start your parenting research here
To help you in your parenting research and decision-making, we want to provide a catalog of resources from a variety of sources. Our goal is to equip you to make the best decision for YOUR family, so we specifically chose resources that discuss and support a variety of options for each topic. Each link below will take you to a more information about the resource and where to find it.
We’ll continue to add to this library and update any links that have changed. Please let us know if there is a category or topic you would like to see, or a resource you’ve found helpful! Leave a comment below, or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest!
Disclaimer: None of this material is meant to be a substitute for medical advice, and we encourage you to discuss health-related decisions with a trusted health care provider.
Newborns
The Montessori Baby
The Montessori Baby (affiliate link), by Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike, which provides a beautiful introduction to how Maria Montessori’s principles can be applied even as early as conception. It is a great resource to read during pregnancy and to keep as a reference for future stages of your baby.
The Movement Mama
If you’ve ever wondered about your child’s motor development and haven’t found The Movement Mama, follow her on Instagram or check out her website! She is a pediatric physical therapist and mama who has empowered thousands of families to help their children achieve milestones through purposeful play.
Baby 411
The Baby 411 book has been referred to as the “baby bible” because it is chock full of everything you need to know! As a resource for expecting or new parents, the book covers all kinds of frequently asked parenting questions. There’s information about sleep, nutrition, first aid, development, and many more topics inside.
Breastfeeding
KellyMom
This favorite online resource provides evidence-based articles across a wide variety of topics from pregnancy to breastfeeding to parenting. Kelly is a mom herself and an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). Her website provides articles with a particular focus on education and support for breastfeeding mothers.
La Leche League
If you decide to breastfeed for any amount of time, you will want to be aware of the resources provided by La Leche League. Their goal is to help parents reach their nursing goals, and they provide several ways to access this support, including community or more personalized support for your unique situation.
Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-Led Weaning Research
This research study was published in the journal of Nutrients in June of 2018.The full title of the article is: “Impact of a Modified Version of Baby-Led Weaning on Infant Food and Nutrient Intakes: The BLISS Randomized Controlled Trial.” It investigated nutrition in baby-led weaning as a feeding method.
Baby-Led Weaning Podcast
Starting solids with your baby can be a stressful decision point for many parents. There are so many options out there, including spoon feeding, purees, baby-led weaning approaches, or combination feeding. This podcast comes with great resources and information to help you find information and answers.
Toddlers
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
For those who enjoy listening to podcasts for their parenting research, we have one for you this week! This episode focuses on how we parent toddlers and young children, giving practical tools for how to remain calm during tantrums and how to incorporate your child into the family’s work.
Go Diaper Free
One of the decisions you’ll have to make around potty training is when to start. As a new parent, you may not even be aware that one of your options is to start at birth with Elimination Communication! While it may sound crazy to put your baby on a toilet, it works well for lots of families. You will want to take advantage of these resources.
Wayfaren Co
Maybe you’re making decisions about when, whether, and how to travel with your whole family. Luke and Abby offer helpful articles about family travel tips. While a big focus of their resources is on credit card points and how to maximize savings, they also feature some great resources for travel planning with a family.
On the Go
Wayfaren Co
Maybe you’re making decisions about when, whether, and how to travel with your whole family. Luke and Abby offer helpful articles about family travel tips. While a big focus of their resources is on credit card points and how to maximize savings, they also feature some great resources for travel planning with a family.
Wrapping Rachel
While baby wearing sounds useful to many parents, it can be overwhelming to learn all of the details like how to use a carrier, how to get your baby inside, and how to position your baby safely.
Wrapping Rachel is a baby wearing educational blog.
