These two classes provide essential research-based information to help you prepare for the birth experience and caring for your newborn. Topics covered:

Understanding Birth

• Pregnancy: Fetal development, anatomy, discomforts, nutrition, preeclampsia and warning signs, preterm labor, hazards, emotions and more.
• Labor: Pain theories, 5 P’s of labor, signs labor is near, onset of labor, stages of labor and the importance of skin-to-skin contact.
• Birth Stories:  Diverse families and situations show how the stages of labor unfold in real life, inducing examples of natural coping techniques, partner support, medicated pain relief and cesareans (varies by format).
• Comfort Techniques: Birth preferences, labor support, breathing, relaxation, massage, visualization, focal points, hydrotherapy, labor and pushing positions, back labor and partner advice.
• Medical Procedures:  Decision-making, induction, fetal monitoring, IVs, analgesics and nitrous oxide, epidural anesthesia, labor and pushing positions with epidural, augmentation and second-stage interventions.
• Cesarean Birth: Reasons for a cesarean, types of cesareans, risks, anesthesia, 3D animation of surgery, recovery, reducing the risk for cesarean birth, breastfeeding, family-centered birth tips
• Newborns: Newborn hospital procedures, skin-to-skin contact, first feeding, newborn appearance, rooming-in, senses, feeding cues, SUID and safe sleep, crying, shaken baby syndrome (abusive head trauma).
• Postpartum:  Involution, lochia, perineum care, baby blues, breastfeeding basics, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, self-care and postpartum warning signs

Understanding Your Newborn

• Newborn traits: Skin-to-skin contact, newborn procedures, newborn appearance, reflexes, newborn senses, play and development.
• Newborn behaviors: States of alertness and how to interact, newborn sleep, room-sharing, gagging and choking and breathing patterns.
• Crying and comforting: Why babies cry, infant crying patterns, comfort techniques, coping with crying, Abusive Head Trauma, postpartum emotions (baby blues and PPD).
• Feeding: Breastfeeding basics, latching on, when to feed, hunger cues, burping, how to tell if baby is getting enough milk.
• Diapering: How-to, diaper rash, diaper options, diaper bag checklist, stool and urine patterns.
• Bathing, nail care and dressing: Sponge bathing, tub bathing, water safety, nail care, dressing.
• Newborn health: Cord care, circumcision/penis care, signs of illness, well-baby visits, jaundice, vaccines, hand washing and visitors, taking temperature, when to call the healthcare provider.
• Newborn safety: Car seats, heat stroke and hot car safety, SIDS, safe baby gear, pet safety, siblings, outdoor safety, childcare, infant CPR.
• Additional resources: When to Call Your Baby’s Healthcare Provider, Car Seat Installation, Baby’s Daily Breastfeeding Log, How to Perform Infant CPR, Infant Choking First Aid, Baby Supplies Checklist

These online classes are offered by InJoy. They are accessible from any device that connects to the internet. You will receive two assigned codes via e-mail after payment is made giving you access to the class website for nine months.

For Online Payment: Please note the class name and fee amount for the payment screen.

For mothers delivering at Froedtert Hospital, we also offer in-person options for this class. See dates and times.