Cord Blood Banking & Laughing Gas: 9 Trends For Delivering A Baby In 2016

This story is brought to you by Americord, a trusted private cord blood bank that offers a free collection kit and no annual storage fees.

From laughing gas to cord blood banking, giving birth ain’t what it used to be. Here’s what’s new since last year…

1. Placenta Tissue Banking

We are blown away by science—like the science that makes it possible to save and store placenta tissue. Why? Because it’s a 100-percent genetic match to the mother, and can potentially protect your child from 80+ diseases.

2. Henna Belly Tattoos

Remember romantic maternity photos involving a mandatory empire-waist outfit? They’re being outpaced by belly pride. Henna tattoos are a great excuse to show off your tattooed bump loud and proud.

3. Eating During Labor

Keeping food away from laboring moms for fear of aspiration or other doom-and-gloom scenarios is a way of the past. Yay! Experts say we can now eat something other than ice chips.

4. Crowd Birthing

Long gone are the days when Dad waited outside in the hall. Hospital rules are responding to trends allowing couples the flexibility to assemble a “birth entourage” to be there for the big moment.

5. Cross Fit Birthing

Since there is truly no comfortable position on earth once the contractions start, bouncing on a ball, taking a walk, a shower, or anything else with a shred of hope of easing the pain is a good thing.

6. Laughing Gas

Taking the edge off without slowing down any of what’s happening downstairs can be like a gift from the gods (or a trip to the dentist). So bring on the nitrous oxide, a safe option now more widely used thanks to our friends in the U.K. and Canada.

7. Live Social Updates

Not to rob your neighbors of the thrill of being the first to know your business when the stork gets planted on the lawn, but wooden signage seems like a lot of work. It’s your BFF living overseas who really deserves to know that your contractions are five minutes apart.

8. Pulling Out Baby Yourself

Nothing like a little DIY on D-Day. Just one more gift from the Kardashians that keeps on giving.

9. Baby Pics Before Their First Bath

Those babies sleeping contently inside a pumpkin or posed on a bed of white faux fur sure are cute, but these days authenticity is in. Bring on the photos of baby covered in vernix caseosa (that’s the protective white waxy stuff), bonus if you can see the umbilical cord in the pic.

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