Parenthood is an exciting time, but it’s also one fraught with uncertainty. CHER offers courses to help new and returning parents prepare for childbirth, care for their baby and attend to the needs of older children and siblings. With a focus on building confidence and acquiring useful skills, our courses are taught by certified instructors who understand the joys and challenges parenthood brings. Download CHER’s Brochure (PDF).

Prepared Childbirth
Wondering if a childbirth preparation class is right for you? With an endless array of pregnancy books, the flurry of information on the internet and a host of ever-increasing childbirth options, it can be hard to see what more a class could offer. But research shows that prepared childbirth classes still provide the best forum for expectant parents to gain the skills and confidence they need to prepare for their new baby.

CHER’s Prepared Childbirth class is taught by a certified childbirth educator and covers topics such as:

Signs of labor
Comfort measures during labor
Pain medications
Cesarean Birth
Common Newborn Procedures

The Prepared Childbirth class is offered one night per week for four consecutive weeks or a weekend series to best fit your schedule. Private classes are available, and many insurance providers (including Washington state Medicaid) cover the cost of this class.

For those planning to have an nonmedicated birth, CHER is proud to offer a class called Natural Childbirth. This class can be taken after your Prepared Childbirth series. The class will cover more in-depth breathing and position techniques to use during labor.

Natural Childbirth Class
If you are planning on a non-medicated birth, this class is for you. This class is taken after Prepared Childbirth and covers additional labor positions, comfort measures and breathing techniques to use during labor.

Baby Care
This class is highly recommended for all new parents. Specifically developed to help you through your first year of parenthood, this course focuses on learning hands-on care of infants, safety issues, feeding and comforting of a new baby.

Sensational Beginnings
Babies are constantly telling their parents what they like and what they need. This course is designed to help new parents and caregivers communicate with their baby and understand the messages they are sending you - creating the best beginning for your child.

During this energetic and lively class, you will:

Learn to decipher the subtle ways they communicate messages such as “I need some space” or, “I am learning.”
Become skilled at creatively calming a fussy baby.
Find out when and how many words babies actually understand and how to enhance their language development.
Discover the real meaning of drooling (hint: it’s not just teething).
Explore the best ways to boost their senses of touch, vision and hearing, as well as which toys best encourage movement.
Enrich the way your baby discovers the world.

Breastfeeding Basics
Designed to help mothers have their most successful breastfeeding experience, participants learn about positions, solving common problems and returning to work or school.

Baby Sign Language
This course teaches parents, grandparents and caregivers how to communicate with your baby before he or she can talk. A form of non-verbal communication that fosters trust and understanding, it helps deepen the bond between you and your baby. Baby sign language is recommended for parents to use with babies who are 3 months up to 3 years old.

This course will teach you:

The benefits of signing
How to begin signing with your baby
More than 50 useful signs for communicating with your baby
Easy ways to use signs in daily routines

Friends & Family Pediatric CPR
A potentially lifesaving course for parents, grandparents, foster parents, older siblings and teachers, this class will teach you the proper techniques to provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to infants and children. You’ll learn other safety techniques as well, such as accident and poison prevention and how to prevent children from choking.

Sibling Preparation
With a focus on young children who are about to welcome a new baby into their family, this course is for children 2 to 6 years old and an accompanying parent. Topics of discussion include newborn characteristics, how to help with the new baby and what to expect when the baby comes home.

Parenting Your Toddler
Feeling like your family might not survive the terrible twos – let alone the terrible threes? This informative course focuses on how to manage the ups and downs of the toddler years, including development, communication, discipline, tantrums and more.

Car Seat Checks
A car seat is one of the most important pieces of safety equipment that you can buy for your new baby. Once you have picked out the car seat, the next step is making sure it is installed properly. Safe Kids Spokane has certified technicians that will check to make sure that your car seat is installed correctly. Your baby’s safety depends on it!

About our classes
For the convenience of class participants, classes are held at Deaconess Medical Center, Holy Family Hospital, Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital, St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, Valley Hospital and Medical Center and other locations in the community. We recommend that you register for classes to begin at 22 weeks of pregnancy. Class sizes are limited, so early registration is encouraged. For a full list of parenting classes offered by CHER and the best times to register, visit our site. To view upcoming class dates and locations, visit our online calendar.

Pre-registration and payment are required for all classes. Some insurance companies will cover parenting and childbirth classes, we encourage you to check with your insurance provider about your coverage options. For questions about insurance coverage, class dates, fees or registration, call (509) 232-8138.

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