Why Online Newborn Care Classes Are So Beneficial
If you are expecting your first baby or it has been a while, you may be searching for online newborn care classes. You aren’t alone. Thanks to COVID-19, many parents are foregoing in-person classes for online newborn care classes. They are safe, convenient, informative, and save a ton of time.
Just as with a wedding, a business, or a school project, newborn planning plays a critical role in success. With so much on the line, you want to know you have crossed all your Ts and dotted your Is. There are countless books about pregnancy, what to expect during delivery time, and even how to care for a newborn, but taking an online class is easier.
Online newborn care classes allow you to watch, listen and learn from anywhere on whatever connected device you want. You can choose which topics you most want to hear and share them with your partner. And the topics can go a long way in providing you with peace of mind that you’ll be prepared when your baby arrives and equipped as your baby develops through its newborn stage.
What You Can Expect from Online Newborn Care Classes
Preparing
We recommend beginning your online newborn care classes at the pre-delivery stage. Preparing for your baby is a big part of the education curve. There is much to think about and you’ll no doubt get lots of opinions from well-intending friends, family and co-workers. Everyone has their tips and it can be overwhelming to know who to listen to and what to do. One study found that 36 percent of pregnant women surveyed said they receive an “overabundance” of information during their pregnancy.
Online newborn preparation classes will sift through much of the information for you, boiling it down into what’s really important and where to start first. For instance, which sleepers are safe and effective? Are there products that can cause head flattening?
Beyond knowing which baby products are truly helpful and which are just a fad, you will want to get recommendations on which medications and treatments you should have in the medicine cabinet. When you have a newborn, it isn’t as easy to run to the pharmacy as it was in the past. Having key items already in your home will prevent inconvenient errands and ensure your baby gets what he or she needs faster.
Your classes may also go through the best ways to choose a pediatrician. Did you know you should have a pediatrician lined up well in advance of delivery? Depending on where you live, finding a pediatrician who is taking new patients can be tricky. The online newborn care classes will help you know what to look for in a pediatrician in your area and how to find one.
Related: 6 Steps to Choosing The Best Pediatrician in Austin
Other topics in the preparation class may be on how to plan for your own help and preparing older siblings for their new baby brother or sister. That may mean setting up a calendar where friends can bring your family meals while you recover, finding caregivers for certain days or times, or hiring a cleaning service to help you around the house for a time.
Bringing a new baby into the family is exciting, but it also introduces massive change for you and any other children you may have in the home. It is important to know what experts recommend for how to manage that change and make the transition to a larger family as smooth and wonderful as possible.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is an area of newborn care that often brings mothers the most apprehension. You likely have heard friends tell stories of their breastfeeding challenges and you wonder if you can do it well. It can be exhausting, frustrating at times, and beautiful. It doesn’t always go as planned, but issues can typically be fixed with the right instruction.
It is a good idea to take an online breastfeeding class before your baby arrives to help you better prepare and have a few tricks up your sleeve should you need them. We often find that the more informed the mother before the baby is born, the more confident she is when it comes time to breastfeed.
The class should teach the different stages of breastmilk development, optimal feeding schedules, latching techniques, different ways to position your baby during breastfeeding, how to know if your baby is getting enough breastmilk, and other important topics. Online classes may also provide videos to give you a visual on some of the information.
Newborn Care
Once your baby has arrived, there are all kinds of things you’ll want to know. As with the other classes, taking this online newborn care class will give you a head start and confidence you are ready as much as you possibly can be. No two births are the same, and no newborn behaves in the same way as another.
Related: Coronavirus Guide for Parents
Caring for your baby in the days and few weeks after birth is tiring but so worth the effort as you bond with your child. Your baby will sleep most of the time in this first stage of life but requires plenty of attention and care. From umbilical care and safe sleeping positions to diaper changes and baths, there is much to learn as the mother of a newborn. The care class will go over these topics and much more, including how to safely clip your little one’s nails, prevent a flattened head, and even how to manage visitors.
What’s Normal and What’s Not
Pediatricians get a lot of calls from worried newborn parents. Strange looking poop, a new rash, and other issues can make a parent wonder whether they should call the provider or wait it out. Many just take their chances and make the call. It’s okay. That’s what they’re there for.
Taking an online “concerns” class is a helpful way to prepare for as many what-ifs as possible and to know if you should be concerned or just give it time. We recommend this class be taught by a licensed physician or provider so you know you are getting proper guidance. For instance, is all spit-up normal? How do you know if something is wrong or if it’s colic? When is a fever cause for concern? What if your baby is exposed to someone who has been ill? This type of class will answer those questions and much more.
Sleep
Few people understand the beauty of sleep until they don’t get it anymore. As a parent of a newborn, sleep is evasive. You may get it in short spurts or irregular times of the day or night. On average, each new parent loses 109 minutes of sleep every night for the first year of their newborn baby’s life. This is a topic that elicits all kinds of advice, so it is best to go to an expert who works with babies and parents every day.
A sleep class is intended to help you implement proven techniques to get your baby as well as they can so that you and the rest of your family can get some good sleep, too. This isn’t always easy, as babies tend to change their sleep patterns frequently during their first year. Before your baby is born, take this class so you start off on the right foot, knowing how naps and nighttime sleep are achievable with the right practices.
CPR and Choking
Any caregiver, including you and your partner, grandparents, and babysitters, should take a CPR and choking class before your baby is born. While the skills most likely will never need to be used, knowing how to properly intervene should your baby stop breathing or choke can save their life.
Ideally, you would be able to practice on a dummy in an in-person class; however, with COVID-19 still in our midst, an online class will work just fine and even provide a convenient way to keep up your skills. The class will help you know when a child is choking or struggling to breathe, when to intervene, and how.
