Infant Care Class
For first time parents, to increase your confidence in bringing baby home.
Me & my 2 day old son in the NICU
We Were Clueless!!!
Coming home after spending a week in the NICU with my first baby was scary, and made me feel like I was completely clueless. In fact, when our midwife came to see us at home for the first time she asked me when I had bathed him last and I realized we'd been home about half a week and he hadn't been bathed ever. Oops!
And it didn't get easier with subsequent babies. Did you know baby girls get a period in their first few weeks of life? Me either until I changed my baby's diaper and saw blood and instantly went into panic mode!
I created this class to let you and your partner have the knowledge I didn't when I brought my baby home, With humour and stories, I offer you up-to-date information, tips and tricks and more, so that you can feel more confident with your new role as parent.
Online classes allow you to go back and rewatch sections after baby has come to refresh your memory of important points.
Here Is What You Get:
I have been a Doula and Childbirth Educator since 2006 and one thing I've learned is that when I teach a class, the parents will always remember how I gave them confidence and removed the fear from what's ahead of them, but they may not remember specific things we talked about. Let me help you with both.
This video workshop is sectioned off into 5 modules with a bonus video. This allows you and your partner to jump to sections of particular importance and go back and watch sections you may want to see again, such as sleep and baby hygiene and swaddling.
You will also have access to the video for 6 months. This allows you watch at your own pace, when you have the time and not when a class is scheduled. We all have crazy busy lives these days and there are some days when just sitting on another zoom call is not going to work for you. Or you may be a bit stressed about going into groups given the current situations. Well you don't have to. You can watch from the comfort of your own home, in your comfy sweats and fuzzy slippers.
There is also an 18 page, detailed handout with a lot of useful information and resources. This PDF can be downloaded to your phone and be available anytime you need it.
Example of handouts
Each module focuses on a specific topic of interest and how to navigate those situations with your baby. Through open talk, powerpoint and videos, I will help bring to life for you that having this new human in your life doesn't have to be scary and as someone who has worked with birthing families for over 15 years, and a mum myself, I can offer many tips and tricks to make this transition into parenthood smoother and less daunting.
Module One
Newborn Appearance
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Your newborn won't look like a freshly washed 3 month old like on TV
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Did you know baby girls get periods?
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And what is the right colour for your baby's poop.
Module Two
Diapering & Dressing
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How many diapers should you expect to change?
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Tips and tricks to not get peed on.
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How many layers of clothing should baby be wearing
Module Three
Baby Hygiene
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How often should you bath baby?
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What's needed for a full bath?
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Can the umbilical cord get wet?
Module Four
Soothing & Swaddling
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Tips and tricks to calm a fussy or upset baby
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When is it okay to let baby cry?
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Best techniques for swaddling
Module Five
Infant Sleep
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Physiological reasons why your baby wakes frequently
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What normal newborn sleep looks like and what to expect
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Tips and tricks for getting better sleep with a newborn
Bonus Module
Bonus Module - Skin To Skin
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Benefits of Skin to Skin for the birthing parent and the non-birth parent
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When is the best time for skin to skin
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Physiological changes that happen when you do skin to skin
Trailer - Newborn Appearance
Trailer - Infant Sleep
Meet Your Educator
Hey There!!!
My name is Kimberley Fernandez and I'm the childbirth educator! I'm a ridiculously proud mum to three incredible young adults. They constantly keep me on my toes and because of them I'm always learning and laughing and driving....constantly driving. When I'm not teaching, I can be found binge watching British Mysteries, Doctor Who, and so many more shows, as well as perfecting my Animal Crossing Island and my Stardew Valley farm. And did I mention driving my children every where? Which I don't mind doing because it lets me listen to music and podcasts.
I became a Doula and Childbirth Educator back in 2006 after the birth of my third baby. I had kind of a crappy experience with her birth and I decided to look into how I could change that for others. Put it this way, the labour was unmedicated (my first) and my husband fainted during the pushing stage. Suffice to say, we could have used some help.
Being a Doula I learned involved a lot of education for my clients. Even if they had taken prenatal and after birth classes, they still had a lot of questions. Therefore it was a natural progression to become a childbirth educator.
Now a days, because of covid and because the major downtown hospital I work at is offering only virtual classes, I thought it would be great to offer pre-recorded classes that anyone can take, not just those birthing at my hospital. And here we are.
I wanted to make these classes not only informative but also entertaining. So don't be surprised if I offer a joke or two and some funny stories along the way. I like to call it Edu-tainment. Learning doesn't have to be boring and I also like to take the scary part of being a new parent out of the equation.