I want to tell you about my Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop. I’ve offered my Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop for several years now. In fact, this was the first class I ever offered. And (don’t tell my other classes but…) it’s probably my favorite to teach! There’s always such excitement and nervous energy when I teach this class. There are rapid-fire questions and lots of information sharing. Lots of surprised faces and lots of laughs. This workshop covers some of the under-discussed aspects of life with a newborn so there are plenty of speechless moments too. Energy, curiosity, confusion, revelation, reality-check, slight discomfort, and humor will be combined to help your family prepare for your new baby.

Most families taking this course are preparing to welcome their first child into their home. I certainly offer the workshop to anyone interested, but first time parents typically seem to be my most frequent clients. (If you’re welcoming your second/subsequent child you might be interested in my Big Sibling School!). 

Workshop Design

I designed this new baby prep class to be very personal. I offer this workshop in the privacy of the family’s home. While we’re in the home, we use the baby equipment and tools that the family has on hand. I have the chance to teach them how to use the baby carrier their neighbor gave to them, the pack-n-play they found on their local “buy-nothing” page, practice swaddling with the blankets and swaddles their friends gave them, set up the carseat their parents got them, work through the pump their co-workers gifted them, and we talk about the litany of other things people insisted they have to help ease life with a new baby. If only you could be a fly on the wall when we bust out the Nose Frida or the peri bottle!!

Along with being personal, this workshop is flexible and customizable. My Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshops are for individual families and I am able to plug and play the various modules as it is applicable to each family. For example, I’ve had the opportunity to teach this workshop with a family preparing to adopt their first child. So, for this workshop, I did not need to cover some of the postpartum information, nor did the family wish to cover breastfeeding. In another example, I had the chance to teach a workshop to a family who already had a breastfeeding class so we just covered the highlights of breastfeeding and instead focused on ways to help their dogs with the transition to life with a new baby. 

I want to highlight another major differences between my workshop and most all of the other newborn classes or baby basics courses that you’ll see out there. As a postpartum doula, I’d be remiss to ignore the parent(s) in this workshop. I don’t know of any other workshop or class or course out there right now that offers as much information in the way of physical recovery, partner support, and emotional considerations for the parents. This is a time of physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and relational transition for everyone and that transition needs to be acknowledged. If not by me, then who else? So yes, we’re going to talk about tears (wait, is that tears like what comes out of your eyes or tears like what happens when things rip apart? Yes, quite frankly my dear, both). We’ll talk about baby blues and postpartum depression. We’ll talk about poop - adult and baby’s poop. And then we’ll all laugh because it’s always funny when grown adults talk about poop! 

I am certainly biased but I think this is really a unique workshop and unique offering. Many of our local area hospitals offer a canned baby care or baby basics class but you’ll have to head to the hospital for that. You could opt for an online version of a newborn care class. So, having an in-person, at-home, private workshop, now that’s the best of all worlds!

Experience and Learning Environment

I liken this learning experience to a real classroom. In a classroom, you learn, practice, do labs, touch materials, ask questions, and absorb the intangibles throughout your learning process. Then, when it comes time to take the test, you can gaze at the spot in the ceiling where you were staring just a few days earlier when your teacher was rambling about Pythagorean theorem and BAM the answer will come to you. Familiar settings help us learn better. So, when it comes time for your test - your newborn is earthside and just presented you with a diaper to change - you’ll be more comfortable with your testing environment because you practiced there. Practice like you play, my coaches used to say! 

Another advantage of in-person, in-home, private learning is the experience you’ll gain. I recently heard a conversation on one of my favorite leadership podcasts that “70% of learning is from experiences, 20% is from mentorship, and 10% is from the classroom).” So, according to this, if I only teach, without incorporating any experience, you’re only likely to retain 10% of what I’m teaching. But, if I’m able to incorporate EXPERIENCE into your learning, then there is a higher likelihood that you’ll remember what we discussed.

Available Modules

Here’s the modules I offer as part of the Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop. The modules in bold are included in every workshop I teach. The non-bolded modules are the electives (4 electives are included with every workshop): 

• Newborn Care Basics

• Newborn Sleep

• Feeding - Breast/Chest/Bottle

• Newborn Crying and Comforting

• Babywearing

• Physical recovery for the birthing partner

• Emotional considerations for parents of newborns

• Considerations for the non-birthing partner

• Visitors and Newborns

• Postpartum nutrition and meal prep ideas

• Home organization for families with new babies

• Pumping

• Dogs and newborns

• Adopting a Young Infant (birth through 3 months) (substitute for physical recovery module)

• Baby gear set-up

• Other topic, as requested

Scheduling Your Workshop

So, how does this work, you might ask? First of all, I’m so glad you’re here and you’re interested in this workshop. I truly love teaching it and hope you learn a few things that will help ease your mind and prepare you for life with your new baby. The workshop is a one-time visit, generally lasting between 2 and 2.5 hours. We will not have time to cover all of the modules above during this time, but follow-on classes or extended duration workshops are usually available. The first eight modules (in bold) are included with every workshop. We will cover some in more detail than others, depending on your wishes, intentions, and interests. Then, you are able to select up to four (4) other modules you wish to include in your Workshop. Easy as that! If you are interested in additional modules, we’ll work to schedule those follow-on classes or, if schedules permit, we can just extend the duration of the workshop. Easy peasy!  

Interested? Ready to schedule your workshop, or share this with someone who might be? Let’s chat! We’ll work together to get the workshop scheduled and paid for. Then, we’ll work together to determine which modules the you would like to include in your workshop (take a look at my website, under Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop for all of the available modules and descriptions). I’ll have you prioritize each module so that we can be sure to talk through the things you are most concerned about and maybe just gloss over the topics that your family feels more comfortable with. Once we’re two or three days until the workshop, I will follow up with the you to confirm the modules, confirm the workshop, and we’ll be set. Of course, we’re certainly able to change modules and topics during the workshop, too. I often get to talking and the family realizes they have many more questions on a certain topic than they initially planned. So, the advance agenda just helps keep us on track and make sure we truly talk through the things that matter most to you and your family. 

So, let’s give this a shot! If you or someone you know will be welcoming a new baby into the home in the near future, let’s connect and get a Newborn and Postpartum Prep Workshop on the calendar! You can email me directly or reach out through the Contact page on my website. 

I am so humbled and grateful to be invited into your home and to be a part of your family’s transition. Thank you so much for reading and for allowing me to be a part of your journey. 

Thoughtfully, 

Kari Haravitch

PCD(DONA)

From The Start, Postpartum Doula