Childbirth Education

Childbirth Classes

Thank you for your interest in our Maine Coast Memorial Hospital childbirth class! This free, one day class is designed to be an overview of what you can expect during your labor and delivery at MCMH and how you and your partner can prepare for the birth of your baby. The class is taught by our own, experienced labor and delivery nurses so you can feel confident you are learning some of the most up to date information. Some of the topics covered over the course of the day include:

• Understanding the 3rd trimester of pregnancy
• Understanding labor — and how to know when it is really starting!
• When to call the hospital
• How to cope with the discomforts of labor
• How your partner can help
• Medical interventions, including pain medication you can use during labor
• Newborn care
• Post-partum care
• Tour of the MCMH Maternity Unit — come see our tub room, labor rooms and post-partum rooms!

As we cover the topics listed above, we will watch a coupe of brief videos, discuss options to personalize your labor and delivery in the hospital setting, and try some “hands on” exercises to better understand how to labor effectively. We would be delighted to have you and your labor partner join us for the day as we explore this exciting time in your life! Please call the MCMH Maternity Department at 664-5464 for more information or to register for the class! We hope to see you soon!

Tours

We offer individualized meetings, with one of our nurses, to familiarize soon-to-be moms with the surroundings and some of the things they will encounter during the birth of your baby. We offer age appropriate information for your young ones, and for you! Call and request a time for us to meet you and the members of your family. 664-5464

Education during your stay

As you recover from delivery, the nursing staff will begin providing you with extensive education in the care of you and your newborn. All new families receive individualized mom and baby care instructions. Because we know just how overwhelming being a new parent is, ALL of our education material is written out in easy to follow printed form for you to take home with you.
We also have several films for your education enjoyment as well — we will be happy to put the tapes in for you to view.
You will receive personal one on one information on numerous subjects. Here are just a few:

• Bathing & diapering of your baby
• Breast feeding / bottle feeding
• Taking baby’s temperature & signals for illness
• Safety
• "Back to Sleep" SIDS awareness
• Prevention of Shaken-Baby-Syndrome (Purple Crying Program)

Breast feeding Support

Breast feeding support is available from all of our nursing staff. We have material for you to review, and bedside support and education to make your breastfeeding easier. We also have hand pumps and pump supplies available to our new moms while you are here in the hospital. We will be asking you about your needs after the baby arrives.

A Certified Lactation Counselor is available to meet with you before or after your delivery to ensure breastfeeding success. Follow-up phone calls are also provided to help guide you through the early stages of your breastfeeding experience.