Infant Care class!

This month's Waiting Parent Support meeting at our adoption agency was infant care class. I couldn't resist. Naturally we both went.

Of course I walked in, saw the baby dolls on the table and squeed, "I was hoping we'd have baby dolls to practice on!"

Yes, I know how to feed and burp and diaper a baby, but I haven't actually done the diapering thing in *years* and there are adoption-specific things to know. Our teacher was great--three hours of infant care and I only looked at the clock three times.

Yes we got to practice. Ken had the baby in "football carry" before the teacher even demonstrated it. And he diapered the baby first, with a newborn Pampers. He did an excellent job. When he was putting on the onesie, I remembered a great trick--"gathering" the fabric of the sleeve in your hand so you don't have to spend forever trying to pull it up on the baby. While they're wiggling.

I wish I'd brought the camera; it was very big deal and heartwarming.

Oh, adoption-specific things? The baby should be held and cared for by the adoptive parents most of the time, so the bonding can start. We've lost all those months a baby hears its mother's (and often father's/other caregiver's voices) and feels the heartbeat while the mom is pregnant. I remember before Sheila was born, Ralph's voice was often the only thing that would keep her from kicking like crazy, so he used to read to her. So, for us, birth, or even a few weeks after depending on the baby's situation, is the first time we get to start that bonding. This doesn't mean grandparents, aunts and uncles and so on won't get to hold the baby--just not for long. (You can do all the cooking and laundry you want, though!)

Other things: we learned some good soothing methods, especially for babies who were drug-exposed, tips on finding a good pediatrician who's experienced with adopted children (there's usually little family history such as allergies and illnesses available), and going ahead with doing a baby registry. Adoption baby showers are done after the baby is born, since one doesn't know how old or big the baby will be and often has a week or less notice between being picked to get a baby and getting the baby.

Each support group class helps me feel the adoption process is going to end in a baby!