Sometimes it's hard to tell Mom how much she means to us.

Other times it's hard to tell how she still puts up with us.

I like to think it's because of all the care and consideration that goes into the mother's day cakes we give her, though.

Or, ok, maybe it's something else.

 

Just remember: I LOVE ALL YOU MOTHERS.

And if I could get every one of you moms out there a cake of your own, it would be this one:

Awwww YEEEEAH.

Happy weekend, everyone!

 

Thanks to Cathy S., Laura F., Deanna N., Carol D., Ginny H., Raziel P., Anony M., Breanne R., Barbara R., Chrissy D., Jonna S., & Cathi C. for the cakes only a wrecker could love.

*****

Feeling like you could write a better message for Mom than these bakers? Then here's a cute way to do it:

Message Capsules In A Bottle

("Infmetry" is the name of the manufacturer. I know, it confused me, too. :p)

This little bottle has 90 note capsules inside, each held closed with a gold ring. You can write 90 things you love about Mom, then have her open one per day for the next few months! This size is $13, or you can get smaller bottles of 25 capsules each for $10. These would also be sweet for birthdays or anniversaries!

*****

Looking for a good homemade Mother’s Day gift? :)

Kylie Jenner on vacation with her daughter Stormi. pic courtesy/ instagram.com/kylie jenner

Last month, social media star Kylie Jenner was severely mom-shamed by keyboard warriors for heading to a music festival without her infant daughter, Stormi. While Internet trolls are no experts, what exactly does it take to form a bond with your baby?

“Fundamental human nature includes adapting to changes. For a woman to transition into motherhood is common, nevertheless, it’s not a cakewalk. Many women experience post-partum blues for about two weeks after delivery. Should it extend beyond this period, it could be a sign of a post-partum disorder. Therefore, we need to build a society that accepts and understands the plethora of emotions that a new mother experiences,” says Maithili Thanawala Kanabar, counselling psychologist.

Dr. Bindu KS

Here’s our primer on how to face up to it, and move on.

1. Return to working out
“The body needs six weeks to heal — whether it’s a natural birth, caesarean or an episiotomy [which involves a vaginal cut]. The body’s physiology gets back to normal in six weeks, the uterus comes back to shape and body fluids return to normalcy. Whether a housewife or a working woman, it is advisable that she resumes her fitness regime in six weeks,” says Dr Ranjana Dhanu, consultant, gynaecology and obstetrics, Hinduja Healthcare Surgical. But if you have been regular with your fitness routine before and during your pregnancy, you can even go back to working out within a week if you have had a normal delivery. “Start with light exercises such as stretches and walks,” says Dr Bindhu KS, consultant, gynaecology, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. The body, especially the spine, kidneys, heart and lungs and not just the reproductive organs, undergo changes, says Dr Bindhu.

2. Get back to the office
Kanabar explains that there is no “mother manual” that defines the best time for a new mother to dive into a competitive workspace. “Try being around the baby for the first few months. Talk to your baby about beginning work and scaffold it for him/her. If your baby is used to co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and you are finding it difficult to wean him/her off, they may take some time to get used to your absence,” says Kanabar. Unfortunately, not many companies in India have a full-time crèche facility. “Indian companies must make it mandatory to have a full-time crèche at the workplace. This will increase the overall efficiency of working women, especially when it comes to the corporate workplace,”
believes Dr Dhanu.

Dr Ranjana Dhanu

“Almost all companies have a six-month maternity leave policy. The key is to strike a balance between motherhood and work,” says Dr Bindhu. If it gets overwhelming, Kanabar suggests reaching out to your support system. However, she warns that it is imperative for mothers to remember to not board the overcompensating train, which might drive one to overdo things and become more lenient.

3. Take a break
“Any wound takes six weeks to heal and it heals well in this period for any kind of birth. Hardcore physical or adventure activities are absolutely safe after six weeks. All the medical textbooks say that the body needs to resume some kind of exercise or physical activity post six weeks of delivery. If you can afford it, take a nanny along,” suggests Dr Dhanu.

4. Slip into a chic mode
Be it exercising or getting your glam on, pursuing something that makes you look and feel good is a good way to boost your morale. “Me-time is viewed as a selfish concept while in reality, it is a safe space that every human needs to visit to rejuvenate,” says Kanabar. It is the quality of time spent with the baby that matters.
Dr Bindhu adds that people also spend only two to three hours with their child but that does not mean there is no bonding.

Maithili Thanawala Kanabar

Mother, baby and attachment

Some studies suggest that the first three months are the most crucial. Infants develop representations of attachments based on the bond with the primary caregiver. Pioneering British psychiatrist John Bowlby suggested that this attachment acts as a prototype for their future relationships and psychological health.

An infant communicates in rudimental ways and attending to those needs reinforces the infant’s sense of security. It is essential that the mother is attentive and spends quality time with the infant, but there is no need to spend every breathing moment with them. Comforting, breastfeeding on time (or feeding the baby yourself), and communicating with the baby leads to a secure attachment.

Usually, securely attached babies cry when the mother leaves and allow the mother to comfort them when she returns. Every baby responds differently. Remain receptive to the baby’s needs and spend quality time without distractions.

Watch for signs like how the baby responds when you return after a brief absence. Most would allow you to comfort them and look at you when they are inching towards exploring something new. And lastly, mum knows best. So look out for every sign.

Mandira Bedi with her son Veer, who is six today. pic courtesy/jitu savlani

I was fit when I was pregnant. After birth, I had to wait for 40 days before I could exercise again. On the 41st day, I stepped out for my first walk. It was pouring at the time but I had decided that come rain or storm, I will go for it. Later, I started jogging, moved to gymming and lifting weights. I had gained 22kg and was able to return to my pre-pregnancy weight in six months. I had serious post-partum depression that lasted for those 40 days. My depression disappeared after I started exercising. I had a baby pretty late in my life [at 39]. I didn’t fall in love with him at first sight. I wondered, ‘This is the end of my freedom. Will I get work after this?’. It was overwhelming. It’s important to be aware that what’s going on with you is normal and okay. But in that period of 40 days I eventually fell in love with him. Giving birth to him is the best thing I have done. But motherhood is not the only thing that defines me. I am hands-on, but I think you can be a better mother if you are not thinking about it 24/7. That little time for you is crucial. The rule in our house is either parent has to be there at home, always. Working out has less to do for me physically than what it does for me mentally.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Representational picture

Children born to single women without a partner appeared to enjoy a similar parent-child relationship as those in heterosexual two-parent families, researchers say.

Fertility treatment for single women -- who wish to become pregnant without a partner (i.e., single mothers by choice) -- is an increasingly popular procedure in most European countries.

The study showed that there were no significant differences in emotional involvement or parental stress between family types.

Single-mothers-by-choice, however, showed significantly higher scores on the social support -- such as parents, other family, friends, neighbours -- they received, but also on wanting more social support.

There were no significant differences in the children's internal and external problem behaviour (well-being) between both family types, the researchers said.

"Single-mothers-by-choice and their children benefit from a good social support network, and this should be emphasised in the counselling of women who want to have and raise a child without a partner," said Mathilde Brewaeys from the VU University Medical Centre, in the Netherlands.

The results were presented at the annual meeting of European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Geneva.

Experts had raised concerns about the well-being and development of children born to single-mothers-by-choice.

However, it seems likely that any negative influence on child development depends more on a troubled parent-child relationship and not on the absence of a father, the researchers said.

"The assumption that growing up in a family without a father is not good for the child is based mainly on research into children whose parents are divorced and who thus have experienced parental conflict," Brewaeys explained.

For the study, the team compared 69 single-mothers-by-choice (who had knowingly chosen to raise their child alone) and 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families with a child between 1.5 and 6 years.

Highlights: Breastfeeding may lower a woman's risk of developing diabetes later in life Pregnant women wi

During winter season, new mothers should follow a simple and good skincare regimen to keep their skin nourished and hydrated. But as a new mom, you

A 10-Step Model has been created by a Nurse-researcher- Diane Spatz to help Mothers Breastfeed their Critically Ill babies. The findings of study are

Mother's health was affected when her child experienced unfair treatment or discrimination, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published

Paid maternity leave has significant mental and physical health benefits for both mothers and children - including decreased rates of postpartum depression and infant mortality, reports a new study.

New genetic signature combining specific maternal and fetal gene variants are associated with a higher risk of preeclampsia, reports a new study. The

Youths and young adults born to parents with HIV but remained uninfected themselves still face a greatly heightened risk of obesity and asthma-like symptoms.

Women who had elevated fasting glucose, adjusted for all other risk factors, were almost three times more likely to have a big baby than women who had

A new study has found that kids who experience "dependent" or clingy relationships with their preschool teachers tend to have difficulties in their relationships with their mothers.

They are the picture of romance whenever they are seen together. And Noah Cyrus looked loved up as ever when she and Lil Xan made their red carpet debut at New York's Radio City Music Hall.

The confessions, shared by people across the world on Whisper , include a women whose fiancé asked if he could connect his Xbox to the television while he waited for his partner to give birth.

Jennifer Lopez, 50, sparked a body-positive hashtag #JLoMovement on Sunday after posting a bathroom bikini selfie. Other mothers are now sharing their own selfies and telling their stories.

An Australian mother invented a makeup removal pad two years ago that now sells every 30 seconds around the world.

The Argentine pontiff live-streamed an Easter Monday prayer from his private library as the Vatican and Italy entered a second month of restrictions on most outdoor activities.

Esther Rantzen has been presenting royalty for more than four decades, but being a famous mother wasn't always easy, as she and daughter Rebecca recall

Top fitness influencer Alice's path to success hasn't been a smooth one. She's survived an abusive relationship and battled body issues but her mum Sarah has been her greatest support

When her daughter Libby was diagnosed with autism aged ten, Kym Scott feared it would hold back her little girl

For more than 30 years interior designer Kelly Hoppen has been a constant support to her stepdaughter, fashion designer Savannah Miller

The Forces' Sweetheart DAME VERA LYNN, who's back in the charts aged 103 with her song 'We'll Meet Again', reveals what her wartime hit really means to her and daughter Virginia

Australian celebrity stylist Donny Galella has revealed how you can recreate the high-end looks of some of the world's most famous mothers on a shoestring.

Australian mothers are obsessed with a 'smart' baby bed that promises to increase your newborn's sleep by two hours each night.

With Mother’s Day around the corner, we reached out to the working mothers from the advertising industry to find out how they are dealing with quarantine blues and their kids being at home 24 hours. They also shared with us some policy ideas that they wish the industry could take into consideration and help them juggle smoothly between work and household chores. In wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown, juggling between both work and home life has taken an even bigger toll on working moms. They have always been swamped but now that the entire family is under one roof, we can only imagine what a storm that must look like. Working parents have lost the privileges of ‘me time’ as there is no external help from grandparents, nannies or schools to share their load. They are

A special day to honor mothers and motherhood, Mothers’ Day will be celebrated all over the world on Sunday, 20 May 2020. Mothers’ Day is celebrated on different days around the world. In many countries like USA, Canada, most European countries, Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan, the Philippines and South Africa, it is observed on the second Sunday in the month of May. The ways Mothers’ Day is celebrated in different countries differ significantly. The most common methods include giving presents and receiving the blessings of Mothers. Here are a few select quotes for Mothers’ Day to greet Mothers and Motherhood on this most wonderful day.Mother is the greatest comforter“The best place to cry is on a mother’s arms.” —Jodi Picoult“A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to

The grandson of Ruth's Chris Steakhouse founder Ruth Fertel blasted the company on Twitter, saying its actions conflict with what his grandmother would have wanted.On April 23, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse announced that the company will return the $20 million it received in small business loans from the federal government.Rien Fertel wrote on Twitter that his grandmother would have done more to give back with the money and power that the chain has now.This is the story of Ruth Fertel, the child genius, horse trainer, and single mother of two who founded the steakhouse chain with no restaurant experience.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.Ruth's Chris Steakhouse recently came under fire for soliciting $20 million from the small business loan program. Soon after, the upscale steak

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, but most of us are confined to our homes, practising social distancing to battle the Coronavirus pandemic.But, small things — like watching her favourite movie together can help. This week, Business Insider brings you the stories that celebrate moms. It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, but most of us are confined to our homes, practising social distancing to battle the Coronavirus pandemic. That means no movie date with moms, no parties and fancy dinner. But, small things can help — like watching her favourite movie together. This week, Business Insider brings you the stories that celebrate moms. Here are a few movies and series on Netflix, ZEE5 and Disney+ Hotstar.English VinglishIMDb rating: 7.8/10Director: Gauri ShindeCast: Sridevi, Mehdi Nebbou, Priya Anand,

Laura Dern and Joaquin Phoenix were joined by their mothers at the 2020 Academy Awards on Sunday night.