BabyCenter selects products based on the research of our editors and the wisdom of parents in the BabyCenter Community. All prices and details are accurate at the time of publication. We may earn a commission from shopping links.
Did you know that you’re supposed to keep your baby’s crib at least one foot away from the windows in their room? I certainly didn’t think about this – or what I should have in my first aid kit for my infant daughter, or what I would do if she started choking – until I got access to BabyCenter’s Ultimate Baby Prep CourseOpens a new window bundle. It includes Infant CPR, First Aid, and SafetyOpens a new window; The BabyCenter 3-Stage Sleep SolutionOpens a new window; and Meeting Physical Milestones Through PlayOpens a new window.
It was such a blessing to get a preview of these classes. Now that I have an infant daughter, I’m surprised by how much the info has helped me stay calm in the parenting storm.
The course answered so many of my questions on infant safety, sleep, milestones, and how to play with your baby
Caring for an infant seems pretty straightforward. It’s just “eat, play, sleep” on repeat, right? But new parents know that actually doing parenthood is insanely hard. Every baby is unique, which you learn very quickly when you get home from the hospital. Plus, it seems to me that you just cannot really understand how intensely emotional it is to care for your own baby until you’re in the thick of it. In my first days of parenthood, I remember being so overwhelmed with how intense my love for my daughter is, and in turn, how important it is that I do a “good” job at being a mom. I understood immediately how easy it is for mom guilt and anxiety to creep in.
Thankfully, I was armed with a lot of great information ahead of time, thanks to the Ultimate Baby Prep CourseOpens a new window. Each of the courses included in the bundle helped me prepare for different aspects of parenting. Sure, I still had a ton of questions for the pediatrician (and Dr. Google, if I’m being honest) but I definitely felt ahead of the game when I already had infants’ Tylenol (and knew the appropriate dosage) when it came time for my baby’s first shots. And all things considered, I feel like I got pretty good rest, thanks to a shift system I learned from the sleep class.
My experience using the course
I took the Meeting Physical Milestones Through PlayOpens a new window and the Infant CPR, First Aid, and SafetyOpens a new window courses while I was still pregnant. The first one helped me truly enjoy (and feel on top of) the periods when my newborn was awake. Taught by a pediatric occupational therapist, the milestones class taught me that I could do tummy time as soon as I got home from the hospital. I registered for a few of the toys mentioned in the class, like the
and placed my daughter on the floor with them for short stints during her wake windows. Now, she’s 3 months old, and people regularly comment on how strong she is for her age. Even her pediatrician is impressed!
More importantly, though, I loved how that class goes through the entire first year and the full range of what’s normal. (Again, every baby is unique!) Although I had plenty of anxiety about other things, I have never worried about her physical development.
Meanwhile, the Infant CPR and First Aid courseOpens a new window helped with my peace of mind in other ways. I was able to gather the supplies I’d need for emergencies (everything from bandages to baby Benadryl), and think through multiple scenarios ahead of time. And I appreciated that all of the information comes straight from the director of pediatric emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Hospitals in New York City!
And then there’s every parent’s biggest stressor: sleep. I took the sleep courseOpens a new window later on, and only wish I’d watched it sooner. I didn’t realize at first how much newborn sleep differs from an older baby’s sleep, and how it would change a lot over time. You’re going to constantly be learning how to deal with sleep as your baby grows, so it’s really helpful that the class is broken down into developmental stages. It also helps to set realistic expectations for what’s normal. In the beginning, I really beat myself up a lot over how well my baby was sleeping (or not). I felt like if I was a better parent, she’d sleep better. But the truth is, most babies have to learn to sleep well – and that takes time and practice.
Advertisement | page continues below
What I liked about the course
Aside from the useful info from reliable sources, what I really appreciate about each of the courses in the bundle is how easy they are to navigate. Instead of long lectures or hard-to-digest articles, you get short videos that get to the point. All the lessons come with a downloadable PDF with the key points, so you don’t have to take notes. (I printed some of these out and shared them with my partner.) Plus, there are bonus resources, like worksheets for tracking baby’s sleep or a weight-based dosage chart for infants’ medications.
It’s also awesome that you get access to the information for 12 months. I have gone through portions of both the sleep and milestones courses again as my child has grown. If you are short on time, you can simply watch and learn as your baby grows, making the courses even more accessible.
What I would change if I could
The only thing I’d change is I’d make the sleep course longer. While it’s a great overview, sleep issues are really tough and can be unique to your child. There’s a lot of troubleshooting involved, and I wish the class offered a bit more advice for what to do when the tried and true tips just aren’t working for your baby.
I have yet to take advantage of the private community groups you get access to when you enroll in The Ultimate Baby Prep CourseOpens a new window, but I’ve read that you can post any questions you have there, and a BabyCenter editor will answer common questions that come up, in partnership with the course experts. So if I end up having extra questions on sleep, I’ll likely try to do that.
Even with the minor drawback, I’d definitely recommend the bundle because you have to know the first-line tricks first, so you have a solid starting point. All in all, if you want a leg up on parenting at an accessible price point, this is the course bundle for you.