The core prenatal lineup: a childbirth education class (start around weeks 28–32), an infant care/newborn basics class, a feeding class, and infant CPR — with optional additions like prenatal fitness and sibling prep. Philadelphia expecting parents can find these through hospital systems, independent educators, and community programs — including prenatal classes at Recess in Northern Liberties. Here's what each class covers and how to schedule the set.
Childbirth education (weeks 28–32)
The anchor class: labor stages, comfort and coping techniques, pain-relief options, partner support roles, and when to head to your birthplace — offered in formats from evidence-neutral hospital series to method-specific approaches (Lamaze, Bradley, hypnobirthing). Philadelphia's major delivery systems (Penn, Jefferson, Temple, Einstein, Main Line) run their own series keyed to their facilities; independent educators offer smaller cohorts. Book by mid-second trimester — popular series fill — aiming to finish a few weeks before your due date.
Newborn care and feeding classes
Newborn basics covers the unglamorous essentials no one is born knowing: diapering, bathing, soothing, safe sleep (back sleeping, bare crib — the standard your future childcare will also follow), and decoding cries. Feeding classes — breastfeeding/chestfeeding fundamentals, pumping and return-to-work logistics, or combo/formula feeding — are best taken before birth, when you can absorb information without a hungry newborn as the lab practical. Partners should attend both; the 3am shift is co-ed.
Infant CPR and safety (every caregiver)
An infant CPR and choking-response class is arguably the highest-value two hours of the whole set — take it in the third trimester, and send grandparents and any future regular caregivers too. (Professional settings maintain this as standard: caregivers at licensed programs like Recess are CPR-certified and background-cleared as baseline policy.)
Prenatal classes at Recess
Recess offers prenatal classes in Northern Liberties as part of its family programming — a way for expecting parents to prepare while getting to know a childcare community before the baby arrives. Pairing prenatal prep with your childcare search is efficient sequencing: you're touring anyway (see when to look for infant care — second trimester is the window), and meeting the people who might later care for your infant adds a layer no hospital slideshow provides. Recess also runs postnatal classes for the after side of the timeline (see our postpartum support guide).
Scheduling the whole set
A workable calendar: second trimester — book everything and start any prenatal fitness; weeks 28–32 — childbirth series; weeks 30–34 — newborn care and feeding classes; weeks 32–36 — infant CPR; weeks 36+ — rest, install the car seat (get it checked — many Philly fire stations and hospital programs offer inspections), and pre-register at your birthplace. Virtual options exist for nearly every class type if bed rest or logistics intervene. Total investment: roughly 15–20 hours for the full set — modest against how much calmer the fourth trimester runs with the fundamentals pre-loaded.