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December 2011 Moms
Happily Overwhelmed
member
Hospital Education...
Happily Overwhelmed
member
I'm pretty embarassed to admit this...but here it goes!
DH and I both are the youngest in our families. This being said we don't have much experience AT ALL with newborns. I've held newborns (friend's babies and such) but that's where it has ended.
Neither one of us have changed a diaper, burped a baby, dressed a newborn, etc.
I'm really embarassed to be clueless like this with my own baby. I felt a bit better when I heard that nurses give you little crash courses in these things. For those of you that have gone through labor...was this the case?
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Re: Hospital Education...
Did your hospital or clinic offer a Newborn Care class?
I wouldn't worry too much, the nurses are generally very helpful.
I'm the same way, only I never hold other people's newborns. DH and I both have never changed a diaper. It's going to be fun
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I haven't been through labor yet, but the little instruction sheet I got from L&D at preregistration says that the nurses will be glad to show us newborn basics. I'm glad because I could use a refresher, and DH doesn't know the last thing about taking care of a baby!
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When I had DD the nurses were super helpful! I didn't need much help (lots of younger siblings/cousins that I babysat, etc) but DH had no clue! They walked us through her first bath, what to do with the cord, helped DH put her diaper on, how to swaddle her, etc.
Dont stress too much! They will help... no one expects you to know how to do everything right away! Just like with most things it's trial and error. As long as you don't drop the LO on it's head everything will be fine. (and even if you do it will still probably be ok...
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From past experience with friends - the nurses are extremely helpful. I think you'll also find that you will learn these things quickly after you've held your LO for the first time and fell completely in love!! They aren't that hard to dress or change early on. I would recommend the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (I think the hardest time of being a new parent - besides BF - is calming an upset baby.) Most pregnancy books included a chapter about newborn care - they're usually pretty thourough.
LOL - with your first you realize just how much you don't know about infants...
First, time to give yourself a little laugh and remember that you'll figure it out as you go. Babies don't come with instruction manuals nor are they robots programmed to any one's particular way of doing things. They are going to have their own personality that you'll learn when they get here. The thing is, you do what works for your baby and lifestyle which may not be what the textbook says...
Yes, the nurses are great about giving you the 101 on how to do a lot of these things while you're at the hospital, so don't be afraid to ask. Things you wouldn't even think of (i.e. your DH probably doesn't know if you're having a girl that wiping is from front to back because with boys it doesn't matter as much ... or if you're having a boy that the "unit" needs to point downward and always have a cloth/towel ready to go the second you open the diaper unless you want a sprinkler system installed).. The nurses gave us a few different ways to burp DD in case one wasn't getting the job done there are other ways... The whole idea is that the basics are covered... Don't be afraid to ask the "dumb questions" - you'll be glad you did!