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Family Birth Care

Mercy Iowa City offers a variety of education programs for prospective, expectant, and new parents.

For more information about any Mercy program or for registration, contact Mercy On Call at 319-358-2767 or 800-358-2767 or by e-mail.

Parking Info

Breastfeeding & More Heartsaver Baby
Breastfeeding Classes Infant Massage
Car Seat Checks | Classes New Brother/New Sister
Childbirth Education/Lamaze Parenting Series
Childbirth Preparation Preparing for Pregnancy
Easing Through Pregnancy Put Safety First

Parenting Series

Mercy Iowa City provides a permission form that parents can complete and leave with a caregiver in case the child needs medical/surgical treatment while they are away.

Breastfeeding Classes
One-session class recommended prior to delivery. A support person is welcome to attend at no charge. Class is taught by registered nurses that are board certified lactation consultants. Class held in the first floor conference room, Mercy Hospital. Fee: $10.

Mercy's certified lactation consultant, Claudia Barber, RN, recently conducted online chats about breastfeeding; here is a recap.

Upcoming Breastfeeding classes:

Tues., July 29, 6:30 to 9 p.m.. Wed., Aug. 13, 6:30 to 9 p.m..
Tues., September 16, 6:30 to 9 p.m.. Tues., October 21, 6:30 to 9 p.m..
Sat., November 1, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tues., December 2, 6:30 to 9 p.m..

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Breastfeeding and More
Weekly group for breastfeeding families. Expecting parents are also welcome. No fee. Group meets Thursdays, noon to 2 p.m., McAuley room, Mercy Medical Plaza. Call Mercy On Call for specific dates.

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Car Seat Checks
Free drive-through checkpoints are offered periodically by certified safety seat technicians in conjunction with the Johnson County SAFE KIDS Coalition. These checks are designed to assess the safety and appropriateness of infant and child car seats. For upcoming dates contact Mercy On Call.

Car Seat Safety Class
This class will help parents better understand Iowa car seat safety laws, car seat instructions, and the safest type of car seat. No class fee. Class is held from 7 to 9 p.m., classroom 2, Mercy North

Sept. 15 | Nov. 10

Childbirth Education/Lamaze
This class is designed for women in the last trimester of pregnancy and their support person(s). Addresses the signs of labor, relaxation and breathing techniques, comfort measures, vaginal and cesarean delivery, parenting, and car seat safety. Includes a tour of Mercy's Family Birth Care Unit. Class is taught by registered nurses that are nationally certified childbirth educators. Classes are held 7-9 p.m. in the McAuley Room, Mercy Medical Plaza.

Each class consists of six weekly sessions or one weekend. It is recommended that women attend a session that ends within two to four weeks of their due date if possible. Fee: $60.

Upcoming Childbirth Education/Lamaze Monday classes:
September 8 - October 13
October 27 -December 1

Upcoming Childbirth Education/Lamaze Wednesday classes:
July 30 -September 3
October 15 - November 19

REGISTER

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Childbirth Education/Lamaze Weekend Class
See description above for more information. Those attending for the first time should plan on attending all three sessions. Refresher couples attend the all-day Saturday session and may attend the optional Friday evening session. Classes meet Friday, 7 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to
5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.

Upcoming Childbirth Education/Lamaze Weekend classes:

2008 dates
July 18, 19, 20
October 10, 11, and 12
November 21, 22, 23
January 16, 17, 18 2009
 

REGISTER

If a weekend class is canceled due to inclement weather, the class will be held on the following weekend.

Childbirth Education/Lamaze Refresher Class
Refresher classes are intended for women who have completed a Lamaze series with a previous pregnancy. Those interested in a refresher class may attend the all-day Saturday session (relaxation and breathing skills) and may attend the optional Friday evening session (review of anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth). See the weekend class schedule above. Fee: $30.

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Childbirth Preparation
Two-session class held monthly. Class addresses last trimester with emphasis on preparing for labor, delivery, baby, and car seat safety. Includes a tour of Mercy's Family Birth Care Unit. Class is held on the following Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. in Classroom 4, Mercy Hospital. No fee.

Upcoming Childbirth Preparation classes:

August 5 & 12 September 2 & 9
October 7 & 14 November 4 & 11
December 2 & 9  

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Easing Through Pregnancy
One-session class provides information and comfort measures for parents-to-be regarding the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. All classes are held on the following Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m., in classroom 2, Mercy North. No fee.

Upcoming Easing through Pregnancy classes:

Sept. 22 | Nov. 17

REGISTER

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Heartsaver Baby Class
This one-session class was developed by the American Heart Association to prepare parents, parents-to-be, grandparents, and child care providers to respond to emergency situations with infants and children. Emergency responses for a choking infant and child and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for an infant and child are taught. Fee: $15 per person or $28 for two people sharing materials.

Early registration is recommended. Class size is limited to 16 participants to ensure sufficient practice opportunity for all participants. Call Mercy On Call to confirm.

If you are unable to attend, please call Mercy On Call as soon as possible. Due to the high demand for this class there is often a waiting list. If registration is canceled prior to the class, registration fee less a $5 handling charge will be returned. No refunds after class begins.

*Saturday classes held 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; all others from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Classroom 4.

Wednesday, July 9 Tuesday, August 26
Thursday, September 25 Thursday, October 16
Saturday, November 8* Saturday, December 6*

*Saturday classes held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
All other classes held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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Infant Massage
A three-session class for parents and babies from age 2 weeks to 7 months. Parents are taught how to massage their baby. Massage can relax and soothe a baby and help babies sleep. Class is held from 1 to 3 p.m., Classroom 4, Mercy Hospital. Fee: $30.

Upcoming Infant Massage classes:

July 13, 20 and August 3
(no class July 27)
September 21, 28 and October 12
(no class Oct 5)
November 2, 9, 16

 

REGISTER

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New Brother/New Sister
Sibling class held monthly for children ages 3 to 12. Addresses baby care and safety, good hand washing, and gentle touch. Parents attend the class with their children. A tour of Mercy's Family Birth Care Unit is included. Classes are held at 6 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. in Classroom 4, Mercy Hospital. No fee

Upcoming New Brother/New Sister classes

July 7 | Aug. 4 | Sept. 8 | Oct. 6 | Nov. 3 | Dec. 1

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For those unable to attend, call Labor & Delivery at 339-3576 to arrange an individual tour at a mutually convenient time.

Put Safety First
A two-hour session designed to help parents and grandparents put safety first for infants and children. Class addresses childproofing strategies, home, and personal safety. Information from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign will be presented. Classes are held on the following Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m., Classroom 4, Mercy North. No fee

Upcoming classes:

September 29 | November 24

Preparing For Pregnancy
One-session class offered twice per year to prospective parents. This free class covers preparing for a healthy pregnancy and baby. No fee.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., first floor conference room

REGISTER

Parenting Series
Parents face situations for which they often have little or no preparation. These classes assist parents with day-to-day issues they may face with their children, ages two years to teens.

Topics will vary with each session and are offered individually. Sessions run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and fee is $15/couple and $10/single.

Monday, September 15: "Do you love me? The value of knowing love languages."

Presenter is Sharon Hebl, RN, who has worked in obstetrics for over 30 years. She has been a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator for over 20 years, teaching classes for Mercy Hospital since 1991. She is also certified to teach Infant Massage, Redirecting Children’s Behavior, The Happiest Baby on the Block, and Holistic Stress Management.

see other sessions

Call Mercy on Call to register, 358-2767 or 1-800-358-2767.

 

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