#99: Expectant Parent Support Groups

Event: New Parent/Expectant Parent Support Groups and Classes

Where:

When: Meetings are run throughout the month

About: In an effort to give new parents or those about to have a baby tips and support, Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center offers a bevy of educational classes and support groups each month at the hospital. Some classes are run over several weeks while others are touted as “superclasses” that are daylong events that cover a broad range of topics related to childcare. There is a fee for many of the classes.

Among the classes offered are:

First Time Around Prepared Childbirth: a course for first-time parents that prepares mothers and their coaches to safely manage early labor at home and prepares them for the birth experience.

Caring For Your Baby: provides information on infant nutrition, health maintenance, common illness as well as bathing, diapering and dressing a newborn.

Parenting Your Young Child: using the S.T.E.P program (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting), topics include instilling self-esteem, fostering cooperation, positive discipline techniques and tips on developing social and emotional development.

Breastfeeding Your Baby: provides information and tips on proper breastfeeding.

New Mothers’ Support Group: new moms and their babies get together over a five week period to share stories and discuss their personal experiences as they adjust to life as a new mom.

Infant Massage: class is designed to teach parents techniques to help relieve gas and colic, and also help recognize and relieve tension and fussiness of their newborn.

In addition to classes and support groups for parents, Good Samaritan also holds instructional courses for grandparents and big brothers and big sisters as well.

For more information about the new parent classes and support groups offered by Good Samaritan, call 376-4159.

Check back with West Islip Patch next Tuesday at noon for suggestion #98. Have a suggestion for this column? Send it to Greg Sleter at gregory.sleter@patch.com.