MarloElaine

I have come up with a list of my five favorite websites for new parents. We are eagerly awaiting four new babies to join our extended family in the next few months: one in October, two in November, and one in February. Sammy and Sophie will have so many playmates! We’re so excited!

1. Baby Center has been my favorite website since I first became a parent. It has a lot of interesting and helpful articles that are conveniently categorized by child’s age. It is also very easy to search by topic. The site sells baby related items and offers a baby registry. My favorite feature is the e-mail newsletter that they offer. “Personalized specifically to either your due date or your child’s birth date, our most popular weekly e-mail series helps you track your baby’s developmental milestones as they happen.” I receive weekly e-mails tailored for each of my children.

2. La Leche League is kind of a support group created for nursing moms and moms-to-be who are planning on breastfeeding. I use this site when I have any questions related to nursing my baby, but also to find out when and where my local LLL chapter is meeting. Though they do offer a membership to join, you are not obligated to pay to attend the meetings. It is a great place to meet new people, especially if you’re looking to start up your own play group for your kids! I recommend moms-to-be to start attending the monthly meetings before they deliver their baby. The other members are great resources for breastfeeding information as well as pregnancy and parenting advice.

3. Lansinoh is an excellent product for women who are just starting to breastfeed. It is a soothing lanolin ointment that protects sensitive skin and does not have to be removed prior to breastfeeding. Even if you don’t purchase this product, I still recommend subscribing to their Nurture Note newsletter. According to the site, “you will receive a weekly e-message with words of encouragement, support and helpful information for the first 12 weeks of breastfeeding, and once per month, thereafter, until your baby’s first birthday.”

4. Pregnancy Weekly is a great site when you are pregnant. It allows you to “track your pregnancy week by week with your pregnancy calendar, count down to your due date, and connect with other moms in your birth club community” either online or via e-mail subscription.

5. MarloElaine.com We can’t end this list without a shameless plug for our site! Be sure to check out the articles tab along the top of the page for the following topics: Top 10 Must Haves for Breastfeeding Moms, Umbilical Cord Blood Banking, and especially Top 10 Must Haves for New Parents.

These are the websites I recommend. What would you add to this list?