Hooray, you are expecting! This is such an exciting time for you and your family. We hear many stories from moms about giving birth, but how do we prepare? Taking a birthing class is the best way to prepare for labor and delivery and to ask the experts all the questions you and your family may have. Be sure to check out these birthing classes in Grand Rapids today! 

Three Birthing Classes In Grand Rapids to Prepare For Your Little One

Pregnancy and birthing classes through Spectrum Health

Pregnancy is a time that is filled with joy, excitement and a lot of questions. Get answers to your questions along with practical tips and advice for labor and delivery, and coming home with baby. Explore our classes led by nurses who are certified childbirth educators and experts in breastfeeding and perinatal mental health. You can also bring your partner or support person. Classes can be held virtually or in person.

Services Spectrum Health Provides:

First trimester OB education

Convenient, real-time access to information regarding your prenatal care through our digital experience

• Routine Prenatal Care

• Getting Ready for Baby

• Weight Gain, Exercise & Nutrition

This class is free.

• Medication & Other Drugs

• Genetic Testing

• Common FAQs (work-related hazards, mood changes, recognizing warning signs & calling for help resources)

Understanding birth

Two-class series

Before your baby arrives, learn about labor and delivery, pain management, facts about epidurals, induction, and Cesarean birth. You’ll also learn about recovery from birth, preparing for the early weeks at home with your baby, and infant care and feeding.

This class is billed to insurance, please verify with your insurance on coverage amount.

Understanding birth for a multiples pregnancy

Four-class series

Twins, triplets or more, being pregnant with multiples is a unique experience. This class series focuses on what to do before your babies arrive, labor and delivery, pain management, facts about epidurals, induction, and Cesarean birth. You will also learn about recovery in the postpartum period, preparing for the early weeks at home with your multiples, and infant care and feeding. Class four includes a “live” question/answer segment with a panel of parents of multiples sharing their experiences and advice.

This class is billed to insurance, please verify with your insurance on coverage amount.

Understanding birth for singles

Four-week class series

Focused on the birth experience for Single Moms, or women whose partner is not available for birth, our “Solo Moms”, this class will help women prepare for labor, educate and empower them on the birth experience and prepare them for their recovery and transition into parenthood. This class is not meant for couples, but moms may include whomever will be a support person at the birth of their baby.

This class is billed to insurance, please verify with your insurance on coverage amount.

Understanding birth eClass

This interactive online course covers essential information on pregnancy, labor and delivery, Cesarean birth, comfort techniques, newborns, postpartum and more. You’ll also watch birth stories to get a sense of what labor is like, create your own birth plan and learn how your partner can help in the process.

Understanding Cesarean birth

Learn what to expect if you are planning for a Cesarean birth including surgical prep, procedure details, breastfeeding after surgery, and recovery in the hospital and at home.

This class is billed to insurance, please verify with your insurance on coverage amount.

For more info on any of these services, click here

Classes through Grand Rapids Women’s Health

About Grand Rapids Women’s Health:

Providing comprehensive evaluation, knowledge, and treatment to their patients is their passion. As the largest independent OB/GYN practice in West Michigan, they offer a dynamic combination of physician expertise, advanced technology, and a skilled, compassionate staff. Their comprehensive array of services ensures that you will receive the medical knowledge and support you need for all of the important stages of your life.

Their commitment goes far beyond the medical services they provide. Both providers and staff will take every opportunity to provide an exceptional experience that exceeds each patient’s expectations at every opportunity from check-in to check-out.

Their mission is to treat each individual with compassion, setting the standard for service and medical excellence while caring for women of all ages. 

As part of routine OB care for their patients, they offer Ready, Set, Baby!, an educational session to help prepare you for the third trimester, labor, delivery, and after.

Topics covered will include:
•  What to expect at 3rd trimester pregnancy appointments
•  Common symptoms and how to handle them
•  Nutrition, weight gain
•  Pre-term labor, signs of labor, when to call your doctor, C-section
•  Postpartum depression
•  Breastfeeding
•  Choosing a pediatrician
•  Pregnancy resources, safe sleep, car seat safety, infant CPR, and more

Patients typically attend this class during the 26th - 30th week of pregnancy.

Classes are offered three times a month and are held in our office:
2nd Tuesday every month: 10:00am - Noon
3rd Thursday every month: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
4th Tuesday every month: 6:00pm - 8:00pm

For more information: CLICK HERE!

Simply Born Grand Rapids Birthing Classes

Simply Born offers birth options to Grand Rapids with the first Out of Hospital Birth House! Why they call it a Birth House vs a Birthing Center- they created a comfy, cozy, homelike atmosphere for moms, partners, and babies, they did not want to be confused with the “Birthing Centers” at area hospitals. They are what most would consider a “Out Of Hospital Birthing Center” but that is a mouth full. So to simplify things they refer to it as The Birth House. The Birth House has 2 complete birth suites; as well as a small, European style kitchen. Located at 802 Merritt, the house is centrally located within a few minutes of Spectrum Hospital downtown and the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

The key to making the choice to out of hospital birth
is EDUCATION.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

We like The Business of being born, by Rikki Lake, as well as Gloria Lemay’s birth video; to get a visual of Home Birth/Birth House, as well as some free births on Youtube. There are also lots of home birth moms that would love to chat with you about there births.
 

Things to think through before you make your choice:

• If you choose to have a Home Birth/Birth House, it’s important to be flexible and understand that if complications arise, you might have to transfer your care to another provider or give birth in a hospital.

• You’ll also need to be committed to giving birth without medication.

• You'll need to make plans to ensure that you have good support available to you in the days after you give birth.

• You should know that not all insurance companies and HMOs cover the cost of home births. Some reimburse you for your up front costs, but that can take 10 months or more.

BIRTH SAFETY

Giving birth Out of Hospital(OOH) isn’t for everyone, nor should it be for women who are more likely to have complications during childbirth, they should give birth in a hospital. I believe all women deserve whole care; someone who will walk through the labor, birth, and mothering process with you.

For healthy low risk women who choose a skilled and experienced Midwife, and a Midwife who has a good system in place for transfer to a hospital when necessary, studies show that giving birth OOH is safer than giving birth in a hospital.

There is also research showing that moms who planned to give birth OOH (regardless of if they transferred to a hospital) ended up with fewer interventions, such as episiotomies, c-sections, and drugs compared with a group of equally low-risk women who had planned hospital deliveries.

Partners & Out of Hospital Birth

Many partners are skeptical or fearful about OOH birth before the event, but become the most enthusiastic supporters afterwards. Once they've seen an actual OOH birth (rather than Hollywood's caricature depictions) and what their partner can do, given the time and education, they are always in awe of the simple beauty.

Birthing OOH just works better - for partner, for mom, for baby. After watching a woman labor well and undisturbed, it becomes easy to understand how disruptive traveling to a hospital and undergoing many unnecessary routines can be to a mom, baby, and the labor process.

OOH birth also allows for more freedom and involvement for a partner. Unlike in a hospital setting, OOH birth a partner doesn't need to ask permission to get a cup of coffee or use the bathroom. If they are finding the labor to be an intense experience, and their partner can manage without them for a little while, being OOH makes it easier for them to find some space and spend some time alone. During long labors, it becomes more important for partners to get some sleep, which is also easier to do and more comfortable in their own space. 

We honor and respect family however you define it. Whether blended, LBGTQ, poly, surrogate, adoption, etc., we work hard to provide your family with the best care, always.

For more information: CLICK HERE

Preparing to bring a new little one into the world can be overwhelming. Still, with the help of these birthing classes in Grand Rapids, you will be prepared and gain the support and expertise of these fantastic birthing class instructors in the community today!

So are you wondering where to find more Grand Rapids motherhood content? Then check out the blog links below! They feature not only more tips and information on motherhood but also many more featured moms-to-be from my portfolio! But before you go, I would love to chat about your dream maternity photo session!