pregnant….and have so many questions about caring for an infant!!?
Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at
5:45 pm
Hi,
So I am 20 weeks pregnant tomorrow, and due in Nov. I intend to ask my doctor for advice and stuff too but I was wondering if anyone else is having or had their first child and really has little to no experience caring for infants!! I love kids. and am so excited for our baby girl to arrive! But would like to take a one day class or something on general stuff. Like what NOT to do, feeding, bathing, diaper changing…basic stuff, just to make sure i am not doing something wrong…
Has anyone else attending a class like this or felt a little uneasy about caring adequately for their first?
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yes i was very nervous and had never taken care of a baby before. never even changed a diaper! i did take a class that taught about infant cpr and choking, bathing and all that. it was a couple hours long and somewhat helpful (the choking and cpr was for sure)
when you have your baby you will have family and the nurses there to help you.
my baby had to stay in the hospital for a bit and when i went to visit her the nurses always had me change her and the first time i felt silly but i had to ask them how! they don’t care, they said oh ok and showed me. they showed me how to bathe her and they did her carseat for me too. it is funny how you just kind of know what to do. it will take a few for you to get to know your baby and know how they liked to be calmed and what each cry means.
don’t worry, every new mom is nervous but you will get the hang of it quickly.
LOL, this was me a few months ago!
I had never changed a diaper until my son was born. I never held a baby before my son!!!!
I knew NOTHING about caring for a baby. I did my share of research while pregnant & i stay close to my mom.
I love this website, has all kinds of info
http://www.askdrsears.com
& if you ever have a Q you can always email me.
I’ll be glad to help
God Bless & congrats!!!
I am a first time mom and an only child. I was never around babies very much before I had my son. He is now 7 and 1/2 months old and doing very well. I didn’t take any classes at all but the hospital had a channel dedicated to short "how-to" shows. Those shows taught me how to bathe the baby and about CPR. Other than that, we just went with the flow. The dr at the hospital will give info on how often and how much to feed the baby. They sleep and eat a lot at first and by the time they are able to do much more, you will be a pro. Read everything you can about parenting and you will get a feel for how to do it. I would suggest taking a class though because I think it would be helpful to have someone you can ask questions to.
http://1sttimeparents-whatdowedonow.blogspot.com
Part of our "preparation for childbirth" class was a section on newborn care. They taught us how to swaddle the baby, (much easier on a doll than a real baby I must say!) change a diaper, give a bath, and the basics of newborn care. See if your hospital offers such a thing. I thought this was much more helpful than the "when you’re in labor, take slow, deep breaths" part.
I think most first time mother’s have the same questions or worries. You might want to check to see if the hospital has a baby basic class. Or you could ask a friend who has children or someone you trust to walk you through the basics.
That is so great that you want to do all that. Most women should. It helps. Also creates less anxiety. I do want to offer a suggestion. I hope you have family or friend support for those times when you need a break. Nothing to be ashamed of. I didn’t ask for help and should have. But I never hurt my baby but others have. And be aware of post-partum stress and what those signs are which you should be able to find out from your doctor or that class you will take.
Good luck!
Im not sure if you will be able to find any actual classes on this but you could alway google it on line…There are so many good sites…Just read up on anything you have a question about and talk with other moms…They are always willing to give you their advice and tell you their funny stories…Congrats and Im sure you will be a GREAT MOMMY!
Hello- don’t worry things will come naturally… before you know it will be second nature. I didn’t have experience with infants either but I did a lot of reading while pregnant and once I had my baby I called the nurse practitioner and the pediatrician when I had a question.
Check your local hospital to see if they offer those type of classes. I know that once you have your baby most hospital offer different kind of support groups for first time mommy’s.
I would also strongly recommend taking classes offered at your local hospital. The best class is the introduction to breastfeeding class…it is usually two hours and gives you lots of information and confidence! But they have Infant CPR and safety, Childbirth preparation and more.
At my local hospital, classes range from FREE to $75, so they are very affordable.
Awwww honey don’t worry, so many new moms feel that way! I personally thought I knew everything, I had worked in as a lead infant teacher at a daycare for nearly 3 years when I had my first child. I knew how to do all of the "important" things and felt fully confident in my abilities…until the first time I gave him a bath! Then I thought…OMG slippery child, never had to do this, holy cow…why’s he screaming?! That’s when I discovered, no matter how much you prepare for something, it will never go exactly how you imagine it. There will always be something new and scary and it’s OK! You’ll get through it with flying colors! I’m now a mother of almost 3 (baby is still cookin’
) and I am sure this new baby will still throw some new surprise at us.
)
So go ahead and attend some classes, they will help you a lot, but do remember that it’s completely normal to feel nervous, and you’ll be just fine
with my first baby I was 15. I didn’t know what to do for a baby at all. I was just a kid myself. But, it comes natural to you when you see that baby. I didn’t take classes on how to care for my baby but, I did for what to expect in labor. You can go to your family planning clinic and they can help you with the classes and stuff like that. I’m sure you will have support from others that have kids or raised kids. They will be trying to take over also. I was very worried I wouldn’t do something right but, after I had him it came to me.
I perfectly understand what u are going through. I was 19 when I had my 1st son. I lived with my mom so it wasn’t as bad. But once I got married at 26 and had my 2nd son, I was in my own home. I was a nervous wreck for the first few weeks. But I truly believe that experience is the best teacher. Taking classes are okay but the real teaching will come from hands-on experience. No class can teach you how to be a great parents.Your baby will teach you that skill. They have a way of showing us how to be better parents even though we gave birth to them. It’s amazing how you don’t have to be perfect for them. Just love them and set the best example possible and the rest will work itself out.
i think even withh all the classes in the world you will still feel uneasy when the baby comes. first diaper change, first bath. i think its learn as you go. thats how i felt anyways
YES! One person responded that you should go to askdrsears.com. Dr. Sears’ books are FANTASTIC and you can find them at just about any library if you don’t want to purchase them. I would suggest "The Birth Book," "The Baby Book," and "The Breastfeeding Book." He is a pediatrician, his wife is an R.N. and they have 11 children so they know what they’re talking about!
If you’re still very nervous, you might consider hiring a postpartum doula. She’ll come to your house and help you with anything you need, including watching your kids, cleaning your house, making meals and, of course, taking care of Baby.
You’ll know what to do once you have that little one in your arms, I promise
I am a first time mom too of a 4 1/2 mo old little boy! My husband and I took a few classes from basic care to CPR. I think the classes give a good basis for babies, but it is really different when they are here! They are new to everything too and it is a learning experience for the both of you and you will get the hang of her as she will of you throughout time!! I wish you all the luck!!!