How to have a baby in New York when you're not a millionaire

When you're first expecting a baby, you are not unlike a newborn yourself: thrust, head-first, out of the cozy womb of child-free adulthood into the harsh world of kid-having, where everyone seems to talk in gear-speak, medical jargon and acronyms you've never heard before. As your body expands, your brain fills with questions, the answers to which you seek in between doctor's appointments and bouts of nausea: How do I get dressed when there are virtually no maternity clothes to try on in stores? What do I actually need to obtain for the baby before it comes? When and how do I start planning out childcare? 

It can all feel confusing, overwhelming and isolating. Luckily, you are not the first person to ever become pregnant (even though it may feel that way), in the world or even New York City. I'm coming at you live, from my wobbly perch at 36 weeks along, to tell you there's a vast community of expectant and weathered parents, here to commiserate, dispense advice, offload their "well-loved" baby gear or even "never-worn" baby clothes (it's never intended like the alleged Hemingway short story, don't worry) or engage in impassioned discussions about the best brand of travel stroller and whether a wipe warmer is a total skip or a total game changer. You just have to learn how to find them.

If you don't have a ton of parent pals already, New York City is chock full of community groups and resources for new and expectant mamas and dadas. From neighborhood parenting groups to brick-and-mortar secondhand baby stores, here's a guide to acclimating to new parent life – one baby step at a time. 

Join your local parent group

Nearly every neighborhood has a private Facebook parenting group, I learned; you just have to search for your local and request to join, answering a few questions (like how many kids you have, or your due date, and confirming you do live in the neighborhood). After hearing about it on my neighborhood Reddit, and a few join requests later, I was accepted as a member of Brooklyn Baby Hui - Williamsburg/Greenpoint families. 

These groups are great because they connect you to fellow parents or parents-to-be in your area, and clue you into local baby-centric events and meetups, like "Mommy and Me" classes or new dad group stroller walks. You'll find recommendations for local childcare, pediatricians and even listings for short term rentals — nice-to-have, generally affordable post-Airbnb options for visiting family and friends. 

You can ask advice, anonymously if you prefer, about anything from what hospital to deliver at to how to navigate newborn health insurance, and expect to receive many helpful, good-faith comments. You can go as deep as you want; for example, from the Facebook group, there are also spin-off WhatsApp groups like "Spring Babies 2026."

It's also a trove for hand-me-downs. The North Brooklyn group has a sub-group for baby classifieds, where parents list used baby gear and clothing, maternity clothing, and postpartum supplies, for free or for sale. Things I have obtained from the baby classifieds page: a Baby Bjorn Bliss Bouncer for $50 (retails new for $230), muslin blanket swaddles, a huge bundle of 0-6 month baby clothes, a baby bathtub, a nursing pillow, a $10 diaper backpack, a diaper changing pad, a baby bottle drying rack, a couple pairs of maternity pants, and assorted postpartum supplies. It's a beautiful example of mutual aid, and parents helping parents, creating a hyperlocal circular economy that cuts down on waste.  

A quick word about sourcing secondhand baby gear: For every item, it's important to check the model number, year, and brand to ensure it hasn't been recalled. You can usually search online to see if there's a recall, but with Google being kind of a mess these days, you could input the items directly into the Consumer Products Safety Commission website. Typically, for safety reasons, experts discourage buying used car seats, and encourage being extra diligent before purchasing used cribs, bassinets or mattresses, which can weaken structurally over time and might not provide the sturdiest or safest sleep option. When it comes to strollers, you'll want to think about how much wear and tear they've been subject to on NYC sidewalks, as wheels and other parts may need to be replaced.  

If the local baby group isn't enough of a draw for you to rejoin Facebook and risk an onslaught of AI slop and your uncle's disturbing political posts, there are off-Meta groups, too.

Take the mothership, Park Slope Parents, a community hub that has been around since 2002, when Park Slope mom Susan Fox founded it as a Yahoo Group to connect with local parents, and give and get baby gear. In its current iteration, there are 12,000 members, and you don't actually have to live in Park Slope to join. Membership costs $55/year but comes with over 500 yearly events, and 120 specialty groups covering everything from culture and heritage groups, to career networking groups, to "tough stuff" meetups for grief support and cancer warriors. That's in addition to "Birth 411s" (where you can hear from other members about their recent birth experiences) general advice groups and new parent webinars, and groups that support every parenting stage, from expectant all the way to those with kids applying to college. 

"Park Slope Parents aims to provide new parents with both resources and help to build their village," Fox tells The Groove. "It's vital as it aims to foster deep and meaningful connections in an era where people are becoming more and more isolated."

In addition to an online classifieds section, Park Slope Parents hosts bi-annual Members Only Kids, Maternity and Gear Swaps in the spring and fall (the next one is April 18). There are also quarterly Working Moms Clothing Swamps, book swaps and an upcoming Spring Toy Swap. 

Where to shop or sell secondhand baby gear, clothes, and maternity (in-person)

When you're navigating a whole new genre of gear and attire, it can really help to lay eyes on the stuff in person versus squinting at it on a screen. 

While I was surprised to find there weren't more dedicated secondhand maternity and baby stores, given the surplus of thrift stores in New York City, I have come across a handful of solid brick-and-mortar shops that I can recommend. 

In general, maternity is tough to find in-store these days, but don't sleep on Jane's Exchange in the East Village, where you'll find very affordable secondhand maternity wear, baby clothes and gear. Jane's was a lifesaver earlier on in my pregnancy, when I really wanted to try on some maternity clothes and couldn't find anywhere to do so. I ended up netting a pair of Old Navy maternity leggings that I've been living in for months, and a cute sundress I'm hoping I can bust out in my final weeks, if Smarch ever knocks it off. 

Jane's Exchange was first opened in 1993 by single mom and East Villager Eva Dorsey, who drew in her first customers by walking around Tompkins Square Park handing out flyers advertising the shop. Her daughter, Jane, has since taken over the reins, and the community is still thriving with almost 4,000 consigners. 

Jane Dorsey describes it as "the great joy of my and my mom's life" and likens it to a Hallmark movie. "Generations have grown up in Jane's Exchange," Dorsey tells The Groove. "There are people who come in and still use credit that a grandparent earned, I'm not kidding, 32 years ago."

For used baby clothes, there's also Parachute Brooklyn, co-founded by a Beacon's Closet alum, which offers buy/sell/trade in Greenpoint, and also hosts diaper drives for charities like North Brooklyn Angels and St. Thomas Closet. Similarly, Owl Tree Kids offers baby and maternity consignment, with locations in Prospect Heights and Carroll Gardens. In Queens, there's 0-12 kids consignment shop Funny Goose, which opened in Ridgewood in summer 2025.

The family-centric website Mommy Poppins recommends On the Road Again in Maspeth, MyUnique Thrift in the Bronx, and Kidding Around in Chelsea, which is primarily a toy store but has a growing selection of secondhand baby and toddler clothes. Check out Good Buy Gear, a massive Gowanus warehouse stocked with quality-checked used baby gear (which you can also sell or buy online at their website). 

Community resources for low-income New Yorkers (and where to donate) 

If you meet the income requirements, there are a number of subsidized resources for new parent must-haves like diapers, clothing, and supplies. NYC's Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program provides formula, food and breastfeeding supplies for eligible New Yorkers. 

City Limits News has a robust list of where to find free baby supplies, including food pantries and nonprofits like Moms for Moms and Room to Grow, which double as places to donate your own gently-used baby items. Donate NYC suggests nonprofit Little Essentials; peruse their list of acceptable items to donate here. 

Even though I am but one month out from giving birth, having a baby still feels completely insane to me. But, being able to tap into the new parent resources and community here has helped me feel less alone, and, dare I say, even well-prepared. As I wait out these final weeks of uncertainty, at least I know I'm in good company in Momdani's New York!