“Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.”
– Larry Barretto
Embracing motherhood is the biggest challenge that a woman can ever face. To be responsible for a new life is a momentous task! You take the leap from thinking about yourself to thinking about your child. Life goes from me to us and you experience unexpected transformations in life.
From living a 9-to-5 life to a 24*7 life is a big thing. Binge-watching TV shows and impromptu night-outs become a thing of the past. When will the kid sleep, when will he eat or when will he poop: all these factors are taken into consideration while making simple decisions like when to go out.
I have always been the one to believe in multitasking and pregnancy taught me how to put my abilities to good use. You can be relaxing while gazillion things go through your mind. Juggling between office and home with pregnancy made me a better organizer. And, I hope my kids can also learn the skills to prioritize and be confident enough to sail through tough times.
Pregnancy can be a very confusing time with umpteen questions grazing through your mind: what to eat, what to expect, how to help with baby brain development, and more. Here’s where joining prenatal classes can come in handy.
How can prenatal classes help?
The prenatal classes make parenting easy and help parents to prepare what to expect. Few of the benefits are listed below –
- Help understanding pregnancy – Prenatal classes conduct sessions to explain baby growth during pregnancy. The classes help you track healthy developments in your pregnancy, and teach you the warning signs for when something might go wrong. Being aware will help you avoid the risk of premature delivery which can result in incomplete brain development.
- Understanding the importance of healthy nutrition during pregnancy – The classes help you by providing proper diet charts mentioning food rich with folic acid, vitamins, minerals, protein, and iron that help to boost your baby’s IQ. Right food during pregnancy leads to improved health of the baby at birth. You can read more about your nutrition requirement here.
- Teach exercises to ease pregnancy – Many prenatal classes conduct workout sessions for expecting mothers. As little as 20 minutes of exercise three times per week can advance a newborn’s brain activity. Aerobic exercise increases mitochondrial activity in a mother’s brain, and this effect crosses the placenta and benefits the fetal brain as well.
- Teach relaxation techniques – The emotional and physical changes during pregnancy can cause stress in few mothers. High-stress level causes cortisol hormone to be released into the body which can interfere with the fetal development. Relaxing techniques like prenatal yoga and meditation help you relax.
- Teach auditory stimulation and tactile stimulation techniques – At 20 weeks, your baby’s hearing becomes fully developed and baby reacts when you talk. At 28 weeks you can feel the baby movements through mother’s belly. The prenatal classes help in understanding this and teach you to respond to the child by either reading books, singing or pressing the belly whenever you feel the kicks. It is the best way to boost your baby’s IQ and language development. Visit here to know more about the importance of stimulation techniques.
- Conduct breastfeeding classes – The classes teach breastfeeding mechanism to new mothers. The nutritional requirements of a baby are fully dependent on a mother in the early stages of life which helps develop infant cognition, thereby creating a fertile ground for better IQ. For more details on breastfeeding basics,visit this page.
- Debunk myths of labor by rehearsal sessions – The prenatal classes conduct the session on what to expect during labor and delivery. They teach symptoms to identify when labor starts and the pain relief options that can make labor comfortable.
- Conduct couple sessions – In keeping with the current times, you can also enroll for couple sessions. These classes help in understanding the importance of a birthing partner. Taking a class together can mean father’s increased involvement in the pregnancy, and can act as a good bonding experience for the child. Like the mother, the father can also benefit from knowing what to expect when the mother goes into labor – and how to assist in that process.
- Provide support groups for expecting mothers – You can find support from other expectant couples in the class. You can share your joy and concerns with them because they will understand you. They are your ecosystem and you can fall back on them anytime. It’s rightly said that it takes a village to raise a kid!
What is Feed IQ?
Feed IQ literally means that a mother feeds ‘IQ’ to her baby through breastfeeding and stimulation i.e. infant brain exercises. It is helpful for all: pregnant women, term mothers, and pre-term mothers. Some of the information you can find out includes –
- Track your baby’s growth during pregnancy
- Nutrition tips for mother
- Learn exercises and relaxation techniques
- How to make your pregnancy, labor, and delivery more comfortable
- Signs to identify labor and various pain relief options
- Breastfeeding mechanism
- Baby food tips for pre-term and full-term kids
- Understand stimulation techniques for baby brain development
There can be conflicting opinions about whether to join prenatal classes or not. At least, the prenatal classes make you less fearful and armed with some childbirth knowledge. It is always better to have the know-how rather than being unprepared for it.The classes offer an extra cushion of comfort during pregnancy and make your birthing journey easy.
DISCLAIMER –
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions about your medical condition.
28 thoughts on “Motherhood – the gift of a lifetime! #FeedIQ”
drbushran
(23rd March 2018 - 21:00)No doubt Nutrition and learning activities plays important role in baby brain development. Get to learn a lot from your insights
Dishki
(23rd March 2018 - 23:14)Thank you!
Deepa
(23rd March 2018 - 19:18)I joined prenatal classes when I was expecting. They were really helpful but that time many mom’s didn’t know about them. This is going to help moms to be.
Dishki
(23rd March 2018 - 23:13)Great to hear that you had joined the classes.
Yes, now new moms are more aware of these and benifit a lot from joining classes.
upasna1987
(23rd March 2018 - 15:39)I always wished we could attend these classes as a couple while I was pregnant with my first baby. This post is really helpful to new mothers.
Dishki
(26th March 2018 - 21:12)Yes, the couple classes are the best part. Both of you can feel connected to the child.
Pratibha (@Myepica)
(23rd March 2018 - 13:33)One thing that I really missed was the company of moms! I was pretty alone during my pregnancy. I love how beautifully you explained about the pre-natal classes!
Dishki
(26th March 2018 - 21:13)Thank you! 🙂
Anks
(23rd March 2018 - 13:06)I agree with what you say here but you need to find a really good pre-natal class. The one I attended at my hospital wasn’t all that great
Dishki
(26th March 2018 - 21:18)Oh, that must have been a bad experience. Finding a good prenatal class is a task in itself.
Akshata Ram
(23rd March 2018 - 07:54)I wish I had joined these classes, the numerous benefits are so clearly evidenr in youR post
Dishki
(26th March 2018 - 21:17)Yes, they do help a lot. Now they are more popular so more women join it.
Dr.Amrita Basu
(22nd March 2018 - 22:29)Prenatal classes are great.I loved tgat you explained about tgem.Right nutrion and being prepared helps.
Dishki
(23rd March 2018 - 00:45)The classes help you to be prepared with all the knowledge.
Obsessivemom
(22nd March 2018 - 22:23)That’s a beautiful quote. I wish I had fought of pre-natal classes when I was expecting. They can offer such valuable help.
Dishki
(23rd March 2018 - 00:47)Yes, they are surely helpful! And nowadays you can easily find classes in every city.
Dipika Singh
(22nd March 2018 - 21:57)Prenatal classes and myth bursting techniques/training are best for first time moms. Nutritional needs fulfilled with balance diet and #FeedIQ promises of healthy happy baby.
Dishki
(23rd March 2018 - 00:43)Yes, the classes are very helpful indeed. They guide you properly with what to eat & how to exercise.
Neha Sharma
(22nd March 2018 - 21:28)Superb post. You are mostly at a loss if staying in a nuclear family away from parents, you get totally dependent on the social media for any query. I really wish that I should have joined pre-natal classes during my pregnancy.
Dishki
(22nd March 2018 - 21:46)Its tough to manage pregnancy alone and with the classes you get people like you. Thats helps a lot!
Kala Ravi
(22nd March 2018 - 21:07)Prenatal care is so important and your post lists so many important tips pertaining to it. The right physical health of mother combined with right nutrition and a stimulating environment can help the proper development of a baby’s brain and overall health.
Dishki
(22nd March 2018 - 21:43)Yes, all these factors combined together are beneficial for the baby growth. Surroundings play a vital role in child growth.
momsmethods
(22nd March 2018 - 20:24)I understood the importance of prenatal classes only after attending one myself. They really share some amazing tips which might take us a lot of research to figure out
Dishki
(22nd March 2018 - 21:41)Good know that classes were helpful for you. 🙂
rashimital
(22nd March 2018 - 20:11)I so want to join prenatal classes but in a group and here I’m getting a personal trainer. I am thinking of to start walking daily but not able to, so thought maybe putting in some money and joining such classes would do the work. Second pregnancy is something for me in terms of heat and tiredness and irritation. Huh! There is lots to take away from this article, Disha 🙂
Dishki
(22nd March 2018 - 21:38)Dont you worry much! You can start walking around the house to start with. And, once you join the classes it would become regular. 🙂
Tina Basu
(22nd March 2018 - 19:43)Prenatal classes are quite helpful, specially for first time moms.
Dishki
(22nd March 2018 - 21:36)Yes, as first time moms I also had so many questions. Classes offer help readily.