Newborn care class

Build confidence to care for your tiny new person.

There's this moment after your baby is born when you realize you're the one in charge of this new little life.

Now what?

Our Newborn Care Class is developed to help you feel centered and confident with your new baby. From fingernails and diapering to bathing, doctor's visits and sleep, we've got you covered.

Learn all the expert insider tips.

with Tiffany Bernstein, postpartum doula

Birth Kalamazoo has always offered childbirth classes, but in supporting new families we realized that something was missing — the basics of newborn care. We want you to move into parenting feeling strong and confident.

Your instructor Tiffany Bernstein and our other postpartum doulas nurture new families in the weeks and months after their babies arrive. The doulas see exactly what new parents go through, from common questions to struggles. This is your chance to prep ahead of time for a better fourth trimester experience with your sweet tiny one.

Beyond the birth... let's get ready for this baby!

Some of the topics you'll learn about in class:

Diapering basics, including hands-on practice
Soothing tips for fussy babes
Bathing and hygiene
Dressing and swaddling
Caring for tiny fingernails — filing and clipping
Sleep safety and encouraging good sleep habits
Biological newborn needs and realistic expectations
Supplies you really need (and which to skip)
Newborn development and milestones
Working together as a team
Warning signs and when to reach out for help
Optional add-on: infant CPR and choking

All this happens in a warm, encouraging and hands-on classroom. You'll have the chance to connect with other families who also have a newborn on the way — we need community as we enter new adventures!

Our main class runs on a Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. From 6 to 6:30 p.m., you can also opt to stay to learn infant CPR and choking aid. This is taught with the American Heart Association's Infant CPR Kit, including an inflatable official CPR doll. You'll practice with the doll in class and then you can take the doll and kit home with you to share with other adults who will be caring for your baby (following a DVD or digital download). We're so grateful for the gift of CPR kits from the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women initiative, supported by Bronson Healthcare. The kit alone is a $45 value!

Two-parent families are strongly encouraged to attend class together, and the cost of the class includes two caregivers. You can attend solo if your partner is sick or not available, of course. If you are a single parent, you are warmly welcomed to come on your own or to bring another (not-pregnant) adult who will be helping you care for your baby.

Meet Tiffany Bernstein, postpartum doula, educator, and baby whisperer.

Tiffany Bernstein has been working with postpartum families since 2017. Whether she's supporting first-timers or veteran parents, she works hard to get families to the point where they feel confident in their new roles. Tiffany loves listening deeply and diving into her toolbox to help make the fourth trimester as smooth and enjoyable as possible. She also has advanced training in grief and loss, and in breastfeeding support as a certified Lactation Education Counselor with UC SanDiego. Together with Jayni Angeli, Tiffany co-teaches Birth Kalamazoo's breastfeeding / chestfeeding class for parents. When she's not working as a doula, Tiffany enjoys spending time with her husband and their two wonderfully energetic boys, tending to their family garden, and preserving and cooking delicious food. Tiffany is a certified postpartum doula with DONA International.