Get on Board with Prenatal Educational Classes

From Lamaze techniques and infant CPR to breast-feeding and diapering, UAMS Medical Center’s Prenatal Educational Program can alleviate your concerns while sharing in your excitement of a new life.

"Expectant and new parents, as well as their family members, have an overwhelming amount of information and skills to learn," said Barbie Brunner, M.Ed., C.H.E.S., the coordinator of the UAMS Medical Center Patient Education Program. "Our program offers a variety of classes that help them meet their special healthcare needs and those of their infants."

UAMS’ prenatal educational program employs certified Lamaze instructors and a lactation consultant to teach the monthly courses in University Hospital in Little Rock. Prenatal and infant and child care class topics are "Preparing for Birth (Lamaze)," "Breast-Feeding," "Infant Care," and "Infant/Child CPR." We also have a “Sibling Class” devoted to encouraging your child to be positive about the birth of a new brother or sister.

Preparing for Birth

This prenatal class helps prepare participants for the events that occur during labor and delivery, as well as the many decisions they should make beforehand regarding the overall childbirth process.

"After expectant mothers and their partners register for this course, we  ask them to begin thinking about and discuss some of the following questions," Brunner said. "These  questions enable them—before the course begins—to review and discuss with their healthcare providers the various options they have during labor, delivery and the postpartum period. They can then broaden their perspectives on these issues during the course discussions."

Included among the numerous points for consideration are the following:

- Who will be your primary care provider? 
- During which stages of labor and delivery would you like your partner to be present? 
- Which methods of pain relief and relaxation do you want to use? 
- Would you like to use personal music and/or artwork (as a focal point)? 
- Which delivery position would you prefer?
- Who do you want to cut the baby’s umbilical cord?  
- Do you want to breast-feed or bottle-feed your baby? 
 

The classroom portion of the "Preparing for Birth" course covers relaxation and breathing techniques; the definition of labor; the signs and symptoms of labor; coping with the pain of labor and the physical and emotional changes associated with early, active and transition labor; and the birth of the baby.  For information on class times, dates and fees, please see the Patient Education website.

Breast-Feeding

In this class, participants learn the advantages of breast-feeding and the proper techniques for initiating breast-feeding; holding a baby while breast-feeding; pumping the breasts for milk; and storing breast milk.

"Breast milk contains all the vitamins, minerals and other essential elements that infants need to maintain adequate nutrition," said  Judy Smith, R.N., a UAMS Medical Center  certified breastfeeding instructor and patient education instructor. "Another benefit of breast milk is that it contains anti-infective agents that are passed from mothers to newborns. These agents help prevent Crohn’s disease, diabetes, SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and other illnesses that babies are susceptible to—especially during the first six months of life when their immune systems are still immature. Also, breast-fed infants are more likely to develop an avoidance to general and seasonal allergies, and they have a decreased risk of contamination from dirty bottles and bottle nipples."

For information on class times, dates and fees, please see the Patient Education website.

Infant Care

Proper techniques for feeding, bathing, diapering, swaddling and holding newborns are covered in this class. Instructors also teach participants how to place babies in their car seats; how to take the temperature of infants; and how to detect dehydration and other potentially dangerous medical conditions in babies.

For information on class times, dates and fees, please see the Patient Education website.

Infant/Child CPR

Through discussions and practice sessions using mannequins, participants learn how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to infants and children. Instructors also teach attendees how to prevent and handle other emergency situations, such as obstruction of airway (or choking) and poisoning; how to childproof the home; and why easy-to-reach emergency telephone numbers are important.

For information on class times, dates and fees, please see the Patient Education website.

Preparing Children for New Siblings

This birthday party-style course—complete with refreshments and party favors—encourages children to celebrate the upcoming births of their brothers and sisters. During the class, instructors use baby dolls to teach children how to hold newborns, and they show the youngsters actual photographs of babies so that they have a more realistic idea of how they look. Teachers also help children make gifts to welcome their new siblings. To illustrate life with a new infant in the home, instructors show parents and children an educational videotape and read an educational book to the youngsters. In addition, they provide parents with information about immunizations and appropriate community resources.

For information on class times, dates and fees, please see the Patient Education website. 

For more information or to register for any of the classes please visit the patient education website at www.uams.edu/patienteducation or call 501-686-8084

Each of the 11 private birthing suites on the Labor and Delivery Unit at UAMS Medical Center is equipped to monitor continuously the patient’s vital statistics via a state-of-the-art computer station. We also offer tours of the labor/delivery and birthing suites - call 686-8084 to register for this or any of our classes.