Birth and Beyond Classes
Mount Sinai offers live, virtual childbirth classes taught by certified childbirth educators. Our introductory classes—with several options and supplemental courses—will prepare you for the prenatal, childbirth, and the postpartum periods.
Our small group classes are highly interactive. They provide a comprehensive overview of each topic. The schedule and cost of virtual classes are available here. We do not want cost to be prohibitive; if you have concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Private classes are available on each of these topics upon request.
Introductory Courses
We offer three introductory courses, Understanding Birth, Understanding Your Newborn and Parenting Guidance, and Understanding Breastfeeding. They will prepare you for childbirth and newborn care. We recommend that you complete all three courses during your prenatal period.
We appreciate that our patients have busy schedules and different learning styles. You may want to review material weekly, devote one day to learning, or learn just the basics.
Understanding Birth is a class with three course options. The courses vary in length, but all address these topics:
- Pregnancy
- Stages of labor
- Breathing and relaxation/massage techniques
- Pain management
- Scheduled induction
- Cesarean birth
- Postpartum preparation
In all of the Understanding Birth courses, there will be lectures, slides, videos, and demonstrations. You will also have time to practice breathing, relaxation, and massage techniques, and ask questions. The three course options are:
- Understanding Birth is a series of three classes, held over three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts for three hours.
- Understanding Birth (Comprehensive) is a one-day, 6.5-hour class divided into morning and afternoon sessions.
- Understanding Birth (Fast-Paced)is a 3.5-hour express class that covers the basics of childbirth. The content is concise.
Understanding Your Newborn and Parenting Guidance is a 3.5-hour course that addresses the essentials of newborn care and parenting guidance. You will learn about
- Newborn traits and behaviors
- Sleeping patterns
- Soothing your baby
- Diapering
- Bathing
- Feeding
- Safety
You will also practice holding, burping, diapering, and swaddling an infant. We will provide guidance on making decisions, healthy attachment, and development from birth to six months. The class is led by experts in parenting and human development.
Understanding Breastfeeding is a two-hour pre-natal class taught by a certified lactation consultant. We talk about:
- How to succeed at breastfeeding
- Stimulating milk production
- Positions for breastfeeding
- Getting a good latch
- Expressing milk
Additional Courses
We also offer two additional classes.
Comfort Measures During Childbirth is a two-hour interactive class that complements the Understanding Birth classes, and is especially helpful for people who have taken the Fast-Paced class. We emphasize:
- Practicing positions for labor during the first and second stages
- Breathing/relaxation techniques
- Labor massage
We will not discuss pain management.
Infant CPR and Safety is a 2.5-hour infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and safety class. It addresses CPR techniques for infants from birth to one year. An RN and certified CPR instructor will teach you how to recognize choking and what to do if it happens. The class will also address:
- Safe sleep positions for babies
- Infant and child safety
- Safety products
- Burn care
- Poison control
- When to call 911