My favorite links!
These are all resources I have personally used, or recommend to each of my childbirth education students and case management clients.
Enter your due date and location, then match with doulas who are available to travel to you for your birth. Tip: some states now include doula services in their Medicaid coverage! Ask your doula for more info.
Online resource offering expertise on introducing solid foods to babies and toddlers, including a free app with an in-depth database of age-specific preparation guides. Every time I gave my daughter a new food, I checked their database to know how to safely offer it to her. Contact them directly for need-based scholarship access to their guides.
Postpartum Support International Virtual Support Groups
PSI offers over 50+ FREE and virtual support groups for nearly every scenario and demographic - everything from ADHD support to yoga for pregnant and postpartum parents. Spanish language support groups are also offered.
Free virtual postpartum planning class offered on the first and third Wednesday of each month, in both English and Spanish. I wish I had known about this when I was pregnant! Offered by Postpartum Support International, the class will include education, discussion, review of a postpartum plan, and resources. The main topics covered include postpartum physical recovery, partner support, self-care, support networks, lactation and emotional wellbeing, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Registration is required.
Ready, Set, Baby! Live Online Classes
Free, live online classes to prepare you for breastfeeding. I recommend taking these types of classes in the late second/early third trimester to make sure you have time to go through the class and digest the info before baby arrives. Spanish language classes are also offered.
Online classes and free sleep tips for children from birth through age 4. I used her sample sleep schedules countless times when my daughter seemed to be all over the map!
Infant and toddler sleep consultant offering courses and private consultations. I personally utilized a couple of private coaching sessions with her and they made a world of difference.
Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing. This helped me know if my daughter was developing along the normal curve. There’s even a notes section to track questions you have for the next pediatrician appointment.
Find out all about your baby’s 10 mental leaps. Learn and understand why your baby cries more during the fussy phase AND how you can support him to develop all his new skills! This helped bring me some sanity when I thought everything was falling apart.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Who doesn’t love Dolly Parton! Sign up to receive a free book delivered to your child monthly, courtesy of our dear friend Dolly. Register after you baby is born, and they’ll receive books through the age of five. My daughter now asks, “Mommy, does Dolly Parton love me?” Yes, baby, she does.
Taught by a Certified Nurse Midwife, Lactation Consultant, and Certified Doula, for families planning to give birth in every setting. Online and self-paced. Note: this is not a free course.