How is new mommyhood treating Shakira? The singer tells Us Weekly she's got a "great, great" baby. It's super, really. But just one little complaint. "Nobody told me it would be this hard. It takes a lot of energy from you." SIGH. Really. NOBODY told you it would be this hard? Because maybe it's just me, but before I became a mom, all I ever heard was put on your big-girl pants, because motherhood will kick your ass.

You know what? I just can't. I cannot with the new moms who are shocked, SHOCKED! To find out motherhood is some actual, you know, work. And so I give you: An open letter to new moms who didn't know motherhood would be "so hard."

For a long time now, researchers have been trying to figure out why babies who come from poorer families have already fallen behind their wealthier counterparts in terms of their ability to talk, understand, and learn by the time they're 1 year old. Factors such as lead paint exposure; stress hormones; and lack of reading have all been brought into the discussion, but now researchers are exploring something new: How much babies are spoken to.

Talking to your baby is an innate thing for many parents. In fact, mini-sentences like Look at the trees outside; You see that doggie?; Can you say 'mama'? probably abound in your home. And that's great! You may feel like a crazy person, but there has never been any research that shows talking to your baby a lot is a bad thing. In fact, studies, evidently, show just the opposite.

But is there a "best" way to talk to your little one?

We know there are many benefits of co-sleeping. Happy babies, happy parents, happy planet! Co-sleeping can be a rewarding family practice, but you have to do it the right way. 

This? This is not how you co-sleep. And it's not how you sleep-train, either. I don't know what you would even call this. Some completely whacked-out, bananas kind of co-sleep-training only a dad would come up with? Parents. Do not do this.

Dr. Sears would say no. The American Academy of Pediatrics would say Shut It Down, Son. You would totally lose your parenting license. But if you absolutely insist on crib-sharing (There! That's what you call it), here are some important tips.

Swaddling my baby was one of my favorite ways to soothe my son during his first few months. He loved being tightly snuggled into a blanket. It made him feel secure. And he looked so cute -- who doesn't love a little baby burrito? But these are dark days for swaddling. Apparently day cares all over the country are banning swaddling, and no one is happy about it.

Daycare workers say babies aren't as happy as they used to be, and they're taking much shorter naps now. It's all thanks to new guidelines set by the National Resource Center on Child Health and Safety in 2011. They said swaddling could lead to severe health issues, including hip problems, especially if babies are laid down on their stomachs. "In child care settings, swaddling is not necessary or recommended." So harsh! Are they right?

Teething. It's one of those words you hear before having kids and don't pay much attention to. But when babies start teething -- hooo boy, it's impossible not to pay attention to.

Some little ones breeze through teething with nary a whimper in sight, but others are constantly uncomfortable and practically impossible to soothe. It's heartbreaking, frustrating, and it can actually be kind of confusing (is it an ear ache or teething?). Here's everything you need to know about teething from first signs to when to start brushing.

Image via bradleyolin/Flickr

You want to save the planet, but you've got this baby who poops a lot. What's a mom to do? Try some eco-friendly diapers! There are loads of options out there now, ranging from cloth to totally disposable, and I've tried almost all of them. (Well, except for that no-diaper "elimination communication" option.) Here are seven earth-friendly diapers, with how much they cost, what makes them green, and how to tell if they're the right diapers for you.

Sigh. What is it about a baby that makes everyone and their mother (literally) want to give you random pieces of advice on how you should or should not be parenting your child? It's like seeing those chubby little cheeks and 10 tiny fingers and toes suddenly makes people go into expert mode -- and they just can't resist getting all preachy whenever you're within an earshot.

Granted, sometimes the baby advice family, friends, and even strangers offer can be quite good and useful. But other times, it can sound downright wacky or unthinkable.

As parents, we multitask just like everyone else except we have children often hanging on us while we do it. Literally. Enter the baby carrier, aka another set of arms to help you carry your kid. Now imagine if you are with your 4-month-old baby in the carrier and your 2-year-old doing some grocery shopping when you are suddenly approached by the manager who asks you to stop what you are doing or leave. I bet you can guess what this mother was doing. She was breastfeeding. Apparently the manager of the Schofield Barracks commissary in Hawaii respects the fact that Tamara Algots' husband is an information technology specialist with the 25th Infantry Division, but she cannot respect that a baby needs to eat. She perhaps felt pressure from a complaining costumer who couldn't handle knowing that a woman's breasts aren't sexual when it comes to breastfeeding.

This is why there are so many stories of moms asked to stop breastfeeding in public when it is within our rights to do so.