Learning is the first area that we touch on, because you have to know the basics about how to care for a newborn, but this is where a lot of classes end. Our course not only educates you about newborn care, but also how to take care of yourself after giving birth. While learning is so important and should not be skipped, it isn’t the only component of getting ready to have a baby.
Another crucial component, that is typically undervalued, is emotional awareness. Giving birth causes a hormonal surge in a mother’s body, which physiologically leads to mood swings. Not to mention, the other emotional aspects of welcoming a new baby: the birth itself, lack of sleep and a major life change. Being aware of these emotional ups and downs can ease the intensity of the experience in the moment and it can normalize what is happening in both parents. The emotional awareness we talk about in the course also gives new parents insight into signs and symptoms of perinatal mood disorders and resources for where to turn and what to do, should they arise.
Administrative tasks is the third, and most commonly overlooked component of having a baby. Calling insurance companies, making appointments and doing research just aren’t very glamorous topics to talk about, and so they aren’t highlighted on social media or even in a lot of birth or newborn classes. Yet, these tasks take time and effort to complete and are really important to do so and they can be really costly if overlooked. We we will remind you about the admin tasks that need to get done before and after baby arrives and we have even created cheat sheets to help you make sure you check everything off your list.
The last component of preparing for baby’s arrival is products. This is an area that gets a ton of attention, even too much, with the emphasis of getting all the gear and creating a baby registry. Of course every parent wants the best for their baby, but babies don’t really need all that much gear in their first months of life. We will go over the gear that you truly need, what to pack in your hospital bag and we provide resources to help you find the products that meet your family’s need and budget. Also, not all products are physical products! There are digital products, like baby apps, that are wonderful resources that we will tell you all about in addition to some service products by providers that can be wonderful additions to your village!
