Tuesday, June 14, 2011

My Favorite Pregnancy and Parenting Resources

I know a lot of awesome ladies who are either pregnant right now or have recently had little ones, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite pregnancy and parenting resources.

I used Fertility Friend while we were trying to get pregnant. It has free charting software and a great charting course that you can take to learn the ropes.

I also really loved the forums at mothering.com while we were trying to conceive and then once I got pregnant. They have great infertility and TTC boards, and then once you get pregnant, you can join a Due Date Club with other ladies who are due the same month as you.

The best book I read while I was pregnant was Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. It was incredibly empowering, and I really appreciated all of the research she shares in the book.

Want to have the easiest labor that you can? (Who wouldn't?!?!) Your baby's position has a ton to do with how your labor progresses. Spinning Babies is a great website for optimal fetal positioning.

Check out DONA to find a doula to attend your birth. What's a doula? (From the DONA website) "The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period." Having your baby at a hospital? That's even more reason to have a doula there to support you. (I'm going to post soon about exactly why doulas are amazing.)

My favorite baby name website.

Pregnancy pool so that all of your friends and family can guess when your baby will be born.

Ask Dr. Sears is a good resource for general pregnancy and baby questions. I also really like The Baby Book by the Sears family.

Hands-down the BEST breastfeeding resource on the web is Kellymom. The website has tons of evidence-based articles and the forums are great too. It's the next best thing to working with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

If you're interested in cloth diapering, Diaper Swappers has tons of information as well as really knowledgeable people on their message board. I use (and love) diapers made by a St. Louis-based company called Cotton Babies. They have stores in Missouri and Washington and you can order through their website.

If you have a stroller-hater like Samantha, then you'll want to check out The Baby Wearer. They have tons of information and reviews about baby carriers. Don't settle for the Baby Bjorn, there are much better options out there. I have used and enjoyed a Moby Wrap and Ergo Sport carrier.

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