Diaper Drills and Veteran Advice for Daddies-to-Be : Fathers Told to Pin One for the Gipper

When it comes to teaching would-be fathers how to handle newborn babes, nothing works like a sports analogy.

At Irvine Medical Center, where a dozen men gathered Saturday to learn baby-rearing techniques, a “head coach” used “veteran” dads to teach the “rookies” how to handle their newborns.

“You and your wife should work as a team,” Greg Bishop lectured the group of wide-eyed soon-to-be-fathers. “You want to set the tone from the start that you intend to play as a dad.”

The metaphors work: With the rookies looking on, four grown men--all graduates of the center’s class--cradled and rocked their babies with the skill of midwives.

“I get great burps out of her this way,” Bill Gramer told the class, as he held 2-month-old Kelly on his lap and patted her. Gramer, of Irvine, is a recent graduate of the course. “After some practice, you’ll be the world’s expert.”

The class, dubbed “Booty Camp for New Dads,” is offered once a month to men whose wives are just weeks away from giving birth. With the help of those who have gone through the class, Bishop teaches the men how to change diapers and cradle, swaddle and burp newborns. The veterans bring their babies to class to help demonstrate.

No women allowed, though. Bishop’s class is designed especially for the gender whose members are often more comfortable cradling footballs than infants.

“Men are very accepting of other men’s advice,” Bishop said. “It’s a father-to-father, man-to-man thing.”

So far, about 600 have graduated from the camp. Some of the men said they looked forward to taking a more active role in raising their children than their own fathers did. And others said they learned from their parents the importance of having a dedicated father.

“Every experience with your child is one to cherish,” said Tom Levinstein, whose wife is due to give birth May 6. “I learned that from my parents.”

Among those who attended the class was Assembly Speaker Curt Pringle, a father of two, who said he wanted to show his support.

“Our No. 1 responsibility in this society is being good parents,” said Pringle, who brought along his 6-year-old daughter Katie.

Bishop spent much of the class advising the men not to be shy about involving themselves in the most intimate details of their newborn.

Bishop told the would-be fathers, for instance, that there was no excuse for refusing to change diapers--no matter how messy.

“That’s like saying you don’t want to work on the car engine because you get oil on your hands,” Bishop said. “It just won’t wash.”

The course also covered topics of particular concern to men--such as dealing with mothers-in-law who want to raise the child in their own way.

“They have to be put in their place,” joked Dave Butts, who cradled his 3-month-old daughter, Kyra, in his arms.

After crying in the beginning of the class, Butts’ daughter slept soundly in her father’s arms for the rest of the class.

Butts had plenty of advice for new fathers, including: “Always carry an extra shirt with you wherever you go.”

By the end of the class, the rookies were feeling confident that they could soon become experts in child-rearing. They were encouraged in this by the old pros.

“I came out of the hospital a total rookie,” Gramer told the group. “Now, I don’t think anyone can do it better.”