While the official Labour Day was marked in early September, if you are expecting a baby, it’s still very much on your calendar.
Preparing for labour and the birth of your baby is important, as well as knowing what to expect when you come home from hospital with your newborn. That is why the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit is encouraging expectant parents to sign up for a Prenatal class being offered this fall in Haliburton County.
The free healthy beginnings prenatal class starts on Oct. 23 and runs the following three Tuesday evenings – Oct. 30, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13. Expectant mothers and their partners are encouraged to attend the class.
To register or find out more information about the program, call the health unit at 705-457-1391, toll-free at 1-866-888-4577 or email prenatal@hkpr.on.ca. Expectant parents are encouraged to register early, even if they have just found out they are pregnant, as this will be the only class offered in Haliburton County for the rest of 2012.
“A new baby does not come with an owner’s manual,” says Tracey Westlake, a family health nurse with the HKPR District Health Unit. “Taking part in the prenatal class can help parents plan for a healthy pregnancy and birth, and give them advice on how to care for the baby at home.”
The prenatal class focuses on labour and delivery, infant care and safety, feeding the baby and adjusting to life after the baby is born. Each participant will receive a free copy of the Healthy Beginnings pregnancy guidebook. Information about health unit services and programs that support healthy families will also be available.
Westlake says one of the best parts of the prenatal class is having people come together and share their expectations and experiences. “It’s a wonderful dynamic, knowing that you are not alone in preparing for a new baby,” she says. “In many cases, the friendships you form with people in the class carry on long after the classes are finished and the babies have been born.”