Having a baby?

Having a baby is a joyous time, and also one full of questions and anxiety. It used to be your only resource was your family and the old adage that it takes a village to raise a child was intensely accurate. While it is still advisable to gain experience from others that have gone the same path, the following ten websites will be a great resource for you whether you are expecting your first child or your tenth. Most of the sites deal with pregnancy as well as preparing and caring for a baby. Many will be useful as you plan to become pregnant so you can strategize to make it the best time of your life. The sites are listed in order of their Alexa traffic count rating.

1. Baby Center: http://www.babycenter.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 738

This immensely popular site covers all the bases – from getting pregnant up to having a big kid. There are tons of tools including a due date calculator, pregnancy weight tracker, baby costs calculator, Chinese gender predictor, growth chart, immunization scheduler, symptom guide for children, behavior problem solver and so much more. With all the expert advice as well as the community involvement, there is likely nothing that isn’t covered on this fantastic website that will be your favorite for the 18+ year journey ahead of you.

2. Social Security: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/#ht=1

Global Alexa Rating: 4,282

If you are having trouble coming up with a name for your upcoming bundle of joy, this site by the Social Security Administration will help you. It gives you the top baby names for any year you choose. You can also look up baby name data and see how the popularity of a name has changed over time. This will help you if you want to either choose a popular name or want to avoid one. The site also gives links for other pertinent information such as getting your baby’s first social security number, caring for your newborn and childhood immunizations.

3. Parents: http://www.parents.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 4,934

Parents Magazine, along with their other magazines American Baby and FamilyFun are a helpful resource for parents of babies and all the way up to big kids. This site includes sections on getting pregnant, pregnancy, baby names, babies, toddlers & preschoolers, big kids, parenting, food, health, fun and more. There are also videos and a community section. The site is full of news and blogs that will turn your days into a ton of fun with activities and advice. Be sure to check out the tips that are organized by category.

4. What to Expect: http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx#

Global Alexa Rating: 6,460

Along with the typical advice and information about expecting and raising a child, there are some nice features on this site you will enjoy. One such feature is the tracker. Simply slide the indicator to the point you are from 1^st trimester of pregnancy through the 3^rd year and the section fills with must-read articles and tools specific to that time. Another useful feature is the A-Z health guides that cover both pregnancy symptoms and children’s health. The Ask Heidi section is a helpful section as well.

5. The Bump: http://www.thebump.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 8,783

As with most sites, there are the typical categories you’ll need on this site as well. Again, there are some special features you may want to take a look at. One nice feature is the baby names section that is uniquely categorized by such things as African baby names, Biblical baby names, celebrity baby names, Italian baby names, Persian baby names, Irish baby names, unique baby names and much more which can be a great help for coming up with something that has special meaning or embracing your heritage. Another nice feature is the ability to create your own baby website for documenting the pregnancy and the life of your child. You can also sign up for weekly updates on baby and your body.

6. Parenting: http://www.parenting.com/  

Global Alexa Rating: 12,347

This site has a huge number of relevant articles that provide parenting advice, fun activities and so much more. The helpful tools section has some things you won’t want to miss such as teething symptoms and remedies, unique birthday cakes, kid-friendly road trip planner, how to potty train in a week and quirky discipline rules that work. The main page also includes the most recent recalls so you can be sure the products you have are safe. There is also a community for connecting with other parents.

7. Baby Zone: http://www.babyzone.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 15,042

This site is provided by Disney and includes sections for blogs, baby names, getting pregnant, being pregnant, life with your baby, showers & parties and buying for baby. They also have due date clubs and other communities that you can join. The blogs are very informative and entertaining as they cover a wide variety of relevant topics. There is information about the bloggers on the site also, so you can see what qualifications they have.

8. Baby Name Wizard: http://www.babynamewizard.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 27,095

There are a lot of books, apps, websites and sections on websites devoted to helping you choose a name for your baby, but few do the job as thoroughly and uniquely as this site does. There are both basic name tools and expert name tools. You must sign up for free to receive access to their tools, however. The site also has a forum and a baby names blog. The NameVoyager is a unique tool for exploring baby names and name trends as far back as the 1880s. Find out when your name was the most popular using this tool for a fun thing to do.

9. Babies Online: http://www.babiesonline.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 181,597

Babies Online has been providing free baby websites, parenting tools & free baby stuff for new and expecting parents for more than 10 years. There are plenty of interactive tools and guides, pregnancy and baby articles and even a babies online blog that you can get emailed to you if you subscribe. An entertaining feature is the ability to enter your baby’s birth or due date and get fun facts including birthstone, birth flower, day in history, graduation date and more. On the main page simply select the GO button for expecting or new parent and you’ll be off on a great adventure. Be sure to check out the free stuff you can get!

10. Kidmondo: http://kidmondo.com/

Global Alexa Rating: 748,663

Journal writing, or what you may have called Dear Diary as a child, has become a favorite way for people to document their lives, so it stands to reason that you might want to do something particularly special for your new baby. By capturing your child’s exciting first years, you have something to not only share with friends and family in a way far safer than social media, but you have something you can share with them one day. Kidmondo does this perfectly with plenty of tools to help you including an online diary, photo and video gallery, growth charts, medical journal, food journal, interactive timeline and safe & secure sharing. You can even update it from anywhere. The basic service is free and includes all the features up to 3 journals and 100MB. The plus plan is just $39/year and allows unlimited journals, 5GB of memory and removes ads.

There are plenty of differing ideas about how to best raise a child, and since they don’t pop out with an instruction book, the best thing you can do is spend some time formulating an educated plan. Nearly all professionals agree that children need love, supervision and guidance to grow into a responsible adulthood. Give your child the best chance possible in these difficult times by learning everything you can about parenting. Remember, one day they will be choosing your retirement home!