Sunday, April 12 from 5:00-8:00
Location: A family Affair Birth Center
newborn Care basics
Because caring for your baby should feel intuitive, grounded, and deeply supported.
Becoming a parent is one of the most profound transformations you will ever experience. And while babies don’t come with a manual, they do come with instincts, communication cues, and needs that you can absolutely learn to understand.
This class was designed to take away the overwhelm and replace it with confidence, clarity, and calm so you can spend less time Googling and more time bonding with your baby.
As a childbirth and newborn care educator who has guided hundreds of families over nearly two decades, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know for those tender early weeks, often called the Fourth Trimester—a time when your baby is learning how to live outside the womb, and you are learning how to care for them.
7 couples maximum
here's what you'll get…
Newborn Communication
Babies are communicating long before words. You’ll learn:
- Why newborns cry
- Early hunger cues
- “I’m tired,” “I’m overstimulated,” and other cues parents often miss
- How to respond in ways that build trust and security
Feeding Basics (Breastfeeding + Bottle-Feeding)
A grounded, inclusive guide to feeding your baby:
- What to expect in the first 24–48 hours
- How to know your baby is getting enough
- Paced bottle-feeding
- What to do when baby falls asleep at the breast or bottle
- Simple tips that make feeding smoother for everyone
Swaddling + Soothing a Fussy Baby
Learn and practice evidence-informed soothing techniques:
- The “why” behind fussiness
- Safe and effective swaddling
- Movement, sound, and touch that calm the nervous system
- How to soothe without overstimulating
When to Call the Pediatrician
Clear guidance on what requires urgent attention, what can wait, how to take your baby's temperature, and who to call in the middle of the night if you're just not sure!
and more…
Sleep Basics & Tips
Gentle, developmentally appropriate guidance for newborn sleep:
- Safe sleep tips
- What realistic newborn sleep looks like
- Reading early sleep cues
- Trusting your intuition with your baby's sleep
Bathing, personal care, Infant massage
- A step-by-step guide to bathing your newborn without making them cold
- Understanding the umbilical cord stump
- Simple infant massage techniques that relax both baby and parents.
Diapering
Let's practice changing a baby's diaper!
- Understand how to prevent diaper rash
- Preventing blowouts
- How to use Elimination Communication
Awake Window Activities
What to actually do with a newborn who is awake.
- Tummy time that doesn’t lead to tears
- Bonding activities
- Simple sensory experiences
- Interaction that supports brain and emotional development
AND SO MUCH MORE!!!
Who This Class Is For…
This class is for expecting parents, grandparents, parents with newborns, partners, and anyone who wants to feel prepared, confident, and deeply grounded in caring for a newborn.
Whether this is your first baby or your fifth, you’ll walk away with practical tools and a calmer, more trusting relationship with your baby and with yourself as a new parent!
What You’ll Walk Away With
Confidence in your ability to read and respond to your baby
A toolkit of soothing, feeding, sleeping, and communication skills
A deeper understanding of what your newborn needs and why
A framework for creating a peaceful Fourth Trimester
$100
April 12 from 5:00-8:00
Location: A family Affair Birth Center
My wife and I recently took the Newborn Care Basics class with Shelley Rahim, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the experience. Even though the class is designed for prenatal parents, Shelley welcomed us and our 3-week-old daughter with open arms. Her teaching style is casual, spiritual, nurturing, and refreshingly candid, which created an environment where every parenting journey felt seen and supported.
Shelley covered everything from sleep and breastfeeding to wake windows, swaddling, bathing, and the partner’s role—with no question ever feeling too small or too silly. The space she creates is warm, inclusive, and judgment-free, and we left feeling more confident, empowered, and connected as new parents.
We highly recommend this class to anyone seeking both practical newborn care skills and a truly supportive, heart-centered learning environment.
Ryan, lauren and Royce
We are so grateful for the opportunity to take the Newborn Care Basics class with Shelley. It was an amazing experience, and we learned so much that helped us feel more confident and prepared as new parents. Shelley is an incredible teacher. She is knowledgeable, patient, and reassuring. She explains everything in a way that’s easy to understand and makes the class both informative and enjoyable. We highly recommend this class to any expecting parents. We are so thankful we got to learn from Shelley!
Ritu and Nik
Derek and I are so grateful for Shelley Rahim's Newborn Care Basics Class! This class combined learning everything we needed to know about newborn care and Shelley's teaching style that kept us engaged and confident while learning.
We learned so much but our favorite takeaways were swaddling, burping, and calming the baby down.
We highly recommend Shelley for any birth/labor/matrescence class or group. She's helped make having our first child a beautiful experience. Thank you, Shelley!
hannah and Derek
testimonials
“Absolutely love this class! Shelley was AMAZING! Very knowledgable. I loved that she shared personal experiences with her mother-in-law and daughter. I cannot recommend this class enough, and our instructor enough! We truly appreciate it!”
—Newborn Care Students
My anxiety level before Shelley's class: very high. After Shelley's class: suuuuper manageable! I learned a lot and felt so much relief after taking the class. My husband and I both benefited greatly.
—Newbirn Care Students
“Shelley was really great and knowledgeable! Her stories and examples helped keep things memorable. I really appreciated how hands-on Shelley is when explaining how to do things. She even did a baby voice while talking to the fake baby. This helped me visually understand how to act as a new parent in different situations.”
—Newborn Care students
“Shelley was amazing and taught us so much! We feel so much more prepared as first time parents!”
—Newborn Care Students