Prenatal classes

[bowies]

How many did you take? Our hospital offers a birthing class, a parenting/first aid class, and a breastfeeding class. The multi-week birthing class touches on baby care and breastfeeding but I don't know how in-depth it is.

Are postpartum nurse instructions on baby care and a postpartum lactation consultant session sufficient? LCs are on staff at the hospital.

[chicago]

We took our hospital's childbirth class this past weekend. It was 12 hours done over two days. I'm glad we did it, but I honestly didn't feel like I learned a ton that I couldn't have found online (I.e. Phases of labor, breathing, epidural and pain management info). I probably should have signed up for bf class, but I'm too busy now to accommodate their schedule.
Planning on reading about infant care, but there were some basics in our class this past weekend.

[VillainV]

We did a birthing class last weekend, and are also going to do infant/child CPR. I will do a breast-feeding class as well, and probably a "baby-basics" infant care class if I can fit it in, because I'm pretty much clueless on that stuff. H is much less clueless, but will hopefully come along I the timing fits in with his work schedule.

[statlerwaldorf]

I took the birthing class, breastfeeding class, and infant CPR.  I would definitely take a CPR class.  I plan on taking it again.  I had to use one of the techniques from the CPR classes when DD choked on a sandwich as a toddler.

I read a lot of pregnancy books, so I didn't get much out of the breastfeeding or birthing class.  DH felt that he got a lot out of them.  You could probably borrow a similar birthing class dvd from the library.  I found the video they showed in the breastfeeding class helpful.  It was a lot easier to see the different holds and good vs. bad latches from a video rather than a book.  I'm sure you could find videos online.

I signed up for a baby care basics class, but I had DD about an hour before the class started.  I had zero experience with babies, but I was able to figure things out.

[Deleted]

We already took a infant CPR class and are signed up to take a breastfeeding and infant care class the next two weeks.

[flgirl]

Jan 13, 2014 21:10:46 GMT -5 @littlemoxie said:

I think parenting/first aid classes are the most useful if you don't have experience with babies. I'd save Breastfeeding for when you have the baby.

Childbirth depends on what you want. If you are looking for real pain management techniques a hospital class won't do much. If you just want an overview of stages and options for pain management then it will be worth it. In any event, get your husband familiar wih terminology and he basic stages.

I agree.  The only way to really learn how to breast feed is to do it with your baby. 

I read a lot of Bradley books and would have loved to take a class on that method.  It helped me to have the unmedicated birth I wanted.  Really good techniques.  I went to a childbirth class with my sister and really thought most of the information could be found in a book or a good google search.

[oliviapope]

I would take the parenting class. In the hospital the nurses don't have a ton of time to go over the how and whys of everything. Also, you are taking in any information they give you after your mind and body have been through significant stress, so you might not retain as much.

[mellimel19]

We are taking an infant CPR class tonight. We are also doing a weekend childbirth/infant care class that runs for 2 days, 6 hours each day.

[picksthemusic]

We took two classes. A Bradley-style birthing class that was held at the instructor's house, and then a "Day About Baby" that the hospital offers. Both were completely, totally worth it. I was already pretty aware of the needs of a newborn, but DH wasn't. It was extremely helpful for him to know all the ins and outs that went along with newborn care.

[SJ]

We are taking the following through our hospital:

-Labor & Delivery (includes hospital tour, etc.)
-First Aid/CPR
-Breastfeeding

I think they will be most useful for DH who is a more visual/hands-on learner. I have read approximately 1,000,000 times the volume of material on the subject that he has, not to mention being on these boards for years.

[Deleted]

We are taking prepared childbirth, baby care basics, breastfeeding (free) and infant cpr ($25 pp) all at the hospital starting this weekend. I think it will be really helpful for my H since he is not big on research and doesn't have as much time to read up on these things.