Resources for New Parents During the Pandemic

Whether you are pregnant for the first time, have recently given birth to a second or third child or adopted a new member of your family, becoming a parent can be both a rewarding and exhausting experience. And being a new parent in the age of social isolation can be difficult without support systems like friends and family members around to help during stressful times. But new parents aren’t alone in this experience, and many organizations have created resources for new parents working through this life transition in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. OnlineCounselingPrograms.com collected resources about issues such as giving birth, mental health care, and providing support.

Information on OnlineCounselingPrograms.com is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your physician or other qualified professionals with any questions you may have about medical or health-related issues.

COVID-19 & pregnancy: What you need to know:  helpful videos and Kaiser Permanente’s answers to frequently asked questions about the effects of COVID-19 on pregnancy and coping with COVID-19 as a new parent.

COVID-19 and pregnancy:  information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about how to protect parents and children from COVID-19, how to seek health care during pregnancy, and how to care for newborns in the hospital with social isolation restrictions.

Carriage House Birth:  educational online prenatal, birth, and postpartum classes for new moms.

Evidence-Based Birth: Birthing in the Time of COVID-19:  free classes on YouTube that take expecting parents through each stage of labor.

What are the rules and recommendations for wearing a face mask during delivery?:  an article about health-related concerns on wearing a face mask during different stages of labor.

Getting pregnant during the pandemic: COVID-19, Pregnancy, and Fertility: frequently asked questions on topics such as the risk of pregnancy and COVID-19, protecting newborns from the virus, and fertility treatment during the pandemic.

5 Things You Can Do For Your Fertility During the Pandemic: a Parents magazine article about caring for your reproductive health and pregnancy planning during the pandemic.

March of Dimes: an organization for maternal health offering free support services for expecting and new moms during the pandemic.

Pregnant During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Your Questions Answered Here: an OBGYN answers questions in a 20-minute podcast about pregnancy during the pandemic.

Birth Day Presence:   virtual prenatal classes on maternal issues such as breastfeeding preparation, infant safety, labor coping, and postpartum information.

Coronavirus During Pregnancy:  an article from the American Pregnancy Association about how to seek care for and protection from COVID-19 during pregnancy.

Parenting 101, Pregnancy and COVID-19:  a series of episodes by health experts about supporting expecting mothers and showing them what to expect during labor.

What Coronavirus Means for Pregnancy, and Other Things New and Expecting Mothers Should Know:  an article about how to seek health care for pregnancy safely, whether to start or continue fertility treatments during the pandemic and what to do if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms while pregnant.

What To Expect When Expecting In A Pandemic: a podcast episode from NPR about the reality of expecting a child during the pandemic and how to care for your infant’s health.

Everything You Need to Know About Pregnancy and Birth in the Age of COVID-19 an article published in Parents magazine featuring personal accounts from new parents experiencing the new normal of birth during the pandemic, covering topics such as early discharges from the hospital and the use of telemedicine to screen for postpartum depression.

Information for New and Expecting Parents Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic: an article about being pregnant and concerned about COVID-19 and giving birth during the pandemic.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) guide for parents: UNICEF tips for families on how to maintain wellness, talk to your kids about coronavirus, and protect your child’s health.

Parenting children with special needs during COVID-19: a Mayo Clinic resource dedicated to parents of children with special needs or chronic conditions that includes advice on how to manage stress and seek care during the pandemic.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Caring for Kids With Special Health Needs:  an FAQ from KidsHealth about seeking health care for children with special needs during the pandemic, exploring questions such as whether to allow health care providers to come to the house.

Stresses of Being a New Parent During the COVID-19 Era:  a questionnaire from Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital about whether babies should wear masks or visit family members and how to take care of children if they are experiencing coronavirus symptoms.

Single Parenting During the Coronavirus Crisis: strategies by the Child Mind Institute about coping with single parenthood and stress during the pandemic.

Quarantined With a Newborn, Alone: a first-person narrative in The New York Times about a new mother spending maternity leave in a pandemic and how she has cared for her newborn during different stages of quarantine.

The Deep Loneliness of Having a Baby in a Pandemic: a Self magazine article about the reality new parents are facing during the pandemic, touching on topics such as social isolation, hospital lockdowns, and lack of family members allowed in the labor room.

Self-Care for New and Expectant Mothers in the Pandemic: an article in Psychology Today about self-care for new moms that focuses on their nutrition, exercise, sleep, and social support.

How New Moms Can Practice Emotional Self-Care During the Pandemic:  a list of tips by a health expert on how to practice self-care as a new mom during the pandemic and how to seek support from others.

Long Creations: a free 15-page PDF visual journal designed for new moms to document their pregnancy/motherhood experience during the pandemic.

Giving Birth During a Pandemic: a checklist created by Mindful Mamas to plan for labor during a pandemic and stay positive through bouts of loneliness.

PopSugar Fitness Youtube Channel:  videos about fitness for pregnant women.

Maternal Mental Health Now: Emotional Wellness Self-Help Tool:  an educational app for women who are thinking about having a baby, are pregnant, or have given birth that helps them take care of the emotional demands and transition into parenthood smoothly.

Maternal Mental Health During The Coronavirus Pandemic:  tips from Mental Health America about what pregnant women can do if they are experiencing depression and anxiety, and how to recover from a maternal mental health condition.

National Parent Helpline:  a hotline offering emotional support and resources to parents and caregivers of children. It includes a resource section for fathers and Spanish language options. Call 1-855-427-2736.

Mocha Moms:a virtual support group for mothers of color that provides a safe space to discuss the different stages of motherhood.

Blossoming Mothers:  an online support group for moms moderated by a professional motherhood counselor.

Peanut: an app similar to Tinder for new moms who are socially distanced and want to meet other local new moms.

Social Mama:an app that connects moms at every stage of parenthood with other moms and motherhood experts.

Social.Mom:  a social network for new moms with virtual meetups.

The ‘COVID-19 Baby’ Parents Group: a Facebook group for new parents on how to support each other during difficult times of the pandemic.

Coronavirus Parents: Parenting in a Pandemic: another Facebook group for new parents, but focused on issues such as social isolation and school closure updates.

Virtual Doula Directory: a spreadsheet of labor doulas and childbirth educators organized by geographical location with contact info.

The Motherhood Center of New York: an organization supporting new moms with support groups for expectant and working moms, dads and partners, as well as those who have experienced miscarriages.

How to Throw a Virtual Baby Shower: an article published on Babylist with advice and resources for new parents and their friends and families on how to virtually host a baby shower, including creative theme ideas and technology tips.

COVID-19 Has Taken Away the Village: How New Parents Can Cope:  Healthline tips for friends and family on how to support new parents and share the load of caring for a newborn with others, including partners.

MealTrain:  a service with an interactive calendar for friends and families that helps them organize delivering meals and/or groceries for someone after a birth.

13 Ways to Help New Moms During Social Distancing: a list of tips on how to support new moms during social isolation.

5 Ways to Help a New Parent Living in Isolation:  tips for new parents and families of new parents to help them adjust to parenthood during social isolation and provide support in healthy, socially distanced ways.

Newborns, Visitors and COVID-19: When can I hold your baby?:  guidelines from the South Boston Community Health Center to help families make decisions such as whether or not they will allow grandparents and other family members to hold the newborn and how to safely determine the risks involved.

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