Being a first-time parent can be exciting and exhausting, interesting and frustrating. New moms and dads will appreciate the easy accessibility of parenting tips and advice that is available to them online. However, it is important to know which websites to trust and which ones to ignore. Here are five great parenting websites that are backed by experts and prove to be valuable parenting resources for first-time parents.
1. Babycenter.com is a One-Stop Parenting Website
New parents and parents-to-be can find all the information they need about pregnancy, baby care and development at this easy-to-use, informative website. Moreover, parents can join forums, discuss issues with other parents and also, track their pregnancy and later their baby’s weekly or monthly development either on the site or through newsletters. The site has well-researched and referenced articles and has tons of useful information and tools for moms and dads.
In addition to the informative articles, the website offers useful tools like parenting tips from other moms, baby milestones, baby calendar, birth announcements as well as a section for great shopping deals for moms and babies.
2. Askbaby.com is a Comprehensive Parenting Website for New Parents
Askbaby.com is a friendly and informative site with sections relating to all aspects of pregnancy and baby care. So, new parents can find helpful information on baby bathing, sleeping, feeding as well as tips on traveling with baby and articles on medical and safety issues as well. According to the site, “all the medical content on the site has been written and/or reviewed by a registered midwife.”
One of the unique aspects of the site is that it has a whole section dedicated to decorating the nursery. Parents looking for décor tips and ideas will have a lot of information readily available.
3. Parenting.com is a Useful Online Resource for Moms and Dads
Another one of my personal favorites is Parenting.com. Well-laid out and well-written, the site offers lots of practical and useful parenting tips and information for both moms-to-be and new moms. In addition to the usual articles on pregnancy, baby care and development, you’ll find a complete ‘Baby Activities’ section which is filled with ideas to bond with baby and have lots of fun. There are some ‘Cool Tools’ as well which include a symptom checker, height calculator, guides to rashes, breastfeeding, soothing a crying baby, teething and vaccines.
4. Dr. Spock.com Offers Sound Parenting Advice to New Parents
Dr. Spock has long been the Bible of many new parents and now the same, reassuring and sound advice can be accessed online at drSpock.com. Detailed and informative, the site has sections for all stages of pregnancy and baby care and development. The articles, quite a few are adapted from the book itself, are practical and helpful.
One of the unique features of the site is its Ask the Experts section in which parents can ask questions and get answers from experts like Dr. Robert Needleman, Dr. Marjorie Greenfield, Dr. Lynn Cates and Ms. Mary Silva.
In addition, what I really liked is that it has a separate section for newborns and babies. The newborn section is really useful for new and first-time parents since it focuses on the first two months of baby’s life and covers important topics like bringing baby home, deciding about what diapers to use, the role of the father and other issues.
5. Parents.com is a Useful Online Parenting Resource
This snazzy site is a part of the Parents network and is quite comprehensive and useful for moms and dads. While some of the features of the site are similar to the ones described above such as the pregnancy tracker, child development tracker, the weekly newsletters and the helpful parents community, it does have a few things that set it apart and make it a valuable parenting resource. For starters, there is the parenting videos section from Parents TV. Parents can get to watch videos of how to find the right pediatrician or how to childproof the house as baby grows along with tons of other useful videos.
Another really useful feature is the toy and product recalls section which is well-updated and useful information for any new mom or dad. It includes links to the most recent recalls. Plus one can fill in toy or baby gear information and check whether its safe or not.
While this list of parenting websites is by no means exhaustive, it will help new parents find useful and practical parenting tips and information, connect with other moms and dads and learn how to take care of baby easily and confidently.
Napoleon Nalcot says
What a very useful information you have shared in here. Dads, like me, would surely be guided through all of these. Thank you for this.