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:
-
How to have fun with children
-
To recognize a medical emergency and take appropriate actions
-
Injury prevention and rescue breathing
-
The business of baby-sitting
For more information regarding Safe Sitter, call Saint Francis' Training and Development at 573-331-5107.