Grass Valley Childbirth, Lactation Educator Offers Classes for Expectant Mothers at Sutter Auburn      07-29-2010

A Grass Valley certified childbirth educator, lactation consultant and prenatal counselor is offering prenatal preparation classes for all expectant mothers in Nevada and Placer counties at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

Laurie Chamberlin, CD, ICCE, CLE, who has 10 years of experience in working with pregnant women, is teaching three different classes during the summer and fall that provide pregnant women and their labor support partners with the education and support a woman needs during this time of emotional and physical change. She is very excited about bringing the program of classes to Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

“Many of my students say they didn’t know how much they needed the classes until they took them,” Chamberlin said. She recommends that first-time parents attend all three classes.

Chamberlin lives in Grass Valley and is expanding her business to Auburn to benefit her clients. Many women want pain management and birthing options like epidurals and water births offered at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital. The hospital is allowing Chamberlin to use its facility as a community service, but is not sponsoring the classes. Any expectant mothers are welcome to join the class no matter where they plan to give birth.

“The birth of babies can be a positively rewarding experience or a positively negative experience,” said Chamberlin. “The day your baby is born is such a memorable day, and I encourage people to make the time and effort to adequately prepare to make birthing as powerfully positive and experience as possible.”

The first course is “Ready, Set, Deliver,” which is intended for all pregnant women and their partners. Chamberlin is teaching the course in one day – on Saturdays, July 24, Aug. 21 and Nov. 13 – rather than spreading it out over five evenings, and the cost is $120, which includes a labor support book. It is designed to give a woman and her labor support partner confidence in the birthing of their baby. The eight-hour class involves comfort measures, coping techniques and information about the variations of labor. Among the topics covered: • Identifying the expectant mother’s strengths and resolve concerns • Pain medication options • Stages of labor • Positions for progressing labor • Common hospital procedures • Breathing and relaxing techniques

Chamberlin is also offering a “Newborn Care Class,” which will educate new parents how to navigate the first month at home with their newborn baby.

“I find that expectant fathers love this class, too,” she says. “It gives them the practical ‘how to’ information that men like to know.”

The Newborn Care Class is a one-time class being held Wednesday evenings – from 6-8:30 p.m. either Aug. 25, Oct. 20 or Dec. 15 – and the cost is $35.

Lastly, there is the “Prenatal Breastfeeding Class,” which is a “how to” class to help new mothers feel more confident and comfortable with the breastfeeding process. When people take this class, comfort and success drastically increase, Chamberlin says. The class will be held on Thursday evenings – 6-8:30 p.m. either Aug. 26, Sept. 23, Oct. 28, Nov. 12 or Dec. 10 – and the cost is also $35.

For anyone who wants more information and is interested in any of the classes, call Chamberlin Childbirth at (530)-477-5442 or visit the website at www.chamberlinchildbirth.com. For more information on the Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital’s Family Birth Center, go to www.sutterauburnfaith.org/services or call (530) 889-6085.

Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital is affiliated with Sutter Health, a not-for-profit, community based health system located throughout Northern California. For more information on Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, visit the website at www.sutterauburnfaith.org. ###