It's all about "baby" and "family" in Valley View Regional Hospital's OB Unit, better known as "The Family Center."

Classes and Programs

The Pre-natal/Childbirth Class is a comprehensive four-night program that prepares expectant parents in their 28th week of pregnancy (or beyond), for the actual experience of birth. Topics include the stages of labor, relaxation and breathing techniques, medications used during delivery, C-section deliveries, and the equipment used during birth. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call the VVRH EduCare department at 580/421-1467. Click here for this month's class times. 

Valley View's Breast-feeding Resource Center offers one-on-one instruction with Mom as she explores the benefits and techniques of breast-feeding her newborn.

Mothers may also choose to join the hospital's Breast-feeding Support Group, a unique resource that provides moms with an opportunity to talk and share their breast-feeding experiences with other moms. The group meets every first Tuesday of the month, in VVRH classroom #4 at 7:00 p.m.  

Valley View's Breast-feeding Class teaches more of the medical and physical aspects of breast-feeding, including:

• History & Anatomy/Physiology of Breast-feeding

• Benefits of Breast-feeding

• Nipple Types & Care of Breasts

• Pumping and Storing of Breast Milk

• Actual "How-to's" of Breast-feeding.

The class meets the third Monday of the month, in VVRH classroom #4 at 12:00 p.m. The program is free to those registered in the Pre-Natal/Childbirth Class. There is a $5 fee for individuals who do not participate in the Pre-Natal/Childbirth Class.

Sibling Tours lets "big brother or sister" tour The Family Center with their parents before the baby is born. The program is offered at the request of the parent for siblings age 14 and below. Appointments are necessary.

Baby & Beyond is a one-on-one instruction for parents after the baby is born. Techniques on how to care for baby are shared with parents and caregivers. 

Is Your Baby A Cyberbaby?

Now your baby can "span the globe" with Valley View's Internet Nursery. After written permission is obtained from Mom and Dad, a picture of baby and his/her first and middle names are uploaded onto the World  Wide Web. Family and friends simply log onto www.growingfamily.com to view the new bundle of joy. Guests can also sign an electronic guest book. This service is available free of charge for your convenience and enjoyment.

Banded-4-Bonding provides Dad with greater opportunities to bond with his new child. It incorporates the use of a fourth identification security band that allows Father, Significant Other, or another Family Member to stay with Baby, even in Mother's absence. This program is just one of the many security measures VVRH has to provide a safe atmosphere for our smallest patients. 

The Friends and Family CPR for Infants class is taught by a certified CPR instructor. Classes are offered quarterly to parents and caregivers. 

For more information about these classes, The Family Center, or to schedule a tour of the facility, please e-mail valleyview@vvrh.com or phone 580/421-6184.

        If you do not have an Obstetrician, click here for a list of doctors associated with Valley View.

VVRH Provides Every Infant With An ABR Newborn Hearing Screening

At Valley View, all newborns, not just those "at risk" for hearing impairments, are provided an ABR, or Automated Auditory Brain Stem Response, hearing screening. VVRH was one of the first hospitals in the state to make this type of screening readily available. The procedure itself is simple and painless. As baby sleeps, a series of soft clicks are delivered through foam-cushioned earphones. Baby's brain waves (his response to sound) are received by delicate sensors attached to the baby's head. His reaction is then compared with other responses for a "pass" or "refer for follow up" result.

Find More Information Especially for Expectant Mothers at...The Pregnancy Center

Valley View Provides Every Infant a "Bili-Check"

Every baby will undergo a non-invasive test called a Bili-Check to screen for hyperbilirubinemia. The results will assist the physician in choosing the best plan of care for any baby with an excessive amount of bilirubin in baby's bloodstream.