Westchester Community Health Center

formerly Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center

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Home | Patient Resources | Lamaze Classes

Lamaze Classes

Our Lamaze Classes promote a natural, healthy, and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting.

We offer Lamaze Classes at select Health Center locations. Taught by a Lamaze-Certified Childbirth Educator, our small classes promote a natural, healthy, and safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting. During our 2-hour, six-week course, participants learn about birthing choices and practices that are based on the best, most current medical evidence available. Expectant parents get a chance to ask questions and share their feelings, fears, excitement, and desires as they move toward the birth of their children. The course culminates with an “under-the-cover” class held at a local hospital where students can practice what they’ve learned and get an intimate feel of their birthing surroundings and protocols.

Lamaze Classes Topics include:

  • Normal labor and birth (using videos of actual births) and the early postpartum period
  • Exercises and appropriate body mechanics to reduce the discomforts of pregnancy
  • How to be active and informed participants during pregnancy and birth
  • Focused breathing techniques for labor
  • Other relaxation techniques and natural strategies to help you work with labor pain, such as massage, walking, position changes, and hydrotherapy
  • Tips to help your partner encourage and support you during labor
  • How to communicate with your healthcare team to ensure your needs and desires are respected and met
  • Complications that could arise during labor and birth and interventions that might be medically necessary
  • Managing pain with medication, such as epidurals and other pharmacological options, including risks and benefits, so you can make informed decisions
  • The value of one-on-one professional support during labor
  • Early interaction with your baby as well as infant care
  • Postpartum changes in the mother
  • Breastfeeding

Locations: WCHC Mount Vernon, WCHC Greenburgh, WCHC Yonkers

Cost: Our Lamaze Classes are free for our patients.

Dates and Times: Courses temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 safety concerns.

How to Enroll: Lamaze Classes have been temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 safety concerns.