babybites Brooklyn
Chana Balk dreamed of being a mommy for as long as she can remember. When she finally found love, marriage and . . . the baby carriage, new motherhood was wonderful, but so much more challenging and life- altering than ever expected. From the time her first baby was small, Chana knew that she wanted to do something for other new mothers — to make the transition just a little bit easier.
After a ten year career as an attorney, Chana finally made that vision a reality. She brought babybites to Brooklyn with the goal of providing new mothers a forum where they can connect, share, and learn. Her hope is that babybites Brooklyn will make new motherhood a little less overwhelming and a lot more rewarding and empowering for new moms.
Chana lives in Prospect Heights with her husband Ted and their two sons, Ben, 5, and Leo, 3. In addition to running babybites Brooklyn, Chana has started Move It Momma, a fitness program specifically designed for moms including stroller fitness and personal training. babybites Brooklyn moms are always welcome, of course, to come out for a free trial stroller fitness class.
Chana loves to be a personal resource to her Brooklyn moms, so please reach out to her with any questions.
About Brooklyn Events
We host an array of events here in Brooklyn in many different neighborhoods. (And if we’re not in your neighborhood yet, rest assured that we’ll be there soon). Here’s a little bit more information on the events that we host:
The heart and soul of babybites Brooklyn is our New Moms luncheons. At our luncheons, which currently take place on various Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in Park Slope and Cobble Hill, new moms come together with their newborn babies to have a delicious lunch in a baby -friendly restaurant. An expert speaker speaks to the moms about a topic relevant to new mommyhood (sleep, starting solids, going back to work etc.). Moms have a great afternoon out, meet and connect with other new moms, learn valuable lessons, and often take home fun prizes and giveaways. Luncheons are intended for moms with babies who are still comfortable sitting for an extended period of time (i.e., babies under 8m of age). Yes, dads are more than welcome.
Here in Brooklyn, we pride ourselves on being a go-to resource for expectant parents. We host events for expecting moms, and often dads too, on an array of topics, such as breastfeeding, buying for baby, your birth options, best Brooklyn resources for new parents, and many others. Our expectant moms events take place on weeknights or weekends and are hosted at various venues throughout Brooklyn, where moms can learn and socialize with other expectant moms in a comfortable setting. Our expectant moms events usually include very fabulous giveaways and prizes.
We host a seminars on topics such as potty training, sleep, positive discipline, feeding your toddler and more. These seminars are typically held on weeknights or weekends in order to accommodate working moms and dads. Typically, toddler are not invited to the seminar so that mom and dad can listen and focus, but sometimes we hold our seminars in spaces where we can also provide babysitting in an adjacent room so that parents who do not have childcare available to them don’t have to miss out. We also host seminars on topics more relevant to moms of babies (such as starting solids) for moms of babies who are no longer on maternity leave and therefore can no longer attend our weekday luncheons.
If you’re interested in trying out a class with your little one, but you’re not ready to commit to a full semester, or you’re just looking for a fun activity with your baby, then our sample classes will be a great option for you. We host classes at many different Brooklyn playspaces and with many different local classes, usually offering the class at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost.
Though not an “event,” we want all our expectant and new moms to know about our just-added service — helping you join a New Moms Group in your neighborhood to find support and friendship with moms who have babies born around the same time as yours. And guess what? Its free!
Of course, all of our events are special, but . . . our “special events” include holiday-themed parties, family-fun activities, luncheons for 2nd-time moms, special photo-sessions, and any other event that is not a typical luncheon, seminar or sample class.
Brooklyn Buzz
I just wanted to thank you so much for the Carroll Gardens Halloween party – my mom friends and I talked about how much fun it was for us, the babies (my girl Alexa, 3.5 months) and our hubbies. I have met so many new moms through babybites, I just can’t thank you enough for helping to make this exciting and exhausting new mommy experience so much easier and fun. Growing up in the suburbs, I felt unsure of raising a baby in the city. My Brooklyn-born husband “compromised” by moving out of Soho to start a family but I still have days I want to throw in the towel and run back to parking lots and malls. But since hooking up with Babybites I’ve been all over NYC with my mommy friends and our babies, we go to the movies, yoga, the library, we are headed to an election rally and of course we go to Babybites events. Thanks again Chana.
Ilise, DUMBO
Chana, I am so grateful that you have brought babybites to Brooklyn. The luncheons have been so helpful and fun. I look forward to attending many more events in the future.
Natalie, Park Slope
I havent slept in 8 months and then I attended your sleep seminar with Janet Kennedy, and with your helpful hand and guidance, I have now successfully sleep trained little Henry so that there is happiness again. 
Yay! Thanks so much for being such a great support system for me and the other moms. I will happily encourage all my Brooklyn friends to attend your events.
Chloe, Williamsburg
I just wanted to thank you again for last nights’ event. Winning that Quinny Buzz stroller was definitely a thrill, but even more important than that, your speakers were fantastic, it was so nice to meet other pregnant mamas and you were so reassuring and nice. I definitely intend to take you up on your offer to be a continuing resource to me and my husband throughout our pregancy and after the little bundle arrives. Thanks so much Chana.
Alice, Cobble Hill
You are such a great resource for all of us new moms. Thanks so much for putting the moms groups together and for being there for us and hosting such great events. You really have made this very challenging time easier for me and other moms. Thanks again, Chana.
Kira, Prospect Heights
Wow, I am so happy I moved to Brooklyn and found babybites Brooklyn. Chana, you should know that so many of us moms really value and appreciate the time you take with us and all the great events you put together — with us in mind. YOU are what makes babybites Brooklyn so valuable. Keep up the great work and thanks!
Elise, Brooklyn Heights
Thanks for such a fun event last night — I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am somehow more excited about having a baby then I was before. I look forward to one of your next events.
I can’t thank you enough for all the wonderful resources you provided during my maternity leave. . . Your warm smile and enthusiasm for being a mom is inspiring and welcomed me into a community. I definitely had the baby blues and you were the sunshine! SO THANK YOU!!!!!
Julie S, Park Slope
Chana Balk, founder of babybites Brooklyn is featured in The New York Observer’s Brooklyn Living Edition Spring 2011, offering her sage advice and guidance on Brooklyn parenting in “Brooklyn Babies Abound — This Borough is a Haven For New Parents.”
New York Family Brooklyn — Chana is one of the “local experts” who offers her “favorite aspect of family life in the City.”
Web
NestingNYC — Chana is featured in an article and interview — http://nestingnyc.com/blog/.
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