Bump & Beyond classes help parents prepare for childbirth
11/10/2018
For parents, the birth of their child is one of the most exciting events of their lives—a moment they will cherish and remember forever.
Welcoming new life into the world is an exhilarating and breathtaking experience. But it can also be scary, stressful and overwhelming.
Columbus Community Hospital (CCH) wants to help families through this exciting time. With that in mind, the hospital is now offering Bump and Beyond prepared childbirth classes for expecting parents.
“It’s something our community hasn’t had for the past several years,” said Kim Eisenmann, director of the Maternal Child Health Department at CCH. “We think it will really help educate expecting parents.”
The classes, which started in June, teach parents about labor and delivery, comfort techniques, medical procedures, as well as newborn and postpartum care.
Jordyn Borer and James Ivy are expecting their first child in the fall. They attended the classes in June.
“I was pretty anxious to start, but now that we have gone through the classes, I feel a lot calmer,” Borer said. “I don’t feel as nervous anymore.”
“I thought I was prepared,” Ivy said. “I was going off of movies and TV shows. I quickly learned that half the things you see are totally untrue. It was pretty cool finding out the truth about what most pregnancies are like.”
The program’s instructors are experienced in labor and delivery and are prepared to teach parents with various learning styles and abilities.
“Childbirth is a life changing event and the more information you have, the more comfortable and less anxious you’re going to feel when you’re going through it,” Eisenmann said.
Bump and Beyond classes are held monthly in the CCH third floor classrooms and are broken into various sessions. Participants spend about six hours in classes, regardless of which session they attend.
The Bump and Beyond program costs $30 per couple for each series of classes. Payment in the form of cash or check is collected at the time of the event. Only one registration is needed per couple. Spanish interpreters are available upon request.
“I think all first-time parents should do the classes,” Ivy said. “I didn’t think I needed them, but when I came, I learned a lot of stuff that I didn’t think I would need to know. Now, I feel more prepared for the birth.”
To learn more about Bump and Beyond or to register for classes, call 402-562-3266.