Future mothers and support partners attended a two-part prenatal class about breastfeeding and pumping at the Ames Public Library on Monday.

The class covered the process, goals and challenges of breastfeeding and pumping.

As mothers walked into the session, they could collect free gifts to assist them during their breastfeeding journey. These gifts included breastfeeding books, nursing bars, nursing covers, lactation milk and tea.

The first part of the prenatal course was the “Best Start Breastfeeding” class. This class took place from 6-7:30 p.m. The instructor began by explaining the benefits of breastfeeding and showed a video describing breastmilk creation. She then provided a visual related to breastmilk production and a review game after this session.

One of the participants, Kayla Mobley, has three other children and is due with her fourth child in March. She decided to choose breastfeeding for her fourth child because she noticed her older three children getting sick often.

“I just wanted to try something different this time to see how big of a difference it actually makes,” Mobley said.

The instructor continued with the different stages of breastmilk and the difference between breastmilk and formula. She later explained the importance of a good latch during breastfeeding and showed a video on different breastfeeding positions.

One of the main topics of this course was the “golden hour,” which is the first 60 minutes after birth that encourages skin-to-skin contact for successful breastfeeding.

After discussing the “golden hour,” the class transitioned to breastfeeding while in the hospital, going home and what to expect in the first few days. Topics also discussed were newborn behavior cues to indicate a hungry newborn and gauging how often one should breastfeed.

Another participant, Amy Baker, is pregnant with her first child. She said the class gave “a really good picture of what it might be like.”

“If you haven’t done it before, there is a lot of questions about what to expect,” Baker said.

The second part of the prenatal course was the “Next Steps Pumping” class. This class went from 7:30-8:30 p.m. This class reviewed hand expression breast milk and the different kinds of pumps. It discussed several places where mothers could pump and resources where pumps are available.

This course also covered the process of going back to work and pumping. The speakers explained a federal law that states employers must provide an adequate space and amount of time for mothers to pump.

The class had visuals for the different pumping equipment and strategies. It gave tips on breastmilk storage and how to properly thaw breastmilk.

It also provided additional tips on successful breastfeeding and emphasized the importance of paced bottle feeding.

Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) partnered with the Ames Public Library to educate the Ames community on breastfeeding and pumping beyond their programs.

Michelle Rowe, the class instructor, was a participant in the WIC program when her husband was in graduate school. Rowe currently works in the WIC clinic through MICA. She became interested in helping other breastfeeding mothers through her experience and support from WIC.

“It’s just awesome to see moms learning new things and especially moms and their support people come out to learn about breastfeeding,” Rowe said.