I just got done writing a little diatribe on how I don’t need Child birthing classes and left myself with the question, do I need Newborn care classes? Maybe.
The only things I expect not to know how to do intuitively is CPR. I already know, whether by previous experience or by instinct, how to hold, bathe and feed a child. Though, if I’m being honest here, I am harboring a paranoia about my kid and my breasts not getting along right off the bat, but I suppose that’s what professional lactation consultants are for. So, I seem to be set for all that except… infant resuscitation. Sure does seem like a skill Jason and I might want to pick up.
But I doubt that infant CPR certification is covered in the Newborn care class. Though, it seems like that would be pretty time intensive enough to take several days right? I mean, it took several days when I was certified for CPR in middle school.
Between writing above and starting this sentence, Youtube has managed to teach me a little something about infant resuscitation, as well as what to do when baby chokes. Easy peasy. More information at my fingertips than I feel I could glean from one instructor in a classroom.
The thing I hate about a classroom setting is after paying the money, I get there and realize that the instructor is a grade “A” joke. We’ve all had teachers who just didn’t suit us. Nothing worse than a lazy instructor! Then I have to sit quietly over an excruciatingly long period while none of my questions get answered fully. Not saying it’s bound to happen, but I do loathe classes when it does!
If there’s anything I know about my learning style, it’s that I need informational variety, and I need it to be succinct and well presented. Otherwise, I get suuuuuper irritated! Check out some of the infant choking/CPR links I posted on the bottom of this page.
I also, while typing in ‘Newborn care’, I stumbled across ‘Newborn Baby care made easy for dumb daddies by a dumb daddy’ by somebody who posts himself as Jawaballs. An instructional for new daddies by a new daddy that manages to keep me interested even though it’s ten minutes long. This is an example of why I find the internet much more instructive than an actual class, direct from the horses mouth sort to speak.
The new daddy takes his viewers through everything in the baby’s room. What he finds useless (the diaper genie bin) and incredibly useful (pee pee tee pees) for a newborn. Cute!
I love to see newborn care through a daddy’s eyes! I just learned that newborns don’t like Johnson and Johnson bath soap, too perfumed for their little bodies. See? Another baby care tip I picked up without having to even leave my house!
Okay, done with semi-sidetrack. Point being, I think I’m personally better off not learning about my baby through other people. When it comes right down to it, how much of what you learn about the idea of a newborn is going to come right out of the textbook and apply to me?
Probably none, classes are out!