For many new parents, swaddling seems like the hardest thing you’ve ever done—until it’s time to stop swaddling . . . NYC Sleep Doctor Janet Kennedy, PhD and aden + anais founder Raegan Moya-Jones give us the rundown on how keep babies safe and warm in the crib, from swaddling to sleep sacks—and beyond.

Every Halloween we feel inspired—for a moment—to make our kids’ Halloween costumes from scratch. Then we remember how busy we are, and we quickly order the cutest things we can find on Chasing Fireflies or Pottery Barn Kids. But for those of you determined to DIY at the last minute . . . .

Grandpas who squeeze babies’ cheeks mean well. So do kids who love to touch tiny baby fingers. But few things make a new mom squirm like unwashed hands. We asked Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and co-author of the 18th edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette, how to handle a variety of real-life germy scenarios, with grace.

Most moms know to quarantine a tot with a fever. But what about a lingering cough or a runny nose? There are a lot of conflicting opinions out there about what’s contagious when, where germs live—and for how long. With cold and flu season settling in, we asked Dr. JJ Levenstein, co-founder of MD Moms, to set the record straight on the cooties.