Best baby/parenting magazine?

[Liziz]

I'm expecting my first baby in a few months, and I'd like to subscribe to a parenting or baby magazine. It seems like there's a few options out there -- what baby/parent magazines to you subscribe to? Which do you like best? What's the best for a new mom? Thanks in advance!

[mjs64]

Honestly, this board has been way better than any parenting magazine I've ever read. That said, there are many freebies/near freebies offered often for all of the parenting mags. I get Parents and Parenting, the 2 major ones, and think I paid between $2 and $5 for multi-year subscriptions to each. I wouldn't pay a dime more and subscribe primarily for coupons. They are, IMO, indistinguishable and even the articles are really just advertisements. I subscribed when Amazon was putting diaper coupons in them, so it was really worth my while at the time, but they aren't doing that anymore. I also get 2 free ones, American Baby and one other whose name I can't recall. Again, just for the coupons. Watch Bargain Alerts; people will post the deals.

ETA: My mother gifted me a subscription to Growing Child (http://growingchild.com/), a newsletter that I like that focuses on child development. I like that there is no focus on what to buy (like the major mags) but instead is about how kids grow and develop. It's a little old school but still informative.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm conflicted because I lean crunchy but not crunchy enough for Mothering but too crunchy for Parents, American Baby and Parenting. I find Kiwi to be a good fit for me. I think that some good books ("Heading Home with Your Newborn", "The Baby Book", and the American Academy of Pediatrics' book), some good websites (askdrsears.com, Baby Center) and some good message boards (here!!) are pretty darned good instead of magazines. :)

Beth

[BayGirl2]

After each child I've mysteriously received Parents, Parenting, American Baby, and Baby Talk all without subscribing, as far as I can remember. I guess I'd prefer Parenting ahead of the others, followed by Parents. The others are worthless in terms of content.

Really, I agree, this board, books, and other research has been way more informational than any magazine. I read them when they come in the mail but I was never tempted to pay for any of them. The articles tend to be short and fluffy with very basic info, sometimes a little too "mainstream" for me, and I am not that crunchy.

[rin]

Honestly, this board has been way better than any parenting magazine I've ever read.

:yeahthat: My grandmother bought us a subscription to Parenting, but after it ran out I never felt the urge to renew it. I've flipped through others in various waiting rooms, and as another PP said, the articles in parenting magazines in general just always seem to be not very in-depth and kind of frustrating because they were never super informative about all the sides to a given issue.