BROOKINGS – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting in August Brookings Health System will offer childbirth education and breastfeeding classes online.
“Babies don’t stop being born during a pandemic, and we need to continue to support our delivering parents,” said Obstetrics Director Mary Schwaegerl. “While we still offered educational resources to expecting parents during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking our classes online will give back the benefit of live interaction with our childbirth and breastfeeding instructors.”
The first online childbirth preparation class starts on Aug. 5. The six-week series of online classes includes topics such as stages of labor, pain management techniques, what to expect during delivery, and baby care basics.
Online breastfeeding classes start on Aug. 20 and will be held every month. The class is taught by a certified lactation consultant. Objectives include covering the steps for successful breastfeeding, feeding cues from baby, breastfeeding benefits, tips for working mothers, when to use a breast pump and possible hurdles to breastfeeding.
Both classes are free and will be held via WebEx. Participants will need to have their own device with audio and video capabilities plus an internet connection.
Interested parents may register online at brookingshealth.org or by calling Brookings Health System’s OB unit, New Beginnings Birth Center, at 696-9000, ext. 8052.
Brookings Health System’s OB unit, New Beginnings Birth Center, has eight-beds with three labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) rooms and five postpartum recovery rooms. The unit provides full OB services to expectant parents and enables area residents to deliver their baby close to home with a local physician. As a Baby-Friendly Hospital, Brookings Health ensures mothers who deliver at New Beginnings Birth Center and intend to breastfeed, as well as those who cannot or decide not to breastfeed, are supported. More information on how Brookings Health System supports families can be found at brookingshealth.org/OB.
