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Content Map Terms
Pregnancy & Parenting Categories
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Planning Your Pregnancy
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Fertility
- Ovulation and Fertility Pregnancy Planning
- Ovulation and Transport of Egg
- Find Your Ovulation Day
- Infertility: Problems With Ovulation
- Ovulation
- Superovulation
- Interactive Tool: When are you most fertile?
- Infertility
- Infertility: Emotional and Social Support
- Pregnancy after Age 35
- Infertility: Ethical and Legal Concerns
- Infertility: Factors That Affect Treatment Success
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Testing
- Infertility: Problems With the Man's Reproductive System
- Infertility: Problems With Fallopian Tubes
- Infertility: Problems With the Uterus and Cervix
- Cancer Treatment and Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Be Tested?
- Infertility Tests
- Fertility Drugs
- Infertility
- Fertility Problems: Should I Have a Tubal Procedure or In Vitro Fertilization?
- Insemination for Infertility
- Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection for Infertility
- Infertility Treatment for Women With PCOS
- In Vitro Fertilization for Infertility
- Infertility: Setting Limits on Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Medicine or Hormone Treatment
- Infertility: Questions to Ask About Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Infertility: Should I Have Treatment?
- Insemination Procedures for Infertility
- Gamete and Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer for Infertility
- Varicocele Repair for Infertility
- Fallopian Tube Procedures for Infertility
- Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- Luteinizing Hormone
- Progesterone
- Sperm Penetration Tests
- Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Charting
- Your Health When Planning to Become Pregnant
- Video About Planning a Pregnancy
- Ending a Pregnancy
- Adoption
- Planning for Maternity and Parental Leave
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Fertility
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Pregnancy
- Healthcare Providers During Pregnancy
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Your Health During Pregnancy
- Dental Care During Pregnancy
- Immunizations and Pregnancy
- Quick Tips: Healthy Pregnancy Habits
- Massage Therapy during Pregnancy
- Sex During Pregnancy
- Leg Cramps During Pregnancy
- Medicines During Pregnancy
- Swelling During Pregnancy
- Electronic Fetal Heart Monitoring
- Getting Help for Perinatal Depression
- Depression: Should I Take Antidepressants While I'm Pregnant?
- Pregnancy: Dealing With Morning Sickness
- Back Pain During Pregnancy
- Bedrest for Preterm Labour
- Abnormal Pap Test While Pregnant
- Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy
- Acupressure for Morning Sickness
- Automated Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Pregnancy After Weight-Loss (Bariatric) Surgery
- Braxton Hicks Contractions
- Caffeine During Pregnancy
- Exercise During Pregnancy
- Fatigue During Pregnancy
- Fever During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Pregnancy: Changes in Bowel Habits
- Pregnancy: Healthy Weight Gain
- Pregnancy: Hemorrhoids and Constipation
- Pregnancy: Hot Tub and Sauna Use
- Pregnancy: Pelvic and Hip Pain
- Pregnancy: Ways to Find Your Due Date
- Estrogens
- External Cephalic Version (Version) for Breech Position
- Symptoms of Pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections During Pregnancy
- Pre-Eclampsia: Checkups and Monitoring
- Pre-Eclampsia: Expectant Management
- Gestational Diabetes
- Insulin Injection Areas for Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes: Checking Your Blood Sugar
- Gestational Diabetes: Counting Carbs
- Gestational Diabetes: Dealing With Low Blood Sugar
- Gestational Diabetes: Giving Yourself Insulin Shots
- Ginger for Morning Sickness
- Heartburn During Pregnancy
- Nausea or Vomiting During Pregnancy
- Urinary Problems During Pregnancy
- Health Conditions and Pregnancy
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Body Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Pregnancy: Hand Changes
- Sleep Problems During Pregnancy
- Managing Emotional Changes During Pregnancy
- Breast Changes During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Hair Changes
- Pregnancy: Belly, Pelvic and Back Pain
- Pregnancy: Stretch Marks, Itching, and Skin Changes
- Pregnancy: Changes in Feet and Ankles
- Pregnancy: Vaginal Discharge and Leaking Fluid
- Interactive Tool: From Embryo to Baby in 9 Months
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Your First Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests In the First Trimester
- Embryo and Fetal Development In the First Trimester
- Your First Trimester - Video
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the First Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: First Trimester
- Week 8 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 8 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 12 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 12 weeks of pregnancy
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Your Second Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes During the Second Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Second Trimester
- Video About Your Second Trimester
- Normal Pregnancy: Second Trimester
- Week 16 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 16 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 20 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 20 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 24 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside /
- Fetal development at 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Kick Counts
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Your Third Trimester
- Check-ups and Tests in the Third Trimester
- Fetal Development in the Third Trimester
- Mothers' Physical Changes in the Third Trimester
- Prenatal Classes in the Third Trimester
- Video about Your Third Trimester
- Writing Your Birth Plan or Wishes
- Normal Pregnancy: Third Trimester
- Week 28 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 28 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 32 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 32 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 36 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 36 weeks of pregnancy
- Week 40 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside
- Fetal development at 40 weeks of pregnancy
- Pregnancy: Dropping (Lightening)
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Risks and Complications During Pregnancy
- High-risk Pregnancy
- Rh Sensitization during Pregnancy
- Post-Term Pregnancy
- Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding
- Intrauterine Fetal Blood Transfusion for Rh Disease
- Miscarriage
- Abruptio Placenta
- Anemia During Pregnancy
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome and Pregnancy /
- Asthma During Pregnancy
- Bedrest in Pregnancy
- Eclampsia (Seizures) and Pre-Eclampsia
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Functional Ovarian Cysts /
- High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
- Laparoscopic Ovarian Drilling for PCOS
- Low Amniotic Fluid
- Low-Lying Placenta Versus Placenta Previa
- Miscarriage: Should I Have Treatment to Complete a Miscarriage?
- Molar Pregnancy
- Passing Tissue During Pregnancy
- Placenta Previa
- Polyhydramnios
- Pre-Eclampsia
- Special Health Concerns During Pregnancy
- Subchorionic Hemorrhage
- Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
- Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy
- Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
- Emotional Health and Support During Pregnancy
- Safety During Pregnancy
- Alcohol and Other Drug Use During Pregnancy
- Twins and Other Multiples
- Preparing for Your Newborn
- Interactive Tool: What Is Your Due Date?
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Labour and Birth
- Labour and Delivery
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Planning Your Delivery
- Childbirth Classes
- Childbirth: Labouring in Water and Water Delivery /
- Childbirth: Perineal Massage Before Labour
- Choosing Where to Give Birth Hospital or Home
- Doulas and Support During Childbirth
- Making a Birth Plan
- Packing for Birth at a Hospital
- Pregnancy: Deciding Where to Deliver
- Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC)
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Stages of Labour
- Cervical Cerclage to Prevent Preterm Delivery
- First Stage of Labour - Early Phase
- First Stage of Labour Active Phase
- First Stage of Labour Transition Phase
- Information on Fourth Stage of Labour
- Information on Second Stage of Labour
- Information on Third Stage of Labour
- Preterm Labour and Short Cervix
- Preterm Labour
- Preterm Labour: Testing for Fetal Fibronectin
- Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes (pPROM)
- Telling Pre-Labour and True Labour Part
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During Labour
- Breathing Techniques for Childbirth
- Caesarean Section
- Cervical Effacement and Dilatation
- Cervical Insufficiency
- Childbirth: Epidurals
- Childbirth: Opioid Pain Medicines
- Childbirth: Pudendal and Paracervical Blocks
- Childbirth: Strep Infections During Delivery
- Comfort Positions Labour and Birth
- Epidural Anesthesia
- Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia
- Episiotomy and Perineal Tears
- Epistiotomy Vacuum and Forceps During Labour and Birth
- Fetal Monitoring During Labour HY
- Labour Induction and Augmentation
- Local Anesthesia for Childbirth
- Pain Relief Options Labour and Birth
- Postpartum Bleeding
- Postpartum: First 6 Weeks After Childbirth
- Postural Management for Breech Position
- Practicing Breathing Techniques for Labour
- Spinal Block for Childbirth
- Stillbirth
- VBAC: Labour Induction
- VBAC: Participation During Birth
- VBAC: Uterine Scar Rupture
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After Labour and Care for New Moms
- After Childbirth: Coping and Adjusting
- After Childbirth: Pelvic Bone Problems
- After Childbirth: Urination and Bowel Problems
- Childbirth Afterpains
- Help with Urination After Giving Birth
- Managing Bowel Movements After Pregnancy
- Mom and Baby Staying Together
- New Moms and Abuse
- Postpartum Depression
- Problems After Delivery of Your Baby
- Vaginal Care After Giving Birth
- Video About Labour and Birth
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Parenting Babies (0-12 months)
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New Parents
- Alcohol and Smoking After Pregnancy
- Baby Blues
- Baby's Daily Needs: What to Expect
- Bonding With Your Baby
- Coping Strategies to Avoid Harming a Baby
- Coping When Your Baby Cries A Lot
- Crying: Tired or Overstimulated
- Depression: Managing Postpartum Depression
- Fitness: Staying Active When You Have Young Children
- Infant Crying
- Parenting With Your Partner
- Quick Tips: Babyproofing Your Home
- Sex After Childbirth
- Support Teams for New Parents
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Baby Is Fussy
- Tips for Soothing Babies
- Ways to Comfort a Crying Baby
- Your Body After Pregnancy
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Newborns
- Bathing and Skin Care For Newborn Babies
- Bonding With Your Newborn
- Cognitive Growth in Newborns
- Drug Withdrawal in Newborns
- Early Days with Your Baby
- Early Disease Screening of Newborns
- First 6-8 Weeks at Home with Baby - Video
- Group B Streptococcal Infections in Newborns
- Helping Your Newborn Learn
- Immunizations for Premature Infants
- Important Paperwork for Newborns
- Jaundice in Newborns (Hyperbilirubinemia)
- Language Development in Newborns
- NICU: Communicating With the Staff
- Newborn Blood Spot Card Screening
- Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions
- Physical Growth in Newborns
- Premature (Preterm) Infant
- Premature Infant: Safe Travel With Your Baby
- Sensory and Motor Growth in Newborns
- Tips for Diapering a Newborn Baby
- Umbilical Cord Care
- Ways to Comfort a Baby in the Hospital
- What to Expect When You Have an Extremely Premature Infant
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Baby Care
- Birthmarks
- Biting
- Caring for More Than One Baby
- Caring for a Baby's Nails
- Circumcision
- Circumcision: Should I Keep My Son's Penis Natural?
- Cleaning Your Young Child's Natural (Uncircumcised) Penis
- Cleft Lip
- Cleft Palate
- Club Foot
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Diaper Rash
- Infant Massage
- Oral Care For Your Baby
- Positional Plagiocephaly
- Quick Tips: Getting Baby to Sleep
- Screening for Hearing Problems
- Separation Protests: Helping Your Child
- Thumb-Sucking Versus Pacifier Use
- Tongue-Tie
- Using Soothers and Stopping When it is Time
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Breastfeeding
- A Video on Breastfeeding Positions
- A Video on Breastfeeding and Skin-to-Skin Contact
- A Video on Hand Expressing Breastmilk
- Breast Engorgement
- Breast Surgery and Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery
- Breastfeeding After a C-Section
- Breastfeeding During Pregnancy
- Breastfeeding Multiple Infants
- Breastfeeding Positions
- Breastfeeding With Inverted Nipples
- Breastfeeding Your Newborn and an Older Child
- Breastfeeding a Sick Baby
- Breastfeeding and Your Milk Supply
- Breastfeeding at Work
- Breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding: Baby's Poor Weight Gain
- Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead
- Breastfeeding: Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
- Breastfeeding: Waking Your Baby
- Breastfeeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Common Breastfeeding Concerns
- Common Breastfeeding Positions
- Coping With Thrush When You’re Breastfeeding
- Experiencing Let-Down Reflex
- FAQs About Breastfeeding
- Get Started on Expressing Breastmilk
- Getting Comfortable Breastfeeding in Public
- Hospital Policies and Breastfeeding
- Latching Your Baby - Video
- Learning Basics of Breastfeeding
- Learning to Latch
- Mastitis While Breastfeeding
- Medications and Herbal Products for Breastfeeding Moms
- Medicine Use While Breastfeeding
- Milk Oversupply
- Nipple Shields for Breastfeeding Problems
- Oxytocin
- Partner Support for Breastfeeding
- Plugged Milk Ducts When You're Breastfeeding
- Poor Let-Down While Breastfeeding
- Preventing Mastitis
- Pumping Breast Milk
- Quick Tips: Successful Breastfeeding
- Signs That Your Baby Is Getting Enough Breast Milk
- Sleep, Rest, and Breastfeeding
- Storing Breast Milk
- Storing and Using Breastmilk
- Under or Over Production of Milk During Breastfeeding
- Vitamin D Supplements for Breastfeeding Babies
- What you need to Know About Supplementing Baby Formula
- Your Milk Supply
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Feeding Your Baby
- Alternative Feeding Methods for Newborns
- Baby Feeding Cues - Video
- Bottle-Feeding: When Baby Doesn't Want to Stop
- Burping a Baby
- Choosing Baby Bottles and Nipples
- Cleft Palate: Feeding Your Baby
- Combining Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding
- Cup-Feeding Baby With Breast Milk or Formula
- Feeding Schedule for Babies
- Feeding Your Child Using Division of Responsibility
- Feeding Your Infant
- Feeding Your Premature Infant
- Getting Started and Feeding Cues
- How Often and How Long to Feed
- Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby
- Learn More Before You Supplement Formula
- Safe Drinking Water - Your Baby's First Year
- Safe Water for Mixing Infant Formula
- Signs of a Good Feed
- Spitting Up
- Weaning
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Baby Health
- Abdominal Gas and Colic
- Basic Dental Care From Birth to 16 Years
- Bowel Movements in Babies
- Cataracts in Children
- Chronic Lung Disease in Infants
- Colic Diary
- Colic
- Colic: Harmful Treatments
- Comforting a Child Who Has a Respiratory Illness
- Common Health Concerns for Babies First Year
- Cough Symptoms in Children
- Cradle Cap
- Croup
- Croup: Managing a Croup Attack
- Crying Child That Is Not Acting Normally
- Dehydration: Drinking Enough Fluids
- Dental Care From Birth to 6 Months
- Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip
- Developmental Problems: Testing
- Failure to Thrive
- Gastroesophageal Reflux in Babies and Children
- Health and Safety, Birth to 2 Years
- Healthy Hearing and Vision For Babies
- Immunization, Your Baby's First Year
- Orchiopexy for Undescended Testicle
- Reducing Biting in Children Ages 8 to 14 Months
- Reducing Biting in Teething Babies
- Teething Products
- Teething: Common Concerns
- Treating Asthma in Babies and Younger Children
- Tongue-tie and tethered oral tissues
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Baby Growth and Development
- Babies' social and emotional development
- Children's Growth Chart
- Cognitive Development 9-12 mos
- Cognitive Development First 6-9 Mos
- Emotional and Social Growth in Newborns
- Growth and Development Milestones
- Growth and Development, Newborn
- Importance of Tummy Time for Babies' Development
- Speech and Language Milestones, Birth to 1 Year
- Stimulate Your Baby's Learning
- Tooth Development in Children
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Baby Safety
- Baby's Sleep Position and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Baby Proofing Your Home First Year
- Choking Rescue for Babies
- Safer Sleep for My Baby
- Crib Safety
- Safe Chairs for Baby's First Year
- Safer Sleeping
- Safety at Home for Baby's First Year
- Shaken Baby Syndrome
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Sun Safety Babies for their First Year
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New Parents
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Parenting Toddlers (12-36 months)
- Mealtime and Your Toddler
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Caring for Your Toddler
- Acetaminophen Use in Young Children
- Breath-Holding Spells
- Breath-Holding Spells: Keeping a Record
- Brushing and Flossing a Child's Teeth
- Care for Toddlers' Colds and Coughs
- Crying, Age 3 and Younger
- Dental Care and Teething in Toddlers
- Egocentric and Magical Thinking
- Hearing Health for Toddlers
- Ibuprofen Use in Young Children
- Managing Your Toddler's Frustrating Behaviours
- Positive Parenting
- Preparing Your Toddler for Health Care Visits
- Preventing Breath-Holding Spells in Children
- Promoting Positive Behaviour in Your Toddler
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Toddler Growth and Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Growth and Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Language Development 12-18 Months
- Language Development 18-24 Months
- Language Development 24-30 Months
- Milestones for 2-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
- Physical Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Physical Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 1 to 12 Months
- Sensory and Motor Development, Ages 12 to 24 Months
- Speech and Language Development: Helping Your 1- to 2-Year-Old
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 1 to 3 Years
- Toddler Play Activities
- Toddlers Language Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 18-24 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 24-30 Months
- Toddlers Physical Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 12-18 Months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 18-24 months
- Toddlers Social and Emotional Development 30-36 Months
- Toddlers social and Emotional Development 24-30 months
- Toilet Training
- Toilet Training: Knowing When Your Child Is Ready
- Understanding your Toddlers Development
- Toddler Safety
- Toddler Sleep
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Parenting Preschoolers (3-5 years)
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Caring for Your Preschooler
- Daytime Accidental Wetting
- Dental Care: 3 Years to 6 Years
- Health and Safety, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Preschoolers: Building Self-Control
- Preschoolers: Building Social Skills
- Preschoolers: Building a Sense of Security
- Preschoolers: Encouraging Independence
- Preschoolers: Helping Your Child Explore
- Preventing Tooth Decay in Young Children
- Temper Tantrums
- Temper Tantrums: Keeping a Record
- Thumb-Sucking: Helping Your Child Stop
- Your Child and the Dentist
- Good Sleep Habits: 10 Tips
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Preschooler Growth and Development
- Emotional Development, Ages 2 to 5 Years
- Encouraging Language Development in Your Preschooler
- How Reading Helps Language Development
- How to Teach Your Child by Example
- Milestones for 4-Year-Olds
- Milestones for 5-Year-Olds
- Speech Problems: Normal Disfluency
- Speech and Language Delays: Common Misconceptions 49
- Speech and Language Development
- Speech and Language Development: Red Flags
- Speech and Language Milestones, Ages 3 to 5 Years
- Stuttering
- Thumb-Sucking
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Caring for Your Preschooler
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Parenting School-Age Children (6-11 years)
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
- Bedwetting
- Building Kids Resilience
- Childhood Fears and Exposure to Violence
- Conversations that Teach Children Resilience
- Establishing Limits With Your School-Age Child
- Help Your School-Age Child Develop Social Skills
- Helping Your School-Age Child Learn About the Body
- Quick Tips: Using Backpacks Safely
- Sample School Plan
- Self-Esteem, Ages 6 to 10
- Back to School
- School-Age Children Growth and Development 6-11
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Caring for Your School-Age Child
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Parenting Teens (12-18 years)
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Teen Growth and Development
- Adolescent Sensory and Motor Development
- Cognitive Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Emotional and Social Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years
- Growth and Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Menarche
- Menstruation: Not Having a Period by Age 15
- Milestones for Ages 11 to 14
- Milestones for Ages 15 to 18
- Physical Development, Ages 11 to 14 Years /
- Physical Development, Ages 15 to 18 Years
- Puberty Issues
- Teenage Sleep Patterns
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Caring for Your Teen
- Conversations that Teach Resilience
- Help Your Working Teen Balance Responsibilities and Set Priorities
- Helping Adolescents Develop More Mature Ways of Thinking
- Helping Your Child Transition Into Middle School or Junior High
- Helping Your Teen Become a Safe Driver
- How to Get Back on Track After Conflict with Teenagers
- How to Start a Conversation with Teens About Alcohol
- Medical Checkups for Adolescents
- Talking to Your Adolescent or Teen About Problems
- Teen Relationship Abuse
- Teen Substance Use: Making a Contract With Your Teen
- Teenage Substance Use: Choosing a Treatment Program
- Teenage Tobacco Use
- Teens With Diabetes: Issues for Parents
- Tips for Parents of Teens
- Your Teen's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
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Teen Growth and Development
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Keeping Your Child Safe
- Child Safety: Preventing Burns
- Child Safety: Preventing Drowning
- Child Safety: Preventing Child Abduction
- Child Safety: Fires
- Protecting Your Child From Infections
- Child Safety: Pets
- Child Safety: Preventing Falls
- Child Safety: Streets and Motor Vehicles
- Child Safety: Washing Toys to Prevent Germs
- Preventing Choking in Small Children
- Preventing Children's Injuries From Sports and Other Activities
- Quick Tips: Helping Your Child Stay Safe and Healthy
- Child Safety: Air Pollution
- Child Safety: Bathing
- Child Safety: Bicycles and Tricycles
- Child Safety: Drowning Prevention in Pools and Hot Tubs
- Child Safety: Guns and Firearms
- Child Safety: Strollers and Shopping Carts
- Head Injuries in Children: Problems to Watch For
- Head Injury, Age 3 and Younger
- Object Stuck in a Child's Airway
- Playground Safety
- Preventing Choking
- Quick Tips: Safely Giving Over-the-Counter Medicines to Children
- Preventing Poisoning in Young Children
- Staying Healthy Around Animals
- Thinking About Child Safety
- Abuse and Neglect
- Rule of Nines for Babies and Young Children
- Bullying and Online Safety
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Relationships and Emotional Health
- Helping Your Child Build Inner Strength
- Helping Your Child Build a Healthy Body Image
- Symptoms of Depression in Children
- Active Listening
- Aggression in Youth
- Appreciating Your Child's Personality
- Family Life Cycle
- Family Meetings
- Recognizing and Developing Your Children's Special Talents
- Sibling Rivalry: Reducing Conflict and Jealousy
- Violent Behaviour in Children and Teens
- Growth and Development: Helping Your Child Build Self-Esteem
- Effective Parenting: Discipline
- Corporal Punishment
- Talking With Your Child About Sex
- Helping Kids Handle Peer Pressure
- Substance Use Problems: How to Help Your Teen
- Helping Your Child Avoid Tobacco, Drugs, and Alcohol
- Stress in Children and Teenagers
- Stress Management: Helping Your Child With Stress
- Family Therapy for Depression in Children
- Comparing Symptoms of Normal Moodiness With Depression in Children
- Conditions With Symptoms Similar to Depression in Children and Teens
- Warning Signs of Suicide in Children and Teens
- Taking Care of Yourself When You Have a Child With Physical, Emotional, or Behavioural Problems
- Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Is Sick
- Grief: Helping Children With Grief
- Grief: Helping Children Understand
- Grief: Helping Teens With Grief
- ADHD: Taking Care of Yourself When Your Child Has ADHD
- Baby's Best Chance
- Toddler's First Steps
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Birth Control
- Birth Control for Teens
- Birth Control Hormones: The Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Shot
- Birth Control Hormones: The Mini-Pill
- Birth Control Hormones: The Patch
- Birth Control Hormones: The Ring
- Breastfeeding as Birth Control
- Birth Control: How to Use a Diaphragm
- Birth Control
- Birth Control: Myths About Sex and Pregnancy
- What to Do About Missed or Skipped Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control Pills: Missed or Skipped Periods
- How Birth Control Methods Prevent Pregnancy
- How to Take Birth Control Pills
- Birth Control: How to Use the Patch
- Birth Control: How to Use the Ring
- Hormonal Birth Control: Risk of Blood Clots
- Effectiveness Rate of Birth Control Methods
- Birth Control
- Diaphragm for Birth Control
- Spermicide for Birth Control
- Contraceptive Sponge for Birth Control
- Cervical Cap for Birth Control
- Birth Control: Pros and Cons of Hormonal Methods
- Intrauterine Device (IUD) for Birth Control
- Personal Stories About Choosing Birth Control Methods
- Hormonal Methods of Birth Control
- Barrier Methods of Birth Control
- Tubal Implants for Permanent Birth Control
- Birth Control Patch
- How Pregnancy (Conception) Occurs
- Getting Pregnant After Stopping Birth Control
- Male Condoms
- Emergency Contraception
Overview
When should you start toilet training your child?
Your child must be both physically and emotionally ready for toilet training. Most children are ready to start when they are between 22 and 30 months of age, but every child is different. Toilet training usually becomes a long and frustrating process if you try to start it before your child is ready.
Before children can use the toilet, they must be able to control their bowel and bladder muscles. Some signs of this control are having bowel movements around the same time each day, not having bowel movements at night, and having a dry diaper after a nap or for at least 2 hours at a time. Children must also be able to remove clothing and climb onto the toilet, communicate, and have mastered other basic motor skills before they can use the toilet by themselves.
Most children are physically ready to toilet train before they are emotionally ready. Your child must want to use the toilet and be willing to co-operate with you. Your child may even talk about being a "big boy" or "big girl" and wearing underpants rather than diapers. Training often doesn't go well if your child is in the stage where "no" is their automatic response to every request.
At your child's 2-year regular checkup, the health professional will ask you about your child's progress in toilet training. This is a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have about your child's readiness.
How long does it take to toilet train?
A child is considered toilet-trained when he or she knows that it is time to go to the toilet and is able to climb onto and use the toilet with little help. The average time it takes is 3 months. Girls usually are toilet-trained a little earlier than boys are.footnote 1
Your child will likely need help with wiping after a bowel movement until age 4 or 5. He or she may also need extra help in unfamiliar bathrooms, such as public washrooms, until about age 5 or 6.
What if your child isn't ready?
If your child resists using the toilet, your child probably isn't ready. Sometimes toilet training disruptions or delays are caused by stress or major changes in routine. Also, a child who is doing well with toilet training may suddenly have difficulty for no obvious reason. This is a normal part of toilet training. It is best to start or resume toilet training when your child is receptive to it and in a stable environment.
Your child's toilet training experience should be positive. If it becomes a struggle or a battle of wills, it is best to ease up or stop for a while. Although you may be ready for toilet training, your child may not be.
Your child is not ready to start toilet training if they show any resistance. Typically, a child objects by:
- Standing next to the potty and then going on the floor.
- Screaming and crying when taken to the potty.
- Seeming comfortable and even happy about sitting in a soiled diaper.
- Saying, "No potty!"
Toilet Readiness
It can be hard to know when to start toilet training. In general, a child must be both physically and emotionally ready before toilet training can be successful. Most children are ready to start when they are between 22 and 30 months of age, but every child is different.
Children go through a toilet readiness phase that won't be the same for every child. Watch for physical and emotional signs that your child is ready to toilet train. Things going on in your family affect your child during this phase. It is not advised to toilet train during a time of family change, such as when there's a move, a new baby, or divorce.
When your child is ready to toilet train, the learning phase can begin. During this time, provide opportunities to toilet train and encourage your child.
Physical readiness
A child is physically capable of being toilet-trained when your child develops muscle control over the bowel and bladder. This rarely happens before 18 months of age.
Some basic signs that your child has bowel and bladder control include the following:
- Bowel movements occur on a regular, somewhat predictable schedule.
- Bowel movements do not occur during the night.
- Diapers frequently are dry after waking from a nap or for at least 2 hours at a time.
- Facial expressions, grunting, or squatting show an awareness that your child is passing urine or stool.
Your child must also be able to remove clothing and climb onto and use the toilet with some help. And your child must be able to communicate with you about the need to use the toilet.
Emotional readiness
Your child may be physically ready to toilet train after 18 months of age. But emotional readiness may take more time. Your child must want to use the toilet. And your child must be willing to co-operate with you during the toilet-training process. For example, training often doesn't go well if your child is in the stage where "no" is their automatic response to every request.
Your child shows emotional readiness for toilet training in several ways. Your child may:
- Tell you when their diaper is dirty and ask to have it changed.
- Be eager to please and able to follow simple directions.
- Tell you that they want to use the toilet or wear underwear instead of diapers.
- Like to be neat and tidy. Many children go through a period where they like being clean and organized.
- Act interested when other family members use the toilet.
Be careful of getting too excited about your child's readiness after they show one or two of these signs. A child may be excited about using the potty, only to lose interest very quickly.
Delays in toilet training
It is normal for your child to be doing well with toilet training and to suddenly begin having problems. For example, he or she may try to "hold it" for long periods or want to wear diapers again. This does not mean your efforts have failed. But it does mean that you need to ease up on the training for a little while.
Stress in the home can interfere with a child's toilet training. For example, toilet-training setbacks can be related to the arrival of a new baby, a move, a change in preschool or child care, family conflict, or illness or death of a close family member.
A child's toilet habits may also be affected if he or she gets an illness, especially one that has a long recovery time.
Sometimes your child will not co-operate—for no reason that you can figure out.
Negative reactions typically do not help. Children need frequent praise throughout the entire process of toilet training.
Measuring success
You will know your child is toilet-trained when they regularly anticipate the need to use the toilet and with little help are able to climb onto and use the type of toilet (potty) that you provide. This process takes time, from weeks to months. Each child is different. But most children are successfully trained around age 3 or shortly thereafter. (Girls are typically trained a few months earlier than boys.) Your child may still need help now and then, such as with wiping, until age 4 or 5. Your child may also need help and reassurance when using a toilet in an unfamiliar place, such as in a public washroom, until about age 5 or 6.
Most toilet-trained children sometimes wet or soil their pants during the day, usually because they get distracted. For example, your child may ignore the need to use the toilet because they do not want to interrupt playtime. These accidents may occur until your child is 5 years old. Stress can also cause a child to revert to wetting their pants.
Most children sometimes wet the bed at night until about 12 months after they use the toilet during the day. Many 3-year-olds wet the bed at night at least once a month. Nighttime bedwetting may even occur sporadically into school age.
Common Concerns
Pressure to toilet train your child
You may be confused about when to begin toilet training. This is not surprising, considering that most people are bombarded with advice and expectations from relatives, friends, and daycare providers. You may also have personal reasons for wanting your child toilet-trained, such as being pregnant and wanting to avoid having two children in diapers at the same time. Balancing all of these factors can be a challenge.
Resist pressure from friends or family to toilet train your child too early. Parents often feel that their child should be trained by a specific age or to meet a deadline, such as for a requirement to enroll in a particular daycare. You and your child are less likely to become frustrated and more likely to have a good experience with toilet training if it is not forced. Staying positive and relaxed is an important part of training your child.
Your child's physical and emotional readiness for toilet training is the most important aspect of the timing. Although you can begin toilet training your child at an earlier-than-average age, it usually takes longer. Also, both you and your child will likely become frustrated if you try toilet training before your child is physically and emotionally ready.
Common behaviours during toilet training
Accidental wetting or soiling
Toilet-trained children may have some accidents up until school age. A child who has an accident during the day is often in the middle of playing and simply holds it too long. Nighttime accidents may occur frequently within the first 12 months after children learn how to use the toilet during the day. Many 3-year-olds wet the bed at night at least once a month.
Playing with stool
The focus on toilet training sometimes inspires children to play with their stools. This is normal behaviour. Remind your child that stool is not a toy and that it belongs in the toilet. Reinforce this idea by helping your child to flush it down the toilet. Help your child satisfy a natural need to feel textures by offering playtime with moulding material, such as clay or Play-Doh, or finger paints.
Touching the genitals
Sometimes toilet training sparks curiosity about where urine and stool come from, prompting some children to feel and touch their genital area. This is a normal part of how children learn about their bodies. Don't shame or punish your child for this behaviour. You can explain the function of the genitals and suggest that they are personal body parts to be looked at and explored in private.
When To Call
Call your doctor if you have concerns about your child's readiness for or progress with toilet training.
Most children use the toilet during the day consistently and successfully around age 3. Call your doctor if your child:
- Does not use the toilet during the day by age 4.
- Continues to soil their pants after age 5.
How to Prepare Your Child
There are many different strategies and approaches to toilet training. The methods that work best use positive reinforcement and begin intensive training only when a child is physically and emotionally ready. Introduce the basic concepts of toilet use gradually and repetitively to your child. As your child gains the necessary skills, he or she will show a sincere interest in using the toilet.
Before you decide to start toilet training, make sure the household environment is stable and that all family members are prepared to help in the process. Trying to start potty training soon after having another child, while remodelling your home, while having a succession of household guests, right before going on holiday, or during a time of relationship problems will likely not be as successful as during a calm period when the family can focus on helping your young child reach this important developmental milestone.
Talking with your child
Talk with your child about having a bowel movement and about urinating. Your child may be more comfortable saying "poop" and "pee." It is fine to use these words, but use the proper terms as well so that your child learns what they mean.
Start to talk with your child about how to use the toilet. Explain how the toilet works and how your child will be able to use it when he or she is ready. Be enthusiastic and always speak positively about your child's using the potty. Talk about how he or she will no longer need to wear diapers, will get to wear underpants that are more comfortable, and can go just like a big boy or girl.
You can also use books and DVDs to help prepare your child. Ask your doctor or a librarian for more information.
Your child may want to join you when you use the toilet. If you feel comfortable with an audience, allow him or her to join you. Talk with your child about what you are doing.
Choosing a potty
Take your child with you to select a potty that is sturdy and comfortable. Be patient and give your child time to get used to and comfortable with it. Some ways to do this are by:
- Letting your child move a portable potty into his or her room or other play area to get used to having it around.
- Helping make the potty special by personalizing it, such as painting it or writing your child's name on it.
- Letting your child sit on it and read a book or sit on it with his or her diaper on while having a stool or urinating. You can say, "This is your special chair for you to go pee-pee and poop in. Soon you will use it just like grownups use the toilet."
Getting Started
Eventually, your child will show an interest in using the toilet. When this happens, follow your child's lead and start the process.
Here are some suggestions that can make this process go more smoothly.
- Dress your child in clothing that is easy to remove.
Clothes that have elastic waistbands or easy-to-open fasteners (such as Velcro) work best. Pull-on diapers also work well during toilet training. Bib overalls and one-piece outfits are hard for a child to take off.
- Get a step stool.
A step stool supports the feet and allows your child to push his or her feet against the stool during a bowel movement.
- Help your child feel comfortable and safe on the toilet.
Assure your child that he or she will not fall in. Some children feel more comfortable sitting backward, facing the toilet tank.
- Teach your boy how to urinate as he sits on the toilet.
(Some boys may need to push down on their penis so that the urine stream goes into the bowl and not over the front of the toilet seat.) As he grows taller, he can learn to urinate from a standing position. A small step stool may help him reach the toilet bowl and improve his accuracy.
- Teach your child to wipe properly.
Show him or her how to remove toilet paper from the roll, wipe, and throw the used toilet paper in the toilet. Instruct girls to wipe from front to back, which helps avoid infection caused by getting stool near the urethra or the vagina. Many children need help to wipe effectively, especially after a bowel movement, until about age 4 or 5. You may want to keep diaper wipes near the toilet to help remove residue without chafing your child's skin.
- Help your child flush the toilet.
Some children are afraid of the sucking mechanism of the toilet. If your child has this fear, it is fine for you to flush the toilet after he or she leaves the room. Eventually, your child will be able to flush the toilet without a problem.
- Teach your child how to wash his or her hands after using the toilet.
Learn more
Giving Support
Do not try to begin toilet training before your child is physically and emotionally ready. Trying to toilet train your child before this time creates frustration for both of you.
Toilet training is usually more successful if you are relaxed and patient with your child.
- Avoid power struggles.
These will only make toilet training more stressful and last longer.
- Be positive.
All experiences and associations with toilet training should be positive. Do not scold, punish, or embarrass your child for failing to use the toilet.
- Do not force your child.
Do not verbally or physically force your child to sit on a potty. Allow your child to sit on the potty only for 5 minutes at a time unless he or she is beginning to pass stool or urine.
- Let your child choose.
Tell your child that it is up to him or her to decide when to use the toilet.
- Praise and encourage your child for success.
You can say, "You are sitting on your potty just like mommy (or daddy, or big sister)" or "You are trying really hard to poop (or pee) in your potty." Reward your child for trying to use the toilet. You can use verbal praise and fun activities, such as stickers or special playtime with you.
- Remember that accidents happen.
Do not scold or punish your child for accidentally wetting or soiling his or her pants. Be matter-of-fact and reassure your child that it's okay and that he or she will get better with practice. Also, remind your child to use the toilet when he or she wakes up in the morning.
- Be patient.
If you and your child are not making progress with toilet training, it's okay. It's probably not the right time. Put the potty chair away until your child shows that he or she wants to try again.
The most important things to remember for toilet training are to wait until your child and family are ready and to make it a positive experience. Be patient, and look forward to the days ahead of freedom from diapers.
Related Information
References
Citations
- Parker S, Sices L (2011). Toilet training. In M Augustyn et al., eds., Zuckerman Parker Handbook of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for Primary Care, 3rd ed., pp. 393–395. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Credits
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
Susan C. Kim MD - Pediatrics
Current as of: March 1, 2023
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:John Pope MD - Pediatrics & Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine & Susan C. Kim MD - Pediatrics
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