Frequently Asked Questions. Before Baby: Bay Area

Before Baby: Bay Area launches Fall 2026. Request your visit now and we will confirm your date within 48 hours. A $199 deposit is required to confirm your visit and is applied toward the cost. If you cancel, the deposit is forfeited; if you reschedule, contact us early and we will do our best to find a new date within 90 days, with the deposit carrying over. Gift certificates will also be available at launch.

We offer two visits. The Before Baby Visit™ (ideal 4 to 8 weeks before the due date, though any family is welcome) ends with three things done: up to six adults leave with an official AHA Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED certification (infant and child CPR, choking response, AED use, pediatric first aid); up to two car seats professionally installed and verified by a CPST-certified technician, with hands-on training so you can safely install yourself; and a written, room-by-room child proofing plan. The Toddler Visit (recommended at 9 to 18 months) ends with the same three deliverables, updated for a mobile child, and serves as your two-year AHA certification renewal. Need more than six adults or more than two car seats? Email us after booking and we will add them on for an additional cost.

An official AHA Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED course completion card, valid for two years. It covers infant and child CPR, infant and child choking response, AED use, pediatric first aid (burns, bleeding, allergic reactions, seizures, poisoning), and when to call 911. Taught hands-on in your home by an AHA Heartsaver Instructor, designed for parents and caregivers, with every skill practiced rather than just watched. The Toddler Visit goes even deeper on choking, with a session on the specific foods and mealtime situations that cause the most incidents between 9 and 18 months.

Your visit is performed by a Before Baby practitioner: a licensed Paramedic or Registered Nurse who is also an AHA Heartsaver Instructor and a CPST (Child Passenger Safety Technician) certified by the National Child Passenger Safety Certification Program to inspect and install car seats. Steven and Megan are our founding practitioners. Each visit is performed by one practitioner independently; both hold all required credentials to deliver the full visit on their own. As we grow, additional licensed practitioners who meet our credentialing standards will join the team.

Yes. Each adult completing certification must finish the AHA Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED online portion before your visit. It takes 3 to 5 hours and is self-paced. A link is sent in your booking confirmation.

Yes. We require a short home video walkthrough at least one week before your visit. We use it to build your child proofing plan before we arrive, so the visit is spent reviewing and refining, not assessing from scratch.

Every visit includes hands-on CPR certification, CPST-certified car seat installation, and your written, room-by-room child proofing plan. Baby proofing hardware installation (furniture anchoring, gate mounting, window stops, and similar) is the only piece offered as a separate optional add-on, quoted based on your home video, scope of work, time, and materials.

A free city or fire station car seat check is an inspection: you install the seat, drive to a clinic with your baby, and a technician tells you what is wrong. Our CPST does the actual install in your driveway, in your vehicle, with your seat, and then trains you and your partner hands-on so you can confidently re-install it, switch vehicles, and adjust the harness as your child grows. You leave with the seat correctly installed and the skills to keep it that way, without loading a newborn into the car for an appointment.

Book the Before Baby Visit 4 to 8 weeks before your due date: early enough to feel prepared, late enough that your home setup is mostly complete. Book the Toddler Visit when your child is between 9 and 18 months, or when they begin pulling to stand. You do not need to have done the Before Baby Visit first, and either visit is available to any family regardless of stage of pregnancy or child age.

The Before Baby Visit™ takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. The Toddler Visit takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. We strongly recommend both partners be home, especially for CPR certification: learning together is significantly more effective. Grandparents and nannies are welcome and encouraged.

Please visit our Services page for full transparent pricing.

No. Our assessment identifies key risks based on what we observe and what you share, and provides a written plan of recommended actions. Addressing those recommendations reduces risk, but no assessment can identify or eliminate every possible hazard. We are specific about what we provide: a professional child proofing plan, hands-on CPR certification, and expert car seat installation.

We serve families throughout the Bay Area including San Francisco, Marin County, the Peninsula, Palo Alto, the South Bay, the East Bay, Napa, and Sonoma. Before Baby carries full general liability and professional liability insurance, and everyone on our team is background-checked.

Email us at hello@beforebabybayarea.com. We respond to every message within 48 hours.