What impact does pregnancy have on my body? What should I be aware of? What happens during labor and how can I best prepare for it? In the run-up to this happy event, expectant mothers and their partners will have many questions, and even more if they are preparing for the birth of their first child. Combining both theory and practical advice, the classes offered by the multidisciplinary team of the maternity department at Hôpital de La Tour provide a forum where the concerns of expectant parents will be listened to.
Monitoring in small groups, from the end of the second trimester
Providing information and answering questions from couples and pregnant women is the first stage of the antenatal classes given by the midwives of the maternity department. These classes make it possible to monitor the latter stages of the pregnancy but also to prepare expectant parents for labor and their return home. The classes cover the physiological and pathological aspects of pregnancy, as well as how to look after a baby, and are available from the end of the second trimester.
“We discuss both the signs that labor is beginning and the delivery itself, right through to the return of menstruation,” explains Anne Rohmer-Jacquemin, deputy head midwife of the gynecology-obstetrics department. “Expectant mothers often want to know the best way to handle their contractions and help the labor to progress.” These classes are also an important time for expectant fathers, who will have their own questions to ask. Comprising three sessions lasting two hours, the antenatal classes are currently held over video conference due to health restrictions.
The advantages of optimum physical preparation
Expectant mothers’ bodies adapt over the course of the pregnancy and undergo changes to accommodate their growing babies. Physical activity can help pregnant women to pace themselves and prepare for the arrival of their newborn calmly. In the swimming pool at Hôpital de La Tour, expectant mothers can take classes focusing on breathing and relaxation techniques, and postural exercices. These pool-based exercises are recommended from the 25th week of pregnancy and not only help to ease pain in the back, pelvis, and legs but also help to make labor easier and ensure better post-partum recovery. Split into six lessons lasting an hour, they provide a great opportunity for pregnant women to meet other expectant mothers. “There is a special bond between the maternity department and our patients. The women who have benefited from this experience often come back for the birth of their second child,” Anne Rohmer-Jacquemin, deputy head midwife of the maternity department at Hôpital de La Tour, is pleased to report.