"...a warm and inviting environment where no question is silly and no topic is taboo."

Samantha Feldman, MD 

Dear Sandi,

Thank you so much for offering your wonderful After Baby Comes course.   As a Family Medicine Resident, I thought my training was sufficient to prepare me to be a new mother – I was so wrong!!  Those first few weeks I felt overwhelmed and inadequate.   From the moment I registered I felt more calm – you called to check up on me in the weeks leading up to the class and provided me with tips and advice to help me manage everyday parenting issues.  I have learned so much over the seven week course and looking back I do not think that my transition into motherhood would have been as smooth had it not been for you and After Baby Comes.  Having you as a resource was a tremendous source of comfort to me.   As a new mother, questions arise daily and I was always reassured knowing that I had another class coming up where I could bring up my concerns.

The topics that you cover in After Baby Comes are relevant and timely.   Each week, my confidence grew exponentially as I gained knowledge on topics such as soothing a fussy baby, how to know when baby is hungry and how much to feed, babyproofing the house and general infant safety awareness, managing my own self care, and age appropriate toys.  I have been able to incorporate many of your teachings into our daily household routines.    Your tricks and suggestions were invaluable and your nursing experience is so evident.

You have created a warm and inviting environment where no question is silly and no topic is taboo.   One thing I especially appreciated was how you presented “controversial” topics such as pacifier use and dream feeding.   You always discussed both sides of the issue and empowered us to make educated and informed choices.  You are up to date on your information and it is evident that you keep on top of the newest research.   I found your handouts very useful and great reading material during middle of the night feeds.

As a new mom, I always felt like I was racing against time trying to fit things in between feeds.  Sometimes just getting out of the house was a struggle.  It was such a relief to be able to be in a comfortable and non-judgemental environment where I could breastfeed and change my baby during the class when the need arose.   Over the weeks the mothers in our class grew closer as we bonded over the joys and struggles of being new moms and I have made some wonderful friendships.

From your After Baby Comes course I have learned that parenting is a balancing act and you have armed me with knowledge and confidence.   I feel that I will not only be a better mother but a better physician for having attended the course.

Thank you again,

Samantha Feldman

"...it was nice to have Sandi as a face to face resource..."

Andrea Bongard, MD CCFP EM

To whomever it may concern,

My son and I enrolled in Sandi Cole’s “After Baby Comes” class in the fall of 2014.  I strongly recommend this class to all new parents.   Sandi has a current and in depth understanding of the challenges new moms face on a daily basis, both common and obscure.  Sandi leads her classes in a well thought out and organized manner so that you don’t leave feeling overwhelmed.  With so many varying options on mom and baby blogs, it was nice to have Sandi as a face to face resource that would provide sound advice and encouragement. 

As an emergency room physician, but more importantly as a first time mom, I encourage others to participate in Sandi’s class.  I made new friends, learned valuable lessons, and came away with a profoundly optimistic outlook on raising a child.

Sincerely,

Andrea Bongard

"your weekly class was a highlight of my initial weeks with my son..."

Beth Abramson, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACC

I just wanted to thank you for your helpful classes.   Learning the basics of baby routines, feeding, swaddling, sleeping were all extremely helpful.  Even as a medical doctor, I learnt volumes from you.   I even learnt about healthy toys and cleaning products.

Not only were they medically educational and helpful with my firstborn – they were a reason to get out and make sure I didn’t become socially isolated.  In fact – going to your weekly class was a highlight of my initial weeks with my son – it was the first time I took him out in the car on my own!   You introduced me to a nice group of bright women all in the same situation as myself – this is something that is invaluable.  I still keep in touch with some of the women – and it has allowed me to forge new friendships and relationships.   As many of my friends have older children, meeting new moms through your course was almost as important as the useful and practical tips you gave.   I would highly recommend your course to new moms.

Thanks so much!

Beth Abramson

"...help me realize that I am not alone..."

Julia Morinis, MD MSc FRCPC

I have had the pleasure of attending Sandi Cole’s class after the birth of my first child.  I am a pediatrician at Sick Kids Hospital and was slightly hesitant to register as I felt that I had a good grasp on what to expect in the first few months of my child’s life.   I couldn’t have been more wrong!   I had some basis concepts and medical knowledge but Sandi was able to address almost every single question and concern I had.   She has so many years of experience that she was even able to predict what our questions would be before we had them.   The social interaction with other mothers who were also going through the same challenges as me was really important to help me realize that I am not alone and that my worries and insecurities were not unique but a common occurrence amongst new mothers.

Sandi is extremely evidenced-based and is up to date on all recommendations and practice.   She attends conferences and regular educational sessions in order to provide the most up to date information.   She provides excellent handouts that I think every single mother would appreciate.

The relaxed atmosphere and snacks help me also make sure that there is some nutritious food in my stomach at least one day each week.

In conclusion, I would recommend this class to any new mom and would be more than happy to be in touch with anyone who has questions.   This class truly helps you “parent” and fills in the blanks to all the questions and concerns that every new mom has.   Sandi’s patience and availability to answer questions any time of day is remarkable and I feel that I have been lucky to participate. 

Thank you again,

Julia Morinis MD MSc FRCPC

"a really nice way to start getting out on a regular basis."

Mariel Heller

As a new mom I was grateful to my sister-in-law who referred me to Sandi Cole’s class for new mothers, After Baby Comes.   At the time, I was the first within my core group of friends to have a baby and I was looking to meet other first-time moms.   Despite working in the field of pediatrics I did not have any idea how challenging it would be to have a child of my own.  At the beginning I found the most stressful time of my day was just trying to get organized and get out of the house.

Attending Sandi’s class was a really nice way to start getting out on a regular basis.  Sandi provides a comfortable environment, good food, and a great support.   She was always willing and eager to listen to how the past week had gone and to offer some words of wisdom.

In addition to providing information on how to approach sleep issues, feeding, age-appropriate toys and other general well-child related issues the most beneficial aspect of her class for me was that I got to meet a group of women who were all going through similar joys and challenges.   I have continued to meet with these women well after Sandi’s class ended.

I would highly recommend, and have already recommended, Sandi’s class to friends who are looking to meet moms in the same stage of motherhood.

Sincerely,

Mariel Heller
 

"She communicated with me frequently to check on my recovery..."

Christie Lee, MD FRCPC

To whom it may concern:

I joined After Baby Comes after hearing from so many of my friends how wonderful the course was.  During the course, Sandi was able to share some of her vast knowledge and experience with us on topics such as infant feeding, baby massage, baby development, and even provided information on caregivers and childcare services for when I returned back to work.  I found her classes and handouts very useful, but even more so, I found Sandi to be a kind and warm individual. 

Following my delivery, I developed post-partum depression and Sandi was able to provide me with some resources and professional contacts to seek help from.  She communicated with me frequently to check on my recovery and always provided positive feedback and insights.  Even outside of the class, Sandi was always available by telephone or email and always gave advice and suggestions freely. 

Sandi opened her house to many mothers over the years and provides a forum for all new moms to share their experiences, vent their frustrations, and make new friends.  I enjoyed her class tremendously and would recommend Sandi’s class to any new mom; it helped to ease the transition into motherhood and also offers the potential for new friendships and acquaintances.

Sincerely,

Christie Lee, MD FRCPC

"...she was also always available by phone to provide support.."

Andrea Hoffman, B.Sc.H, M.D.

I had the great pleasure of participating in Sandi Cole’s After Baby Comes course.   As a pediatric resident I’m well versed in caring for sick children in the hospital.  However, I learned quickly after my own baby came that I knew little about the day to day care of a newborn and how to manage the commonly encountered challenges.   The topics covered in Sandi’s group were all the ones that I had been struggling with on my own. 

As a new mom I was very nervous and had lots of questions.   Sandi answered them with confidence and with literature to back up her answers.   She was a wealth of knowledge in the areas of postpartum and infant care and I was very impressed that the information provided was so current and up to date.   In her classes she covered a wide range of topics, was very thorough and I greatly appreciated her matter of fact discussion about sensitive topics.   She had great advice for dealing with the common baby issues and the skills that she taught were practical and easy to implement.  I applied many of the strategies she discussed to my own daughter with fantastic results!

Sandi was not only a great resource during the classes but she was also always available by phone to provide support and answers questions that arose between sessions and even after the series of classes was over.  Her dedication to teaching newborn care was evident and she clearly cared about women and babies enrolled in the class.  The classes were held in her home, which was warm, comfortable and inviting.  It was a baby friendly environment with healthy and delicious snacks for the moms.

One of the other benefits of Sandi’s course was the opportunity to connect with other new moms.  It was nice to share stories and talk about both the triumphs and challenges of motherhood with other people who were having similar experiences themselves.  As a group we will remain in touch as friends and as a support network for one another. 

Finally, Sandi provide great written resources.  The handouts were very helpful as a reference and my husband learned a lot by looking through the reading material when I came home from class. It was also really nice to get recommendations and contact information for community programs.   I found that there were so many different ones available that it was hard to know which ones were good.   Sandi was able to provide suggestions about teachers and classes ranging from infant/child CPR, baby massage and private swimming lessons to music, fitness classes, and gyms for moms and babies.

I have to admit that, given my medical background, I was sceptical if I would find Sandi’s classes beneficial.   The answer was clearly yes!  Not only do I feel better equipped to take care of my own daughter but I feel like I have helpful advice and approaches that I can share with my patients too.

I would strongly recommend this course to my colleagues and friends.

Andrea Hoffman
 

"...establish new friendships and share stories of frustration and joy..."

Deena Savlov, BSc MD

To Prospective New Moms:

As a resident physician at Hospital for Sick Children, I am familiar with the medical aspects of pediatric care.   However, upon preparing for the birth of my son, I realized that the practical aspects of newborn care are far more relevant to day-to-day parenting.   I quickly learned that it was these practical aspects that were lacking in my medical training.   Sandi Cole’s postnatal class provides a logical, systematic discussion of pertinent parenting issues.   Topics that are addressed and from which all new moms would benefit include, but are not limited to: whether to wake your newborn to feed, techniques on soothing a crying baby, how to recognize overstimulation, whether/when to introduce a pacifier, recommended age-appropriate toys, and pros/cons of different childcare options.  Each morsel of knowledge acquired in Sandi Cole’s class strengthened my confidence as a mother and the foundation on which I established my identity as a new parent.

Furthermore, the benefits of Sandi Cole’s class stretch beyond its educational value.   The first few weeks “after baby comes” can be riddled with questions, fatigue, and a strong desire for socialization.   The sessions enable you to establish new friendships and share stories of frustration and joy with other new moms.   These relationships continue to build beyond the duration of the classes; a priceless asset of her class.

Hence, I have recommended and will continue to recommend Sandi Cole’s class to new moms.   We are fortunate that Sandi has created a warm, welcoming environment for us to relax and learn.

 Regards,

Deena Savlov

"I found that I left each week with more confidence"

Rae Koffman, MD

Dear Sandi,

I can’t thank you enough for the experience of your After Baby Comes classes.  Despite my years of medical school and residency in pediatrics, there are so many aspects of parenting that are intimidating and overwhelming, and your class was so helpful to me.

The topics you cover throughout the course are exactly the ones that a new parent wants to hear about: sleep, crying, breastfeeding, mom’s and baby’s health, infant massage, safety, returning to work, and finding a caregiver for your baby.  I found that I left each week with more confidence about my abilities as a mother, and I was able to share your pearls of wisdom with my husband as well.   Because you draw on both your experiences as a nurse and as a mom, the information you share is up to date, relevant, and practical.  

In addition to the many topics you covered, I learned to dress myself and my son and get out of the house (relatively) on time, I met other young women experiencing new motherhood, and I found a forum for all of the day-to-day questions and concerns that arise with a new baby.

The environment at your home where the class is held is a great balance between public and private, and it was infinitely valuable to me to be able to see the strategies that the other moms used in soothing, nursing, and playing with their babies.   It was also such a great opportunity to befriend other moms, and the women from my class continue to meet every week with our babies. 

Becoming a mother has been the most incredible experience, and the love I feel for my son makes each parenting decision feel so important.  I certainly recommend this class to other new moms.

Thanks again, Sandi
Sincerely, 

Rae Koffman
 

"...always a selection of delicious refreshments."

Aviva Lowe, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C)

To Whom It May Concern:

As a pediatrician and as a new mother, I can say with a high level of confidence that Sandi Cole’s “After Baby Comes” post-natal class is a highly informative and comfortable forum for new mothers.

Sandi clearly brings to the class a vast expertise in many important issues including infant feeding, infant sleeping, infant fussiness, childproofing, infant health concerns, as well as maternal health and well-being.  In the cozy atmosphere of her home, she brings together women and their babies who are undergoing one of life’s most awesome experiences – becoming a mother.

The experience of new motherhood brings many questions and unknowns.   Sandi encourages questions in a non-judgmental way and treats each question with respect.   She even keeps the door open to future questions by inviting participants to call her with questions after the seven sessions are finished.   In the world of newborns, not every question has a black and white answer.   Sandi always makes sure to impart new research, to provide written literature, and to explain that there is more than one way of doing things.

Sandi’s class brings more than just useful information to new mothers.   At every class, there is always a selection of delicious refreshments.  The sleep-deprived and busy participants greatly appreciate this gesture.   Equally important is the fact that “After Baby Comes” provides a new network of friends for those participating.  It is common for the group of new mothers to continue to meet on a social basis long after the class is finished.  These friends become a vital support group of mothers undergoing similar experiences.

Despite being trained as a pediatrician, Sandi Cole taught me a lot about parenting, motherhood, and newborns.   Sandi Cole’s “After Baby Comes” class is a wonderful resource to new mothers that I highly recommend.

Sincerely,

Aviva Lowe,