Having a newborn is fun, messy, loud, and so exciting. You may be thinking of taking a newborn class with your partner to learn the ins and outs of caring for your new bundle of joy.

Today, we are diving deep into the joys of motherhood, what you will walk away with at one of these classes, and so much more. Thanks for joining us. This is "Newbies." Welcome to "Newbies." My name is Kaile Garcia, and I'll be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at newmommymedia.com and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week.

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 our expert today is Suma Metla, and full disclosure, she's been on our shows before. She is amazing. So please tell us again, Suma, where you are located and who is part of your

family. Hi. Thanks for having me. I am based in Honolulu, Hawaii. We're on the island of Oahu. And in my family, I have a little one named Kashi.

He is almost two years old. Aw,

how exciting. We are going to dive deep in today's topic, but first, let's take a quick break. Today, we're discussing caring for newborns, specifically newborn classes. So first, tell us, Suma, a little bit about your organization and the classes that you guys offer.

Yeah. So Three Little Ducks started as a pediatric physical therapy clinic on Oahu, but we discovered that parents really need support before, their babies actually need therapy. So we built these baby and toddler classes that combine developmental education with community. So in our newborn classes, parents learn what healthy development looks like in those first few months, how to read their baby's cues, what tummy time is really about, and how to make playtime fun at home.

So the classes are fun, they're practical, they're clinician-led, and they're grounded in research.

I love that, and I also love that the classes you offer, or specifically the newborn one, isn't really in a hospital, right? It's not in a hospital. It's not like-- It's more comforting. You get to relax and just be yourself.

So I guess, what type of parents typically go to your classes? Specifically because they're, like, seeking you out, right? It's not like at your OB or your pediatrician, and they're like, "Oh, we have these classes." So what parents typically go to these types of classes?

Yeah, great question. Honestly, all kinds of parents come to our classes.

A lot of them are first-time parents who are overwhelmed and, just need some guidance, but also are looking for friends. We have second-time parents who, just wanna, build that new feeling of being a parent again. And then, here in Hawaii, we have a large military population, so we have military families who come in who've just moved and don't really have a support system.

And it's really all about, making sure parents are feeling supported and them feeling confident in themselves as, becoming this new parent or becoming a parent again to a new baby.

I also think it's cool that you said that second-time parents go to your classes because I can imagine, we get a huge listener viewership from second-time parents with a large age gap, right?

So let's say they had- Yeah ... their first kid very young, and then they started welcoming more 10 years later, and they're like, "Wait a minute. I forgot." Which happens, right? Yes, exactly. Yeah. But the 10-year-old is pretty different than a one-year-old. Anyway, and so I love also how you spoke about confidence.

I really wanna dive deep. Where did Three Little Ducks come from? And I know you've been on the podcast before, but tell our listeners again, why did you start offering these classes? And I would love to hear a little bit more of your own story.

Yeah. As a pediatric physical therapist, I kept seeing the same pattern.

Families were coming to my clinic or coming to therapy after months of them having this gut feeling that something was off but didn't really have the resources or the guidance of what to do with their baby. And so many families report that, they see so much on social media, but they get overwhelmed, and they end up not following through with any of the videos they see online.

So by then, some of those kids are starting to fall behind on their milestones, and they end up needing to come to clinic. But I really thought, what if we could get in front of that? What if we could make sure these parents have all the information and resources before their baby would ever fall behind on their milestones?

And that's where these classes came from. It was just a way to, be a form of preventative healthcare, and then from there, it grew into this really beautiful community where parents were so excited to come to class, not just to learn, but to get to meet other people who are in that same stage of life as them.

I

think that's so beautiful, and I also love the community that these types of classes offer. And for example, as a first-time mom, I know, you look at your baby all day, every day, right? But it's so nice to look at other babies as well who are around the same age, because it's "Oh, your baby is grasping for toys?

So is mine." Or, "Oh, your baby's a month old or two months old, and they're already starting to roll over? Pretty soon I'll look for those cues as well." I think that's so cool. So why are-- those are my examples of why these classes are so important. But, what have you seen through hosting these types of classes that you've ta- been able to take away from new parents and why they walk away feeling, more confident,

yeah becoming a parent is one of those big life transitions where somehow we've decided that people should just figure it out alone, you get discharged from the hospital with this little person and maybe a pamphlet, and, most of us feel like that's not enough. And so these newborn classes are really important because they put you in a room with other parents who are, going through that same phase of life.

And so they can give you that guidance "Oh, this is what's working for me at home," and other folks could be like, "Oh my gosh, I tried that. That was not for our family." And I think that's something that's really powerful to be able to be in that room with people who can relate to you and to be in a space where you can be really honest and people are empathetic and can understand.

We have parents that will come into newborn class and they're like, "I haven't slept more than two hours in the last couple of days." And then, all the other folks in the room are like, "I'm living that too." And it's just so comforting to know you're not the only person experiencing that, especially when you're in that newborn phase.

It's just, can feel isolating at times. And then like I said, the confidence is also really important. When you become a new parent- Sometimes you don't have that trust in yourselves. You feel overwhelmed. You're second-guessing, what you should be doing. And so class is a great way to build that confidence, to know that you have someone you can turn to and ask a couple questions, whether it's us as instructors or even the peers who are in your class.

And so that's really what we hope to bring to all these parents.

I am so excited. We are gonna dive deeper into this sense of community, which is so important, especially in the fourth trimester. But first, let's take a quick break. Welcome back. We are continuing our discussion on newborn classes, and so let's chat about-- And I teased a little bit before the break, but these classes really provide a sense of community, and you have already been harping on all the different cases that you've seen, right?

Parents in the trenches, not sleeping, maybe even colicky babies, right? I love-- I'll touch on my own experience with my first. She was not a good sleeper, so when I came across other moms who also did not have good sleeping babies, it was just such a sigh of relief because we were all there for each other, and there was no judgment.

I think especially in the fourth trimester, it's nice when you get good advice when you ask for it. I -- It was always so annoying when you would get advice from older generations, and it's like, "I didn't ask." Yeah. But when you're getting advice from someone who's in the trenches, and can see the other side even within a couple of years, it is so nice.

So these classes provide, obviously, a sense of community, and they also provide some nice, a safe place for people to ask questions, right? So with that, with the sense the safe place, I wanna kinda harp on a little bit more. What are some questions that you see parents asking that may be kinda silly? And I know when I had my first, I probably thought of everything silly. "Oh, she's blinking too much," or, "She's not blinking enough."

You know what I mean? When you're in that newborn trenches, everything's just so new. And so what are some questions that you've come across, not necessarily about blinking, that you've been able to reassure parents? Maybe it's been, "Oh, they are waking up every two hours," or, "Oh, they're not rolling yet at four months."

I don't know. You know what I mean? What are some questions that you got that you were actually kinda able to answer for these new parents?

Yeah. You know what? To begin with no question is too silly or too trivial when you're a first-time parent, or even if you're doing it the second, third time around, it's, every baby's so different, and it can just feel overwhelming, and you just wanna make sure you're doing the best for your baby.

And that's really what these questions come down to, is parents just caring so deeply about their little ones. But we get all sorts of questions. We've gotten the blinking question before. You're not the only one, Kayley. We have lots of questions about tummy time. What's too much tummy time? Or parents are really scared about putting their babies on their belly, thinking it's gonna hurt them.

A lot of parents are worried are they gonna break their baby if they put them in sitting and their baby is hunched over? Parents wondering about toys "Am I buying too many toys? Do I have enough toys?" I think if there's any piece of baby life, there is a question that can be paired with it, and I feel like we've heard quite a few things.

And, our role is to make sure we're giving parents the right answers, and if we don't have that right answer, for us to also be honest with them, and being able to refer them either to their pediatrician or to the right person to help answer those questions.

That jumps into really the next question, is why the fourth trimester can feel so lonely for so many new moms, especially, and I'll give myself as an example.

I am the oldest. I have a younger sister by two years, and then all of my cousins were around the same age as me, so I was really never around babies. And so when I had my daughter, she was the first baby I had, and so everything was so new to me all the time, and it could feel lonely. Am I changing the diapers enough?

Am I tracking feeds enough? Anyway, so what do you guys do with your classes to help it, bring an inviting atmosphere for these new parents who might feel like it's hard to reach out and take the first steps?

Yeah. When you have a baby, it's exciting in the beginning, what often happens, is that people come to show up and celebrate the baby, and then they go home.

Yeah. And so as the parent, you can feel invisible in that equation, where everyone's so excited about this precious little person, but they've forgotten about you, and you went through this huge change with your body and your mind and everything. And there's this myth out there that like, all of this is supposed to come to you naturally, and you're supposed to know exactly what you should do with your baby.

And if you don't have that feeling or it feels like it's a little tougher, then, you feel disconnected in your own identity, and then you're wondering if you're doing the right job as a parent. And then you know what I think another piece is social media. You sc- you scroll and scroll, and you see everyone's highlight reel, and it gets into your own head that, all these people are doing such a great job at parenting.

They're making it look so easy. Why is it not easy for me? And I think these classes are really important because we want parents to know that they're not alone. There are beautiful, amazing moments, but there are also really tough moments. And we shouldn't shy away from sharing that because we want people to understand becoming a mother, becoming a parent has those highs, has those lows, and that's the journey of all of this.

That's so

beautifully put, too, 'cause there's definitely highs, the best of highs, honestly. Like having your newborn smile at you for the first time or grab your finger. Even on like-- For my second daughter, she was, like, grabbing my finger hard right when she was born, honestly. It was so sweet. And you're like, "Oh, this little being, this little seven-pound baby is so strong."

It's a sense of being proud. And I love that in these classes you have that to share with other people, 'cause there's nothing better about showing pictures and videos of your kids to other parents who've just... it's just the best feeling, 'cause it's "Yes, I want to see your baby roll over."

Like- Yeah. ... of course. That's so fun. So I guess before we jump into our next break, really quickly, why are newborns so fun? What are some of the highs in your classes? Oh, wow.

That's a great question. There are so many cute, fun highs we see in our class. When you see a baby make eye contact for the first time with their parent or smile at their mom and dad.

I think what a lot of parents love seeing in our classes is seeing their baby look at other babies and- Oh, yes. ... them starting to build that connection and friendship with their other new little friends. Those are some of the fun highs. But, our classes also focus on babies meeting their developmental milestones, so it's also exciting when a parent comes the first week and they're like, "Ugh, they hate tummy time."

And then they graduate six weeks later, and the mom shares "They are such a champ at tummy time." It's really great to see all those little wins, whether it's, them having those social cues, but also up to those gross motor skills.

I think that's so special. Yay. Okay, we're gonna take another quick break, and when we get back into our show, I wanna hear more about your organization.

Welcome back. We're continuing our topic on newbies, about newborn classes, and we have Suma Metla with us right now. Please tell us more about Three Little Ducks and specifically about, I know we talked a lot about newborn classes, but tell us about some of the other classes you guys offer as well.

Three Little Ducks is based in Honolulu, Hawaii, and so we operate both as a pediatric clinic but as a community platform. So on the clinical side, we offer pediatric physical therapy and speech language therapy as well. And then under our community side, we have baby and toddler classes. So our classes range from the newborn classes to our three to six-month class, seven to 12 month, and 12 to 18 month classes.

And so our classes are segmented by age hoping that parents can get to meet other children who are in that same age group, but also for kids to get to learn from each other. Having all that modeling is really excellent for baby development. And then- I love that. Yeah.

And then, correct me if I'm wrong, but sometimes you also have-- I'm assuming, right?

I, as soon as I heard about you, full disclosure to our listeners, I was moving off of Hawaii, so I never got to go to one of these classes, and I regret it so much. Whenever I do go back to Hawaii, if I have a baby on my hip, definitely signing up. But for some of the meetups, I know that parents become really good friends, and it's so easy to become friends with new parents when your kids are the same age.

It's the best. It literally is the best. When you become friends, do you guys do meetups outside? Hawaii, especially Oahu, is so beautiful. Yeah. Talk about, a little bit about the meetups outside and getting babies into nature. I know a lot of people think, "Oh, my four-month-old isn't even crawling yet," or, "My newborn is barely, making good eye contact."

But even getting them outdoors is so important.

Oh my gosh, this is my favorite question, and this is what I talk to- ... with, I talk about this with every patient that comes in my door, how important it is to get outside with your baby, not just for your baby and their development, but also for you as a parent.

You need to get outside. You need to see the sun. So at Three Little Ducks, we host monthly mom walks and dad walks and we also host a dad's night out event and mom's night out events. But- Regardless if you're in Hawaii, I always encourage parents to get outside with your baby. Obviously, follow safe sun protection rules and make sure your baby is comfortable.

But taking your baby out for a walk does good for everyone. And I always encourage parents you don't have to make it a big thing. Just put your baby in a stroller, walk down the street, put down a swaddle or a blanket, and just put your baby down on the ground for five to 10 minutes, and it's such a wonderful thing for you all to do as a family.

So where can our listeners keep in contact with you? And I love listeners. If you're not in Hawaii, that's okay, because I'll say Three Little Ducks newsletter is one of the best newsletters. It's so fun- Oh ... animated, it's uplifting. So please tell us where our listeners can keep in contact with you if they're on island or off.

Yeah. So you can c- look at our website, which is threelittleduckshawaii.com. You can follow us on Instagram and on TikTok at Three Little Ducks Hawaii. And on our website, you can also subscribe to our email newsletter. We send out lots of information. Our most recent newsletter was about shoes and what kind of shoes you should look for when you're shopping for your little one.

That's so fun. Yeah, I love your newsletters. Last question before we wrap up this episode, and I'm so happy. I have my seven-month-old with me, and she's doing pretty good. So anyway, what is some advice you have for new mothers who are in the trenches right now?

And for me, my advice is everything doesn't last forever, which I know in the moment, like sleep deprivation or bottle refusal, right? It feels like it's gonna last forever. But it doesn't, and it's so nice to get that extra help and to get that extra just reassurance, whether it's from a professional, a friend, a newborn class specialist.

Anyway, and so I think that is so important to keep in mind that everything is a season, and even though the season might be hard or dark, it's gonna get better. So that's my advice. What advice do you have for new mothers and fathers who are in the trenches right now?

I

have two

pieces of advice. So my first is to trust your gut.

Yes. You are your baby's expert. You know your baby better than any other person, better than a pediatrician or a therapist or a lactation consultant. So if you feel like in your gut something is off with your baby, something's not quite right, you need to vocalize it to the appropriate person. You are your baby's best advocate.

You're not catastrophizing. If something doesn't feel great, you need to share that with the appropriate person. And my second piece of advice is to find your people, not just online, which also is wonderful, but also you should find people in real life. That isolation of starting new parenthood is real and finding that community can only make it better.

And it could be any type of thing. It could be coming to a newborn class. It could be going on a casual mom walk, or it could just be going out to get a smoothie or a coffee. But parenthood is- isn't meant to be this lonely experience. It really is meant to be community. So going out and finding those people who can support you is really important.

I love that. Yay. Thank you so much for coming on our show. This has been-- it's always nice when you're on our show, but this has been such a good uplifting episode for all the newborn mamas in the trenches right now. So thank you. Of course. Thanks for having me. Yay. Be sure to check out newmommymedia.com where we have all of our podcast episodes, plus videos and more.

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Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more information, giveaways, and more. Our handle is @newmommymedia. Thanks for listening to "Newbies."