Making the jump to a Newborn Care Specialist!
Have you ever thought about a career change? I was a preschool teacher for 5 years until I made the decision to switch my career to a Newborn Care Specialist (NCS). I was working two jobs before making the switch. I taught full-time at a small preschool and worked 3...
COVID Tips For Caregivers
During this time of COVID, everyone has had to figure out their "new normal". Whether you had to leave an office and work from home, got furloughed, lost your job, or things at your job have had to develop new routines and policies there is a lot to figure out. If...
How to Support a Breastfeeding Mother: Being Useful When You May Feel Useless
When a mom decides to breastfeed, she is making a choice to have to put herself second most of the time. She will need to be readily available to breastfeed her baby whenever that baby needs to eat. This could mean every 2-3 hrs, or at times, every hour or more during...
Discounts and Lower Payment Plan Options Available During These Uncertain Times!
We at Newborn Care Training Academy know what it can be like during uncertain times. Some of you may be losing your contracts, or at least told to stay home while we all navigate through social distancing from each other. At NCTA, we wanted to be able to offer some of...
Umbilical Cord Care in Newborns: The Do’s and Don’ts
There are many things during those first few weeks of a newborn that you have to figure out. How to feed them, bathe them, and figure out how to care for them. Umbilical cord care is one of the things a lot of new parents question how to do. There is a lot of old...
Is What My Newborn Doing Normal? – Learning About Newborn Reflexes
One of the most questions asked when having a newborn is "Is that normal?" Newborns have a lot of involuntary movements, what we call reflexes. There are many normal reflexes present during the newborn stage. Let's dive in to learn about them. One of the most common...
Baby Wearing: So Many Options! What Is Right For Me?
As a newborn care specialist or a new (or repeat!) parents, you may be seeing a lot of people talk about baby wearing. You may have even tried it your self here or there or want to try it out. There are many options that can feel overwhelming, especially since it is...
Understanding the APGAR Score in a Newborn Post Birth
Every time a baby is born he or she is looked over and given an test score. Doctors call this the APGAR test, which was designed by Dr. Virginia Apgar in 1952. APGAR is short for: AppearanceSkin color is checked for blue or pink tonesPulseBest score is a heart rate...
Pregnancy And Infant Loss: Supporting Someone Through It
This month happens to be October. It can be a beautiful month in some parts of the world with leaves changing and beautiful scenery. It also happens to be pregnancy and infant loss awareness month. Throughout the month of October, some of those who have lost a...
Tummy Time – When To Start And How To Do It!
In the world of social media and parenting you may read or hear a lot of different things about tummy time. When do I start? How long is necessary? Why does my kid scream through it all?? Today, tummy time is necessary because you should be placing your baby flat on...
Newborn Development Series – Week 4: Gross Motor Development in Newborns through 1 year old
We already covered fine motor development, so now it is time to cover gross motor development. The use of large muscle groups that aid in the development of walking, running, kicking, etc. defines what gross motor is. Gross motor development in newborns starts in...
Newborn Development Series – Week 3: Language From Birth to Age 2
Language development begins while the baby's hearing develops in the womb. The baby is able to hear sounds before many of their other organs fully develop. Once babies are born, their primary use of language begins with crying. Newborns cry when they need something,...
Newborn Development Series – Week 2: Fine Motor
Fine motor development is the development of the small muscle movements in the body. Newborns don't have much for fine motor skills when they are first born, but like you'll see throughout this series, they develop quickly over the course of the first year. During the...
Infant Development Series- Week 1: Eyesight
This month we are going to talk about different areas of infant development and what to expect. The first one we are starting with is eyesight. Newborns are not born with perfect vision. They are not able to easily tell the difference between two objects or move their...
Pace Feeding a Breastfed Baby a Bottle
While some mothers exclusively breastfeed directly from the breast, some may need to, or choose to have their baby drink from a bottle. This could be due to needing to go to work or just needed a break from time to time. One thing most don't think about is that if you...
Is Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk? Signs To Look For To Help Your Clients Know
When newborns drink from bottles it is easy to see how much they are drinking, but if they drink breast milk straight from the breast it is harder to tell. In fact, it is probably one of the number one worries new mothers have. Their newborns lose weight after birth...
Breast Pumps: Watch Out For Mold!
I recently saw a picture shared on Facebook where someone found mold inside their Medela Pump and Style Advanced pump. It was 3 1/2 years old and she had used it for a year. She heard about it happening to someone else so she decided to check hers out. She was shocked...
First Baths at Home – How To’s and What Not To Do
The first baths at home with a new baby can be super scary! You have this new little squish of a newborn who can feel so delicate to you, and now you have to get him or her wet and slippery! I promise you it isn't as hard as you may think. Here are some tips and...