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. To register for classes, call 573-331-5111, option 1.

2013 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 10	May 9	September 12
March 14	July 11	November 14

Mother-Baby Tea
New moms have the opportunity to meet other new mothers; ask questions about breastfeeding, baby care and other postpartum issues; and get out of the house with their newborns. Herbal tea and cookies will be served, and a breastfeeding resource library is also available.

Saturday 2-3 pm

January 5	May 15	September 7
February 2	June 1	October 5
March 2	July 6	November 2
April 6	August 3	December 7

Wednesday 2-3 pm

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

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 26	May 25	September 28
February 23	June 29	October 26
March 30	July 27	November 30
April 27	August 31	December 28

Monday 5:30-8 pm

January 7	May 6	September 9
February 4	June 3	October 7
March 4	July 1	November 4
April 1	August 5	December 2

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. This class is geared towards mothers who are not intending on having an epidural.

Thursday 6-8 pm

February 21	June 13	October 10
April 11	August 8	December 12

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 12	June 11	October 8
April 9	August 13	December 10

Preparation for Childbirth Class
Attend this comprehensive guide to labor signs and stages, pain control options and labor techniques.

Tuesday 6-9 pm

January 8 or 22	May 7 or 21	September 3 or 17
February 5 or 19	June 4 or 18	October 1 or 15
March 5 or 19	July 2 or 16	November 5 or 19
April 2 or 16	August 6 or 20	December 3 or 17

Saturday 9 am-noon

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

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

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 28	May 20	September 30
February 25	June 24	October 28
March 25	July 29	November 25
April 29	August 26	December 30

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