Week 27 – Finding a Childbirth Class
Finding a childbirth class
Have you signed up for a childbirth class yet? A once-a-week class will teach you and your partner what to expect through the end of your pregnancy, how to be more comfortable during labor, and how your partner or labor companion can best support you. Some classes also cover baby care, breastfeeding, and infant CPR. Parents usually say that they learn a lot in their childbirth classes and make lasting friendships with other new parents.
A class that prepares you to breastfeed may be as important as a childbirth class. A recent study found that the combination of education and support was most effective at helping new mothers breastfeed to six months and beyond, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Group classes that review the benefits of breastfeeding, principles of lactation, myths, common problems, and solutions appear to have the greatest single effect on how long women continue to breastfeed.
Classes for pregnant women and their partners or companions can be found at our hospital or through your doctor or midwife’s office. If you will be taking a class outside the hospital, look for one taught by an educator certified by the International Childbirth Education Association-the ICCE following their name indicates that the teacher is trained and competent in areas tested by ICEA or other nationally certified childbirth groups. Classes by teachers certified by Lamaze International (those with LCEE after their name) are also recommended.
Your Baby’s Development
* He has eyelashes on his eyelids, his eyes can move in their sockets, and he can tell light and dark, but he cannot discern specific objects yet.
* His senses are becoming fine-tuned and more responsive to light, sound, taste, smell, and touch.
* His skin is becoming smoother as body fat accumulates beneath the skin.
* His brain is developing further, and he can direct breathing movements.
Parenting Q&A
Q:”Is it true once the baby’s taste buds can taste sweet, sour, and bitter, she will make facial expressions in response to the taste?”
A:By the time the fetus is 13 to 15 weeks, taste buds have formed. From that point forward, researchers believe, fetuses can taste the amniotic fluid, which carries the dominant tastes in the mother’s diet, such as curry, garlic, and onions. During the third trimester the baby swallows, on average, about a quart of amniotic fluid each day. Even in the uterus, babies suck more in response to sweet tastes than to bitter or sour, a preference that continues after birth and that is satisfied by the sweetness of breastmilk. That breastmilk, however, is also flavored by the main flavors in the maternal diet. The tastes fetuses get used to in the womb, therefore, may prepare them for the tastes of the foods of the culture into which they are born.
Courtesy: University of Virginia Health System
Tags: breastmilk, childbirth class, Diet, fetus, taste buds