MondayToday
- 10:30 a.m. Baby Story Time Redmond Library 0 to 18 months
- 5:30 p.m. La Leche League Central Oregon Bend Birth Center, 61533 Parrell Rd Feeding parents, babies welcome. Second Monday of the month
Parenting Resources in Bend, Oregon
What to book, where to go and who to call, from the third trimester through the toddler years. Checked against local sources, with real prices, dates and phone numbers.
Your Bend baby timeline
Enter your due date and we will turn the usual advice into real dates, including which free car seat clinic lands in your window. Nothing leaves your phone.
- Weeks 20 to 27
Line things up
- Register for a childbirth classSt. Charles runs a two-evening class for $160 in Bend and Redmond, and it fills.
- Shortlist a pediatric practiceAsk if they take newborns and your insurance, and which clinic you would use.
- Talk to work about leavePaid Leave Oregon covers up to 12 weeks to bond with a new child.
- Interview doulas, if you want oneBirth doulas book by due month, so earlier gives you more choice.
- Weeks 28 to 32
Take the classes
- Childbirth classLate enough to feel real, early enough to leave a buffer.
- Breastfeeding classFree online through St. Charles, or $50 in person.
- Get on daycare waitlistsInfant spots in Bend are the hardest to find.
- Weeks 32 to 36
Hands-on safety
- Infant CPR and chokingPractice on a manikin with everyone who will watch the baby.
- Install the car seat and get it checkedInstall it yourself first, then let a technician correct it.
- Tour the birthing centerFree at St. Charles Bend, 1 p.m. most weekends. Register first.
- Weeks 36 to 40
Save the numbers
- Confirm your pediatricianAsk how the first newborn visit gets scheduled.
- Save a lactation numberMuch easier than searching at 3 a.m.
- Pick one postpartum backupA doula, a group or a person who will bring dinner.
- First week home
Baby is here
- First newborn checkupUsually within a few days of going home. Ask the hospital before discharge.
- Ask someone to watch a full feedHospital lactation nurses can help before you leave.
- Sign up for the free nurse home visitFamily Connects visits start around 3 weeks.
- Weeks 2 to 8
Get out of the house
- Family Connects nurse visitFree for every Deschutes County newborn.
- Try a group twiceThursday feeding group, a postpartum circle or baby story time.
- Easy first outingsStroller loops, the library and the kiddie pool.
A normal week for Bend parents
The recurring free things, by day. Schedules shift around holidays, so tap through to confirm before you load the car.
TuesdayToday
- 10:30 a.m. Toddler Story Time Redmond Library 18 to 36 months
WednesdayToday
- 10:30 a.m. Baby Story Time Central Library, Bend 0 to 18 months
- 5:30 p.m. Hands-Only CPR Bend Fire Training Center, 63377 NE Jamison St Adults. Not an infant class. First Wednesday of the month
ThursdayToday
- 10:30 a.m. Toddler Story Time Central Library, Bend 18 to 36 months
- 1 to 3 p.m. Mommy and Me breastfeeding group St. Charles Bend, Heart and Lung Center conference room Feeding parents and babies
FridayToday
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Car seat clinic North Fire Station, 63377 Jamison St Drive up, no appointment. Select Fridays, about every other month
SaturdayToday
- 1 p.m. Family Birthing Center tour St. Charles Bend, 2500 NE Neff Rd Expecting parents. Register first. Many Saturdays
SundayToday
- 1 p.m. Family Birthing Center tour St. Charles Bend, 2500 NE Neff Rd Expecting parents. Register first
Free help most new parents here never hear about
Eight things in Central Oregon that cost nothing. The nurse home visit alone is worth the phone call.
A nurse visits your home
Family Connects sends a registered nurse to any Deschutes County family with a newborn, starting around 3 weeks. One to three visits, any insurance.
Call 541-322-7475Car seat check
Bend Fire & Rescue volunteers check your install at the North Fire Station. Drive up between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on clinic days.
See clinic datesBirthing center tour
St. Charles Bend runs a one-hour tour at 1 p.m. most weekends. There is a video tour in English and Spanish if you cannot make it.
Register for a tourA nurse navigator for pregnancy
The St. Charles Perinatal Nurse Navigation Program pairs you with a registered nurse for questions and care coordination from pregnancy through postpartum.
Call 541-397-8909Breastfeeding class and weekly group
St. Charles has a free online breastfeeding class you can watch anytime and a drop-in support group every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m.
See feeding helpStory times for babies and toddlers
Deschutes Public Library runs Baby Story Time for 0 to 18 months and Toddler Story Time for 18 to 36 months in Bend and Redmond, plus family story times in Sisters, La Pine and Sunriver.
Check this weekWIC food and feeding support
Deschutes County WIC offers healthy food, nutrition help and breastfeeding support for pregnant people, new parents and kids under 5 who qualify.
Call 541-322-7435Free classes from local perinatal pros
Perinatal Providers of Central Oregon hosts free hybrid events on infant care and milestones, and lists vetted local doulas, lactation consultants and therapists.
Browse the directoryAll 13 parent guides
Each one answers the same things: what it costs, where it is, who to call and what to ask.
Getting ready
The short list worth doing while you still sleep through the night.
Infant CPR classes Where to get real hands-on practice, and why the free fire department class is not an infant class. Best at 32 to 36 weeks Car seat checks Free Bend Fire clinic dates, Oregon law in plain English, and tips for trucks. Free, no appointment Childbirth classes St. Charles vs. independent classes, real prices, and the free weekend hospital tour. $160 at St. Charles Prenatal class plan Which classes are worth it, in what order, and what the whole plan costs. Six things, three paid Doulas Birth vs. postpartum doulas, who is local, what OHP covers and what to ask. OHP covers a doula The first weeks
Feeding help, newborn basics and backup for the tired days.
Breastfeeding support A free online class, a $50 in-person class and a free weekly drop-in group. Free group on Thursdays Lactation consultants Who to call when feeding hurts or weight is a worry, with direct phone numbers. Bend, Redmond, Madras Newborn care classes Diapering, soothing, safe sleep and the free nurse home visit most parents miss. Free nurse home visit Postpartum support Match what you need to who to call: overnight help, groups, feeding or mental health. Help lines, 24/7
Finding your rhythm
Doctors, childcare, easy outings and other parents.
Pediatricians Bend practices compared on location, hours and after-hours access. Choose before delivery Baby and toddler activities Story times, the kiddie pool, the free splash pad and good parks by age. Under 3 swim free Parent and baby groups Recurring groups by day of the week, so you can find one that fits nap time. Something most weekdays Daycare and childcare Infant and toddler care, hours, waitlists and the questions that save time. Join waitlists early
Numbers to save before you need them
Tap to call, or press and hold to add a contact. Put them in both parents' phones.
If a baby is not breathing or someone is in danger, call 911.
Hospital and birth
- St. Charles Bend Family Birthing Center541-706-49842500 NE Neff Rd
- St. Charles Perinatal Nurse Navigation541-397-8909Free pregnancy and postpartum questions
- St. Charles main line541-382-4321Classes and general questions
Feeding
- St. Charles Bend Lactation Services541-706-4924IBCLC nurses, weight checks, pumping help
- St. Charles Redmond lactation541-526-6635Center for Women's Health
- Deschutes County WIC541-322-7435Food benefits and breastfeeding support
After baby is home
- Family Connects nurse home visit541-322-7475Free for Deschutes County newborns
- Maternal Mental Health Hotline1-833-852-626224/7, call or text. 1-833-TLC-MAMA
- Oregon Poison Center1-800-222-122224/7, free
The before-baby checklist
Seven things. Your ticks are saved on this device.
0 of 7 done
If you live outside Bend
You do not have to drive to Bend for everything.
- Redmond
- St. Charles Redmond hosts the same $160 childbirth class. The library runs baby and toddler story times on Mondays and Tuesdays. Lactation help is at the Center for Women's Health, 541-526-6635. WIC is at 236 NW Kingwood Ave.
- Sisters
- Family story time at the Sisters Library, and WIC visits the Ponderosa Heights community room on the fourth Thursday of the month, 2 to 4 p.m.
- La Pine and Sunriver
- Family story times at both libraries. WIC is at the La Pine Community Campus, 51627 Coach Rd, every Tuesday and the first Thursday.
- Madras
- St. Charles Madras has its own Family Birthing Center, 541-475-3882, and lactation services, 541-460-4110.
Family Connects nurse visits cover all of Deschutes County. Jefferson and Crook counties run their own programs.
Questions Bend parents ask
Is there a free infant CPR class in Bend?
Bend Fire & Rescue offers a free Hands-Only CPR class on the first Wednesday of the month, but it is an adult-focused, education-only class and its description does not mention infant CPR or choking. For infant skills, look for a class that says infant CPR and choking in the description. Our infant CPR guide lists where to look.
Where can I get a car seat checked for free in Bend?
Bend Fire & Rescue holds free car seat clinics at the North Fire Station, 63377 Jamison St, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. about every other month. No appointment is needed. See the dates in our car seat guide.
How much do childbirth classes cost in Bend?
St. Charles lists its two-evening Childbirth Education class at $160 and its Breastfeeding Education class at $50. The Family Birthing Center tour is free. Independent classes and private in-home classes cost more. See the childbirth class guide.
When should we choose a pediatrician?
Before delivery. Confirm the practice takes newborns and your insurance, which clinic you would use, and how the first visit gets scheduled. See our Bend pediatrician guide.
Is there help for new parents who do not have family nearby?
Yes. Family Connects sends a nurse to your home for free, the St. Charles nurse navigator answers questions by phone, and postpartum doulas offer paid daytime and overnight help. Start with postpartum support.
Do these guides cover Redmond, Sisters, Sunriver and La Pine?
Yes. St. Charles runs childbirth classes in Redmond as well as Bend, the library has story times in Redmond, Sisters, La Pine and Sunriver, and WIC has offices in Redmond, La Pine and Sisters. Each guide notes what is offered outside Bend.
How this guide is built
Prices, dates, addresses and phone numbers here come from the organizations' own pages, last checked on October 8, 2026. Photos are ours, taken at real classes and in our own back seat. This is local information, not medical advice, so confirm details with the provider and bring health questions to your care team.