Pregnancy Events in New York City
Welcome to our expectant community! Congratulations on your pregnancy and becoming a mom-to-be in NYC. Below you will find our upcoming expectant programs and classes. For more information about any of our offerings, click on the links, or email us at : renee@babybites.com
Expectant Moms Groups – begins again February 22nd!
- Begins Monday, Jan 9 Downtown Expectant Moms Evening – full
- Begins Wednesday, Jan 18 Uptown Expectant Moms Evening- full
- Begins Wednesday, Feb 22 Expectant Moms Daytime Session
- Begins Monday, Feb 27 Downtown Expectant Moms Evening
- Begins Wednesday, Feb 29 Uptown Expectant Moms Evening
*Note: February 2012 classes are filling up quickly. Priority is given to moms currently on the Jan 2012 waitlist
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NYC Expectant Moms Groups
Join us for our next sessions beginning again Feb 22nd!
Congrats on expecting! Do you have tons of questions and looking for answers? Join a community of other expectant moms – meet, mingle, and connect. This essential class provides a wonderful overview to answer all of your questions regarding labor, body changes, baby development, choosing a pediatrician, baby gear essentials and more!
We will come together each week in a small supportive group to share experiences, ask questions, build friendships, gather resources, and find support along your pregnancy journey. Facilitated by parent coach, fellow mom, child birth assistant, and founder of the support group program, Renee Sullivan. Our gatherings are a nice mix of childbirth education, resources for everything baby, and support facilitated in a warm and social environment:)
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Expectant Moms Day Support Group
- When: Six Wednesdays from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
- Where: Destination Maternity – 57th Street and Madison Avenue
Jan / February Expectant Class Dates:
- Wednesdays: Jan 11, 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, 15
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Expectant Moms Evening Support Group
- When: Six Wednesdays from 6:30pm – 7:30pm
- Where: Yummy Mummy – 1201 Lexington Avenue (81st and 82nd St)
Jan / February Expectant Class Dates:
Wednesdays: Jan 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, 15, 22
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Expectant Downtown Moms Support Group
- When: Six Mondays from 7:00pm – 8:00pm
- Where: City Treehouse – 129A West 20th (6th and 7th ave)
Jan / February Expectant Class Dates:
- Mondays: Jan 9, 16, 23, 30, Feb 6, 13
What our moms are saying:
“I wanted to tell you what a terrific experience the past six weeks has been – it really has made a tremendous difference in my experience of pregnancy – it was just amazing to be in a group with other expectant moms and feel like part of a community. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it! Thank you for making these opportunities possible!” – Terri
“I just wanted to thank you for the extraordinarily helpful information I received in the Expectant Moms class. I will certainly look into future classes with you and hope to sign up for something soon. I truly think you are a wealth of baby and mama knowledge!” – Maria
“I know I already said it, but it was such a blessing to have found you! I made some wonderful friends and felt so supported these last 12 weeks. You do an amazing job. Thank you! Hugs, and see you in May, God willing” – Rachel
“Thank you for a wonderful six weeks! This list is terrific – it is so helpful to have all of this valuable information in one place. I am so happy to have had you by my side throughout pregnancy and now through the exciting older baby phase! Your warmth, compassion, and knowledge of all things baby has been so helpful to us. I look forward to seeing you soon!” – Amanda
“Becoming a new mom was the most exhilarating, exhausting, and intense journey I’d ever experienced. What I found I needed most was a sense of community, which is what this group offers. Meeting up, learning from, and laughing with other new mothers helps turn an uncertain and potentially scary time into a shared adventure. Renee makes everyone comfortable, and is a reassuring and knowledgeable guide for new moms” – Ellie, mom to Ben
“After recently moving to New York and pregnant with my first, I was anxious to meet other pregnant women and recent moms. I joined the expectant moms’ support group, run by Renee Sullivan. I had a great experience and found a wonderful place to meet amazing people that were going through all the same pregnancy issues as I was. Renee is a wonderful and dynamic resource, facilitating our meetings to be nurturing, informative, and a lot of fun!” – Maria
“Renee did an amazing job as the group facilitator making sure each mom-to-be had her voice heard. Her calm, laid back personality allowed the group to open up from the very first meeting. She also provided essential pregnancy and childbirth resources including support references (doulas, baby nurses, nannies, pre-natal yoga classes, prenatal massage clinics, etc), product information, birth plans, etc. The casual, small group environment allowed us develop a close bond and many friendships lasting after the birth of our babies.” – Meg
“Renee – you rock! I love the fun attitude that you bring to the table, while providing us with guidance and a bit of sanity for our upcoming adventures!” – Diana
Renee Sullivan, parent coach to moms in New York City and Director and founder of babybites support groups, works with parents to create their own personal parenting plan that is right for them. As a certified life and parent coach, and drawing from her experience as an educator, she guides moms through the never – ending array of decisions that come with having a child. Her “personal attention to detail” allows all parents that work with her to quickly get the resources they need to feel “at ease” and make informed and educated decisions. Weekly sessions that are “nurturing, informative, and fun” and her “calm-laid back personality” has made her a “dynamic resource” to the parenting community since 2006. She lives in New York City with her husband, and very happy Kindergartener.
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Past Events:
Nanny Know How – A Lunchtime Lecture
Co-hosted with Prenatal Yoga Center
Join us for Nanny Know How! Tammy Gold from Gold Parent Coaching will explore strategies in sourcing and maintaining the best nanny for your family.
The goal is to promote frank dialogue on household management. Tammy will explore issues including:
- What a nanny does
- How much a nanny gets paid
- Where to source a nanny
- Failsafe interview techniques
- How to check references
- What makes for a happy nanny, and much more.
After the presentation, Tammy will open the floor to your questions on working with nannies. Refreshments will be served!
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Come celebrate the newest edition of City Baby by joining other babybites’ moms and mom-to-be for an exclusive book signing event!
We will be raffling off BOTH the Britax car seat and stroller pictured below – come join the fun!
- When: Wednesday, September 15th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
- Where: NY Kids Club, 169 Amsterdam btn 68th and 69th
- Cost: FREE, thanks to Britax, our sponsor ($10 deposit to hold your spot, refunded after the event to all who attended)
- Raffle: We will be raffling off BOTH the Britax car seat and stroller pictured below!
- RSVP: sign up below
Refreshments will be served.
This book signing is sponsored by Britax Child Safety!
You will meet Pamela Weinberg, co-author of the best-selling New York City parenting resource guide, City Baby. Pamela will sign her new book and will also speak about 10 Great Fall Things to Do in NYC. This talk, created specifically for babybites, will give NYC parents (and expectant parents) the inside track on fun things to do in and around New York City with kids. From apple picking to theater, Pamela will give parents the best of the best for the fall.
City Baby’s fourth edition (September, 2010) is the most comprehensive guide book for New York City parents from pregnancy to preschool. The book includes information for expectant and new parents that will take them through everything they need to know about having a baby in New York City. Topics include: finding childcare, purchasing maternity and baby clothing, hiring a pediatrician, outfitting your layette and baby’s room, even where to find the best bathrooms in New York. Parents will learn how to plan their child’s birthday party, find a great playground and library in their neighborhood and which stroller is the best for urban parents. City Baby was initially published in 1997 in New York City and there are currently City Baby editions in Brooklyn, DC, Chicago and Los Angeles.
More about our sponsor:
Britax® Child Safety Inc., a Charlotte, N.C.-based child car seat and stroller manufacturer, is the leader in developing technologies that absorb crash forces and manage energy away from the child. Britax technologies offer maximum protection in order to minimize the risk of injury. Head injury is the leading cause of death for children up to 12 years old involved in vehicle crashes and comprises 65 percent of injuries in both frontal and side impact crashes, according to the Child Injury Led Design and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The redesigned Britax convertible line features Revolutionary Head Safety Technology that offers unprecedented head protection to children. The technology includes four features that work together to offer this advanced level of protection:
1) A re-engineered lower center of gravity; 2) SafeCells; 3) Integrated steel bars; and 4) Britax Energy-Absorbing Versa-Tether®. This system minimizes forward-rotation and reduces crash forces reaching the child. Learn more about these technologies on this video.
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July 8th – Strollers, Diaper Bags, and Cribs – Oh MY!
Meet two baby gear experts in one night at the this expectant event!
- Confused about Bellini and Stokke?
- Overwhelmed by Bugaboos and City Minis?
- Bleary eyed from bottles and bibs?
- Hard to recall, what’s been recalled?
- Is registering, just not registering?
By the end of the night, Jamie and Jennifer will have navigated you through the barrage of strollers, slings, cribs, diaper bags, high chairs, bottles and baby gear on the market today. Come with all your questions and let these two baby planners share their extensive knowledge.
Five lucky winners will take home a Britax car seat, worth $309.99+!!
When: Thursday, July 8th
Time: 6PM – 7:30PM
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5/20 Nannies 101 – Finding, Hiring, & Communicating With Your Nanny
- When: Thursday, May 20th, as part of the Mommybites Summit
- Where: Columbia Faculty House, 400 West 117th Street
- Cost: $50 entrance to the Summit includes parenting talks begin at 6:00 PM and running throughout the evening. Click here to see the full agenda. Entrance also includes wine and refreshments, swag bags and raffles!
Learn how to asses your family’s needs, save time while screening candidates, what types of questions to ask, how to enable the nanny to have a smooth transition into your family’s routine.
Your nanny is the person that helps raise your child and helps to shape their personality. However, finding a nanny can be an extremely overwhelming and daunting process. Your nanny search requires a great deal of time and energy, since your nanny will become one of the most important people in your home.
Let Gold Parent Coaching and its trained staff of coaches and therapists help you learn about the dynamics of the “nanny search process.” We will help you to understand:
- How to asses your family’s needs
- How to save time while screening candidates
- What types of questions to ask
- How to enable the nanny to have a smooth transition into your family’s routine
We will provide information on the typical “nanny job description” and what is involved in the working contract between the family and nanny. At the end of the discussion, we will provide ample time for questions and answers so that all of your childcare questions and concerns can be addressed. Gold Parent Coaching is the only company that specializes in “nanny coaching” so let us help you learn how to create a successful and long-term childcare relationship.
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5/20 Diapers & Desire: Is there Sex After Baby?
- When: Thursday, May 20th, as part of the Mommybites Summit
- Where: Columbia Faculty House, 400 West 117th Street
- Cost: $50 entrance to the Summit includes parenting talks begin at 6:00 PM and running throughout the evening. Click here to see the full agenda. Entrance also includes wine and refreshments, swag bags and raffles!
How can new parents reclaim their sensual, sexual selves and intimate connection after a new baby? Is it even worth the effort?
Some miss cuddling, private talks, time together, intimate dinners, and yes, even their sexual intimacy. Sometimes partners miss these opportunities for closeness at different times. A baby, whether birthed or adopted, changes the playing field for partners. Suddenly, there is no time, no privacy, no energy, no lust, or no oomph. Sometimes for parents with a new baby, sex just feels like one more item on the list of “must dos”, rather than an opportunity for renewal and refuel.
How can new parents reclaim their sensual, sexual selves and intimate connection after a new baby? Is it even worth the effort?
Sexuality Guru Judith Steinhart has spoken to and learned from thousands of adults and parents about what they want, what they don’t want, and how they feel when it comes to sexuality. She will answer your questions and share her stories and insight from almost 30 years in this field. With humor and empathy, she will provide strategies that others have successfully used to help parents find the way back to their primary relationship, first with themselves, and then with their partner, without sacrificing their role as parents of a new baby.
Bio - Judith Steinhart, EdD, is a clinical sexologist, sexual health consultant, and certified sexuality educator. She has spoken to diverse groups of PTAs at public and independent schools, the Parents League, taught at colleges and universities, undergraduate and graduate programs, and conferences, has written articles and chapters for academic journals and books as well as for More.com. She served a four year term on the National Advisory Council for Sexual Health at Morehouse School of Medicine, convened by Dr., David Satcher,15th Surgeon General of the US. She works with individuals, couples, and groups on communication strategies for reaching their goals, blogs, www.judithsteinhart.com, and at www.heyjud.com. When you attend, you will see how much she loves her work.
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5/20 Essential Products for Baby: For Expectant Parents
- When: Thursday, May 20th, as part of the Mommybites Summit
- Where: Columbia Faculty House, 400 West 117th Street
- Cost: $50 entrance to the Summit includes parenting talks begin at 6:00 PM and running throughout the evening. Click here to see the full agenda. Entrance includes wine and refreshments, swag bag and raffles!
Get the low down on what you NEED to buy, what you DON’T NEED and what you can BORROW in preparation for your new baby.
Everything from layettes to furniture to car seats will be covered in this comprehensive discussion. Great talk for expectant parents who are feeling overwhelmed with what they need for baby!
Bio: Pamela Weinberg is co-author of City Baby, the best selling parenting guidebook. This indispensable resource guide for parents, written with Kelly Ashton, is in its third edition and has been called “The Bible for New York City parents.” The City Baby guide answers the many big and little questions that expectant and new parents ponder. Topics include important pregnancy to pre-school advice such as: how to decide on your nanny, pediatrician and doula; where to find the best bargains on baby clothes or that one-of-a-kind crib; where to hold a birthday party on a budget; etc. City Baby also provides readers many “insider” tips that save time and aggravation for busy New York City parents. Be sure to look out for the fourth and newest edition of City Baby in stores September 2010.
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4/8 What You Need When You Get Home from the Hospital & What to Expect the First Month With Baby (2 part seminar)
- When: Thursday, April 8th, 5:30 – 7:30 PM
- Where: Destination Maternity, corner of 57th and Madison
- Cost: $40 single, $65 per couple
- RSVP: ronni@babybites.net
Come hear an amazing double seminar that is a must for expectant moms and dads!
The first part of the seminar is given by Pamela Weinberg, co-author of City Baby, best-selling resource guide to having a baby in New York City. Pamela will give you the low down on what you NEED to buy, what you DON’T NEED and what you can BORROW in preparation for your new baby. Everything from layettes to furniture to car seats will be covered in this comprehensive seminar.
For the second part of the seminar, you will learn what to expect the day you go home from the hospital with the baby and also what to expect the first week and month at home with the baby. Issues covered include:
- How to get home from the hospital
- How to handle visitors and phone calls
- How to get enough rest
- Who should be helping you at first
- Taking a SHOWER
- and much more!
These things may seem obvious, but to a new mom with a brand new baby these simple tasks suddenly become very challenging! Come hear these must have tips and advice to help you make a smooth transition to motherhood. This seminar is run by Ronni Soled, expectant and new mom educator for over 20 years.
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Nanny Know How – A Lunchtime Lecture
Co-hosted with Prenatal Yoga Center
Join us for Nanny Know How! Tammy Gold from Gold Parent Coaching will explore strategies in sourcing and maintaining the best nanny for your family.
The goal is to promote frank dialogue on household management. Tammy will explore issues including:
- What a nanny does
- How much a nanny gets paid
- Where to source a nanny
- Failsafe interview techniques
- How to check references
- What makes for a happy nanny, and much more.
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3/11 Breastfeeding 101
Breastfeeding is one of the greatest gifts you can give your baby. But for many women it’s easier said than done. Knowing what to expect, and getting help right from the start, are the keys to succes.
At this special babybites seminar we will have a lactation consultant on hand to speak about the do’s, don’ts, and must knows on breastfeeding.
You will learn techniques for:
- Latching-on
- Positioning and holds
- Eliminating discomfort
- Increasing milk supply
Fern Drillings, RN, MSN is a certified childbirth educator, lactation consultant, and a certified CPR instructor. She has been teaching childbirth preparation and CPR classes for over twenty five years. Ms. Drillings received her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Rochester and her Masters of Nursing with specialty in Women’s Health Care from the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently on the faculty of the New York University and Adelphi University Schools of Nursing and has worked in several of Manhattan’s top hospitals. Ms. Drillings is highly recommended by many physicians in NY.
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2/4 – A Good Birth Experience
When: Thursday, February 4th, 6:30 – 7:30PM
- Where: Destination Maternity, corner of 57th and Madison
- Cost: $20 in advance ($30 day of)
- RSVP: events@babybites.com
What’s the difference between an OB and a Midwife?
How do I pick the right practice for me?
What questions do I ask?
What if I’m not sure that I’m with the right doctor/s?
Do I take Lamaze or Bradley classes?
What the heck is Hypnobirth?
Who do I want with me at my birth?
What’s a doula? Do I want one?
How do I see myself giving birth – Drugs? No drugs? Maybe drugs?
Do I want to breastfeed? Bottle feed? Both?…………..
There are as many ways to have a baby as there are the women having them.
When it comes to the birth of your baby, you are the expert about you.
A good birth experience happens when you can make choices in labor and delivery that are based on who you are and how you live your life – your hopes and fears, the way you cope with pain, the way you imagine your birth and the kind of support you need.
You don’t have to learn all sorts of new techniques.
Or become someone you’re not.
You just need to know how to apply what you already know about you to the experience of having a baby.
Please join Lisa Gould Rubin, childbirth expert, doula, author and consultant, to get the information you need, learn how to make choices, custom-fit strategies and get the support that’s just right for you; not your mother, your sister or your best friend.
- Choose the right practitioner/s
- Take a realistic look at your expectations and let go of everyone else’s
- Get clear on how you see yourself giving birth
- Figure out who you want to be with you at your birth
If you are pregnant, know someone who is pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant, this discussion is for you.
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1/28 - Adapting to Parenthood
- When: Thursday, January 28th 6:00 – 7:00 PM
- Where: 130 East 65th st.
- Cost: $25 per person, $40 per couple
- RSVP: ronni@babybites.com
You may think that all of the hard work is done once you physically have your baby and return home from the hospital. But this is when the REAL work begins! At this seminar you will learn what to expect the day you go home from the hospital with the baby and also what to expect the first week and month at home with the baby.
Issues covered include how to get home from the hospital, how to handle visitors and phone calls, how to get enough rest, who should be helping you at first, taking a SHOWER and much more! These things may seem obvious, but to a new mom with a brand new baby these simple tasks suddenly become very challenging! Come hear these must have tips and advice to help you make a smooth transition to motherhood.
Ronni Soled has been an expectant and new mom educator for more than 20 years and has run a new mother’s discussion group at New York/Presbyterian Hospital for over 10 years. She is the founder of the original luncheon program for new moms, New Mother’s Luncheons, and currently heads up the luncheon and sample class divisions of babybites. She has a wealth of knowledge in the new mom arena and can always be found helping women acclimate to their new role in life.
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1/14 Gaining Confidence in Handling New Babies
- When: Thursday, January 14th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
- Where: Destination Maternity, corner of 57th and Madison
- Cost: $25 per person, $40 per couple in advance ($30/$50 at the door)
- RSVP: events@babybites.com
Are you nervous about handling a newborn?
Do you want to gain confidence in new mothering/fathering responsibilities?
Do you want to learn amazing tips from one of the best baby nurses in NYC?
Come join us for this amazing seminar taught by Kieran Roberts, founder of Kieran’s Customized Baby Care, who will give you practical, solid advice and learning techniques for when you come home with baby. She will discuss the following:
- Getting to know your newborn
- Why babies cry and how to know if they are crying too much
- How to soothe baby
- Feedings
- Scheduling
- Baby’s Needs
- Making Mom & Dad feel comfortable with their new bundle of joy!
Kieran Gail Roberts was born in Trinidad, West Indies and is the eldest girl out of seven siblings. As such she has always been “the mom”. Kieran, better known as Gail, is a dedicated wife and mother with a genuine soft spot for babies and new mothers.
Kieran has spent the past eight years nursing, nurturing and caring for newborns as arguably one of the best baby nurses around. Her loving, patient and kind manner assists new parents and their new bundles of joy in making a smooth transition from a fully-catered-to life in the womb into our glorious world.
Kieran’s innate abilities coupled with hands-on training and devotion to the profession have allowed her to provide invaluable support to families. Realizing the importance of a new and existing mother’s need to feel and to be equipped to handle the delicate balance of motherhood; Kieran has designed a program that will allow multiple families to simultaneously benefit from her expertise and experience.
Kieran’s Customized Baby Care (KCBC) provides the ultimate hands-on and easy to understand newborn care and information to new parents and involved family members. Her small, focused classes provide families with practical demonstrations in breastfeeding, bathing, sleep scheduling, swaddling, soothing babies and much more.
Read what people have to say about Kieran here.
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