San Juan Regional Medical Center’s Childbirth Center wants to make sure your baby gets the best start in life. We are pleased to offer a variety of classes for new and expecting parents, offered free as a benefit to our community. As a Baby Friendly® facility we emphasize whole person care, from the physical and emotional challenges of labor and delivery to what a new mom might experience postpartum. Here is a look at the classes we currently offer:
Childbirth Preparation Series
The childbirth education series is a 4-week class, held for 2.5 hours once a week. It’s our most comprehensive offering where expecting moms and their support person will explore a variety of topics and address top concerns new parents have.
“We cover what you have experienced up to this point in your pregnancy, what to expect for the rest of the pregnancy, we talk about labor and delivery and how that looks in terms of getting ready for breathing and pain management strategies but also how the labor is going to progress through the stages. We talk about postpartum care and extensively about breastfeeding and newborn care,” said Childbirth Patient Educator Kathy Coleman.
Accelerated/Refresher Class
If you don’t have the time to take the whole childbirth series, or if you’ve had a baby before and just need a refresher, the accelerated/refresher class is for you. It’s a standalone class offered one Saturday a month for three hours. The class covers the stages and phases of labor, comfort measures and support person skills.
Postpartum Care and Concerns
This new class is intended for mothers in the postpartum period, which is the six weeks after giving birth. It is held one Saturday a month for 2.5 hours, and covers what to expect during the postpartum period, including what to look for if you are concerned about postpartum depression, and how to care for yourself and your new baby.
“There is a tremendous amount of changes a woman’s body have to go through during pregnancy, and now the body needs to return to normal, so the class covers what to expect, what’s happening but also what is happening for the baby,” Coleman said. “That first month of life for the baby is challenging. They have been 100 percent supported by mom’s body and now their little body has to come up to speed very quickly and take over all those responsibilities on their own.”
If you have taken the Childbirth Preparation Series you have all the information provided in the Postpartum Class, and you don’t need to retake this course unless you want to do it again.
How to Sign Up
Register for any of our Childbirth Classes here. There you will find a list of upcoming classes. You can also contact Kathy Coleman by emailing kcoleman@sjrmc.net or calling 505.609.3184.
“I would like to encourage pregnant mothers and their partners to join us. Don’t wait until the last minute, we want to make sure you have time to complete the class,” Coleman said. “Get online and check dates and register there. I would love to see you in our classroom!”