[huggableteach]

I was wondering if any of you took an infant care class prior to adopting? I know a lot of pregnant women take such classes and I was wondering if I should be too. Also, if you did take classes were they adoption specific or were you taking them alongside pregnant women and if so, was that hard? Also, where did you hear about/find the classes? Just trying to use my time productively while I wait. Thanks.

[OakShannon]

I took an infant care class that was taught in partnership through a local HMO and an adoption agency - although you didn't have to be a client of either to attend. It was really helpful and I'm glad I took it. I think I would have found it hard, personally, to take a class with a room full of pregnant women since we were in matching with no definite "due date." But this class covered specific topics like breast feeding for adoptive parents and attachment. They also broke up into different groups to cover topics specific to international adoption.

[fisbaby]

Well we tried to take one! Long story short......We had up for an infant cpr class at the hospital about an hour and a half away from our home. For some reason I remembered the time starting at 7:30 pm and when we showed up I went to open the door and heard them already in process. I looked up my paperwork and it had started at 7 o'clock. So we stood in the hallway trying to decide if we were going to enter late or just not go. I had a complete and mental breakdown in the hallway and just started sobbing. My DH was looking at me asking what the heck was wrong, kept saying it's not that big of a deal my cousin can teach us. It wasn't that we weren't in the class that was upsetting me, I mean I had learned it in college. I just kept crying and couldn't stop and finally got out "I'm going to be an aweful mom, it's not mean to be .. blah blah blah... I can't even manage to make it to the cpr class on time". It was really ridiculous, did I mention we were in about month 7 of our wait, there were pregnant people in the room, the class was on the maternity ward, and my sister (who got pregnant after like 2 tries I think and we had tried for 5 years) was due with her 1st baby the next month?! Let's just say the breakdown might have been caused by something other than being late for a cpr class!!!

[Stormster]

I learned most of what I know at Providence Hospital in Southfield MI when E was there for 9 days. It was a crash course because E had an IV coming out of his head the entire time! The nurses there were such pros I learned sooooo much from them! I still change his diaper just as this one really amazing nurse did.

That said, I did take infant CPR through the red cross.

I didn't know these classes exist but I do think I would have been very lost if things had turned out differently! I encourage you to do it! I hope you find a great one!

[devildogwife]

We had considered it, but didn't. I learned everything during my son's first hospitalization from his AWESOME nurses! I learned how to change his diaper after he'd been on the vent for 2 weeks and after 3 weeks, he was finally able to bottle feed, learned that in the NICU. We had to learn CPR specialized to my son's CHD, also learned that from a nurse.

[minibus]

I specifically looked for an infant care class that was for adoptive parents. I didn't want to be in a room full of pregnant women, after our IF struggle. It would have been too hard. I found one specifically for adoption, which was also great because she covered things other than exclusively newborn care.

[Whirled_Peas]

I'd recommend reading "The Baby Book" by Sears and "Our Babies, Ourselves," can't remember author.

[huggableteach]

Minibus-
How did you go about finding your class? BTW I did the CPR class, it was required as part of our home study. It's all the other stuff that I want to learn!
Fisbaby-
I hear you. I've had my breakdown moments too! Although we're only 3 months into our domestic adoption wait, it comes after being in a Vietnam international program (which eventually shut down) for 7 months. My husband keeps reminding me that it's only been 3 months and I keep reminding him that it's been 10!

[Shadowfaerie]

We were planning on taking one at the local hospital but we had a baby all of a sudden. Luckily I also had a book on infant care The Complete and Authoraitative Guide: Caring for your baby and young child written by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Some of it is pretty old school but it worked for us. It gives a step by step of basic infant care. Which I needed because I hadn't actually babysat in probably 26 years.

[tomandcate]

We were required by our agency to take one before our first adoption. I went to the hospital's website and scheduled it directly through their site.

We were the only adopting couple in our class of about 15 other couples - all the other moms-to-be were pregnant. Personally that was not hard for me at all, I was sooo excited for us and for them! The facilitator did acknowledge us as potential adoptive parents (when she was talking due dates she said something like "I realize some of you won't have a due date since you're adopting") so that was cool!

It was helpful for me, I had never cared for a newborn before.

[sheababy]

We had definitely planned on taking a class but had to leave at the drop of a hat to pick up our daughter! I wish we would have had time. I would definitely do it. Now I worry because I don't know infant CPR, what to do if she is choking etc. Our rec center had classes as well as the local hospital. Personally it would not bother me if other women were pregnant, your baby is on the way too!

[Celesyee]

We weren't required to take an infant care, but we took one. The infant care course was offered through Kaiser and was for all new or expecting parents, including PAPs/APs. However, we were the only PAPs and were singled out when the instructor specifically asked which couple was adopting (when we signed up we had to either give a due date, birth date, or expected adoption date). I wasn't embarrassed about adopting, but I didn't need the PG women asking why we were adopting.

[minibus]

I think I did an internet search - adoption infant care? -and maybe also looked at a bunch of adoption agencies' websites.

[Linny]

I think it's an excellent thing to do if you can. We didn't have one as far as CPR and such (though again, I think it's a very good idea). I'd had CPR in college and at the first school I worked in...but it was years before we adopted.
However......we learned of an infant class teaching the course of 'The Happiest Baby on the Block' (by Karp) at the local hospital. We signed up and it was truly one of the best moves we could have ever done. In fact, during the course, my dh leaned over to me and said, "Wish we'd of known all of this back when (our first son) was born!"
It would have helped SO much, believe me. When the next baby came...and the next.....we used that knowledge a LOT.
I'd recommend a class like this anytime. I didn't care at all if there were pg women there (in fact, someone had JUST had their baby one week before and testified how much the program worked for their little one). I felt we were simply having our babies in different ways...but we'd all have babies!

Sincerely,

Linny

[smash_effect]

We are enrolled for an infant care/CPR class that will be on Sept 2nd. Emom is due on Sept 10th so we're cutting it close.

I'm counting on it to be all pregnant women...but that's okay.