Free Maternal Health And Wellness Classes Available At Ingalls

Shanice Williams is the OB Program Manager, Section Administrator OB/GYN at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, giving out free car seats during the hospital’s 2024 Drive-Thru Baby Shower. Photo provided by UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital.
Shanice Williams is the OB Program Manager, Section Administrator OB/GYN at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, giving out free car seats during the hospital’s 2024 Drive-Thru Baby Shower. Photo provided by UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital.

Free Maternal Health And Wellness Classes Available At Ingalls

By Tia Carol Jones

UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, located at One Ingalls Drive W346, in Harvey, Ill., has free programs centered around maternal and infant health and wellness.

Shanice Williams is the OB Program Manager, Section Administrator OB/GYN at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital. Williams said that classes like Infant Care give families all the tools they need to care for the baby, from changing diapers to burping a baby, as well as signs to look for to know whether or not the baby is progressively growing.

The goal of classes like Childbirth Prep is meant to get parents prepared for their birthing journey, while educating them on the process, options they have during birth, as well as exposure to some of the techniques that might be used during birthing and tools used to help during the birthing process, like birthing balls. With the breastfeeding class, parents will learn what breastfeeding is step-by-step, hormones, common complications people might see during breastfeeding, as well as how to be successful in breastfeeding and expectations during breastfeeding.

Williams said the maternal mental health class is meant to help mothers with the mental capacity and some of the stressors they might experience as a result of becoming a new mom and addressing things like postpartum depression by giving them resources to deal with those things in case they come up.

She said the dancing mamma jamma class is one of her favorite classes. It gets mothers prepared for childbirth experience and helps them with different pelvic movements are incorporating fitness as a way to help with the birthing process and to ease the birthing process. Parents also receive items to take home with them after each class.

The Childbirth Prep class takes place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on June 23rd on the third floor of the hospital in the labor and delivery conference room. The Dancing Mamma Jamma class will take place from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. July 10th and July 17th. The Maternal Mental Health class will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. July 16th and July 17th. The Breastfeeding Class will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on July 17th. The Infant Care class will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 14th.

Those interested in registering for these classes should contact Williams at 708-915-3825 or email her at Shanice.williams@uchicagomedicine.org.

Williams said that typically, these kinds of classes come with a high cost for patients. The classes are free, which is helpful to the people who live in the community where the hospital is located.

“We have a high poverty level, where that $50 or $60 can be the difference between a meal being on the table for their family or not. We want to make sure we can give quality programming to our moms at no expense, with them not having to worry about anything but coming to participate in the class and getting the full experience,” she said.

Williams added that with Black women being three times more likely to suffer from a maternal mortality event, the more that can be done to educate the families in the community about the birthing process and give pointers on breastfeeding, it reduces the mortality rates for moms and infants.

Williams said that when moms come into the classes, they want to make sure they are holding the baby correctly and have what they need during breastfeeding. She said that giving families reassurance and pointers throughout their journey has been very beneficial.

She said that parents who participated in the classes during the previous session were grateful that programming was available in the area. She said that the hospital has so much to offer to the community and they do not have to travel far to take advantage of worthwhile programs.

In addition to the maternal and infant health and wellness classes, UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial also has summer walking club that will take place at 10 a.m. on  June 26th, July 24th, Aug. 28th, Sept. 25th and Oct. 23rd, at 3401 Ridge Road in Lansing, Ill. Those interested in registering, should email Christine Ratliff at Christine.ratliff@uchicagomedicine.org.

For more information about UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital, visit www.uchicagomedicine.org/find-a-location/uchicago-medicine-at-ingalls-harvey or call 855-826-3878.

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