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tarting a family is packed with joy, excitement and—let’s face it— anxiety. That’s why Providence is here to help. With a wealth of prenatal and parenting classes, quality care and special extras, Providence’s five awardwinning medical centers and clinics offer the resources you and your growing family need to get off to a happy, healthy start. Here’s what you can expect. Increase Your Baby IQ
Parents-to-be have a million questions. With a wide array of prenatal and parenting classes, Providence has answers. “To help you prepare for your new bundle of joy, we offer childbirth, breastfeeding and baby care basics classes to help build confidence and reassurance as you begin your new role as loving parents,” says Mary Black-Williams, director of nursing for women’s and children’s health at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, which provides prenatal classes for the entire South Bay. In fact, whether this is your first or fifth child, Providence helps parents master the ABCs of healthy childbirth and parenting. Access to maternity tours. All five Providence medical centers offer maternity tours so parents can become familiar with the state-of-the-art delivery rooms. Additionally, hospitals in the Valley offer a Big Kids and Babies Sibling tour, which includes a walking tour of “mom’s” room and the nursery area, plus tips on safe play once baby comes home. Breastfeeding/Baby Care classes. Our lactation consultants and baby care educators set you up for breastfeeding success by covering common problems and solutions inherent to breastfeeding, as well as maternal diet needs and tips for partner feedings. Baby Care classes fill future parents in on the essentials: nutrition, bathing, child safety and immunizations. Childbirth preparation and refresher courses. Sometimes called Lamaze, childbirth preparation classes help moms-to-be know what to do when labor starts and how to reduce stress during delivery. Refresher courses are available for return moms who want to brush up on the basics. At Providence, support doesn’t stop with delivery. Depending on where you live, you can access postpartum resources, including a Mommywise support group for new mothers and infants, infant and child CPR and even a therapist-led course designed to help couples during this enormous change. Some courses are available in Spanish. Not all classes are offered at each hospital, so please call 1-888-HEALING to discover what’s available near you.
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For Babies Who Need Extra Attention If your baby is born too early or needs specialized care, Providence’s neonatal intensive care units (NICU) are staffed with specially trained doctors, nurses and support staff who can help. “High-risk OB patients should consider NICU care when choosing a hospital. One of every 10 infants ends up in the NICU,” says Jon Yamamoto, M.D., medical director at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance. Here’s what the Providence family of ministries offers. Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance: The first single-family room NICU in Los Angeles County, this 27-bed unit fosters privacy, closer bonding and decreased risk for infection. “With customized sound, temperature and lights, we can create optimal conditions for each individual baby,” Dr. Yamamoto says. In addition, laborists are available 24/7 in case of an emergency or if your physician can’t get to the hospital. Providence Saint Joseph: This 20-bed Level III NICU utilizes innovative bassinets called Giraffes. The Giraffe eliminates the stress and potential harm of transferring infants because it can convert from an open table warmer into a soundproof incubator/isolette at the touch of a button. Providence Tarzana: Also utilizing Giraffe technology, this 21-bed Level III NICU is proud to participate in multiple clinical database networks that track quality and care for critically ill infants. Data shows that Providence Tarzana consistently ranks among the top 25 percent in the nation in almost all measured outcomes. In addition, it is the only hospital in the area certified by California Children’s Services to perform neonatal surgeries. Providence Holy Cross: Housed in the new patient care wing, this sparkling new 12-bed Level III NICU features private patient bays and is equipped to handle infants on ventilators. “Generally a Level III NICU can’t manage babies with vents, but we can,” says NICU Medical Director Jeffrey Hartleroad, M.D.
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