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Toddler Nightmares Can Be Scary For Everyone — Here's How To Help Your Kid Cope
One universal truth about babies and young children is that they are in a constant state of change. And while this is great when it comes to first steps and other milestones, it's not so great when the quality of your child's sleep is what changes. T…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's What You Need To Know About The Easter Sales Happening This Weekend
Whether you're looking for last-minute Easter gifts or decor, or want to stock up on summer clothing and gear, this weekend's Easter sales won't disappoint. Big retailers like Target, Macy's, and Kohl's are offering amazing prices on merchandise in a…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
6 Easter Egg Hunt Ideas For Toddlers That Will Make You Want To Be A Kid Again
The Easter egg hunt is a classic holiday tradition that used to be fairly simple. Parents didn't feel guilty about giving their kids candy (and I mean the drugstore kind, not organic), the kids enjoyed running around looking for brightly colored plas…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
5 Things You Can Do During Pregnancy That'll Make You Heal Faster Postpartum
While pregnant, you're mostly concerned with optimizing your prenatal wellness and the health of your growing baby. There are also plenty of pregnancy-specific aches and pains to deal with. But sooner than you think, your baby will be born and you'll…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
What Experts Really Want You To Know About Pregnancy Lightning Crotch
When it comes to pregnancy, there are well known symptoms to expect. Nausea, fatigue, and tender breasts fall into this category of known discomforts. Unfortunately, some pregnancy pains fly under the radar only to emerge in the second or third trime…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's Everything You Need To Know About Flying Internationally With Your Baby
For many families, air travel is a routine fact of life. Whether for work, vacation, or to visit far-flung relatives, most flights these days contain at least one young passenger. But while domestic travel with your child is fairly simple, flying out…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Apparently Babies Aren't Always Happy In The Womb & Here's Why
When you're pregnant, people tell you it's easier to care for your baby in utero than after they are born. Essentially they mean, "don't be in a rush to be done with pregnancy because then you'll just be up all night with feedings and diaper changes.…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Don't Skip The Cravings, But Here Are 10 Foods You Should Try To Eat During Pregnancy
While pop culture often depicts pregnancy as a time to indulge in cravings for sweets and high-fat food, proper nutrition is vital to the well-being of mother and baby. After all, as a nutritionist friend of mine once said, nature's priority is to no…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's How Long You Can Expect A Breast Pump To Take
We all want the best for our children and what that looks like can vary widely between families. Some mothers decide not to breastfeed, while others switch to formula when they go back to work. Women who decide to use a breast pump may not always fin…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's How To Figure Out The Best Pumping Schedule For You & Your Baby
Deciding when to do things, whether a household chore or exercise session, is as much about finding the best time of day as it is about making room in your schedule. So you save the dishes for the end of the day, when your brain is too tired to do me…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's Why You Might Want To Hold Off On Squeezing Your Baby's Feet Into Shoes
There's no shortage of wardrobe options for the modern baby. In my opinion, one-piece pajamas are the best option from birth to at least 6 months, but you don't really learn that without firsthand experience. That's why retailers are able to sell eve…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's What OB-GYNs Really Mean When They Talk About Short Labor Vs. Long Labor
How long were you in labor? This is a popular question, and a story most moms are eager to share. But many women aren't sure how to measure the length of labor, which is actually a four-stage process, not all of which is defined by the intense contra…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's Science's Explanation As To Why Your Baby May Not Look Like you
After a birth, one of the most popular games everyone plays is "Whose (fill in the blank with eyes, nose, and so on) does baby have?" While it's still anyone's guess as to what the adult version of your infant will look like, that doesn't stop people…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
If Your Baby Loves Chewing On Wipes, Here's What You Can Try For Safer Alternatives
You don't need a book to tell you that babies explore the world around them through their mouth. From toys to everyday objects, as infants grow more alert around four months, they become interested in their surroundings. Grabbing things and bringing …
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
Here's How To Get Your Baby To Take A Teether & Soothe Those Poor Gums
Teething is a universal experience that every parent and child goes through. But what that experience looks like can vary widely from the age of the first tooth eruption to the symptoms your baby exhibits. Naturally, parents don't like to see their i…
By Elizabeth Helen Spencer
