Life with Bebe

Baby-proved, not baby-proofed.

Gear rental/purchase

BabyQuip ↗🧳 NYC-wideRents cribs, strollers, high chairs, and other baby gear delivered to where you're staying -- handy for visiting family or a short trip.

Public facility

Mamava nursing pods ↗🚻 NYC-wideMap of private nursing pods installed in airports, stores, museums, and other public venues -- find the nearest one and unlock it with the free Mamava app. NYC Parks Recreation Center membership ↗🚻 NYC-wideFree membership for anyone under 18 at NYC Parks recreation centers citywide -- includes indoor pools and gyms, a solid rainy-day option once a toddler's old enough for supervised swim. NYC Parks public restrooms ↗🚻 NYC-wideInteractive map and borough-by-borough list of public restrooms in NYC parks -- most are open 8am-4pm daily, later in summer. NYC Parks drinking fountains ↗🚻 NYC-wideInteractive map of public drinking fountains, spray showers, and misting stations across NYC parks -- handy for refilling a water bottle on the go. MTA Elevator & Escalator Status ↗🚻 NYC-wideReal-time status of subway, LIRR, and Metro-North elevators and escalators -- check before you head out with a stroller so an outage doesn't strand you. Toodle Loo ↗🚻 NYC-wideCrowdsourced bathroom-finder map -- filter by baby changing tables, wheelchair accessibility, and more; free, no app download needed.

Program

NYPL baby & toddler storytimes ↗📚 Manhattan, Bronx, Staten IslandFree weekly story time and rhyme sessions for babies and toddlers at New York Public Library branches -- check each branch's own calendar for times. Brooklyn Public Library baby & toddler storytimes ↗📚 BrooklynFree story time programs for babies and toddlers across Brooklyn Public Library branches -- use the "Birth to Five" age filter to find one near you. Culture Pass ↗📚 NYC-wideFree reserved-day passes to 80+ NYC museums and cultural spots -- including kid-focused ones like the Brooklyn Children's Museum -- using any NYC library card. WIC (Women, Infants & Children) ↗📚 NYC-wideFree nutrition support, formula/food benefits, and breastfeeding counseling for pregnant and postpartum parents and kids up to age 5. 3-K for All ↗📚 NYC-wideFree, full-day early childhood education for 3-year-olds citywide -- apply through NYC Public Schools enrollment. NYC Parks Learn to Swim ↗📚 NYC-wideFree swim lessons for kids ages 18 months to 17 at NYC Parks pools -- lottery-based registration; toddlers need a caregiver in the water with them. Free car seat inspection ↗📚 NYC-wideCertified technicians check that your car seat is installed correctly, free, by appointment at rotating locations citywide, April through November. Free car seats, families in need ↗📚 Brooklyn, Manhattan, BronxFamilies who can't afford a car seat can get one free after a required safety training, through Neighborhood Health Action Centers in Brownsville, East Harlem, and Tremont. Free cribs, families in need ↗📚 NYC-wideFree crib, bassinet, or play yard for families who can't afford one -- call 311 or visit the site to learn about free crib programs. Her Village diaper bank ↗📚 NYC-wideFree diaper supplement plus wipes and other baby essentials for families with kids ages 0-3 facing financial hardship, serving all five boroughs by appointment. NYC Breastfeeding Warmline & Baby Café ↗📚 NYC-wide (Warmline); Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx (Baby Café)Free phone/video lactation consults (Warmline), plus free in-person drop-in lactation support (Baby Café) at Health Action Centers in East Harlem, Brownsville, and Tremont. The New York Milk Bank ↗📚 NYC-wideDonor human milk for babies when a parent's own milk isn't available -- not free, a processing fee applies (about $4.90/oz), and priority goes to hospitalized premature infants; family requests are secondary and sometimes covered by insurance.