BabyBites Manhattan

babybites Manhattan

Laura Deutsch is the founder and creator of babybites. She started babybites in February 2006 when her daughter, Ava, was 6 months old. Although by then Laura had found her new mom friends and was settled into her new role, she couldn’t forget how difficult it was for her to transition from working woman to stay-at-home mom.

Laura’s vision was to create a community of support, education, and friendship for moms with babies as young as a few weeks old.  After hosting her first babybites luncheon on the East Side, the demand grew, and so did the frequency and locations of the luncheons.  babybites currently hosts events in the Upper East Side, Upper West Side,  and Murray Hill.  The community continues to expand and so does babybites’  focus, and now Laura and company host events for expectant moms,  for moms with older babies, and for the entire family.  babybites has evolved to become a major, trusted resource for moms in Manhattan.

Laura currently resides in New Jersey with her husband Brian, daughter Ava, and son Jacob.

Heather Ouida always thought that motherhood would get a whole lot easier once her two boys entered school.  She quickly realized that although she left the sleepless nights and toddler tantrums behind, a whole new set of age-specific challenges arose.  As she always did when she had parenting questions, Heather turned to Laura Deutsch, founder of babybites.

Together Laura and Heather co-founded kiddybites. They decided to use babybites’ already successful format and tailor it to the needs of parents with children aged 4+. Kiddybites’ mission is to provide advice and education through seminars and events, to help parents better support, understand and interact with their children.

Heather used her experience—both as a mom as well as a learning specialist with over 15 years of experience in London and at Dalton in Manhattan—to establish a lecture series that fosters the physical, emotional and intellectual development of children, facilitated by top child and parenting professionals.

Heather lives on the Upper East Side with her husband Jordan and their two sons. Here are some “fun-facts” that Heather posted about herself in one of her blog posts:

“In addition to all the standard, run-of-the-mill facts you can read about me on my bio, here are a few juicier tidbits: (1) nothing makes me laugh harder than hearing my sons laugh; (2) I eat one jar of Nutella a week (straight up); (3) I have been addicted to yoga for years and still can’t touch my toes; (4) when I met my husband he had a Mohawk; (5), I was once escorted at gunpoint from the Giza Pyramids in Egypt for mistakenly entering a restricted zone (my-bad); (6) Chuck Bass (enough said); and, (7) I am crazy-passionate about moms supporting each other without passing judgment.  Please see my earlierblog post, Non-Judgment day in the Village.”

About Manhattan Events

• Luncheons

The heart and soul of babybites is our luncheons for new moms and their babies. Moms along with babies enjoy an afternoon of socializing with other new moms in a baby friendly restaurant and learning from an expert speaker about a topic pertinent to new motherhood. Topics include transitioning to motherhood, sleep, introducing solids, baby safety, balancing work and motherhood, baby sign language, traveling with baby, and many more. Our luncheons have produced countless lasting friendships.

• Sample Classes

We host an array of sample classes. Whether you have been intrigued by the idea of a class but not sure if you want to commit to a full semester, or just looking for a fun activity with your baby for one afternoon, moms love the opportunity to try out a great music or gym class with their babies.

• Seminars

We host seminars on an array of topics ranging from potty training to infant massage to the “terrible 2’s.” Our seminars, led by distinguished experts in their fields, often take place on weeknights to accommodate moms who work outside of the home.  Typically, we encourage moms to attend our seminars without their babies so they can focus all of their attention on the topic at hand.

We also host seminars for expectant moms on topics such as breastfeeding, doulas and babynurses, finding a nanny, great products, and more. Partners of our moms and expectant moms are also invited to attend our seminars.

• Special Events

Our special events run the gamut and are always a great way to socialize and have some fun. Events include: moms nights out, holiday themed parties, weekend and evening parties for the whole family, and more.

• Support Groups

babybites is proud to present our newest program – support groups for moms. These groups were created so moms can come together with a small, supportive group of women to share experiences, ask questions and strengthen their identities as moms.  We currently offer support groups on both the west side and east side for expectant moms, new moms with babies 0 – 6 months, new moms with babies 6 – 12 months, toddler moms, working moms, and entrepreneur moms.

Manhattan Buzz

“I just wanted to thank you for the June 25th breastfeeding class at Destination Maternity. I was so relieved to get some common questions answered in such an accessible and humorous way. I look forward to the upcoming classes you mentioned! Thank you for organizing and offering so many great resources!

-Jill, mom-to-be

__________________________________________________

“…and thanks so much for your great events. I met some amazing women…we are all having brunch this weekend and already had a pizza night to watch The Business of Being Born! I was new to the city so this has been such a gift. Thank you. See you soon at the next one.”

-Krista, mom-to-be

__________________________________________________

“Thank you so much for the event last night– I wasnt sure what to expect– but I really enjoyed it! I dont know anyone else in the city who is pregnant (can you believe that?!) so it was nice to meet other moms-to-be. I also really enjoyed both speakers– My only complaint is that I didn’t win that baby carrier– next time, please rig the raffle!! See you soon!”

-Lee, mom-to-be

__________________________________________________

“Hi Laura,

I want to thank you for the amazing (almost) year I have had with you and your luncheons, since becoming a mom. I have met some very nice girls, with whom I have become good friends and look forward to continuing in growing our friendship. I wouldn’t have met them if not for your wonderfully, informative, social luncheons.

So thank you for everything and for doing what you do and continuing to make luncheons / dinners entertaining, interesting, fun and enjoyable to attend! Looking forward to seeing you at this event mom’s night out on Thursday, December 6th!”

-Stefanie, mom of Madison

__________________________________________________

“Laura, I have to say thank you so much. Your lunches have truly been very instrumental in helping me acclimate to my new environment and meet new moms.”

- Lori, mom of Samantha

__________________________________________________

“Baby Bites Lunches were a lifeline for me when I was home on maternity leave. I met great moms (and even formed a long-standing playgroup with some of the folks I met there!) The lunches gave me an opportunity, in a comfortable and understanding environment, to get my sea-legs when it came to going out in public with my newborn daughter. They were also a great place to compare notes with other people having the same anxiety attacks and burst of pride that I was. I planned my week around them.”

- Sara, proud Mom to Isabelle

__________________________________________________

“I joke that being a new mom is like freshman year in college and Baby Bites is like an orientation event. Everyone is in the same position so it leads to quick and easy camaraderie. I have met so many fantastic women at these luncheons and the lunches led to other socializing opportunities: coffees, walks, glasses of wine and “play dates.” Starting to attend these lunches was a real turning point for me. They got me out of the house and helped ease my stress. It seems like a small thing, but getting out with the baby is when you start taking control of this new and sometimes overwhelming experience of being a mom. Baby Bites is an easy way to learn how to navigate being in public with your baby and stroller etc… I recommend Baby Bites to new moms; It is a great resource for the health and well-being of your baby (and for the mom and her mental health!).”

- Sarah, mom of Everett

__________________________________________________

“One minute I was a senior executive, the next minute I was washing bottles and changing diapers at 4 am. Baby Bites saved me from myself shortly after my son was born. I had such great love for him, and at the same time, felt extremely isolated at home. Baby Bites provided the outlet and setting for me to not only get out of the house, but socialize with other mothers who were were trying to balance caring for a newborn without forgetting about oneself.”

- Erin, mom of Liam

__________________________________________________

“I have not had the opportunity to tell you how well organized the luncheons are! We definitely had a good time and enjoyed gathering with other mums and babies and put things into perspective! The restaurant is definitely an excellent spot, the waiters are friendly (considering the crowd!) and the food is very good. The 5 minute massage was also a great idea! You can definitely count on me for the followings and I have started spreading the word.
Keep up the good work !!! And thanks again for the fun !”

- Laurence, mom of Arthur

__________________________________________________

“When my daughter Riley was about eight weeks old I ran into another new mom, Victoria who had been in my Lamaze class. I had been standing with the stroller at the corner of 66th and West End waiting for my Mom to arrive. . .I lived for the days that she came into the city to help me. It seemed as if each day was one breastfeeding marathon back in those days. Victoria told me that she had met a bunch of new moms at Baby Bites luncheons. The next Tuesday I met her and her new friends at the luncheon and found the luncheons a great spot to meet other moms and quite frankly just get out of the house. The topics were helpful, but for me the social aspect was what brought me back in the first few weeks. Now when I see another new mom on the street with the tired, nervous look in their eyes I stop them and ask them how they are doing and suggest that they make it to a Baby Bites luncheon.”

- Nadine, mom of Riley

__________________________________________________

“Today, I attended one of the Baby Bites luncheons (on Tuesday, it’s in the UWS). I have to tell you, this is a fantastic way to meet other new and expecting moms (I would include dads, but there weren’t any there!).

I know that many of you are not able to break away from your day during lunch, but if you can, I would highly recommend it.

Today, Laura had a wonderful speaker who taught sign language (real sign language) and how it can be used with infants/toddlers. She was engaging and real! I am confident that each of you would have loved her.

Laura has great venues selected, because you can park your stroller easily, breastfeed in private or around the table without having to feel uncomfortable, care for and change your baby when and how you please, and enjoy great food like a real person! And it’s such a nice bonus that you learn valuable things.

All of the women I met were dynamic, intelligent, friendly and eager to make more new mom friends.

So, I strongly recommend the Baby Bites gig, and if you have detailed questions, just email Laura (she’s the organizer) or go to her site (www.babybitesnyc.com).

I’ll be at the next luncheon, tomorrow on the UES, so if you can manage to attend (don’t forget to register with Laura), please come say hello! ”

-Jennifer Jones, founder Learn Garden, telling her members about Baby Bites