[blparent] Resources to learn hands-on about baby care?

[KailaAllen]

I think that using a baby doll to practice on is actually a good idea. It will give you the necessary skills that will be needed to put the diaper on without having the child moving around. Once you feel comfortable putting it on the baby then it will be a lot easier to use it on a real baby.  There are baby dolls you can buy that come with a diaper that can be reused rather than buying a pack of diapers. Also if your friends are family are having girls you can gift it to them once the child is older or donate it to a child who may not have toys.  Also I don't see the harm in taking the Hadley class, any information could be helpful if you can never know too much information about a subject.  I honestly had no official training when I had my children but they've turned out fine. However I'm sure there are ways to do things easier then the way I found to do things.  One thing to remember though is you can get training and you can practice with other children that every baby is so individual that you're just going to have to be able to flow with the moment.  I think that the most important thing for you to learn to be helpful for the parents would be the diaper changing and how the clothing works.  Honestly the bathing in the feeding will most likely be done by the parent especially in newborns.  When I was a new parent diaper changing it may be holding a bottle for the child would've been the most helpful thing. But I mostly wanted someone to hold the child for me so I could shower, go to the bathroom or prepare meals. I think any of the new parents that you will encounter will be grateful for any help or support you can provide for them.  Just remember that you're not the parent and you don't need to know how to do everything. 
Good luck and keep us informed on the progress of your endeavor. 

Thank you, 

Kaila

The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.   Nelson G Henderson


> On May 22, 2015, at 10:38 PM, Arielle Silverman via blparent <blparent at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> As you may know, I'm not a parent, but I've been on this list for a
> while in order to learn about nonvisual techniques for childcare since
> that's an area where I am very inexperienced. So recently, a few close
> friends and relatives of mine have told me they're pregnant and
> expecting to give birth by the end of the year. I really want to get
> some practical skills and confidence with baby care before their
> babies are born. I've never changed a diaper, bathed or dressed a
> baby, or even carried a baby any distance (I've just held them in my
> arms or on my lap). I'm also totally clueless about how visual games
> with young infants, like Peekaboo, work. I didn't grow up around
> babies and wasn't particularly drawn to childcare so I never learned
> these skills. But the moms-to-be in my life are women I really care
> about and I want to be there to help them out when they need it and I
> want to connect with their babies without constantly worrying I'm
> going to do something wrong and accidentally hurt them. So, I was just
> curious what you would suggest so I can get some hands-on practice.
> Would the Hadley preparation course be helpful for someone who's not
> actually expecting her own child but just wants to learn these basic
> skills? I have also considered practicing with a diaper and a doll
> (though I'm not sure I want to buy a whole pack of diapers!) What else
> would you suggest? I know the biggest way I can learn and gain
> confidence is just by jumping in and spending time with babies, but I
> feel like I need to get a little more basic knowledge first, and I
> also know that my exhausted friends probably won't have the patience
> to teach me from the beginning when their babies are born. Thanks for
> any help!
> Arielle
> 
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