by Laura
I’ve been lucky enough to have a pretty normal pregnancy and haven’t needed to make many modifications to my routine. However, there are a number of area resources that have been particularly helpful in getting ready for baby.
I’ve started to go to prenatal yoga classes twice a week at Carrboro Yoga Company (just $10 per session for students). Paula Huffman is fantastic (thanks for the recommendation, Lara!) and also leads classes and other related services out of her Hillsborough studio. She’s a great general source of baby knowledge and I can’t wait to try a pregnancy massage from her recommended local expert, Claire Miller.
For water aerobics classes, there are a few decent alternatives – getting a pass for the UNC gym, which includes pool access ($40 for students per summer), trying out one of the local Chapel Hill pools ($5/class at locations like the community center on Estes Drive), or getting a membership at the Wellness Center at Meadowmont ($76/month with no contract obligation for students). Personally, I wasn’t in love with the Wellness Center – it’s an excellent space for seniors or folks going through rehabilitative experiences, but it’s not particularly adept at meeting the needs of other demographics. Plus, their warm water therapy pool was a tad too hot for pregnancy comfort, which limited the classes available to me. So, in this case, the cheaper options might actually be better!
We’ve also got a whole bunch of classes on the calendar at both UNC Hospital and the Teer House in Durham. The Teer House has Infant/Child Safety & CPR, along with Baby Care and a host of other educational services. UNC has a similar array of opportunities like Childbirth Preparation, Daddy Boot Camp, and Maternity Ward tours. There, students and UNC employees get discounts for some of the more costly seminars. I think it’s one of those things where there’s no way of truly being prepared for your exact situation, but at least you can gain some sense of what might be ahead.
When it comes to stocking up on baby gear, I’ve found that online retailers usually offer the best prices and selection, but I’ve heard that Once Upon a Child in Cary has a huge inventory of gently used items if you’re looking to save money. Plus, you can sell your own stuff there when you’re done with it.
I also just booked a newborn photography session with Julie Livingston after seeing some of her pics online. I had been searching for someone who would take more natural looking, non-studio baby pictures (in other words, with limited amounts of props, which are just not my style), and I like that you get digital copies of all of the images from the shoot.
There’s many more local resources for after the baby’s born, but all of this has helped us get started on this new adventure. Now there’s just that tiny matter of actually going through labor & delivery!












