Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital Offers Local Pregnancy Education Series for Expectant Families

This fall, health experts at Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital brought vital resources and support closer to home for expectant families in Braxton County with a series of pregnancy and childbirth education classes.

The six-class series, co-hosted by Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and Mountain CAP of Braxton County, welcomed 10 expectant mothers and three fathers who participated and gained valuable insights into pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum care.

The program’s purpose is to increase access to pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum education for families in rural areas, eliminating the need for long-distance travel to obtain these essential resources.

"As we well know, living in rural areas often limits access to childbirth classes due to the need to travel often upwards of 1-2 hours away,” said Mindy Mussano, RN, Perinatal Navigator at Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital. “I am absolutely thrilled that Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital could partner with Braxton County Mountain CAP to educate and empower expectant families on their journey to becoming parents."

A unique feature of the classes is the use of a pregnancy empathy suit, which allows participants -- especially expectant fathers -- to experience firsthand the physical challenges of pregnancy. The suit simulates pregnancy symptoms by adding 35 pounds of weight, restricting lung capacity with a compression belt, and creating bladder pressure through a weighted bag. It also mimics other common symptoms such as limited mobility, back pain, and shortness of breath.

"It made me nervous at first to put the suit on in front of people, but I ended up having so much fun with it,” said expectant father Theodore Chidester. “It made me realize a little bit about what my wife is feeling right now. I couldn’t move around a lot. And it was definitely uncomfortable when it came to bleachers or tight seating."

In addition to receiving invaluable hands-on pregnancy education, program participants who completed the series also received “baby swag” as a token of accomplishment.

"I had an amazing experience taking birthing classes,” said first-time expectant mother Riva Skinner. “I learned a lot about labor and how to be ready for the most special moment for mothers and babies. It made me feel a lot more comfortable with the pregnancy experience. Having an amazing teacher like Mindy made it a lot better experience and more comfortable to ask questions or come out of your comfort zone and have an open mind."

The next series is set to begin January 9, 2025, and will be co-hosted by Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Lewis County Family Resource Network (FRN). A total of four classes will be held from 5-6:30PM every Thursday at the Lewis County FRN facility in Weston.

By continuing to offer these classes quarterly, health care experts at Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital and partnering organizations aim to bridge the gap in rural health care access and provide vital resources to support the well-being of parents and their babies.

For more information about the upcoming series or to sign up, contact Lewis County FRN, (304) 269-4000.

For more information about the Mon Health Stonewall Jackson Memorial Hospital Special Delivery Birthing Center, visit MonHealth.com/SJMH/SJMH-birth-center.