Expectant parents Jeremy and Renea Wilson (left) participate in Lamaze and childbirthing classes Tuesday night with others at Greenview Regional Hospital. Photo by Clinton Lewis

When Jane Lash was awaiting the arrival of her first child decades ago, there were no childbirth classes or expectant parent clubs such as The Stork Club at The Medical Center, or The Cradle Club at Greenview Regional Hospital. She was terrified of the unknown during delivery. Then, there was the matter of caring for the baby once she got home. Lash said she didnt know what to expect. But now she can look back on all of it and smile. As a registered nurse, perinatal educator, certified childbirth educator, certified lactation specialist and labor doula (a type of child delivery coach), shes now helping expectant mothers and dads know what to expect when their little one is born at Greenview. I love it, Lash said. … I like to say (childbirth) should be like the Holiday Inn there are no surprises. Lash teaches free classes at Greenview, including the Labor of Love Childbirth Preparation Series, for anyone who plans to have a baby at the hospital. But the classes are also part of Greenviews Cradle Club, which, for a $50 fee, includes much more. We have a gourmet menu from which new mothers can choose meals and snacks, said Reba Gregory, director of Womens Services at Greenview. Also, membership in the Cradle Club includes a free, new, safety-tested Cosco infant car seat for each family. Then, theres a Cradle Club diaper bag, a stuffed animal and a sipper cup, a water bottle for mom, a cap for dad, a coupon for $25 off services at Greenview for a year after the baby is born, a special birth certificate and the option of posting the newborns picture on Greenviews Web Baby Internet Site. Gregory thinks the car seat alone is worth the $50 Cradle Club entry fee. Its the same at The Medical Center, say those affiliated with The Stork Club, which also costs $50 for expectant parents to join and also provides a free car seat. Other benefits of The Stork Club include a gourmet meal in the hospital for new parents, childbirth education and other classes and The Stork Club News newsletter, which is filled with pertinent information about childbirth and infants and will be sent to an expectant mother throughout her pregnancy. Like The Cradle Club, educating expectant families is the main focus of The Stork Club. But there are fees for childbirth education and other classes if youre not a member of The Stork Club. Were reaching out to expectant parents and trying to help them with education and any services that we have to offer, said Glenda Babcock, obstetrical patient educator and a registered nurse at The Medical Center. Through classes, such as Lamaze and breastfeeding, at The Medical Center, Babcock said she and others at the hospital try to make expectant parents feel like they can do this and take the fear out of it for them. Babcock said statistics have shown that a relaxed mother will have a shorter labor, and the only way theyll be relaxed is if they know whats going on and understand the process. But expectant mothers arent the only ones who can benefit from the Stork or Cradle clubs. Fathers are encouraged to join in classes, even those that focus on breastfeeding. I love working with the dads, Lash said. I tell the men their role in the delivery room is to keep the environment calm, and to give the women what they need and want. Lash said after taking childbirth classes with their wives, men find that they know that they arent going to be a fly on the wall, because I give them the tools they need to be a positive benefit in the (delivery) room. Classes for siblings also are available at both hospitals. Melissa Evans of Bowling Green had a baby, Graysen, nearly four months ago, and said her other children, Brennen, 9, and Taylor, 6, benefited from A New Baby is Coming class at The Medical Center before their little sister was born. They learned how to change diapers and hold a baby and feed the baby, Evans said. They got a little certificate and really enjoyed it. Evans said her children taking the class also has helped her and her husband, Darrin. They had a running start, sort of when it came to helping take care of the baby, Evans said. They have been very helpful. She recommends the classes and other programs for any family member. Its a whole family thing, she said. Childbirth education and other classes available to new mothers and families through The Medical Center include:Prepared childbirth/Lamaze techniques Option 1Refresher prepared childbirth/Lamaze techniques Option 2Saturday prepared childbirth/Lamaze techniques Option 3A new baby is coming (for expectant siblings)Breastfeeding classGrandparenting class (for parents and grandparents, with the purpose of updating grandparents on new baby-care practices)Pregnancy and you (includes formation on physical and emotional aspects of pregnancy, and more)Siblings at birth (for children who plan to be present at the delivery of a new brother or sister)Breastfeeding assistance (a postpartum class)Infant CPR (a postpartum class)Newborn care (a postpartum class for mothers)Childbirth education and other classes available at Greenview Regional Hospital include:Labor of love childbirth preparation seriesInfant CPR and safetyBreastfeeding basicsJust for me sibling classParents again Infant massage class (for parents and baby after the infant is born)Scheduled cesarean section (to learn what to expect before, during and after your C-section)Back to work basics (for mother who plan to return to work within six months after their babys birth)For times and dates and location of classes, or for more information about The Cradle Club at Greenview, call Lash at 793-1000. For similar information from The Stork Club, call Babcock at 745-1000.