My Favorite Baby & Toddler Online Resources

There are so many places to get baby and toddler information online, so it can be hard to know where to even begin. I’ve followed (and unfollowed) a ton of these resources over the past two years from preparing for a baby to having a baby to that baby becoming a toddler.

What to Look for When Choosing to Read A Baby Blog or Follow a Toddler Account

I’m not a doctor, and I certainty don’t pretend to be. But there are a lot of people on the Internet who prey on new Moms and use this fear to sell their products. I see a lot of my own friends follow these accounts and look to them as their Bible, and it makes me sad. So with that being said, always keep in the mind the following when you choose to read a Mommy blog or follow a parenting Instagram account.

• Is the information coming from a credible source? If it’s a baby nutrition Instagram account, is the woman running it a registered dietician? Is the breastfeeding blog you read written/reviewed by a lactation consultant? Pay close attention to the qualifications and when in doubt, Google them. Not every blog or accounts needs that level of qualifications of course (especially if you’re just sharing tips that worked for you), but any medical or behavioral claim should be backed up if made.
• Are they fear mongering me or playing to my insecurities? There’s a very well-known baby sleep account/program that is just an overpriced version of other programs and research slapped together. She is taking other people’s work and research, targeting it towards desperate, sleep-deprived new Moms, and making a huge profit off of it by claiming it’s her proprietary information. Not a good look. If the copy, images, and other content seems predatory, plays on your insecurities as a Mom, or has a MLM-esque business model, run for the hills. Lots of feeding accounts (both breastfeeding and baby-led-weaning) use language that makes Moms feel as if it’s their way or the highway — this is another example of that fear mongering (in addition to just being incorrect, as one way of feeding is not better than another). Every account says “Hey Mama, I’m here for you”, but not that many of them really are.
• Is what they’re covering in line with the AAP? The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) is my go-to as a source regarding credibility. While I don’t follow every single thing they say (for example, I didn’t breastfeed for as long as they recommend), they are the gold standard in my book (and all of my healthcare provider’s). Check and see if these accounts reference the AAP and back up their points of views for the most part. Again, not everything is cut and dry (and some of their views are recommendations vs. requirements), but it’s a good guiding light.

With that being said, here are my favorite baby and toddler online resources to check out that follow the above qualifications.

My Favorite Baby Blogs & Websites

Kelly Mom – Kelly Mom was highly recommended to be by my pediatrician, OB-GYN, and lactation consultant. Needless to say, if all three certified professionals recommend something, it’s assumed to be a verified source. While they cover a variety of parenting topics, their niche is breastfeeding. The website is clean and simple, their content always includes references and sources for any medical claims, and articles are reviewed/written by experts. I found their breastfeeding content extremely useful after giving birth, especially when I was preparing to go back to the office and pump (turns out I didn’t need to do this because COVID happened), and when I was curious about supply issues I was having.

HealthyChildren.org – This website is the parent-facing version of the AAP. The information is easy to understand and digest, and covers topics like safety, travel, and mental health (in addition to general health and wellness). Everything is nicely categorized into age ranges and content groupings, so it’s really easy to navigate and find what you want.

Your Kid’s Table – Run by a licensed pediatric occupational therapist, this website has a ton of information on picky eating and sensory issues. I found her content specifically helpful when we were trying to transition Henry from a sippy cup to a straw cup. She also has a ton of meal plans, which are helpful for those days when you can’t think of what to make for dinner anymore!

My Favorite Baby Instagram Accounts

mamaknows_nutrition – Run by a registered dietitian nutritionist and mom of a picky eater, this account covers everything food-related. My favorite posts of hers are ones talking about “x ways to serve this food” (e.g., yogurt) and “what my toddler eats in a day”. She shares lots of hacks without being annoying or spammy, which I appreciate.

My Favorite Baby Newsletters

Babylist Weekly Newsletter – I signed up to receive these emails while I was pregnant, and continue to get them now with my 17-month-old. While I didn’t use Babylist for my baby registry, I love their newsletter content. Each week, I get a newsletter covering the latest news (product recalls, updates from the CDC, etc.), relevant advice for my child’s age (tips on transitioning to solids), and product recommendations. And of course when I was pregnant, I looked forward to the weekly updates of how large my baby was, what types of symptoms I may be experiencing, and what tasks I should be marking off my to-do list to prep for baby. You can sign up by scrolling to the bottom of the page at just about any of their blog posts, like this one.

ParentData – This newsletter covers evidence-based pregnancy and parenting topics ,and is written by Emily Oster (Professor of Economics at Brown University and author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet and The Family Firm). In her newsletter series, she makes spreadsheets and data interesting and demystifies a lot of the information out there regarding controversial topics ranging from sleep training to sugar intake.