After the initial excitement of ‘We’re going to have a baby!!” set it… then came the “um, we’re going to have a baby?!!?” feelings. I didn’t really know how to hold a baby. I always preferred to be sitting down in fear of somehow dropping it. How do you know when to feed it? Why he/she is crying? How do you even play with a baby?!
They say your instincts kick in when you meet your own child. You just know what to do and everything turns out ok. While that may in fact be the case, we knew we’d feel more confident after taking a class and learning some tricks. So last Saturday, we took our 8-hour ‘How to Prepare for a Newborn’ class and it was awesome!
It was a fun bonding experience for Irving and I too. To help each other out and know we’re going to make a great team when our little one arrives. At the beginning of the class, each couple got a baby for the day. Ours was super cute. Hi baby!
The class was divided into bite-sized sections and it flowed nicely from one to the other. The first thing we learned was how to hold a baby… and then how to safely pass a baby off to someone else. Make sure to support that little neck!
I almost melted seeing Irving practice how to hold the baby. I can totally imagine it being real now. He’s going to be an amazing dad!
One of the most important things we learned is how to swaddle the baby! Most babies love being wrapped up tight. It makes them feel secure and comfortable and helps put them to sleep. I think we’ve got it down to a science now. Bring on the swaddles!
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I just wonder what it’s like when the baby is squirming and crying at the same time!
We also learned how to bathe a baby and change a diaper (there were demonstrations with chocolate pudding involved…no joke!)
In addition to all the practical things you need to know… we also talked a lot about parenting philosophies, how to work together as a team and how babies affect relationships when expectations aren’t being met. We’re already planning on attending two more sessions specifically on the psychology of raising a child together. Interesting stuff.
Then we got into the math of a newborn:
12 Breastfeeding sessions/Day x 40 Minutes each = 8 Hours
12 Diapers/Day x 10 Minutes per diaper = 2 Hours
Fussy/Crying = 3.5 Hours
Bath Time = 30 minutes (1 hour every other day)
Eating our Own Meals = 2 Hours
Shower/Getting Dressed/Personal Hygiene = 2.5 Hours
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Total of 18+ Hours of your day will be accounted for
When do you get to sleep?!?! Luckily we discussed time management and our teacher offered many ways we can multitask, delegate and find time for yourself too. I’m sure we’ll be overwhelmed when the baby comes, but I feel better knowing in advance what I’m in for.
One more funny thing we did in the class… we were supposed to be reading a section of our workbook out loud to our spouse, and then at the same time, the teacher played a youtube clip of a screaming baby. It was so loud and distracting that we couldn’t get through the assignment. We all thought the clip had been playing for five minutes… turns out it was only a minute and a half. HAHA Guess I should learn early how to tune that noise out or it will drive me crazy! Shhh, baby, go to sleep!
It was a fantastic day. We really enjoyed meeting other couples, sharing stories, asking questions and learning all about what our lives are going to be like in three short months.
Any secrets/tips/tricks you have as parents/caregivers? Do share!
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