Baby Care Basics

We had a great class last night. We learned a lot about caring for this baby - bathing, feeding, sleeping, etc. I feel more prepared, but I also feel like there is a lot to remember. We've divided up the work - I am learning about childbirth and breastfeeding and K is learning about caring for a newborn. So I haven't been reading anything about newborn care - this class may be my only exposure - but for K a lot of the material was stuff that she had already learned.

The class didn't start out so well though, and it puts us in a grumpy mood for the beginning of the course, even though the teacher was great and very nice. The class was offered at the Shady Grove Hospital Support Center, which is rented space in a larger office building. Since the class was at night, the door was locked and a security guard was signing people in. The guard was an older man. Class was at 7pm and we arrived about 5 minutes early. There was a couple that entered before us and a couple that was arriving just behind us. The guard let the couple in front of us in with no problems. When we got to the door and knocked, the security guard gave us a strange look, walked over the door cautiously, cracked the door, and asked why were were there. I said "We're here for the class for Shady Grove Hospital." He looked confused, said things like "What? Huh? A class?" The door remained only cracked and we were being treated like dangerous people that shouldn't be let in. Then his face changes and he says "Oh, you're here for the baby thing?" We agreed and he let us in. Another couple was there behind us at that point and he let them in without question. While we were signing in, I asked "So all of these couples are here for the baby class. Why were you so confused and acting like you'd never heard of the class before and not letting us in?" He said, "Oh, I was confused because I was expecting couples." I said, "But we are a couple - wife and wife." He looked really upset, turned away with shock/disgust, and talked to the couple that arrived behind us. I said "So where is the class located?" He mumbled his answer while looking in a completely different direction and refused to look at us again. Then we got to class and saw two single women and a handful of male/female couples. Did the single women get the same rough treatment we got? We really felt like he was afraid of us, like we were trying to break into the building, when he wouldn't even crack the door for us. And we definitely felt like once we told him we were a couple he was disgusted and shocked. We saw the treatment he gave the couple behind us and in front of us and he definitely treated them with respect. You can believe whatever you want about people but you have to treat everyone with respect. And I just don't get the confusion. There is no mistaking the fact that I am pregnant, and if you know that there is a baby class and you see a pregnant woman at the door, no matter who she is with, you should assume she's part of the class.

This really put us in a sour mood and we walked into class ready to be annoyed, but the teacher was wonderful. She almost always said 'Moms and coaches' or 'Moms and partners' instead of 'Moms and Dads'. She treated us just like the other couples in the room. It took us a while to warm up to her, but there was no reason for that because she was wonderful. It's sad that one person can ruin your whole experience like that, when all we want to do is learn about our baby just like everyone else.