November 22, 2006

Prairie du Sac, Wis. - A free New Family Class recently debuted at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics (SPMHC) to help new parents better understand newborn and postpartum care before the birth of their child. "The idea behind the class is to help prepare parents before they become overwhelmed with a new baby," said Becky Patterson, a nurse who teaches the class. "We developed the class to give people without lots of experience the chance to ask questions and to provide them with information on how things will look after the baby arrives."

The New Family Class, held at the hospital one Monday each month from 6-8 p.m., commences with a light supper. Patterson says the class content is designed to prepare new parents for all that goes along with bringing a new baby into the world, beginning with the mother's hospital stay and postpartum care. Mothers learn about medications they might receive in the hospital, how they might be feeling and how to detect postpartum depression after they return home. Additionally, new parents learn how a baby should look right after birth, what tests the baby will have, and why those tests are important. The course also covers baby care - feeding, bathing, swaddling, diapering, umbilical cord care and circumcision care. "It's a relaxed class and we answer a lot of questions," said Patterson. Participants also receive a detailed reference guide to take home with them.

Attendees of the class are a step ahead of those who don't partake, according to Patterson. They have a better understanding of what to expect during their hospital stay and beyond, and they are better prepared to care for their new baby, making for a more joyous experience.

Deanna Weidner of Sauk City, Wis., a recent participant in the class, agrees. She maintains it was a benefit to know what to expect prior to giving birth. "We are first time parents and there is a lot of information in the class - on what to expect and how to take care of the baby - that makes it most definitely worthwhile."

To find out more about the free New Family Class, contact SPMHC's Obstetrics department at 608-643-7223.

Becky Patterson, RN, teaches the New Family Class at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital to help first-time parents learn how to care for their newborn. Patterson, a mother of three children herself, has been a labor and delivery nurse at SPMH since 2002. She is pictured here with one of the babies she has cared for, Martin Ziegler, son of Dan and Melissa Ziegler.