Baby Care Class: Part 1

Tonight, Jimmy and I headed to the Live Well Center for our first Baby Care Class.
It was us and 3 other couples, taught by Tammy, a nurse and the lactation specialist at Carlisle Regional Medical Center, where we are delivering.

I once again was surprised at how well my husband did at the class.

We watched a video about the general care of newborn babies.
We learned and practiced how to sponge bathe the baby the proper way. We took turns practicing the perfect swaddling technique, perfect for soothing a newborn. We also took turns diapering our baby and learning how to care for a boy baby and a girl baby's unique wiping needs. :)

Jim was a much faster diaperer. He was also a much better swaddler. He didn't have a chance to practice bathing, but was a helpful watcher. I, however, am a bit awkward with the baby.
Jim even knew how to re-clothe the baby back into this straight jacket of a shirt....I didn't.

Hence...the reason I signed us up for Baby Care Class, along with our birthing class, and eventually my breast-feeding class. Education never killed anyone, especially me.

The class was very helpful and informative.

We even learned the "scoop on poop". We now know that breast-fed babies poop ALOT, even more than bottle fed babies, and what color and consistency our babies poop should be.

We learned more facts about delivering at Carlisle RMC. Like the fact that Tammy will travel to our house, free of charge, to assist us with settling into life at home with the baby and breast-feeding. I felt comfortable with her and wouldn't hesitate to call on her for this help.

Overall, as we get through our classes, I feel more and more educated and empowered as a future mom. I am very grateful for that.

After class, Jim and I made our way home. I climbed the stairs and entered our bedroom, then master bath. Yesterday, I placed my Pregnancy Manual book on Jimmy's side of the bathroom sink, opened to the Expectant Father chapter.

Today, the final page of that chapter was held opened on my side of the sink.
The final page covered "emergency delivery", which oddly enough our friends just had 2 weeks ago at their home, in the bath-tub. There was a stick figure drawing of a wife giving birth in the back of a car and the husband grabbing handi-wipes. Jim had decided to hold this final page open with a pack of our own handi-wipes. He also penned a quick note on the stick figure page, it said only : "I AM READY!"

So, am I Jimmy....so am I.