Lamaze thoroughly prepares you and your partner for every aspect of your birth experience...from the last weeks of your pregnancy through labor and birth, and then recovery and postpartum. And, YES, Lamaze does cover medicated births (e.g., epidural) in detail. Or, if your choice is to delay or deliver without medication, those options are also covered completely.

Your class will be taught by a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE). An LCCE has reached the very pinnacle of teaching professionalism; the credential is recognized worldwide for excellence. Lamaze is the ONLY nationally or internationally accredited childbirth education program.

What you'll learn:

• The very distinct--phases and stages of labor you'll experience (Knowing what is happening to your body lessens your anxiety, which thereby reduces muscle tension and helps you actively manage discomfort.)

• How to maintain calmness during labor and significantly lessen discomfort by using proven Lamaze breathing; relaxation; and supportive techniques, such as massage, effleurage, and changes in position (NOTE: If you're planning on receiving and epidural, it's usually administered when you're 4 to 5 centimeters dilated; therefore, you'll be going through hours of labor before reaching that point.)

• Medical interventions (including induction of labor and Cesarean birth) that may be employed by your physician and medical team if needed to ensure the health and safety of you and your baby

• Your options for medications and anesthesia (including receiving an epidural)

• Your partner will be completely prepared to actively provide you with emotional and physical support during labor and to be an active, knowledgeable participant in the birth of your infant

• Nursing, nursery, and medical procedures performed immediately following birth

• You'll tour the labor/delivery/recovery, postpartum, and nursery facilities in the hospital's Maternity Center

You have two options:

• Confirms the date(s) and time of your class

• Includes a map of the location of St. David's North Austin Medical Center (12221 North Mopac Expressway);

• Tells you what to bring to class (two pillows and a small blanket plus snacks and drinks, if you like); and

• Asks you to enter through the hospital's North Entrance (also labeled as the Emergency Entrance) and follow the bright yellow "Lamaze Class" signs to Classroom 2-B.

For answers to your questions and to register, please call The Childbearing Years at (512) 263-5588.

Note: Some classes may fill well in advance.

You and your birth partner must be masters of all the skills and information needed to care for your infant from the very moment of birth. This three-hour class will thoroughly prepare you both and provide the confidence you seek. Your instructor, Nola Cottom, RNC, M.S.N., LCCE, FACCE, is a faculty member at the University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing.

Other class dates (Saturday afternoons from 2 to 5 p.m.) are available at St. David's South Austin Hospital, 901 West Ben White Boulevard. For the schedule, return to the homepage and click on "Saint David's South Austin Hospital."

Tuition is $35 per woman/couple.

• Confirms the date and time of your class

• Includes a map of the location of St. David's North Austin Medical Center (12221 North Mopac Expressway);

• Tells you that you don't need to bring anything to class (except snacks and drinks, if you like); and

• Asks you to enter through the hospital's North Entrance (also labeled as the Emergency Entrance) and follow the bright yellow "Lamaze Class" signs to Classroom 2-B.

For answers to your questions and to register, please call The Childbearing Years at (512) 263-5588.

Note: Some classes may fill well in advance.

This 2½-hour class taught by a professional Lactation Consultant will greatly improve your ability to successly breastfeed your infant.

A supportive, knowledgeable partner can make it all so much easier and enjoyable; therefore, your birth partner is highly encouraged to attend.

Your class will be taught by a highly experienced International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

What you'll learn:

• The innumerable health and nutritional benefits for baby and mom

• The influence on breastfeeding success of your significant other, family, and visitors

• The anatomy and physiology of breastfeeding

• Colostrum and changes in breastmilk composition

• Making enough milk

• Feeding cues; awakening a sleepy baby for feeding

• Positions; latching-on; removing the infant from your breast

• Length and frequency of feedings; keeping a breastfeeding diary

• How to be sure your baby is eating well

• Managing engorgement, soreness, and other potential problems

• Techniques for pumping and storing milk for later feedings and renting/purchasing the breast pump that's right for your situation; rental sources; bottles and nipples; pacifiers

• Breastfeeding after a Cesarean birth; breastfeeding twins and premature babies

• Strategies for continuing to breastfeed following return to work or school

• Diet and medications, including birth control

• Resources: private and lactation consultants, reading recommendations, support groups, hotlines, websites, the Austin Area Mother's Milk Bank, and the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)

Other class dates (Friday evenings from 7 to 9:30 p.m.) are available at St. David's South Austin Hospital, 901 West Ben White Boulevard. To view the schedule, return to the homepage and click on "Saint David's South Austin Hospital."

Tuition is $25 per woman/couple.

Enrolling couldn't be easier! Just call us and you can do everything over the phone in two minutes--no paperwork! And, you're welcome to use a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card; or, after registering by phone you can mail a check or money order to our office:

• Confirms the date and time of your class

• Includes a map of the location of St. David's North Austin Medical Center (12221 North Mopac Expressway);

• Tells you what to bring to class (two pillows and a small blanket plus snacks and drinks, if you like); and

• Asks you to enter through the hospital's North Entrance (also labeled as the Emergency Entrance) and follow the bright yellow "Lamaze Class" signs to the Auditorium.

For answers to your questions and to register, please call The Childbearing Years at (512) 263-5588.

Note: Some classes may fill well in advance.

Anyone who's ever been around a baby knows that whatever the infant picks up goes straight into its mouth...so there always exists a very real, constant risk of choking which can become life-threatening in seconds. There are also other situations that can cause a baby's breathing to stop and its heart to cease beating. Every parent (and caregiver) should know how to immediately use proven CPR techniques to save the life of their child.

Taught by an Infant/Child/Adult CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation) Instructor certified by the American Heart Association. This is a "skills" course for family, friends, and caregivers; it is not a certification course.

What you'll learn:

• How to clear an obstruction lodged in your baby's/child's airway

• How to apply cycles of chest compressions and breaths to keep your baby/child alive until emergency medical help arrives

• How to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) to restore a victim's heartbeat (AEDs are now available at many schools, restaurants, entertainment venues, sporting events, malls, retail stores, etc.)

• The techniques for clearing an airway and performing Child CPR can be generalized to giving aid to a stricken adult

Classes meet at North Austin Medical Center on one Sunday afternoon from either 12 to 2 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m., or 4 to 6 p.m.

             2009:     October 25                            February 28                            June 27                              October 31
                           November 29                        March 28                                 July 25                               November 21
                           December 20                        April 25                                    August 29                          December 19
             2010:     January 31                            May 23                                    September 26

Tuition is $35 per person. Class size is kept small.

 After you've saved a place in a class(es), a confirmation letter will be mailed to you that:

• Confirms the date and time of your class

• Includes a map of the location of St. David's North Austin Medical Center (12221 North Mopac Expressway);

• Tells you that you don't need to bring anything to class (except snacks and drinks, if you like); and

• Asks you to enter through the hospital's North Entrance (also labeled as the Emergency Entrance) and follow the bright yellow "Lamaze Class" signs to Classroom 2-A.

For answers to your questions and to register, please call The Childbearing Years at (512) 263-5588.

NOTE: Classes may fill well in advance