STEP 1: CLEAN!

Wash your face with a gentle, oil- and fragrance-free cleanser; preferably a nondetergent one labeled pH balanced. If you have oily skin all over your face, use a cleanser that contains benzoil peroxide or salicylic acid. Don't scrub - irritated skin swells around the pores, which can cause breakouts. Skip toner unless your face is very oily, otherwise it might dry out the skin.

Most pregnant women expect they're going to have to shed some pounds after they have a baby--but a new study suggests they may consider shaping up before, finding that labor takes longer for pregnant women who are overweight or obese. The study, appearing in the November issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, analyzed 612 North Carolina women who gave birth to their first child. For overweight and obese women, the active duration of labor  took nearly two hours more: between seven-and-a-half hours and eight for larger women versus a little over six hours for healthier moms. Along with a longer labor time, studies in the past have shown that extra weight during pregnancy can pose serious complications, such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia for both the mother and the child.

Surprised that your newborn isn't as rosy, smooth, and perfect as you thought she would be? Many new parents are -- but the truth is, a baby's sensitive skin is far more susceptible to irritation than an adult's. Read on for a guide to the most common conditions during the first year and how to treat them.

Vernix Caseosa: A white, cheesy coating that shields your newborn in utero from the drying effects of amniotic fluid. Skin solution: At birth, a nurse will wipe off the vernix. The skin underneath may peel a little; this is normal and will last for about two weeks after birth.

Recent studies have found that certain environmental chemicals - flame retardants, pesticides, and substances in plastics -- are present in small concentrations in many women's breast milk. While it sounds scary, experts say that nursing infants is still best. "Just because a chemical is found in human milk doesn't mean that it poses a health risk for breastfed babies," says Cheston M. Berlin, Jr., MD, a professor of pediatrics and pharmacology at Penn State Children's Hospital.That's because there's no evidence that the amounts in the study participants' milk are dangerous. "Meanwhile, there's overwhelming evidence to confirm the benefits of breastfeeding, which include protection against conditions ranging from ear infections and allergies to cancer," says Dr. Berlin. None of the recent studies refute these findings or the recommendation to breastfeed.