The Birthing Center at UM Shore Regional Health’s Shore Medical Center at Easton provides several classes related to childbirth, parenting, breastfeeding and being a safe sibling throughout the year. The Birthing Center team is now offering a new, simpler registration process to assist new parents and caregivers.

All childbirth and education classes are free of cost, but advance registration is required for all classes. Care partners are encouraged to attend classes with their birthing partners.

Caregivers who are interested in attending an upcoming course may still call 410-822-1000, ext. 5234, and leave a message with your name, email address, phone number, and the names and dates of the classes for which you would like to register, or you can visit our easy online Prenatal Class Registration form and submit your request quickly.

All classes are held in-person at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton’s Nick Rajacich Health Education Center, as follows:

Understanding Labor - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. Classes will take place August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2 and December 7. This course provides information on the signs of labor, stages of labor and labor contractions. Skilled Birthing Center team members discuss options for comfort techniques and pain management, laboring positions, medical procedures, and recovery following delivery.

New Mom, New Baby - 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on August 10, October 12 and December 14. This course provides an overview of care for mother and child, from the time of delivery to two weeks following delivery (postpartum). Birthing Center team members provide information about postpartum care, emotions and stress, intimacy and sexuality, returning to work and birth control options. Course participants also learn about newborn care, including feeding, diapering, bathing, circumcision care and infant safety.

Breastfeeding - 9 a.m. to noon on July 13, September 14 and November 9. Birthing Center team members discuss tips and techniques for successful breastfeeding, including latch and positioning, and maintaining milk supply. (Please note: UM SRH certified lactation consultants also offer expectant and new mothers information about the benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby, along with tips and techniques for successful breastfeeding. For information regarding breastfeeding support offered by appointment via videoconference or in-person -- outside of scheduled class time -- contact 410-822-1000, ext. 5700, or ext. 5535.)

Safe-Sibling - 9 to 11 a.m. on August 10, October 12 and December 14. This course introduces children ages 2 to 8 to ways they can help newborns and parents by being a safe sibling. Nurses introduce participating children to safety issues, safe ways they can engage with their newborn siblings, and also offer tips and tricks for parents to encourage a healthy bonding experience. This class includes a snack, story time and tour of the Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton.

For more information about the award-winning Birthing Center at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, visit umshoreregional.org/birthing. UM Shore Regional Health is a member hospital of the University of Maryland Medical System.

About University of Maryland Shore Regional Health

A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), University of Maryland Shore Regional Health (UM SRH) is the principal provider of comprehensive health care services for more than 170,000 residents of five counties on Maryland’s Eastern Shore: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. UM SRH consists of approximately 2,000 team members, including more than 600 health care providers on the Medical Staff, who work with community partners to advance the values that are foundational to our mission: Compassion, Discovery, Excellence, Diversity and Integrity. For more information, visit https://www.umms.org/shore.

About the University of Maryland Medical System

The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.