Education

The Family BirthPlace at Saint Francis Medical Center offers an array of rewarding childbirth education classes for every step of the way. Whether this is your first baby or you’ve experienced the miracle of childbirth before, our step-by-step pregnancy, childbirth and baby classes will provide great benefits for you and your little one. You can choose classes that not only teach pregnancy basics, childbirth preparation and comfort during labor, but also provide instruction on infant massage, infant care, breastfeeding and sibling preparation — with two new class offerings in 2012! To register for classes, call 573-331-5111, option 1.

2012 Classes

Pregnancy Basics
This class is designed to prepare mother and father for the pregnancy journey. Topics covered include how to care for yourself, physical activity, nutrition and normal body changes to expect as the pregnancy progresses.
Thursday 6-8 pm

January 12	March 8	May 10
July 12	September 6	November 8

Breast-feeding Support Group
This group is designed to help mothers with breast-feeding after discharge from the Medical Center. A certified lactation consultant will lead group members in sharing successful breast-feeding techniques and help boost confidence in their skills.
Saturday 10-11 am

January 7	February 4	March 3
April 7	May 5	June 2
July 7	August 4	November 3
December 1

Breast-feeding Class
A must-take class for expecting parents inspired by Mother Nature to breast-feed. Topics are breast physiology, milk production, positioning, diet, pumping and storing breast milk.

Saturday 9:30 am-noon

January 28	February 25	March 24
April 28	May 26	June 23
July 28	August 25	September 22
October 27	November 24	December 22

Monday 5:30-8 pm

January 2	February 6	March 5
April 2	May 7	June 4
July 2	August 6	October 1
November 5	December 3

Comfort During Labor
During this class, you will be presented with alternative comfort measures to use during labor. These include relaxation, breathing, focusing, use of massage and hydrotherapy.
Thursday 6-8 pm

February 9	April 12	June 14
August 9	October 11	December 13

Sibling Class
Prepare your other children (ages 3-6) to be better siblings. They will learn the proper way to hold infants, hear about toy safety and explore emotional issues of a growing family.
Tuesday 6-8 pm

February 28	April 10	June 12
August 14	October 9	December 11

Preparation for Childbirth Class
Attend this comprehensive guide to labor signs and stages, pain control options and labor techniques.
Tuesday 6-9 pm

January 3 or 17	February 7 or 21	March 6 or 20
April 3 or 17	May 1 or 15	June 5 or 19
July 3 or 17	August 7 or 21	September 4 or 18
October 2 or 16	November 6 or 2	December 4 or 18

Saturday 9 am-noon

January 21	February 18	March 17
April 21	May 19	June 16
July 21	August 18	September 15
October 20	November 17	December 15

Infant Care Class
A caregiver’s manual for parents, grandparents and other care providers, Infant Care covers topics such as feeding, daily care, infant sleeping patterns, and valuable health and safety information.
Monday 6-8 pm

January 9	February 13	March 12
April 9	May 14	June 11
July 9	August 13	September 10
October 8	November 12	December 10

Infant Massage Class
Baby’s First Massage class is research-based and designed for parents of healthy newborns, premature babies and babies with altered nervous systems who are at least 4 weeks old.
During the class, you will learn:
• The benefits of massage, including promoting bonding, relieving gas, eating and digesting food more easily, and promoting more restful sleep
• When and when not to massage
• What your baby’s different cries mean
• How to tell when your baby is becoming overwhelmed
• How to comfort your baby
• Massage strokes
Monday 5:30-7pm

January 30	February 27	March 26
April 30	May 21	June 25
July 30	August 27	September 24
October 29	November 26	December 17

When to attend classes:	Class:
Pre-pregnancy-13 weeks	Pregnancy Basics Breast-feeding Support
20-36 weeks	Breast-feeding Class Comfort During Labor Sibling Class
30-36 weeks	Preparation for Childbirth Infant Care Class
After Delivery	Breast-feeding Support Infant Massage Class

Safe Sitter

The Education Center at Saint Francis Medical Center offers Safe Sitter classes throughout the year. Designed for boys and girls ages 11 to 13, the program teaches sitters: