HAMPTON — Knowing what you can expect during labor can help things go more smoothly by minimizing stress and fear.
Jack Jones, clinical manager of the Family Maternity Center at the Sentara Careplex Hospital has worked with Hampton Healthy Families to design classes to help educate mothers and their partners on what to expect during childbirth.
The classes will be offered Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. beginning Sept. 11 at Sentara Careplex Hospital.
While Hampton Healthy Families has been offering classes like this since they were established, Sentara Careplex recently opened its new maternity ward on Dec. 31.
Sentara Careplex has been offering classes like this since Jan. 30.
With this new center available for mothers, Sentara Careplex wanted to offer resources for mothers to learn more about what to expect during the birthing process, Jones said.
The classes are designed for couples. That could be the mother and father, the mother and a sibling or a mother or even just a close friend — the classes are for mothers and their delivery partners, whomever those may be, Jones said.
The free classes are open to all expectant mothers regardless of where they live.
Each class in the series is centered around discussion and tips on childbirth and baby care.
A few of the topics that participants can expect to be covered are:
- What to expect from labor and delivery
- Contractions and labor/pain management
- Medications and interventions for natural and cesarean section births
- Care for mom, postpartum concerns, going home from the hospital with your newborn
- Feeding questions
- Techniques and care information about why your baby is crying
- Childproofing your home
- The stages a baby goes through their first year
The classes were designed based on focus groups and feedback from mothers, Jones said, adding the hospitals goal is to keep mom and baby happy, healthy and safe.
So far the classes have been well-received and Jones said a lot of the moms who go through the classes come out feeling more informed and ready for labor.
To learn more about the classes and services Hampton Healthy Families offers, click here.
To register for the classes, click here.
