Pregnancy and childbirth classes are an integral component of your preparations for parenthood. Our hospital offers classes specifically tailored to expectant mothers, partners and siblings.
This 12-week series provides relaxation and comfort techniques to use during labor as well as medical interventions and interventions at the Birth Center. Furthermore, you’ll get to tour it!
Preparing for Birth
Pregnancy can be both thrilling and daunting; you may have many questions about labor, delivery and parenting that need answering. Your doctor or midwife are great sources for assistance; in addition, attending antenatal classes could prove useful as an extra resource.
Childbirth education classes (also called birthing or parenthood classes) help pregnant women and their partners prepare for a safe and healthy birthing experience. These courses teach expectant parents about fetal development, methods to alleviate labor pain during labor, medical interventions and more – although specifically targeted towards first time moms. Although not primarily designed as first time parent preparation classes, childbirth education classes may still benefit any parent.
Many maternity classes provide instruction on creating your birth plan, which serves as an essential way of communicating your preferences to doctors and nurses during labor and after the baby has arrived. Your birth plan lets your care team know which aspects are of utmost importance to you – for instance who you would like by your side during labor and how to manage pain effectively.
Making time to prepare your hospital bag and gather supplies is another essential part of getting ready for labor and welcoming a newborn into the world. Doing this early on can reduce stress and make remembering essential items easier when your due date approaches. You might even take a tour of the hospital facilities before selecting where you would like to give birth.
Breastfeeding
Birthing a newborn can be both exciting and daunting for expectant moms and partners. Prenatal care classes help prepare expecting parents for labor, delivery and caring for their new born; many ob-gyns, labor and delivery nurses, doulas and women’s health groups encourage or require their patients to enroll in these courses.
Good news is that more childbirth classes are now offered online to accommodate busy schedules and reach more people. At UChicago Medicine, Evelyn Turner’s virtual and in-person childbirth education classes have doubled enrollment since the pandemic started; parents can attend from the comfort of their own homes.
No matter whether your goal is an unmedicated physiologic birth or cesarean section, these classes can help prepare you for what to expect during childbirth. Expectations might include tours of hospitals and birth centers as well as lessons on labor basics like when to call your ob-gyn, induction procedures, pain management strategies and distinguishing false from true labor.
HonorHealth RNs who are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) will present this class, helping participants understand the physiology and techniques involved with breastfeeding and chest feeding your newborn successfully, along with tips for infant safety and first aid.
Postpartum Care
Early prenatal care can help protect both you and your unborn baby from health complications during gestation and childbirth. Regular visits with a VNA physician or midwife can identify gestational diabetes or hypertension – treatments for such issues will allow for the best possible pregnancy and birth experience.
Childbirth education classes can help prepare women to understand what their bodies are going through during labor and delivery, what to expect during delivery, breastfeeding strategies and recovery tips postpartum recovery tips are also covered in classes. By having this knowledge at their disposal they may feel less anxious or uncertain about birthing processes.
One additional advantage of taking these classes is meeting other couples expecting children at around the same time, offering support and advice about their own experiences as well as discussing topics such as benefits associated with various birthing techniques or methods.
Though some women may feel intimidated by group prenatal care or childbirth education classes, evidence indicates their effectiveness in improving perinatal outcomes. Group prenatal care is an emerging model which combines clinical care and education while striving to be culturally appropriate across varying communities it serves. One such model is CenteringPregnancy which shares similarities to, yet differs significantly from traditional childbirth education classes.
Infant CPR
No matter whether or not you have your own children, infant CPR knowledge is an essential lifesaving skill that every adult must know. Should an emergency arise that necessitates CPR on an unconscious baby until paramedics arrive. The lifesaving technique utilizes alternate chest compressions and rescue breaths to keep blood rushing to the brain and lungs and oxygen flowing efficiently.
As newborn airways are narrow, be wary when providing rescue breathing to them. Make sure there is an airtight seal over their mouth and nose; then gently blow into their throat until their chest rises – repeat this every two minutes until medical help arrives.
If you need assistance performing these steps, take a two-hour course on infant and child first aid. This class teaches what to do when an infant is choking and provides hands-on experience working with a mannequin, newborn behavior such as crying and comforting, safe sleeping positions and reviews safety products and poison control; low income assistance recipients can attend these classes free of charge! For eligibility criteria click here or to sign up visit your nearest CPSP provider (they accept Medi-Cal, private insurance plans as well as presumptive eligibility (P.E).