The Makia Deck
Free conversation cards for expecting and new parents
Your connection is your baby’s first home.
The Makia Deck is a free set of weekly conversation cards for expecting and new parents, designed to help you talk about what matters as you become a family.
No card details needed. Your first card arrives today.
- Every week
- 5-minute read
- Always free
Why It Matters
Before your baby says a word, they feel everything.
From pregnancy through early childhood, your baby is learning from the world around them.
These moments shape the way their nervous system develops.
Every conversation, every check-in, every moment together…
They’re shaping the world your child grows up in.
One card.
One conversation.
Every week.
Your first conversation starts here.
A new guided conversation arrives in your inbox every week.
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Discover
A new guided conversation arrives every week.
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Reflect
Flip the card and write your thoughts together.
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Return
Revisit your reflections whenever life changes, you need a reminder, or simply want to reflect again.
Returning to Calm
Calm is not about perfection, it is about finding your way back to steady when life feels full. When you notice what helps you both slow down, you support each other through the harder moments. Calm also supports your baby's developing nervous system, helping them feel safe as they learn to settle. Even simple choices, like breathing deeply, stepping outside or offering a gentle touch, teach your baby that emotions can rise and fall in a safe, loving space.
Big feelings rise quickly in early parenthood. Finding calm helps your home feel steady again.
What helps you return to calm when things feel overwhelming?
Tap the card to flip · write your reflection on the back.
Why I made this
Before having a baby, most couples think their relationship will stay the same.
They love each other.
They’re excited.
They feel ready.
But a baby changes more than your routine.
It changes your relationship.
There are conversations most couples never think to have until they’re in the middle of it. By then, it’s often much harder.
Those conversations don’t just shape your relationship.
They shape the world your baby grows up in.
That’s why I created The Makia Deck.
To help couples have the conversations that matter before they need them.
Conversations worth having as you become parents
There is a lot to prepare for when a baby is coming. But some of the most important things are harder to put on a checklist.
How do you want your home to feel? What will support look like when one of you is exhausted? Which parts of your own childhood do you want to carry forward—and which would you rather leave behind?
The Makia Deck gives you a gentle place to start.
The family you want to become
What values matter most in your home?
Not a perfect parenting philosophy. Just the things you want to come back to when outside opinions get loud or life feels uncertain.
The expectations you haven’t said out loud
What have you each quietly pictured about nights, visitors, responsibilities or support?
Talking about those assumptions early can make it easier to understand each other when the reality looks different.
Staying on the same side
What helps you stay a team when things feel intense?
Hard days will come. Knowing how you each respond to stress—and what helps you reconnect afterwards—can make those moments feel less lonely.
Sharing the invisible load
What responsibilities need to be shared more fairly?
Appointments, meals, messages, planning, remembering. The work that happens quietly still counts, and talking about it helps make it visible.
The parents you are becoming
What parts of your childhood do you want to heal, change or carry forward?
Becoming a parent can bring old memories and beliefs closer to the surface. The Deck creates space to talk about them with curiosity rather than having all the answers.
Protecting what matters
What boundaries would help you protect your energy right now?
Family, visitors, advice and expectations can all come from a place of love—and still feel like a lot. You get to decide what feels right for your family.
You don’t need to have every conversation at once.
One thoughtful card each week. A few minutes to slow down, talk and stay connected as your family changes.
52 cards · Always free
A year’s worth of guided conversations.
Thoughtful topics for every stage of your journey together—from pregnancy through early parenthood.
Who you're becoming
Growing closer together
Knowing your baby
The home you're building
Inspired By Research
We’re not the only ones who think so.
The Makia Deck is inspired by the work of leading relationship and child development researchers who have spent decades studying what helps families thrive.
…along with the work of many others helping us better understand what children need most.
A few things you might be wondering.
Yes. The Makia Deck will always be completely free.
You’ll receive one new reflection card every week, giving you time to slow down and enjoy each conversation before the next one arrives.
There is no right or wrong way. Read a card whenever it feels right—on the couch, over dinner, on a picnic, or before bed—and let the conversation unfold naturally.
Most reflections take between 5 and 15 minutes, but you can take as much or as little time as you’d like.
Absolutely. The cards are just as meaningful for single parents and anyone wanting to reflect on the kind of life they hope to create for themselves and their baby.
No. Every reflection is personal. There are no perfect answers—only honest ones.
Yes. Many of the cards continue to be meaningful throughout your baby’s first year and beyond.
Of course. This is your journey. You can always come back to a card whenever the time feels right.
Yes. Your reflections are yours to keep unless you choose to share them.
This is how connection becomes home.
One meaningful conversation each week to help you grow closer—before your baby arrives and in the season after.
