Childbirth & Parenting

Thanks to the support of the Dominican Hospital Foundation, families giving birth at Dignity Health Dominican Hospital are offered free individual car seat fittings so that you can go home safely. Our certified car seat technicians will visit you to schedule a car seat check or to give you more information about car seat safety.

When a family graduates from the NICU, there is an overwhelming amount of information and many unknowns about your child’s development. This play class will bring families with a shared NICU experience together to focus on their infant’s development in a fun and approachable way. Families will have opportunities to share successes and struggles as well as learn and practice different strategies each week to support their baby’s development with guidance from a NICU developmental therapist. Caregivers should come prepared to sit on the floor and move with your baby. 4 sessions

Instructor: Allison Smith, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, CNT Class fee: No fee to participate Class code: DPC

Tummy time is the best activity to do with your baby to support their motor, cognitive, and sensory development. Have you heard about tummy time but not sure exactly what it is or how to do it? Whether you’ve tried it or not, in this class, we’ll discover what tummy time is, why it’s important, and how to do it. This class is designed to make tummy time fun and approachable. You will get to practice hands-on skills to use at home with your baby to help your baby enjoy tummy time and get them ready to roll over, sit, and crawl. Babies from birth to 3 months of age should attend with their caregivers. We understand that babies don’t always cooperate with scheduled activities, so if your baby is unable to engage in the class (sleeping, etc.) you can still attend, and dolls will be available for practice. Come prepared to get on the floor and move around with your baby. 1 Session

Instructor: Allison Smith, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, CNT Class fee: $35 for mom and support person Class code: TT4N Mon 7/12; 8/9; 9/13; 10/11; 11/8; 12/6

Tummy time can be hard as your baby is getting older and likes seeing the world around them, but tummy time continues to be important until your baby is crawling. Tummy time is essential for your baby’s motor, cognitive, and sensory development. Is your baby getting older but you haven’t tried tummy time or your baby doesn’t seem to like being on their tummy? In this case, we’ll discuss the benefits of tummy-time, different ways to provide tummy -time opportunities, how to make tummy time fun, and how to encourage your baby’s next developmental milestones. You will get to practice handson skills to use at home with your baby to help your baby enjoy tummy time and start rolling over, sitting and crawling. This class is appropriate for babies from 4 months old until they are able to crawl and should attend with their caregivers. Come prepared to get on the floor and move around with your baby. 1 Session

Instructor: Allison Smith, PhD, OTR/L, BCP, CNT Class fee: $35 for mom and support person Class code: TT4P

Come join other new mamas-to-be for some fun and gentle movements to help your pregnant body feel its best. The warm water pool, 86-88 degrees, is comfortable year-round. Gentle aerobic, flexibility and relaxation exercises, in chest-deep water, help ease discomfort and aid sleep. We anticipate expanding the number of Aquatic classes in September 2021. Please visit our website to view updates or call (831) 4577099 for information.

New icon, childbirth icon, mind-body icon Feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and at your wit's end trying to communicate with your teenager? There is an easier way to communicate besides yelling, fighting, and chasing them. It starts with you. Learning how to create ease, flow, and connection starts with creating drama-free relationships. This 6-week course will help you develop skills and give you practical tools to become consciously aware of how you are being in that relationship. Gina Urzi has a background in Child Development, Occupational Therapy, and as a Life Coach focusing on Conscious Parenting and Leadership. She is passionate about supporting others in creating a world of trust, connection and awareness. 6 sessions.

Instructor: Gina Urzi, BS, OT, AA Child Development, Certified Coach Class fee: $75.00 Class code: PYT

Come explore your pregnancy with movement and support of other mamas-to-be. Includes poses, deep breathing, relaxation, and meditation that may be practiced through all trimesters (clearing away medical issues with your care provider). Prenatal yoga is a great way to connect with other mamas-to-be and establish friendships that go far beyond birth. 6-8 sessions

Instructor: Shannon Jenkins, RYT-200 Class fee: $90-120 Class code: PY Location: Dignity Health Wellness Center Room: Studio

Bring your baby and join us for postnatal yoga! It’s a great way to help new mamas reconnect following birth and begin to help the body regain strength, tone and flexibility. Yoga poses for mama will be coupled with gentle massage with babies to help bond and relax.

Instructor: Shannon Jenkins, RYT-200 Class fee: $90-$105 Class code: PNY Location: Wellness Center Room: Studio

Communication development begins far before a baby speaks their first word. Watching your child’s communication skills unfold from infancy seems like an automatic process BUT this process requires support, engagement and play with the individuals closest to the baby, THE CAREGIVERS! Facilitated by a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist, This virtual class focuses on building the foundational skills for future language development. Come learn, play and sing with your baby (0-12 months old) as we grow and support their emerging language and social interaction skills, and discuss what the typical language development process looks like. Participants will receive weekly hand-outs that will help guide them through the class and through their days with their new baby. Begin laying the seeds for language today. 8 sessions

Instructor: Johanna Lambert, MA Class fee: $160 per family Class code: ILE Location: Wellness Center Room: Education Room

This virtual 90-minute workshop gives parents the opportunity to learn how sign language helps babies communicate effectively long before they can verbalize their wants and needs. Signing with babies has been proven to help accelerate language development, reduce frustration, enhance a child’s self-esteem and deepen the bond between parent and child. This workshop is based on American Sign language (ASL). You will learn about the latest research and how to teach your baby to sign. Fun activities and songs will show you how easy it can be to integrate more than 20 simple signs into everyday routine. Recommended for babies from birth to 18 months. Expectant parents are welcome. Grandparents and other family members are very welcome to join the fun as well. Guests logging in from different locations are required to register separately. After you have completed the registration, the Zoom meeting information will be provided to you via email prior to class. 1 session

Instructor: William White, BS Class fee: $45 per participant or couple Class code: SL

The introductory workshop is followed by this six-day virtual series. Build your signing vocabulary with themes like mealtime signs, colors, animals, family, bedtime, and more. Eighteen sessions are split into two different six-day series. No need to take in order. Just dive in and start learning now. Recommended for babies from birth to 18 months. Expectant parents are welcome. Grandparents and other family members are very welcome to join the fun as well. Guests logging in from a different location are required to register separately. 6 Sessions

Instructor: William White, BS Class fee: $145. per participant or couple Class code: SL2

This virtual class will help you learn the information you need for getting breastfeeding off to a good start. This one-session class will cover how to ensure a good milk supply, techniques for getting a good latch, how to know if your baby is getting enough, and ways you can avoid common problems. Recommended for mothers in mid-to-late pregnancy. Support person welcome. 1 session

Instructor: Holly Goetz, IBCLC Class fee: $45/couple Class code: BFS

This is a virtual childbirth class. You will learn about the stages of labor, when to go to the hospital, pain medication options, medical interventions, Cesarean birth, postpartum recovery, and newborn procedures. There is also a focus on training your partner to be the best support they can be; learning effective hands-on techniques such as massage, acupressure points, breathing patterns, and guided visualization. We will explore the concept of optimal fetal positioning prior to labor onset, and we will actively practice positions of labor and birth, so please be dressed for movement. You will also learn several non-pharmacological pain- coping techniques, such as mindfulness, sounding, etc. This is a fun and interactive class led by a Nurse Midwife who is also a Certified Doula, Childbirth Educator and Prenatal Yoga Instructor. You will have fun, be amazed, and enjoy meeting other expectant families! 2 Sessions

Instructors: Journey Talkovic, CNM, WHNP Class fee: $100 for mom and support person Class code: CBE

This is a fun, practical 3-hour virtual training for families who are birthing again and that just need a quick refresher course! It will include:

A brief overview of the stages of labor (and, most importantly, how things are likely to be different this time, as it’s not your first birth) How hospital policies and procedures are different under COVID-19

AND most importantly… How your birth partner can best provide you with the most support. THEREFORE: we will spend time developing the birth partner’s knowledge on how to coach the birthing mother in effective: • Breathing techniques • Massage techniques • Acupressure points for pain relief and to increase the rate of labor • Guided visualizations • Mindfulness meditation techniques for relaxation and pain relief • Positions for labor and birth

There will be several handouts given to help partners remember the course content and to refer to during labor. 1 Session

Instructor: Journey Talkovic, CNM, WHNP Class fee: $75 for mom and support person Class code: RC

This virtual class will give you great insights into newborn behavior and development, including: sleep-wake cycles, newborn reflexes, coos and cries, how to soothe a fussy baby and how to identify a baby who is sick and needs medical attention. You will have the opportunity to learn important hands-on skills, such as: bathing, diapering, dressing, swaddling, burping and soothing your newborn. You will learn some key breastfeeding skills as well, but won’t be able to offer much information in this class, as in the comprehensive breastfeeding class, which is offered separately. We will cover important safety considerations for cribs, car seats and other essential baby equipment. This virtual class is a great opportunity to meet other expectant parents in a fun, interactive virtual environment and build your new parents’ community. Your instructors are highly experienced health and lactation educators, who are also fellow parents. This is a fun, fast paced and practical virtual class that both you and your support team will enjoy together. 1 Session

Instructor: Sandra Wiley, BS, CPSP Class fee: $35 for mom and support person Class code: NBC

Registration is available at

Explore all the options and make an informed choice for your birth experience. Take a live virtual tour of the Dominican Hospital Family Birth Center, and discover the many ways we provide comfortable, safe, and secure care for mom and baby. On this virtual tour, you will visit our private birthing rooms and postpartum suites where mom, baby, and partner can stay together. Hear abour our Level III Neonatal Care uni, where the sweetest and smallest patients in need receive the most advanced emergency care available. Discover our emphasis on breast feeding and skin-to-skin contact, as a certified Baby-Friendly registered hospital.

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