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Nationally Recognized Program Now Available at Berger for Parents-To-Be

Circleville, OH -- August 31, 2007 Circleville joins hundreds of cities across the nation to offer a new national parenting program called The Happiest Baby. Berger Hospital's Maternity Center will offer this program for new parents and parents-to-be on September 27 from 6-8 p.m. in Berger's Community Room, 600 N. Pickaway St.

The Happiest Baby program, which focuses on infant calming techniques, is the only one of its kind being offered in the central Ohio area. It was developed by Dr. Harvey Karp, a nationally renowned pediatrician and child development specialist. It is known to improve parent-child bonding, increase breastfeeding rates, decrease incidence of postpartum depression and child abuse.

Berger Hospital's maternity staff members have been trained in this new innovative approach and will offer parents the opportunity to learn these extraordinary techniques for quickly calming fussing babies.

The program will provide hands-on training on topics such as:

The Missing 4th Trimester: it may sound odd, but many babies cry because, in an important way, they're born 3 months too soon.
The Calming Reflex: the virtual off-switch to crying that all babies are born with.
The 5 S's: the 5 simple techniques that activate the calming reflex.

Parents will also learn:

Why the idea that colic is due to gas pains is an old wives tale.
Why keeping the house quiet is often upsetting to newborns.
Why most babies get more upset in the evening.
Why it's impossible to spoil young babies.
An easy way to help infants sleep a few hours more at night.
Why fathers are often the best baby calmers in the family.

To register for The Happiest Baby program, call Berger's Maternity Education Services at 420-8373. Cost is $25, which includes a copy of Dr. Karp's book and a CD.

Clark Stevens and Angela Adkins are pictured at Berger Hospital's Maternity Center with their new twin girls, Tianna Kay and Zeyla Rence, born on Aug. 30. Marina Eller, registered nurse, is explaining to them calming techniques used in The Happiest Baby program.