When Should You Take Baby & Birth Classes? Your Pregnancy Roadmap | Part 1
Jump to:
So… you’re pregnant. Congratulations! 🎉
And now comes the avalanche of advice.
Take a birth class.
Take a breastfeeding class.
Learn infant CPR.
Install the car seat.
Learn how to wear the baby.
Take a newborn care class.
Learn about pumps and bottles.
Read approximately 47 books.
And somewhere around week 32, you suddenly think:
“Wait… when exactly am I supposed to do all of this?”
I’m Amey Fields — Registered Nurse, IBCLC, mom of three, grandma, and owner of AZ Breastfed Babies and Bump to Baby AZ.
And here’s the good news:
There is no magical week of pregnancy when you suddenly become PREPARED.
But there is a better way to space things out.
Some classes are worth taking earlier because they can help you make decisions about what to buy. Some are better closer to birth so the information is still fresh.
And ideally?
We’d love to have your core baby prep wrapped up by about 36 weeks.
Not because 36 weeks is a deadline.
Because by then you’re tired, putting on shoes has become an Olympic event, and your baby may have their own thoughts about your due date. 😂
Around 20–24 Weeks: Make Your Plan
You don’t need to take every class yet.
But start looking and get registered.
Popular classes can fill, and registering early gives you enough time to choose dates that actually work for you instead of discovering at 35 weeks that the class you wanted is full until after your due date.
This is also a great time to start thinking about some of the things on your registry.
Especially baby carriers and car seats.
Baby’s First Ride: Babywearing 101
If you’re planning to babywear, I actually love learning about carriers before you buy one.
Stretchy wraps. Ring slings. Soft structured carriers. Meh dais. Half buckles.
Suddenly you’re wondering why carrying a baby requires this much vocabulary.
Baby’s First Ride lets you learn about fit, positioning and safety — and actually practice.
Because the first time you attempt a stretchy wrap probably shouldn’t be while holding a screaming six-day-old.
Bonus: You may discover what you actually like before adding a $200 carrier to your registry.
See upcoming classes for Baby’s First Ride Here.
And while you’re thinking about the registry, start learning about your car seat too.
Buckle-Up, Baby: Car Seat 101
If there’s one baby item I want you to understand BEFORE you bring your baby home, it’s the car seat.
And no, watching three TikToks and hoping for the best does not count as a plan. 😂
We’ll help you understand car seat basics, including choosing the right seat, harness fit, installation and where to find help when you need it.
Because car seats can feel surprisingly complicated for something that’s supposed to get your baby from point A to point B.
Learn the basics now, so you can feel more confident about that first ride home.
See upcoming classes for Buckle-Up Baby Here.
Around 24–32 Weeks: Start Those Early Classes & Get Your Village Ready
If Grandma and Grandpa are going to be regular parts of your baby’s life, bring them into the preparation too.
Grandparents 2.0: New Baby. New Rules. Same Love.
Grandparents know how to love babies.
But WOW, have some of the recommendations changed.
No blankets?
No cereal in the bottle?
What happened to the car seat?!
And why does everyone on TikTok suddenly have a degree in infant development? 😂
Grandparents 2.0 covers current evidence-based recommendations around feeding, sleep, car seats, development, starting solids, health and safety.
But it’s also about something even bigger:
How do we support our adult children as they become parents?
Getting everyone on the same page before baby arrives can make that transition a whole lot easier.
See upcoming classes for Grandparents 2.0 Here.
Now is a great time to take those babywearing & carseat 101 classes if you haven’t already. Another class that you’ll be thanking yourself later for taking while pregnant is a newborn sleep education course.
Nurturing Newborn Sleep
Let's talk about newborn sleep before you're running on approximately 47 minutes of it.
Newborns don't arrive knowing the difference between day and night. Their sleep patterns are still developing, and a lot of what parents experience in those first weeks is completely normal.
This class helps you understand newborn sleep, realistic expectations, safe sleep practices and how to support your baby's developing sleep patterns.
Because the goal isn't to make your newborn sleep through the night.
It's to understand what your baby needs, what normal newborn sleep looks like, and how to navigate those early weeks with a little more confidence.
See upcoming classes for Nurturing Newborn Sleep Here.
Around 28–32 Weeks: Learn the Big Stuff
Now we’re getting closer.
This is a great window for the information you really want fresh in your brain when labor begins and baby arrives.
Movement Matters: Labor Comfort Measures
This is for the:
“Okay…but what are we actually going to DO during labor?” crowd.
You and your support person will actually practice movement, positions, pressure and comfort techniques.
Because your partner does not get to arrive at the hospital with their entire labor-support strategy consisting of:
“Just breathe.”
We’re giving them a job. 😂
And remember: birth education isn’t about predicting exactly how your birth will happen.
Your baby did not read your birth plan.
It’s about having information, tools and options so you can make informed decisions as things unfold.
See upcoming classes for Movement Matters Here.
From Bump to Boob: Prenatal Feeding Class
If you’re planning to breastfeed, pump, combo feed — or you’re still figuring out what feeding might look like — learn the basics before you’re exhausted, sore and Googling at 2 a.m.
We’ll talk about newborn feeding, latch, milk production, feeding frequency, what those first days can look like and when to reach out for help.
And taking a breastfeeding class is not signing a contract promising to exclusively breastfeed.
Education is information, not a commitment.
Your feeding journey gets to look like your feeding journey.
See upcoming classes for From Bump to Boob Here.
Baby Bootcamp: Mindful Newborn Care
You’re not only preparing to give birth.
Eventually someone is going to hand you the baby and LET YOU LEAVE WITH IT.
Wild. 😂
Baby Bootcamp is where we get into the actual newborn stuff.
Holding. Diapers. Bathing. Soothing. Normal newborn behavior. Weird newborn things. When to worry. When not to worry.
Because newborns are tiny, adorable and surprisingly complicated little roommates.
See upcoming classes for Baby Bootcamp Here.
Around 30–34 Weeks: Pumps, Bottles & All the Stuff
Beyond the Boob: Pumps, Bottles & Everything In Between
If you’re planning to pump or use bottles, I want you to learn about them before Amazon convinces you that you need 37 feeding accessories.
Pumps. Wearables. Bottles. Flange sizing. Milk storage. Returning to work. Bottle introduction. Pacifiers. Milk collectors. Feeding tools.
What do you actually need?
What can wait?
And what can you leave sitting in your Amazon cart?
This class may genuinely save you money.
See upcoming classes for Beyond the Boob Here.
Around 32–36 Weeks: Finish With Safety
Infant CPR & Safety Essentials
This is one of those classes we hope you never need.
But if you ever do?
You’ll be very glad you took it.
Ideally, take infant CPR before baby arrives so those skills are already in your toolbox from day one.
And yes — grandparents and other regular caregivers should know infant CPR too.
See upcoming classes for Infant CPR & Safety Essentials Here.
Save This: Your Pregnancy Class Checklist
20–24 WEEKS: MAKE YOUR PLAN
☐ Look at upcoming class dates
☐ Register for your core classes
☐ Start car-seat education/research
☐ Consider Baby’s First Ride before buying a carrier
24–28 WEEKS: START GETTING READY
☐ Baby’s First Ride
☐ Car-seat education
☐ Newborn sleep education
☐ Grandparents 2.0 for grandparents who will be involved regularly
28–32 WEEKS: LEARN THE BIG STUFF
☐ Movement Matters
☐ From Bump to Boob
☐ Baby Bootcamp
30–36 WEEKS: FINISH YOUR PREP
☐ Beyond the Boob
☐ Infant CPR & Safety Essentials
☐ Install the car seat
☐ Practice using your carrier
☐ Know who you’ll call if you need feeding support
☐ Find your postpartum groups and save the schedule
BY ABOUT 36 WEEKS
☐ Core baby preparation done
☐ Take a breath
☐ Realize you do not need a PhD in babies before you’re allowed to have one 😂
Wait. I’m Already 35 Weeks. Did I Screw This Up?
Nope. 😂
This is a roadmap, not a test.
If you’re 35 weeks and haven’t taken a single class, don’t look at this list and panic.
Take what you can. Prioritize what you’ll need first. Choose the classes that fit your schedule and let the rest go.
The goal isn’t to become an expert before your baby arrives.
The goal is to feel a little more confident walking into the next thing — and know where to turn when you have questions.
You Don’t Have to Learn Parenthood All at Once
You don’t need to know everything about breastfeeding, sleep, solids, crawling, toddler behavior and potty training while you’re still pregnant.
Learn what you need for the season you’re about to enter.
Then, when your baby grows and the questions change?
Come back.
That’s the whole idea behind Bump to Baby AZ.
Education before baby. Support after baby. Community as your family grows.
Because parenting isn’t one giant test you either pass or fail.
It’s a whole bunch of little seasons.
And every new season comes with new questions.
We’ll be here for those, too. 🧡
EXPLORE ALL BUMP TO BABY AZ PREGNANCY CLASSES
Next in our Bump to Baby Roadmap: Baby is here! What classes should you take after your baby arrives?