Thanks to East Bay Music Together for sponsoring this guide to resources for new parents and babies in the East Bay. East Bay Music Together has both an online class for parents and caretakers of young babies as well as gatherings together either indoors or out. Find what works best for your family! Email info@eastbaymusictogether.com to get the savings code for health care workers and first responders.

What to Know Before Baby

Where to shop locally to gear up

Mommy’s Trading Post, Alameda.  Mommy’s Trading Post is a kid’s and nursing/maternity wear consignment store on Park Street in Alameda where you can score deals and build community.

Berkeley Parents Network Marketplace (Berkeley and vicinity) is a moderated email newsletter of baby- and kid-related items up for grabs at usually good prices (Must subscribe to participate).

Craig’s List, Facebook Marketplace, and Next Door (Your Neighborhood) are other hyperlocal social networks where folks may be offering up the baby gear they want to get rid of. These boards are not necessarily dedicated to parents, so you’ll have to be patient for the right listings.

Oakland/Berkeley Buy/Sell/Trade Facebook Group for Parents is an online board where parents are offering up their gently used items. It’s a great place to score a baby carrier or gently used stroller. Like Craig’s List, you’ll have to go pick up the item from the seller. Ask to join >

Rooster and Buy Nothing Groups (Your Neighborhood) are another way to tap into used baby gear but for FREE. (Check out Rooster — where everything is FREE — and search Facebook for a Buy Nothing Group near you). In this community model, we share and pay it forward.

A Baby Registry just for you. Oakland-based start-up, BabyList, lets you create a registry that combines your must-haves with all the pretty little things on Etsy you might like to have. See how it works >

Rent the bigger ticket items. Loop gives you month-to-month access to the best baby and children’s products, without the clutter or expense of ownership. See how it works >

Maternity and Before-Baby Services

NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) will check your car seat installation for free or point you to a fire station near you that will do it. Click here to see the list of places to get car seat inspections and the phone numbers to make an appointment.

Pregnancy Pictures. Browse our list of top family photographers in the East Bay to find someone who will take beautiful photographs of your pregnancy.

Acupuncture. Julie used acupuncture to help rotate her breech baby and is now a big believer. Here’s another acupuncture practice we like in Oakland.

S P O N S O R E D   M E S S A G E

The joyful, musical, magical teachers of East Bay Music Together and Canta y Baila Conmigo will lead activities for you and your baby to sing, play, and jam along together. Your baby will begin on their path of musical development as they become confident and joyous music makers.

Classes are appropriate for newborns and up. Register for Babies Music Together >

Where to take Pregnancy & Childbirth Classes

Alta Bates Summit Pregnancy & Childbirth Services (Berkeley) offers parent education classes and support groups. Prenatal classes include Childbirth, Breastfeeding, VBAC, and Childbirth Refresher classes for second-time parents. See the list >

Kaiser Prenatal Health (Oakland) hosts classes so many for their patients, including a Cesarean prep class for mothers who are having planned C-sections. Browse all the topics here >

Find more East Bay prenatal and birthing classes >

Help When the Baby is Here!

New parent support resources

Where to meet other moms. We have assembled a massive list of new parent groups, activities, and tips for making new friends out in the world. Many of our fave classes, like Music Together, are now happening in person with some others still online (so convenient!). Click here to check it out.

Therapy for new moms and dads. Parenthood is a joy and also a new source of stress. Extra support in a non-judgmental setting is a frequent need of new parents.

Postpartum support. Postpartum doulas come to the home and provide help with sleep, breastfeeding, food prep, and general clean-up, including overnight.

Babywearing help. Join a Bay Area Babywearing event to finally figure out your baby carrier or try a different kind.

Diapers. We are big fans of REDYPER SF. These compostable diapers and wipes show up at your home. Soiled diapers are collected weekly, professionally composted, and turned into nutrient-rich topsoil in 14-16 weeks. Wow, right?

Breastfeeding support. In addition to in-person classes and lactation consultants, this Facebook group has thousands of members who want to share your nursing journey and answer your questions, moderated by IBCLC (certified lactation consultants).

Queer family support. We love Our Family Coalition’s blend of activism, information, and fun. Find a new parent support group, playgroup, or friends for the next family PRIDE event. Website to learn more >

For new moms interested in Jewish life. Jewish Families of the East Bay is a local organization available to help families interested in learning about early childhood programs or simply connecting with other Jewish families with similar interests. Also, PJ Library provides free Jewish books and music to children from six months to seven years of age. For more information or to sign up >

Activities & Fun

Take Music Together classes. In the special class for parents with babies under nine months old, you’ll learn lots of fun, interactive music activities that will support your baby’s socio-emotional growth, language acquisition, and early brain development. Babies classes are available Alameda, Rockridge, and Lafayette. Register for Babies Music Together >

All classes — outdoors, indoors, and online — for newborns to 5 years include beautiful music, instructions to make everyday items and activities more musical, CD/downloadable music, an award-winning songbook, access to the family music zone online, and makeup classes. As a family music class, siblings are welcome to attend together. Register for Mixed-Age Music Together >

Our {510} Families calendar has dozens of activities for babies and parents. You can check it daily and we’ll keep on updating it until you can get your shoes on in time for storytime, yoga, or drop-in swimming. Upcoming baby-friendly events from our online calendar:

Thursday, November 9, 2023

10:30 am - 11:00 am: Mother Goose on the Loose, Alameda
10:30 am - 11:00 am: Outdoor Family Storytime, Oakland

Friday, November 10, 2023

10:00 am - 10:30 am: Storytime for Babies & Toddlers, Kensington

Saturday, November 11, 2023

10:30 am - 11:00 am: Outdoor Family Storytime, Oakland

Monday, November 13, 2023

10:30 am - 11:00 am: Baby Music & Movement Storytime, Richmond

Thursday, November 16, 2023

10:30 am - 11:00 am: Mother Goose on the Loose, Alameda
10:30 am - 11:00 am: Outdoor Family Storytime, Oakland

Rookie Moms: 52 weekly challenges is a list we wrote on our other website, suggesting one activity to help new moms get out of the house — with baby in tow — each week for the first year. If you’re on Instagram, use hashtag #510families to share them with us, so we can give you a virtual thumbs up! Locally, here are 23 activities to do with a baby >

Family Date Night with newborns The New Parkway in Oakland hosts a Baby Brigade night on some Thursdays. Dinner will be delivered to your seat and your pre-walking baby is welcome inside the theater. Alternatively, the drive-in theater in Concord enables you to watch first-run movies with a baby in your arms from the comfort of your own car.

More classes for Parents and Babies – from swimming to music, we have a wonderful guide to all the fun activities for babies that involve weekly session-based classes. Here it is >

Professional family photographs. Browse our list of top family photographers in the East Bay to find someone who will take beautiful photographs of your new baby.

Exercise classes for moms and babies are an excellent way to get moving and build a parenting community, several we like are listed here > (Take your first Fit4Mom or Baby Boot Camp class for free.)

Childcare Information and Resources

BANANAS is a local, Oakland nonprofit that helps train, educate, and connect caregivers with employers. They offer supporting materials and specific listings as well as free classes for parents.

UrbanSitter.com, SitterCity.com, and Care.com work on a membership model that allows the matching of potential babysitters with your family based on the criteria you set.

Thanks to East Bay Music Together for sponsoring this guide. We’re big fans!

 

xxx