Education and Support

A variety of classes and educational opportunities are available. For further information on these classes, please call our Maternity Educator at 973-625-6387.

This comprehensive course for first-time parents will help them prepare for the pregnancy, birth, recovery, and caring for their newborn. Topics include overview and recognition of labor, stages of labor, methods of delivery, pain relief (including epidurals), relaxation and breathing techniques for labor, pushing techniques, hospital procedures, unplanned C-sections, postpartum adjustment, newborn care, feeding and safety, and a tour of the Katena Center. This course is offered on weeknights, so please register early to assure your first choice! We also offer this program in Spanish and six additional languages. Saint Clare’s also offers a web-based childbirth class for mothers on bedrest or those unable to attend childbirth classes. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

A lactation consultant will offer the advice and confidence moms-to-be need to successfully breastfeed a newborn. Topics covered include the benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby, how breastfeeding works, different types of milk, positioning, preventing problems, breast pumps, pumping and storage, “making it work for working moms,” nutritional needs, and weaning. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

Connect with other moms. New moms and their babies are welcome up to one year old. Different topic each week: pumping, nutritional needs, positioning, weaning, storing milk, returning to work, sleep, etc. Includes Q&A session with a lactation consultant. For more information, please call 973-625-6387. Click Here to Register.

Designed solely for parents anticipating a Cesarean birth, this course provides information on operating room procedures, anesthesia options, and other important topics specific to this procedure. Information on Cesarean birth is also presented in our Childbirth Preparation classes. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

Comfort measures may ease labor pains directly or indirectly by soothing and relaxing you. Learn how to create a calm environment and increase physical comfort while in labor. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

This class covers advances in prenatal care, hospital childbirth and routines, newborn care recommendations, infant and child first-aid and safety tips, and the important role grandparents play in child development. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

A two-hour, nationally acclaimed course that teaches parents how to calm a baby’s cries in just minutes. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

Designed specifically for new parents, grandparents and caregivers of infants under the age of 1 year, this 3.5-hour course identifies potential hazards in the home, provides appropriate safety measures, and teaches how to recognize infant cardiac arrest and respiratory difficulties. The instructor demonstrates rescue breathing, infant CPR, and obstructed airway procedures for a choking infant. Call Saint Clare’s Training Center at 973-989-3213.

This special class offers guidance for couples expecting two or more babies. This program includes information on the emotional aspects of a multiples pregnancy, caring for two or more babies, and adjusting to your new role as parents of multiples. A tour of the Katena Center and the Intermediate Care Nursery will be provided. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

Sometimes siblings have questions or negative reactions to the news that a new baby is on the way. This Saturday morning program helps prepare youngsters – ages three through eight – for the new baby’s arrival. Parents will learn ways to minimize and deal with jealousy and hurt feelings. A movie, story and a lively exchange of questions and answers are included. Call for dates.

 At times, parents would like to have their older children present at the birth of a sibling. This course prepares the child and parent for the event, and is required for siblings who will be present at birth. There is no fee for those patients pre-registered to deliver at the Katena Center for Mother and Child. For more information, please call 973-625-6387.

In cooperation with Saint Clare’s Behavioral Health Services, Saint Clare’s provides a full complement of crisis intervention, assessment, counseling and self-help group support for women suffering from depression after childbirth. For more information, please call 1-888-626-2111.