The classes will help parents know what to expect when their baby arrives. Courtesy | Facebook
Hillsdale Hospital announced free online birthing classes for expecting parents on Aug. 29, allowing parents to work through the curriculum at their own pace in the comfort of their home.
The hospital previously offered in-person classes to prepare expecting parents for birth but paused classes due to COVID-19. In response, the Michigan Health Endowment Fund’s 2022 Maternal and Infant Health Initiative sponsored free online classes for expectant parents.
“We’ve done some in-person classes since then,” said Rachel Lott, the hospital’s director of marketing. “But those are more limited in what we can offer because it’s usually kind of a one-day thing. So, now there’s a lot more opportunity for parents to learn on a broader scale.”
The online classes include sessions on labor, birthing techniques, medical procedures, and taking care of newborns.
“I think the most important part is understanding caring for a newborn and caring for yourself after birth,” said Courtney Murnen, mother of five who has given birth at Hillsdale Hospital. “Once you give birth, you’re kind of on your own.”
Instead of textbooks and traditional lectures, the courses engage participants through videos, animations, activities, checklists, trackers, and other interactive materials.
“There are different modules that they can choose to take, like breastfeeding or labor and delivery. And each of those can be lengthy,” Lott said. “But, that doesn’t mean if you don’t have eight hours to dedicate, you can’t do part of it.”
In addition to the increase in material offered through the classes, parents can skip through the lessons to sections they are more interested in, which allows parents more flexibility in how and when they learn.
“I feel like it would be hard to go in person once you’re in the newborn phase because you’re just so tired,” Murnen said.
Nurse practitioner Kathleen Petersen taught birthing classes with Hillsdale Hospital for 10 years previously in her career and said such classes are paramount to helping parents prepare to welcome a baby.
“Nothing can truly prepare you for childbirth, but it certainly gives you an idea of what to expect. It’s not as scary,” she said.
Lott said she has already heard positive feedback regarding the new classes.
According to the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, the online classes will improve the outcomes of both mothers and children. Removing the inconvenience of travel, timing, and money, the classes offer parents greater education opportunities at a lower cost, the organization said.
“I just remember looking at it and thinking like, wow, this is so helpful,” Lott said. “I wish I had this in my first pregnancy.”