what new moms want to know

Moms register directly through our website. Our classes fill up quickly so we recommend registering as early in your pregnancy as possible which is the best way to secure your space in a future class. If you find us after your baby is born, we will always do our best to get you into a class!

We have wonderful credentialed group facilitators made up of Certified Parent Educators, Pediatric Specialists, Teachers, and Therapists. All of our instructors are moms of at least one but most all of us have two or more so we’ve gone through the trenches just like you.

Each week, classes will include a specific topic, an open-forum discussion, Q&A time, as well as hello and goodbye songs with your baby. You will receive relevant research-based articles and resources related to each topic. In addition to your primary group facilitator, experts such as sleep specialists, doctors, therapists, postnatal healthcare professionals, infant massage specialists and others are brought in throughout each series.

For the Newborn Class, we recommend babies be approximately 3 – 6 weeks of age when beginning your class, however, we have had babies begin when they are older. Your group availability and your personal schedule will determine when you will begin your group. For the Infant Class, we recommend babies be between 3 and 6 months old.

Absolutely not! Our philosophy is that every baby, mother and family is unique and there is no “one size fits all” when caring for a new baby. What works for one family doesn’t always work for another and what works in one phase doesn’t always work in the next. In our opinion, there is no one way to be a perfect parent but a million ways to be a great one. We do believe that parenting should be approached with empathy for our babies and compassion and care for ourselves, and we cover many different ways to incorporate empathy in our daily lives and routines. All are welcome in our classes. Whatever ways you choose to approach parenting, we are here to support you and provide education supporting your approach.

We have many working moms in our classes and we always recommend joining a group while you are on maternity leave as opposed to not joining at all. If you are planning to return to work, we recommend starting your class when your baby is on the younger side so you can take advantage of as many weeks as possible. Many moms arrange with their employers to attend the remaining classes in their series even after their return to work and we strongly encourage that whenever possible.

They do! Our 3-6 month Infant Class is designed to follow the Newborn Class with all new topics developmentally appropriate for babies ages 3-6 months old.

Then the fun continues with our Rising Toddler series for little ones from 6 – 12 months!

Because most babies don’t receive their first set of immunizations until 6-8 weeks, most moms begin their class series prior to their baby’s first set of vaccines. Our setting is very conducive to newborn babies and an excellent way to get out of the house very early on for that much needed human connection without being concerned. Our studio is kept extremely clean with very limited exposure. Babies are mostly held by mom, sleeping in their car seats, or lying on your own blanket in front of you so there is no contact with one another.

Below is a note from one of our wonderful resident pediatricians, Dr. Kristin Pelinka regarding the issue:

“I suppose that some of the doctors that are recommending avoiding public places until the child has been vaccinated are basing those recommendations purely on what is medically best for a child, but there are many other factors to consider.

In the first two months of life, the babies are much more protected from exposure than after they are crawling and exploring. Their moms can control their proximity to the other children and the exchange of respiratory droplets, mucous and saliva is minimal.

Of course, there is a small risk of exposure to illness whenever you leave the home, but it is not realistic to recommend that mothers do not leave the house for the first two months of their child’s life. I think the risk of exposure is minimal, especially with a “no sick” policy and I think the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.”

For our Newborn class – We require 5 days prior notice to your class series start date in order to issue a full refund. If it is less than that, we will do our best to fill the space with another mom. If we fill it, we can refund you.

For our Infant class – We require 5 days prior notice to your class series start date in order to issue a refund for your class series.

For Rising Toddler & Toddler class – We require 5 days prior notice to your class series start date in order to issue a refund for your playgroup series.

Baby’s Nap Schedule – While we know that babies’ schedules change in the first year of life, we aren’t able to refund a class series based on a change in nap schedule.

ASAP! We’re not just saying this, it’s really, really important to pre-register while you are pregnant and it’s completely risk-free. If you don’t end up attending a class, we refund the fee in full. We offer a pre-registration option for expecting moms and we highly recommend registering as early in your pregnancy as possible. We like to think of it as your insurance policy, your lifeline, your future joy and one less thing you have to worry about once the baby arrives. You also avoid the risk of classes being full which tends to be the case when moms wait until after the baby is born. We get many emails from moms begging for a space in class because they thought they would wait until after the baby was born.

When you pre-register, it allows us to place you with other moms and babies who are born closest in age to yours. Most of our classes have babies that are within 2-4 weeks of each other. If you aren’t able to attend after the baby arrives, we ask that you give us 5 days’ notice so we can offer the spot to another mom.

We do not offer makeup classes. Each group is very personal and creates a special bond and we want to maintain that special relationship and confidentiality amongst the group members. Although you might miss a class, the information provided in each class will be available and our visiting experts and instructors are available to answer any questions related to that week’s class topic.

For the safety of other moms and babies, we ask that babies should be fever-free for 24 hours prior to your class. If babies have been vomiting or have diarrhea within 24 hours of your class, or have green mucus in their nose, please remain home. PLEASE RESPECT THE OTHER MOMS AND BABIES IN OUR CLASSES AND STRICTLY ADHERE TO THIS POLICY. WE DO THIS TO KEEP YOU AND ALL OTHERS HEALTHY.

* If New Mom School must cease holding in-person classes for reasons outside of our control, we will continue our classes virtually, when reasonable. In this event, our refund policy will apply and we will be unable to issue any refunds or credits to any series in session at that time. 

• Medical-grade air filters in each studio
• Studios are professionally cleaned and high-touch surfaces such as door handles and sink faucets are sanitized regularly. 

A NOTE FROM DR. GIGI KROLL OF NEWPORT CENTER WOMEN’S HEALTH

 “As mothers, it is important to take steps to protect ourselves and our children, but it is also necessary to understand the risks and allow ourselves to partake in activities that improve our overall well-being. I counsel my patients to get a flu and COVID vaccine. I instruct them to avoid leaving the house if they have signs or symptoms of illness. I reassure them, that most young adults have already been exposed to RSV and have lasting immunity. Given the above, there is very little concern about participating in New Mom School. As the babies and moms are not touching each other, exposure risk among asymptomatic individuals is extremely minimal, and the benefit to new moms is huge! As always, wash your hands frequently and continue to engage in healthy habits.”

Nope! The fee is the same for twins. Some twin moms bring both babies. Our instructors and often the moms sitting next to you will help. Some have brought someone to help with the babies which you are welcome to do and others have come with one baby at a time if you have additional help at home. Whatever works best for you, works for us!

We know where you’re coming from. It’s expensive to have a baby! We hear two things repeatedly from moms (and dads!) after completing their classes. 1: “This is the best money we’ve spent since having a baby” and 2: “I would have spent 2, 3, 5, 7 times the amount on these classes to have this experience and knowledge!” The other thing we hear from moms who didn’t take the classes is how much they regret it.

Our classes don’t just benefit mom. They benefit the entire family. We know that a new mom’s health and mood are so crucial to a new baby and their partner. When a new mom feels empowered and confident, we know the whole family reaps the rewards.

Having a new baby in the family is so complex. We think it’s going to be a breeze but it’s a shock to the family unit when you’re actually in it. Moms are especially rocked because we are usually the primary caretaker for the baby and our identity has now shifted yet we haven’t been taught how to manage the transition. So, that’s why this program is worth its weight in gold. Truth is, we spend thousands of dollars on education in college, continuing education courses, certifications, and now baby gear. But none of those investments will actually teach you anything about being a brand new parent. There is no better investment than the one to benefit your lives as a new family.

I get messages from dads all the time saying how thankful they are, how much THEY learned from our classes through their partners, and we get many moms enrolling in classes who have been referred from other DADS!

Friends with older babies won’t remember those tiny details you’ll need early on. How long should a baby’s awake windows be and WTH is an awake window? How many ounces do I need to feed? Why do you have to count wet diapers? They’ll be sleeping soundly while you’re awake for the 4th time at 3 a.m., but your New Mom School community will be up in the trenches with you! That’s the magic—connecting with moms whose babies are born within days of yours and are awake when you are in the middle of the night while your partner is snoring their face off.