Boot Camp For New Dads

Would I recommend this to A LOT of expecting fathers? Yes.
My wife and I are in social circles where there are plenty of little ones around so we have some kid/​baby experience. In addition we have done a lot of research to prepare for this new phase, making this class a bit redundant. I would recommend this class to you if:
— You are uneasy holding a small/​newborn baby.
— If you have never heard that breastfeeding does not simply happen, but takes sustained effort.
— You have never changed a diaper.
THE CLASS COVERS WAY MORE THAN THOSE TOPICS, however, I feel the answers to those questions are good indicators as to whether or not you are a good candidate.
I went to the one at Mission Hospital, so others will have different facilitators. The problem with a class full of expecting fathers with almost no baby experience (the target demographic) is that the broaching of a topic of serious consequence will happen. For example, the facilitator went on a 5 – 10 minute tangent extolling the virtues of the epidural. I know for a fact that a majority of the expecting fathers left that room feeling like their wives would need an epidural and that it, practically, would not be an option. To be clear, I have no problem with epidurals. I just feel that if you are going to sell anything to a group that is eager to learn (sponge), said group needs to know at the very least there are pros & cons.
Here are a couple of tips if you are planning on going:
1. Take a few minutes to write down a couple of specific questions you’d like answered as there is some Q&A time.
2. Obviously you are going in looking to learn from fathers with more experience than you, however, please remember you need to do your own research, even if it backs up what they say.
I will say that I picked up a few little practical tips and perspectives and it is nice to be in a ‘men only’ scenario where any question goes.
Finally, I take one star out because of the lack of details on the epidural tangent and also because the class went about 15 minutes late.

Class was really awesome :) I’d highly recommend it for all new dads to be. It was great hearing all the concerns other dads were having, made me realize my feelings of stress and anxiety were normal. Just gotta keep calm and keep trucking. The course was a good combination of sharing, informal discussion, advice, hands on learning, small groups, and q&a. The class for me was reassuring, knowledgable, and stress relieving. It is helping me to be a better dad and husband through this pregnancy and for after the baby is born. Small investment of time in exchange for being a better dad and husband. Highly recommended, check it out!

Daddy Boot Camp was a great way to get a head start on how to hold, change, and care for your newborn. I will be taking my son back to the boot camp class to give back to the great experience I had.

I signed up for Daddy Boot Camp thinking the more knowledge I could get under my belt before our little one arrived, the better. Most of the baby-​prepping material out there (books, magazines, apps, websites) are geared towards the Moms-​to-​be. So when a friend recommended something for Dads taught by Dads, I was intrigued.
And I wasn’t let down.
The format — a bunch of dudes talking in a room, basically — is so simple and so helpful. We had one overall moderator, about 20+ Dads-​to-​be, and another 4 or 5 new Dads with their babies. We talked about our concerns, listened to suggestions, and interacted with the babies when possible.
For someone who’d rarely been around infants, it was a great opportunity for me to really get past any fears I had. Even got to change a few diapers during the course of class, which once our little one arrived, prepared me better than any other class my wife and I had taken at the hospital.
Have already recommended the class to friends and would absolutely encourage other Dads-​to-​be to attend. It’s such a simple concept yet it was so immensely helpful.