Pregnancy Care Class

Pregnancy care classes aim to equip pregnant people and their partners with knowledge. Hospitals, private instructors and practitioners offer such classes ranging from childbirth education to breastfeeding support services.

Group prenatal care has grown increasingly popular and may serve as an ideal supplement or replacement to traditional childbirth classes, both of which have been associated with positive perinatal outcomes.

Early Pregnancy Classes

Online Pregnancy classes (also referred to as prenatal or antenatal classes) provide expectant mothers with much-needed advice, information and counseling in an efficient manner. Topics typically addressed include discomforts during gestation, diet changes during gestation and exercising during gestation and warning signs that should be reported immediately to a healthcare provider. Furthermore, pregnancy classes educate women how to cope with common health issues related to gestation such as mood changes, nausea and fatigue that often surface during gestation.

These classes are typically offered by nurses or midwives and vary in cost; some are free while others charge a fee; some can even be found online. Prenatal classes help new moms and dads cope with all the physical changes associated with pregnancy that often cause confusion and frustration; taking prenatal classes helps separate fact from fiction, as well as providing them with more insight into what awaits them during labor, delivery and the postpartum period.

Some pregnancy care classes are tailored specifically for expectant parents expecting multiples; these tend to be longer-lasting sessions that may include tours of the hospital. Meanwhile, others focus on natural childbirth preparation – in this instance they will typically teach breathing techniques and pain management methods, baby care postpartum mother and infant care as well as debunking any myths associated with childbirth. These classes aim to dispel age-old beliefs about labor while providing time-tested, reliable information.

Childbirth Classes

Pregnancy classes or childbirth classes are frequently recommended by ob-gyns and labor and delivery nurses as an effective way for first-time parents to prepare for what lies ahead. Such classes help participants understand what’s happening to their bodies during labor, how to physically comfort each other through contractions, as well as options available to them for painless birthing experiences. Furthermore, such courses also educate couples on postpartum care as well as breastfeeding their newborn.

Childbirth classes can be found at hospitals, private instructors’ studios, women’s health groups or online; when choosing one it’s important to consider both class size and the instructor’s approach and philosophy towards childbirth.

NYU Langone online childbirth preparation classes, based on the Lamaze International philosophy, cover what happens before, during, and after labor; comfort techniques during labor; medical interventions like pain medication; as well as how to prepare for immediate and postpartum postpartum care. They are taught by a Lamaze certified educator and can be taken at your own pace.

Birthing From Within provides an online childbirth course covering both emotional and physical aspects of birth preparation. Led by a registered nurse and Lamaze-certified childbirth instructor with over 17 years of experience.

Postpartum Classes

Certified childbirth educators will guide you and your partner through an understanding of birth as a normal and healthy experience. In this class, pain management strategies such as breathing and relaxation techniques; pain relief options including hospital procedures; medication options available including Cesarean sections; postpartum recovery care plans as well as infant care will all be covered in detail. A tour of our maternity center is also included!

If you are pregnant with twins or triplets, this class will provide crucial information about managing multiple pregnancies; including dealing with their increased risks of complications and nutritional requirements as well as ways to support and assist their families.

For mothers breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, this 90-minute class offers essential knowledge of infant care and preparation for breastfeeding, including answering any of your questions with an experienced lactation specialist.

Baby isn’t coming with instructions, so it is vital that you learn everything possible about how to care for a newborn before you bring him or her home. This class covers infant characteristics and daily care needs, concerns regarding safety and illness as well as swaddling and bottle feeding practices as well as bathing, diapering and burping techniques for your infant.

No matter if gestational diabetes is present or not, this online course provides valuable strategies for controlling blood glucose through nutritional counseling, physical activity recommendations, insulin or medication administration, downloadable worksheets and recipes as well as mindfulness meditation sessions. It includes six videos covering these areas.

Infant Care Classes

As you prepare to welcome your newborn, it’s helpful to learn infant care basics. Many pregnancy classes that cover childbirth also provide a follow-up course on newborn care; and some even connect you to resources for breastfeeding and other infant needs – NYC Dads Group hosts breastfeeding “limes” in New York City and Brooklyn to connect breastfeeding moms with other breastfeeding parents, and Tinyhood provides expecting moms a suite of courses covering breastfeeding, infant massage, and other essential newborn skills.

Pregnancy care classes provide more than just labor and delivery assistance; some provide guidance in exercising options for expectant mothers, advice for navigating hospital systems and postpartum stays and what tests and procedures might be part of postpartum stays, advice about baby wearing and sibling relationships, advice about postpartum post-care needs etc. Among other services they may offer these may include:

UChicago Medicine’s Preparing for Family class provides expecting moms and partners a comprehensive three-week series that guides you through pregnancy, labor, delivery, as well as an on-site tour of its Birth Center. Led by certified childbirth educator Evelyn Turner – she encourages participants to register early so they can select a class best fitting their schedule and needs; Turner notes that enrollment has doubled since moving virtual offerings during Covid-19 pandemic which is excellent news for new parents-to-be!