At the Family Birth Center, our experienced nurse educators lead prenatal classes for expectant parents and families. We can help the whole family prepare for your child's birth — including siblings and grandparents.
Registration is required to attend a class. See our list of course options below.
In addition to classes on our main campus in Hyde Park, we also offer prenatal classes in Harvey on our University of Chicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial campus.Prenatal Classes for Parents and Caregivers: What to Expect
The prenatal classes cover a range of topics to help expectant parents and caregivers prepare for childbirth and to take care of a newborn. The introductory course, Infant Care for Expectant Parents, covers diapering, holding a newborn, and swaddling. It also covers newborn behaviors like feeding, sleeping, and crying.
We also offer:
- Breastfeeding Your Infant, which covers topics like maternal diet, infant latching and positioning, and monitoring how much the infant feed
- Infant CPR and Safety
- Lamaze
- And more
- Breastfeeding Your Infant
- Grandparents Workshop
- Infant Care
- Infant CPR and Safety
- Intro to Baby’s Car Seat
- Labor Preparation
- Support Partners Workshop
Those who take the e-classes also have the opportunity to participate in a live, virtual question and answer session.
Live virtual classes are another option. The classes offered in this format include most of those listed above, as well as Lamaze Childbirth Preparation.
Absolutely. The Support Partners Workshop is perfect for dads and partners. Anyone who will play a major role in supporting mom and baby are encouraged to take the classes — not only to support the mother-to-be, but also for their own education. All caregivers can benefit from learning infant care techniques.
The breastfeeding class discuss the roles of fathers and partners in breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. This knowledge can also help partners be a strong advocate for the mother-to-be while in the delivery room.
No, classes are open to any caregiver who would like to brush up on infant care skills, be it the second or fourth pregnancy. The labor preparation class is perfect for parents who have older kids and would like to brush up on the latest evidence-based practices. We also have a Grandparent’s Workshop that serves as a refresher class for grandparents on the latest in infant care practices.
Yes. Any time someone can gain education, it’s necessary, especially when learning how to care for a baby. The practices are evolving, so it’s important to be aware of the latest. In addition, classes like the Labor Preparation for Expectant Parents will help parents learn what to expect during delivery. Intro to Baby’s Car Seat is another necessary class, as car seat technology is ever-changing and getting more sophisticated. Prenatal classes will empower parents, instill confidence, and help them learn what to ask of their healthcare providers.
It’s typically recommended to start prenatal classes at the start of the third trimester; however, it’s really up to the parents and caregiver. Some families will start sooner so that they can create and discuss a birth plan and to get ready for the new baby. Another benefit of starting classes at the beginning of the third trimester is that parents will be closer to their delivery date and more likely to remember the content.
Prenatal & Family Classes at the Family Birth Center
The Family Birth Center - Hyde Park offers a variety of prenatal and family classes. Especially if this is your first pregnancy — and even if it isn't — we encourage you and your spouse, partner or co-parent to take prenatal classes and a birth center tour. We even offer a class to help grandparents prepare for your little one's arrival.
Read more about our Family Birth Center prenatal classes, what we offer, and what you can expect.
