Our goal is to remove the fear factor and help you gain the confidence to labor and birth your way.
If you’re an expectant parent in South Florida, you’ve probably done an online search for “prenatal classes Miami.” That’s because you likely recognize the importance of childbirth education.
At Magnolia Birth House, we require all of our clients who are expecting their first baby to attend our prenatal class, “Preparing for Out-of-Hospital Birth,” which is offered through our sister company, The Gathering Place. However, that’s the bare minimum for first-time parents.
The optimal preparation is to attend our full series of childbirth classes in Miami. This includes the following four courses from The Gathering Place.
Giving Birth with Confidence
Coping with Fear and Pain in Labor
Breastfeeding Basics
Your Amazing Newborn
When you participate in these Miami prenatal classes, you’ll learn about various topics so you can approach parenthood with knowledge and confidence. It’s important to remember that prenatal classes are not just to prepare you for labor and birth. They also offer instruction on lactation, postpartum recovery, and newborn care.
4 Areas Prenatal Classes Can Help
Our prenatal classes in Miami emphasize childbirth as a normal, healthy, and uniquely personal event. But The Gathering Place courses are also tailored to answer your parenting questions. We want to meet your needs by reminding you that you can follow your intuition and that each family’s experiences and choices are different, and that’s OK! In this blog, we’ll explore four areas of parenting where our prenatal classes will help.
Labor and Pain Relief
At Magnolia, our clients who attend the full series of prenatal classes have better outcomes. In other words, if you’re planning an out-of-hospital birth, you are more likely to have the experience you desire and not have to transfer to the hospital. That said, it’s important to understand that participating in Miami prenatal classes does not guarantee your successful out-of-hospital birth. However, being educated means you’ll be better equipped to manage contractions — sometimes for many hours — without medications, avoiding the need for hospital interventions, like an epidural, because of exhaustion.
When you attend our prenatal classes, you’ll learn what to expect during Miami labor. Our childbirth classes cover:
The last weeks of pregnancy
The stages and process of labor
Techniques for coping with the discomfort of contractions
Suggestions for positions during labor
How to believe in yourself during labor
How your support people can help you physically and emotionally
Possible complications and how they are managed
Our goal is to remove the fear factor and help you gain the confidence to labor and birth your way. We require all of our first-time parents to take “Preparing for Out-of-Hospital Birth,” which is a great foundation for delivering at our birth center. However, it doesn’t cover other areas that are also important. It’s also not enough if you’re having your second baby five or more years after your first.
“When you sign up for prenatal classes with The Gathering Place, you’ll participate in a small, virtual group that allows plenty of time for questions and discussion. ”
Postpartum Recovery
After your baby is born, your body will go through many hormonal and physical changes. Immediately following the birth, oxytocin skyrockets, but your progesterone and estrogen drop quickly and dramatically. During the first few days and weeks postpartum, hormonal shifts can cause mood swings that include overwhelming joy, deep sadness, and unexpected crying. Sometimes called the “baby blues,” these feelings are normal. However, it’s still important to mention emotional changes to your midwife because perinatal mood disorders, like postpartum depression and anxiety, are common and need to be treated.
When it comes to your physical recovery, you should know what to expect at home after you leave the birth center. Some of the most common bodily changes include the following.
Lochia, the bleeding you experience after the birth of your baby
Perineal soreness and/or sutures
Hemorrhoids
Lightheadedness
Afterbirth pains
As you’ll learn during prenatal classes, it’s really important to rest during the first few weeks postpartum. Too much activity too soon can slow the healing process and cause an increase in bleeding. Learning how to set up a strong support postpartum system is key to staying healthy as you navigate the transition into parenthood, and this is something we cover during prenatal classes.
When it comes to your physical recovery, you should know what to expect at home after you leave the birth center.
Breastfeeding
It’s true that breastfeeding is natural and normal, but there’s a lot to learn about what to expect. The lactation journey can be challenging, and it’s normal to feel like you need to practice at it. That’s because you do! It takes work and patience.
Our prenatal class called “Breastfeeding Basics” teaches you and your partner about the benefits of breastfeeding and gives you the tools you need to successfully begin nursing your newborn. During the course, we discuss:
Basic anatomy and physiology of the breast
Care of the lactating parent
Reading baby’s feeding cues
Initiating breastfeeding
Correct positioning and latch
Tips for problem solving
Bonding with your baby
Community breastfeeding resources
Newborn Care
Caring for a brand new baby can be exciting and also terrifying. That’s why we encourage you to learn about normal newborn behavior and basic care techniques. During our prenatal classes in Miami, you’ll gain knowledge about important skills before the new baby arrives.
Our prenatal class, “Your Amazing Newborn,” will cover the following topics:
Infant cues
Sleep and feeding habits
Signs and symptoms of illness
Newborn characteristics
Infant milestones
Bathing and hygiene
Diapers and diapering
Strategies for coping with crying
Tips for adjusting to life with a new baby
Takeaways about Prenatal Classes in Miami
When you sign up for prenatal classes with The Gathering Place, you’ll participate in a small, virtual group that allows plenty of time for questions and discussion. Expectant parents are invited to join childbirth classes with a support person, such as a partner, mother, sister, or friend.
To see the schedule for prenatal classes, visit https://www.theplacewegather.com/pregnancy-childbirth.
