Caring for Baby

Baby Basics Class - Bringing Home Baby

This three-hour class is taught at WakeMed Cary Hospital and at WakeMed Raleigh Campus. Bringing Home Baby is essentially Newborn Care 101! This class is divided into three segments. The first segment includes basic baby care demonstration and practice. Expectant families will learn how to diaper, bathe, swaddle and more! Participants will have the opportunity to practice these skills on our newborn dolls. The second segment focuses on a period called the “fourth trimester”. This period covers the first three months after birth. While parents are adjusting to their newest family member, self-care, and parenthood dynamics, the newborn is adjusting to life outside of the womb, digestive changes, neurological developments, sleep patterns and more.  Parents will learn newborn communication ques, soothing techniques and gain a clear understanding of post-partum mood and anxiety disorders (PMAD). The final segment includes car seat safety, when to call the pediatrician, how to wear your baby, kangaroo care and breast and bottle feeding tips. 
Cost: $50 per couple

Boot Camp for New Dads^®

Boot Camp for New Dads^® (aka Daddy Boot Camp^®) is a unique father-to-father, community-based workshop that inspires and equips men of different economic levels, ages and cultures to become confidently engaged with their infants, support their mates and personally navigate their transformation into dads. Boot Camp is validated by research and has been named a best practice by many organizations that consider it an exceptional means of supporting dads-to-be and fostering behaviors that greatly benefit children and help prevent a wide range of social ills. Boot Camp is for DAD’s ONLY!!! 
Cost: $25

Breastfeeding I

Today more women choose to breastfeed their babies. Research shows women who have the most support are able to successfully breastfeed for longer periods of time. We are here to help, and offer classes to provide you with the information and support you need. 
Cost: $30

Breastfeeding Support Group

FREE weekly meetings are open to all moms of breastfeeding or breastmilk feeding babies in the community during the first year of life. No registration is required. Information about meeting times and locations can be found online, by calling 919-350-8235, or by contacting us via email.

Breastfeeding Multiples

This class is specifically designed for the family that is expecting twins, triplets, or more and wants their babies to benefit from breastmilk feeding. Along with learning about the benefits of breastmilk for newborns and their moms, we will discuss the added benefits for multiples and preterm babies. We will have hands-on practice for both parents using various positions for nursing more than one baby. Other topics will include combining nursing with pumping and bottle-feeding as well as a set of possible sample schedules for feeding multiples. We will talk about breast care, warning signs and treatments for possible breast/nipple injury, NICU care, and where and how to find practical support that fits your budget. We will also give information about the postpartum recovery period and how to work together as a team. 
Cost: $50/couple

Choosing and Using Quality Child Care Seminar

During this seminar, you will learn how to search for and identify high quality child care services. Specific topics covered include North Carolina's licensing regulations and accreditation standards as well as key quality indicators for child care programs. Seminar attendees will also learn how to access community resources and financial assistance programs available to help pay for child care. We are not currently providing tours.

This seminar is offered monthly at WakeMed Cary Hospital. To register, please contact Christy Thalheimer with Child Care Services by emailing christyt@childcareservices.org, calling 919-403-6950 and request the WakeMed Choosing and Using Quality Child Care Seminar or registering in advance online.

CPR: Infant, Child & Adult

In this three-hour course taught by certified CPR instructors, parents, grandparents and babysitters will learn basic skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and obstructed airway management for infants, young children and adults. Participants will receive an American Heart Association Heartsaver® Certification. 
Cost: $70 per person

Grandbabies: "Getting Started"

Many things have changed since the participants in Grandparents: Getting Started raised their children. It is important for grandparents to learn the new recommendations for care based on research from doctors and scientists studying the physical and emotional development of infants and children.

Taught by certified Safe Sitter® Instructors, participants will learn how to provide the best and safest care for their grandchildren. They will also learn the latest information on how to safely care for infants and children and how to manage the behavior of children of all ages, in addition to life-saving skills such as choking rescue, first aid, and injury management.

Learning tips on creating a good relationship from the start as well as learning to say no to every request to babysit will help grandparents enhance their relationship with their children and create lasting memories with their grandchildren.

Location: WakeMed Corporate Center: 3128 Smoketree Court, Raleigh, NC 27604. The classroom is located on the second floor. 
Cost:$50/per couple

Infant CPR and Safety

Infant/CPR and Toddler Safety will focus on top safety concerns among new families! Parents will lean how to prevent common childhood injuries from infancy to toddlerhood in and around the home. Learn how to spot dangers before they occur and how to perform lifesaving skills in the event of an emergency! Topics include Infant CPR and Choking, Safe Sleep, SIDS, Car Seat Safety and more! Location: WakeMed Corporate Center: 3128 Smoketree Ct. Raleigh, NC 27604 (off Highwoods Blvd). 

Postpartum Support Group

A weekly support group offered by WakeMed for any woman who is experiencing feelings of depression and/or anxiety surrounding the postpartum period up to the first 24 months postpartum. 
The group is free, peer-led and judgment-free.

WakeMed Corporate Center 
3128 Smoketree Court 
Raleigh, NC 27610

Meets every other Monday from 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm 
Meets every other Wednesday from 10:30 am – 12 pm

For more information, please email Betsy Laughter at BLAUGHTER@wakemed.org if you’re interested in joining the Post-Partum Support Group

Safe Sitter Classes

• Safety Skills: Indoor safety, outdoor safety, online safety, and personal safety.
• Child Care Skills: Child development, child care routines (including diapering practice), and behavior management.
• First Aid & Rescue Skills: Injury prevention, injury management, and choking rescue and CPR skills for infants and children.
• Life & Business Skills: Screening jobs, setting fees, and greeting employers.

Please note: this is not a CPR certification class and skills for Adults will not be covered.

Safe Sitter® students learn more than just babysitting basics. They’ll learn the life and safety skills any teen/pre-teen should have before babysitting or staying home alone and the practical decision-making skills you, as a parent, need for them to have. Safe Sitter® builds confidence, and teaches young teens life and business skills, so that they know how to be prepared, be responsible whether they are babysitting or doing odd jobs for family, friends, or neighbors. They will have fun and learn a lot, and at the end of the day, they can proudly say, "I am a Safe Sitter®.
Cost: $70

Sibling Class & Tour

This class presents the perfect opportunity for your children to see where their brother or sister will be born. Children, divided into groups of ages 3-5 and ages 6-10, tour the Women's Pavilion & Birthplace - Raleigh or Cary and they will participate in a discussion about what can be expected from a newborn. Each one-hour class is designed with age-appropriate material and instruction. Each child will create a special keepsake craft. Classes are offered on Saturdays. 
Cost: $15 per family

Women's Pavilion & Birthplace Tours

Of course you'll want to see where you will give birth. This free, guided tour offers an up-close look at the Women's Pavilion & Birthplace - Raleigh or Cary and a discussion of our services. Tours are offered in the evening and on Saturday. 

• Learn more about scheduling a tour or view a virtual tour of our Women's Pavilion & Birthplace at Raleigh or at Cary.
• To cancel or reschedule a tour, please call 919-350-8235.