Romper

3 weeks ago | romper.com | Ruthie Ackerman

I’ve always been proud my hands look just like my mother’s, even though we’ve had a strained relationship for most of my life. That’s because my mother’s hands look like her mother’s hands, and I never had a chance to meet my grandmother Ruth, although I was named after her. Somehow knowing my hands connected me to my matrilineal line gave me a feeling of belonging. When my husband and I decided to use donor eggs to have a baby, resemblance was one of my first questions.

3 weeks ago | romper.com | Katie McPherson

Martha, who is 31, married her high school sweetheart last summer and is expecting her first baby. Martha’s doing what many moms do in their first trimester: announcing to friends and family, feeling queasy, and shopping for cute baby outfits to make it better. That, and she has spent the last few weeks researching which car seat, stroller, crib, and other big ticket items she wants and ordering them ASAP before tariffs send their prices skyrocketing.

3 weeks ago | romper.com | Margo Steines

Through the muffle of both an interior door and an exterior one, I hear a chair scraping against pavers. Instantly, adrenaline courses through my body. I can hear the whoosh of my blood pumping in my ears, can feel a flat and unyielding pressure against my sternum and throat.

3 weeks ago | romper.com | Samantha Darby

ShoppingEmma Chao/Romper; Getty/Products Courtesy of BrandsThese 43 ideas might not be new parent must-haves, but they will make you happy. And that’s important, too. Romper New Parents Issue 2025We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article. The amount of stuff you have to buy before having a baby feels overwhelming — and that’s because registry guidelines and “comment ‘mama’ for my #1 baby gear picks” and retailers want you to feel that way.

3 weeks ago | romper.com | Rebecca Ackermann

As critic-at-large for The New York Times, Amanda Hess is no stranger to a strong opinion and clear conclusion. But in her first book, Second Life, she joins the rest of us in the sleepless struggle to find the best (or best for us) way to step into the role of parent for the first time in a technology-saturated world.