0–3 months

Play it safe

For nine months, you’ve vigilantly monitored your health (not counting your Diet Dr Pepper addiction). Now it’s time to do the same for your newborn. Before he’s old enough to pick kibble off the floor and stuff it in his mouth, get CPR certified; have potential babysitters sign up, too. If you’d prefer to avoid your local hospital, try Little Hearts CPR (688 Sixth Ave; 212-691-5989; $75 per person). According to Bill Brownstein, a dad who co-owns the pharmacy KidsRx (•523 Hudson St; 212-741-7111; •189 Seventh Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-369-6100), the only items you really need on hand in the early months are “infant Tylenol, Benadryl, a booger sucker [nasal aspirator] and saline nasal spray.” If your tyke needs more, KidsRx will customize a box.

Get feedback

For some moms, breast-feeding is a cinch; for others, it’s a total pain. If you fall in the latter category, you’ll want to speak with a lactation consultant. The New York Lactation Consultant Association’s website (nylca.org) lists dozens of local experts. You can also let it all hang out at breast-feeding support groups: Visit Realbirth (54 W 22nd St; 212-367-9006), a childbirth education center that guides first-timers and mothers nursing multiples. At meetings held on Mondays and Thursdays from 10am to 12:30pm ($20), you can make sure your newbie’s taking in enough milk by weighing him on an on-site scale. Another group convenes at the eco-friendly baby boutique the Stork Store (580 Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-360-1732) on Mondays from noon to 2pm. Owner Stephanie Watson-Campbell, a consultant and nursing mom, moderates the $20 sessions.

Spread the word

Addressing a stack of birth announcements may not sound like a good use of your free waking hours, but it’s the proper way to alert the masses—and rake in gifts! At Greenwich Letterpress (39 Christopher St; 212-989-7464; $300–$500 for 75 cards), one-of-a-kind designs are printed on luxurious Crane paper by a hand-operated antique press. Lion in the Sun (232 Seventh Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn; 718-369-4006) carries playful patterns by local printers like Foxy & Winston and Moontree Letterpress.

Forget Sears

Is there a baby on earth who’s cuter than yours? Of course not! Celebrate her irresistible cheeks by having professional pictures taken and sending them to your whole Rolodex (for subtlety, enclose them in thank-you cards). Paloma Sendrey (917-428-2843, palomasendrey.com) captures your infant at home (from $395 for three rolls) and delivers about 80 4" x 6" shots in both black-and-white and color. Melissa O’Neal photographs babies of any age during 90-minute sessions at Classic Kids (1182 Lexington Ave; 212-396-1160, classickidsphotography.com). The studio produces black-and-white fiber prints (starting at $110, plus $395 for the session) that are hand-developed. Machine-run prints are $3.75 each, with a minimum order of 25.

Sleep well

The sooner you get the dumpling on a steady snooze schedule, the happier your clan (and neighbors) will be. Counselors from SoHo Parenting customize sleep strategies based on your living space, work schedule, medical history and baby’s age 568 Broadway; 212-334-3744; $250–$400). The experienced consultants at Urban Nurture (285 West Broadway; 212-925-1400) will walk through your apartment to pinpoint and solve noise issues that may be keeping your munchkin up at night ($150/hour with a two-hour minimum).

Feel good

Now that your doctor has given you the go-ahead to relax in a bath—and get busy with your partner—you deserve a treat. Try some silky bath oil (head to Barneys for decadent Sake Rice Bath by Fresh, $80) and a sexy nightgown that will accentuate all the right curves of your post-preggo physique. The staff at Livi’s Lingerie (1456 Third Ave; 212-879-2050) will size you up and handpick styles that flatter. Be sure to try on the store’s long black nightie by Shadowline ($46); its stretchy lace gives coverage but still looks sultry.

Next: 4–6 months >>