Question Car seat tech class question for current techs

jourdysmom · Apr 9, 2010

Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place, but I don't see another forum where it would fit.

I finally found a class in my area (all have been 2-3 hours away) and can make it work with sitters and such... I have looked for 2 years and not seen one even remotely close, and this is 20 minutes from home, 3 blocks from the sitter... How could I pass it up?

My question is, before I pay the registration fees, do all you techs think it is feasible for me to do the first week of June? My due date is May 8th. I mean will I be physically capable of doing installs and in and out of the cars. I am a normally active mom of 4, that had to reinstall the base after DH accidentally unbuckled it when he picked us up from the hospital 2 kids ago

I usually have no issues after coming home form the hospital and resume all of my normal regular "mom duties" within a day or two.

I am in NY if that means anything about how the classes run, the classroom time doesn't bother me a bit, just worried about the installs (says you are required to do a seat check event to get certification).

Thanks in advance

Maedze · Apr 9, 2010

I think barring physical complication you should be fine a month post partum. I wouldn't have done it three days post partum, but four weeks is plenty.

wendytthomas · Apr 9, 2010

Physically sure. I'd have a tough time being away from my baby at that age, she'd get awfully hungry and I'd be spewing milk everywhere, but physically, sure.

Unless the baby comes two weeks late, then you're looking at only a couple of weeks after. Which I would have been ok with (walked home 2.1 miles uphill when Laine was a couple of weeks old), but not for hours at a time.

Wendy

NVMBR02 · Apr 9, 2010

I think you would be fine. I do agree my biggest concern would be the baby taking a bottle or leaking if you are nursing.

I took the class at 19 weeks pregnant and did my first post baby seat check at 5 weeks PP, but I was only there for 3 hours.

Oh, and our seat check after the class was pretty short. It was about 3 hours. We had a very full class and took turns so we only did 2 or 3 installs each. I am sure this varies by area though. We did instal seats during class but the pace was slow for those of us who had an idea of what we were doing. We had 3 people in my class that had never installed a seat before and several others that hadn't used a carseat in several years.

trippsmom · Apr 9, 2010

Mommyto2 said:
I think you would be fine. I do agree my biggest concern would be the baby taking a bottle or leaking if you are nursing.

I took the class at 19 weeks pregnant and did my first post baby seat check at 5 weeks PP, but I was only there for 3 hours.

Oh, and our seat check after the class was pretty short. It was about 3 hours. We had a very full class and took turns so we only did 2 or 3 installs each. I am sure this varies by area though. We did instal seats during class but the pace was slow for those of us who had an idea of what we were doing. We had 3 people in my class that had never installed a seat before and several others that hadn't used a carseat in several years.

After being away from my almost 4 month old, I don't think it would have been too easy to do earlier. I would be especially hesitant if you are breastfeeding and have/had supply issues.

I have an oversupply and I found it challenging. I didn't really have a good pumping session outside of lunch, but I made it work. I used the learning curve to my advantage. I pumped on the way there (hands-free), at lunch, after install sessions while waiting, and went straight to feed her.

Maedze · Apr 10, 2010

Good point about breastfeeding :doh:

Yeah, unless you can find a care provider who would be willing to bring baby to you every few hours to nurse, I wouldn't do the class right then

My littlest Bean was about 4 months old at the time and I went to the bathroom every two hours to pump and dump. (I had a HUGE amount of frozen milk and wasn't worried about saving it.)

jourdysmom · Apr 10, 2010

I do breastfeed, but not too worried as my sister will have plenty there to feed him, I will pump at any break I can, and maybe shoot over to her place at lunch to nurse him... I can hang out there after class and nurse and pump as well...

my2boys0508 · Apr 10, 2010

There was a 8 months pregnant women in the class I took, she was able to do it, so I would think physically you could after having a baby.

We didn't get too many breaks, after the quizzes or after the installs, while waiting for everyone to finish- you could find 10 mins or so. Then we had an hour for lunch. It was a long stetch of contant book work or installs for the most part. I'm sure evey course varies with breaks and such, but they didn't give us many in my class.

LISmama810 · Apr 10, 2010

Physically it probably won't be a problem.

However, it is exhausting. I was wiped out at the end of each day, and I didn't even have a baby to take care of.

Even without breastfeeding playing into it, there's no way I could leave a newborn for several hours a day. I don't mean that to sound judgemental; it was just a reality for me that I could barely leave my newborn for 20 minutes to go to the store. Keep the emotional aspect of being a new mom in mind as you make this decision.

jourdysmom · Apr 10, 2010

LISmama810 said:
Physically it probably won't be a problem.

However, it is exhausting. I was wiped out at the end of each day, and I didn't even have a baby to take care of.

Even without breastfeeding playing into it, there's no way I could leave a newborn for several hours a day. I don't mean that to sound judgemental; it was just a reality for me that I could barely leave my newborn for 20 minutes to go to the store. Keep the emotional aspect of being a new mom in mind as you make this decision.

I already have 4 other kids,

I like to get rid of them

J/K

oxeye · Apr 10, 2010

I think you'll be fine. Granted my DS was a bit older when I took the class (6 months) but I still needed to pump every two hours and it wasn't a problem at all. I asked the instructor ahead of time and she said there would be plenty of breaks (and there were). Plus, I tended to finish the skills tests and the other written tests before others did and would have 5-10 minutes to go pump then if I needed to.

Question Car seat tech class question for current techs

jourdysmom

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Maedze

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wendytthomas

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NVMBR02

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trippsmom

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jourdysmom

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LISmama810

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jourdysmom

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