There are many stages of life that parents can attend parenting classes. The first set of parenting classes are usually taken to prepare couples for the tiny bundle that will be due in several months. The well baby classes are a preliminary course that teaches parents to change diapers and feed the child. These prenatal classes also help the couple enjoy the final days of privacy that they might have for many years.
The parenting classes also teach the parents about the nutritional needs that a growing baby needs. Many obstetricians recommend that new mother’s breastfeed their children during the first few months of life. Some women take their parenting classes on breastfeeding very seriously and may choose to breastfeed their child until they are almost two years old.
These parenting classes also prepare mothers for the hectic feeding schedule that a new baby will set. It is rare to find a newborn that is content to sleep through the night when they are brought home from the hospital. The parenting classes will teach new parents about some tips that will help them to adjust their child’s internal clock to a more reasonable time schedule.
Parenting classes will also prepare the father for several changes that will occur in the house once the baby comes home from the hospital. Many fathers are not aware that their wives will not be able to resume sexual relations for up to 6 weeks after they give birth, and if the birth was by a caesarian section, the length of time may be considerably longer if the incision fails to heal properly.
New fathers will also learn from the parenting classes that their wife might be tired a lot. This lack of energy might be caused by post partum depression or it may be caused by the radical feeding schedule that they must attend to during the course of a day. Many mothers learn from the parenting classes and make it a set policy in the house that when the baby goes down for a nap it is also time for mother to sleep.
Parenting classes can also help to develop a new circle of friends. New parents can converse and discuss the problems that they are facing with having a child in the home, and these discussions will be especially reassuring when the child begins to teethe or suffers from colic and wants to cry for hours at a time for no apparent reason. The most helpful parenting classes are the ones that provide literature that answers frequently asked questions.
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