Lamaze Family Center is moving to a new location today!

Lamaze Family Center is expanding and moving into a larger space with two classrooms today, November 1, 2011 at 2855 Boardwalk, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. We are so excited to show off our new space and welcome you to the new Lamaze Family Center!

Another big announcement for our organization: beginning in January, we will also be offering childbirth classes at the new University of Michigan Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital. We're thrilled to be partnering with the University of Michigan. 

We will still be teaching our evidence-based, high-quality childbirth classes on weeknights and on weekends at our new location. Other classes taught at Lamaze include:

• Breastfeeding,
• Infant Care,
• American Red Cross Infant CPR,
• Support groups for new moms, and
• Toddler playgroups and art classes.

We will continue to offer our free monthly Miscarriage and Newborn Loss support group on the second Tuesday evening of the month, and host the Postpartum Depression Support Group of Ann Arbor twice-monthly meetings and Doulas Care orientation sessions.

Please save the date for our Grand Opening Event on
Saturday, February 4, 2012! More details to come soon.

As always, our goal is to educate and empower women and their families in cooperation with your care. Thank you for your continued support of Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor.

For more information, go to our website at www.lamazefamilycenter.org.

Five Tips on Choosing a Childbirth Class

From Lamaze International: A recent report from the World Health Organization set off alarm bells for many expectant parents. The report showed that newborns in 40 countries, including Cuba, South Korea and Poland, have a lower risk of death than newborns in the United States.

For expectant moms, one of the best, and often overlooked, ways of improving the odds of a safe and healthy birth is to take a good childbirth education class. But how do moms know whether they are choosing a class that will make a difference?

“A good childbirth education class can make the difference between feeling out of control and overwhelmed, and being able to handle the expected and unexpected on the day of your baby’s birth,” said Marilyn Curl, President of Lamaze International. “A really good class will also help moms-to-be avoid routine interventions like inductions and being confined to bed, which can actually increase the risks around birth.”

Read the full article and get the tips, click here.

Feedback needed from childbearing women

Childbirth Connection is requesting feedback from childbearing women for a small online survey designed to help guide their maternity care decision aid partnership with the Foundation for Informed Medical Decision Making. The survey will gather information about how women use the Internet to find pregnancy and birth information and will support decision-making.

Women who are planning a pregnancy, are currently pregnant or who have been pregnant in the past two years are being asked to complete the brief, confidential online survey. Participants are eligible to win a $50 Target gift card. The survey closes on August 31. To take the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/birthdecisions.

For more about Childbirth Connection, go to http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10674.

Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week!

World Breastfeeding Week Event: Creating A Supportive Breastfeeding Culture...In Our Homes, In Our Workplaces...In Our Communities

Don't miss this cool event on Thursday August 4, 2011: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

Joanne Motino Bailey, Director of the University of Michigan Nurse-Midwifery Service, leads a distinguished panel in a discussion of breastfeeding in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 - 7). World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

The panel, which includes local health professionals Linda Faubert, RN, LC; Lauren Helms, MD; and Katherine Pasque MD, will discuss many key issues, including basic support of breastfeeding from partners, family and friends; return to work strategies (including conversations with colleagues and supervisors); and societal influences. The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Breastfeeding Excellence, Mott Children's Hospital.

Stephanie Schaldenbrand, Lamaze's Executive Director, will be in attendance to represent LFCAA and our ongoing education and support for breastfeeding moms and babies.

LFC Helps to Fight Back Against Cancer

By Guest Blogger Julie Lubeck-Hofer, LFCAA Board Member

What if you could personally help find cancer causes or cures? What if your involvement, and that research, ultimately leads to eliminate cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations? What if you could make it so just one family never had to hear the words “you have cancer?”

You have the opportunity to join nearly 100,000 other Americans who have signed up to be part of historical research that may help determine what things in our lives might prevent cancer, to help this and future generations.

Lamaze Family Center has joined forces with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital to provide kid’s activities during enrollment in this important research on Saturday, June 25.

At Relay for Life of Ann Arbor, the American Cancer Society will be enrolling participants for their newest research study, the Cancer Prevention Study-3 (CPS-3). Once enrolled, a participant’s 20-30 year commitment to the study will involve completing periodic follow-up surveys.

I will definitely be enrolling! I lost my mother to cancer 7 years ago. When your loved one is diagnosed with cancer you’re willing to do anything. Giving a blood sample and filling out questionnaires is nothing. I would enroll over and over again if they’d let me.

Individuals may choose to participate if they are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study, are between the ages of 30 and 65 years old and have never been diagnosed with cancer. If you are a cancer survivor, please help spread the word and encourage family members and friends to enroll.

Visit relayforlife.org/annarbormi or cancer.org/cps3, call 1-888-604-5888 or e-mail cps3@cancer.org to learn more.

I am thrilled to be involved in both organizations and participate in this event. We see amazing support for this study in our community. This is a personal way you and I can FIGHT BACK against cancer.

Hope to see you there!

Julie Lubeck-Hofer, Lamaze Board Member and Relay for Life of Ann Arbor Promotions Chair

Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay at Lamaze

Lamaze hosted a fun, one-hour workshop this weekend for a parent and their child to learn and practice "The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It." with Dr. Anthony DeBenedet. Dr. DeBenedet's new book of the same name is now available for sale.

Anthony talked about the importance of parent-child play in development, bonding and trust-building, and demonstrated some great moves for parents and children to use. His book contains over 70 different activities and also delves deeper into the benefits of parent-child roughhousing and good old-fashioned horseplay.

Anthony DeBenedet, M.D., is a board-certified physician and an incredibly active and adventurous father of three girls. An avid athlete, he holds an orange belt in Judo and enjoys basketball, tennis and golf and lives in Ann Arbor. His eldest daughter is a proud Lamaze Parent Toddler Playgroup grad and his middle daughter is currently enrolled in a group as well.

At right, Anthony demonstrates the "Red Tornado" and a mom and son show off the "Flying Fox." The workshops were fun, interactive, and have all of the parents and kids great ideas on how to incorporate these moves safely and effectively into their play at home.

Watch our website for upcoming workshop dates with Anthony! We thank him for his time and expertise and can't wait to learn more.

Lamaze Staff Gathers at Annual Meeting

Just wanted to give a shout-out to our amazing educators at Lamaze Family Center Ann Arbor.

Pictured at left: Front row, Jodie Hughes and Debby Busick. Back row: Cara Genisio, Elizabeth Satterley, Sharon Paskus, Julie Leonard, Kim Mitchell, Meredith Lovelace, Lisa Hartmann, Stephanie Schaldenbrand, Carol Chase, Karen Kairys