Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to come before the baby is born or after?

If possible, it's great to come before the baby is born. This because it's never to soon to learn how to recognize and handle a life-threatening emergency. (We do take this opportunity again to stress how unlikely it is that one will occur.) Also, much of the information we present - e.g., on car seat safety and crib safety - is pertinent from Day 1 of baby's life. But after the baby arrives is also fine, of course! Lots of parents and grandarents come then.


How many people are in a session?

At our Manhattan office, we max at 9 individuals, and in Brooklyn the maximum is 6. These numbers ensure that you’ll get close attention during skills practice and also have all your questions answered throughout the session.


2.5 hours? Really?

You will learn *so* much, and it's all really important! Not only the how’s of Choking Relief and CPR, but also the “why’s” behind those “how’s”, so that it all makes sense. We share with you our implementable, sophisticated framework for maintaining a child-safe household, and it’s a guarantee that you’ll leave with a valuable perspective on this all-important issue. Not to mention, clients love our tips on keeping grandparents in the safety loop, too. And there’s more. The time flies, really! No kidding, this is *not* your high school CPR class..


How is the class time organized?

In Part 1 of the class, you master the Infant CPR / Child CPR skills. Part 2a is for Relief of Choking, the Heimlich Maneuver and certain other choking situations; Part 2b is all about choking risks and prevention. Then a quick break, followed by Part 3, which is the Little Hearts CPR Secret Sauce: how can you best manage possible risks to your baby’s safety? While the baby is with you at home, with your caregiver or parents, while you’re traveling, in various types of emergencies? In our Manhattan office, we have the opportunity to move to the the capacious office kitchen where coffee, tea, soda and sparkling water are available. .


I'm told that bending over the manikin while very pregnant is less than comfortable! Any advice?

Not to worry - this is why Little Hearts CPR provides comfortable seating and tables to practice on. You won't be stuck sitting on the floor, we promise!


Our baby is 3 months. Can we bring her with us to class?

Babies under 6 weeks can usually be easily quieted (feeding works wonders!), so it tends to work out for them to attend--but we've room to accommodate this only at our Manhattan location, unfortunately. This said, if you think the baby's presence will distract from your own learning process, it's not a great idea to bring her. Also, some babies need a lot of stroller rocking or parent bouncing in order to be soothed to a state of quietness. These movements, unfortunately, distract the other students (and the instructor), so if your baby is likely to need motion, bringing her wouldn't work--unless you're willing to step out into the hall with her until stillness and quiet reign. Many infants under the age of 6 weeks do attend with their parents and/or sitters and all goes well. Moms, of course, are welcome to nurse as they need to during class.


My baby is 18 months. Is it too late to take your class? Will the info still be relevant?

It's definitely not too late (!) and the info is completely relevant. We teach the skills for both infants (up to 1 year) and children (ages 1-8) to everyone, and during the class you will practice/drill whichever ones apply. Further, we target the safety info to all the age ranges represented in the class, and invariably, parents of toddlers are happy to be taught/reminded of issues they might have neglected to think about. In addition to infant manikins, we have child-size manikins for you to practice on.


I want my parents to attend, but they say they raised 3 kids and never took a course like this. Any advice?

This is a somewhat common response, and the best response in turn to your parents probably depends on the specifics of their personalities and your relationship with them. Feel free to phone us and we'll talk it through with you. Suffice it to say that we've never heard yet of a grandparent who wasn't glad, at the end of the class, that they had attended.


My sitter says that she took a course 9 months ago. Does she need to take one again?

Over the years, we've found that parents, let alone sitters, rarely review the CPR/Choking techniques at home, which is why we offer refreshers. Our general recommendation is that you send a sitter to a course that you know of and trust, but it is also reasonable to ask her to demonstrate to you that she has retained the skills she learned previous to her employment with you. In any event, we always recommend that refresher courses be taken every year to keep skills current.

My baby is 15 months. Is it too late to take your class? Will the info still be relevant?

It's definitely not too late (!) and the info is completely relevant. We teach the skills for both infants (up to 1 year) and children (ages 1-8) to everyone, and during the class you will practice/drill whichever ones apply.