Newborn Care Classes
Learn how to care for your newborn baby.
Caring for a Newborn
Caring for a newborn is one of the most important, amazing, and rewarding things you’ll do in your entire life. It can also be a little overwhelming at first. There’s a lot to learn when you’re a brand-new parent.
Learning how to take care of a newborn can be a fun and exciting process. From holding and cradling your baby safely and properly, to creating the perfect nursery space, to swaddling and feeding techniques, taking newborn care classes and/or working with a newborn care specialist can help alleviate any anxiety or confusion about caring for your newborn and answer your most pressing questions.
Benefits of Using a Newborn Care Specialist
One of the most important things you’ll learn as a new parent is the importance of asking for advice and help when you need it. Taking newborn care classes and/or working directly with a professional newborn care specialist can help take a lot of the guesswork out of caring for your newborn.
Newborn care specialists are trained in the comprehensive care of babies during the first 3-4 months; they’re trained to teach you all about life with a newborn and how to take care of the brand-new person you’re now responsible for protecting.
Newborn Nursery: Creating a Safe Space
Learning how to care for a newborn starts with making your home a safe and comfortable place for your new baby. When you’re preparing a room to act as your nursery, it’s best to focus on 1) safety, 2) comfort, and 3) functionality.
Here are a few tips for how to create the perfect safe nursery space for you and your baby:
Invest in a good crib with high walls and a firm, breathable mattress (avoid crib bumpers).
Choose a neutral, calming color palette.
Include a comfortable reclining chair or glider with arms.
Position the crib away from windows, cords, and electrical outlets.
Invest in blackout curtains and a white noise machine.
Place a few ceiling decorations or a mobile above the crib for your baby to look up at.
Keep baby powders, creams, and other products well out of reach.
How to Take Care of Newborn Babies
There’s a lot to think about when learning how to take care of newborn babies. Here are a few of the basics to get you started:
How to Hold a Newborn
Learning how to hold a newborn is relatively simple. There are a variety of safe and comfy newborn-holding positions you can choose from. No matter the position, there are two unbreakable rules to follow: 1) make sure your hands are clean and that you’re in a comfortable position, and 2) always support the baby’s head and neck.
How to Swaddle a Newborn
Swaddling is a technique designed to mimic the safe and cozy feeling of being in the womb by wrapping them securely in a blanket. Learning how to swaddle a newborn can help soothe them and keep them warm and secure. It’s important to follow swaddling safety instructions and health guidelines to ensure you wrap your baby properly. There are a number of swaddles on the market (besides muslin blankets) that quickly and easily swaddle your baby.
How to Pick Up a Newborn
When you’re learning how to pick up a newborn safely, the number-one rule is to always be careful with their head and neck and ensure you provide enough support. Slide one hand carefully under their head and neck and place the other underneath their bottom. Then, firmly scoop your baby up and hold them close to your chest.
Safely Cradling a Baby
The proper way of safely cradling a baby includes the following steps:
1) Rest their head snugly against your chest/shoulder.
2) Secure your hand under them, supporting them from their bottom to their neck and head.
3) Carefully position their head in the crook of your shoulder/arm while supporting their neck. This allows you and your baby to snuggle close while you look at one another.
Creating a Newborn Care Plan
Taking the time to write out a postpartum or newborn care plan for your baby, either during the third trimester of pregnancy or in their first few days of life, is a great way to get the information you’ve gathered down on paper and in one place. Taking notes during newborn care classes or as you read/watch online resources is a great way to get ideas.
Using Water Sounds for Baby
White noise has been shown to help encourage sleep in newborns, especially when there is unwanted environmental noise preventing them from sleeping soundly. Using water sounds for your baby can help lull them to sleep and keep them asleep longer. Just make sure you follow official guidelines regarding safe noise levels for babies.
Keeping a “Baby’s Diary”
Caring for your newborn and watching them grow is an incredible experience. Keeping a baby’s diary where you can add photos, measurements, weight updates, and more is a wonderful way to remember this beautiful time in their first few months of life. You can also use this diary to take notes about newborn care techniques, experiences, and advice.
Finding Professional Infant Care Near Me
Newborn care classes and postpartum doulas are fairly easy to find online and in most metropolitan areas. It’s important to make sure you not only look to professionals who are trained, skilled, and knowledgeable in their field but also caring.
Caring for your newborn baby is a beautiful and unique experience, and it’s important to find a doula, teacher, or newborn care specialist that you trust and who listens to you and understands your wishes and concerns. Finding and working with a doula you trust during your pregnancy and childbirth, who can then also offer postpartum doula support, can be a great way to ensure you get the advice you trust about newborn care since you’ve already established a good relationship.
Get Caring Support for Newborn Care
Looking for professional newborn-care advice and support services? We’re here to help. Contact Wildwood Birth to speak to a postpartum doula and get your questions answered.
Check out this recent Redfin article Wildwood was featured in on how to set up a dream nursery: How to Create and Organize a Nursery: 21 Expert Tips for a Safe, Functional, and Adorable Space| Redfin