Family

7 Online Pregnancy Resources For Expecting Parents

posted on September 10, 2020 | by Mariel Santiago

I’m pregnant for the first time, living overseas during a pandemic. I think it’s fair to say that I’m feeling more isolated than ever. I’m fortunate that I have friends across the world, which means I am lucky to always have someone on call, whatever time of the day or night. Still, I have been conscious not to burden them with all my questions, mainly due to my self-imposed fear of not wanting to be “too much.” Thousands of miles from where our family plans to call home and hidden away from the virus, I don’t have access to all the usual in-person prenatal group classes and mother-to-be communities. Thankfully there are so many amazing online resources to help me wrap my mind — and soul — around this crazy journey we call Motherhood! Here are the ones that are helping me to flourish during pregnancy, feel a greater sense of connection, and prepare for childbirth.

Tinyhood – 101 Online course

If, like me, this is your first pregnancy and you really need to learn everything from scratch, then this course is for you. It covers all the basic topics such as breastfeeding, sleep, safety (including infant CPR), and even how to change a diaper. My husband and I have already completed this course and intend to do it again closer to birth as a refresher. They even include handy PDF sheets to print out.

Expectful – Meditation & Sleep App for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Parenthood

This app has been a godsend! I had a particularly tricky time at the midpoint of my pregnancy. I had thoughts like, “If this is so uncomfortable now, how will I cope later?” Firstly, I’ve learned in pregnancy that symptoms don’t necessarily get worse. They’re not always on a downward trajectory, often they can come and go. Secondly, the Expectful app has helped me be more present and manage any anxiety I’ve been experiencing. I love that there are meditations based on the different stages of pregnancy, ones specifically to connect with your baby and even couples meditations, which are a lovely bonding experience.

The Positive Birth Company – Hypnobirthing online course and Facebook community

This course is designed to empower women and their partners to create positive birthing experiences. I have found this to be the most robust and affordable course to prepare for childbirth. Each birth is different and there is no right or wrong way of doing it but this course aims to help make all births a positive experience. The course also gives you access to the private Facebook community of women who have previously completed the hypnobirthing course. It’s a place to go for ongoing support and to read amazing and inspiring birth stories.

The Conscious Parent Audiobook

A lot of the focus during pregnancy is either on pregnancy or birth itself. We seem to forget there is a whole upbringing that comes after. This book has been amazing to bring some awareness to how we would like to raise our children. As it’s an audiobook, my husband and I are able to listen together and it has been the basis for many interesting and important conversations.

Motherkind Podcast

I listen to this podcast every morning when I walk my dog. It’s like giving myself a self-care hug each day. I particularly like how their focus is on the mother. Most resources tend to focus on the baby, whereas they honor ‘matrescence,’ the journey of the birth of a mother.

Lucy Flows Pregnancy Yoga – Online yoga & birth preparation course

This course was recommended to me by several friends. What I love about these classes is that they don’t just help you to build strength and flexibility throughout pregnancy but they assist you in preparing for childbirth too. Throughout Lucy’s classes, we are constantly reminded of how strong our bodies are, as well as the effective breathing techniques to keep us calm and in control during labor.

Pregnancy Apps, all of them! Ovia Pregnancy, BabyCenter, What to Expect, Pregnancy+

Seriously, I have all of them. Each is fantastic in providing digestible content for each week and trimester of pregnancy to track your baby’s development, what symptoms to expect, and even what to put in your hospital bag. My husband has loved using these too (because good luck trying to get him to read a book!). They do all the thinking and research for you and have definitely put my mind at ease, especially for those particularly bizarre symptoms—itchy boobs anyone?