Catholic and Expecting?

Office of Evangelization & Family Life Ministries

Catholic and Expecting?

Designed for expectant parents, Catholic Baby University integrates childbirth education with a crash course in Catholicism to help prepare your hearts and homes for the baby. You have your choice of an Express Weekend Retreat or a series of six classes for a holistic mind, body, and spirit preparation in this exciting stage of transition and newness.

Childbirth

The nuts and bolts of childbirth! The prepared childbirth series focuses on three important aspects of the birthing experience: educating parents about labor and delivery; breathing and relaxation; and preparing the birth partner to help and offer moral support. Veteran parents will join one session to share their experiences and answer questions.

We will discuss topics such as:

Signs of Pre-Term Labor
Process of Labor and Birth
Breathing, Relaxation, Focus Movement, and Positioning
Unmedicated labor, Planned Epidural, Nitrous & IV meds
Cesarean and Induction
Postpartum: Hospital Stay and First Days at Home
Swaddling, Feeding, Bathing, Water & Sun Safety, Basic CPR

Catholicism

CBU is an opportunity to dive deeper into the beauty of Catholicism. Wherever you are in your faith, if you desire a spiritual reboot before becoming a parent or are open to learning about Catholicism, CBU provides space to ask questions and learn what the Church can offer your family.

Community

Meet other like-minded parents interested in connecting or re-connecting to the Catholic faith. CBU provides an opportunity to foster friendships with other expecting couples with similar hopes and due dates as you.

Additional

The program includes a “Baby Safe” course presented by Dr. Sarah Hodack, a local Catholic pediatrician from Bella Natural Women’s Care, on “What to expect when you are done expecting.” This course focuses on how to prepare for situations that arise in the first moments of life, days, and weeks at home.

The “Journey to Parenthood” session includes conversations about the imminent postpartum experience, communication skills, parental expectations and changes for each spouse, facilitated by trained professionals.

Express Retreat:

Bella Natural Women’s Healthcare
180 E Hampden Ave #100
Englewood, CO 80113
Cost: $100

Day	Time
Friday, Apr. 5	6 pm – 8:30 pm
Saturday, Apr. 6	8 am – 4:30 pm

Six Class Series:

Rose Medical Center
4567 E 9th Ave
Denver, CO 80220
Cost: $150

Day	Time	Class Topic
Wednesday, May 1	6 pm – 8 pm	Catholicism
Saturday, May 4	9 am – 3 pm	Labor & Birth
Wednesday, May 8	6 pm – 8 pm	Baby Safe
Saturday, May 11	9 am – 3 pm	Prenatal (bring 2 pillows)
Wednesday, May 15	6 pm – 8 pm	Journey to Parenthood
Saturday, May 18	9 am – 1 pm	Faith in your home + Potluck

Program Facilitator

Mary McGeehan, Archdiocese of Denver

Mary serves the Archdiocese of Denver in the Office of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries as the Events & Outreach Coordinator. Mary enjoys the creative and multifaceted events in which God places her to serve. Mary loves welcoming and connecting people to community and resources that enrich their lives.

Catholicism Facilitator

Scott Elmer, Archdiocese of Denver

Scott serves the Archdiocese of Denver as the Director of Evangelization and Family Life Ministries. Scott loves helping people experience and understand God’s presence and goodness, especially newcomers to the Faith. Scott currently holds a Master’s degree in Theology from the Augustine Institute and is pursuing his Doctorate through the Catholic University of America. Scott lives in Centennial with his wife Susie and their two kids, Athanasius and Jubilee.

Certified Birth Instructors

Susan McDonald Geissler, ICCE, ICD, Certified Birth Educator and Doula, Rose Medical Center

Sue has been a birth educator at Rose Medical Center since 1982 and in the Rose doula pool for 12 years. It is her greatest joy to work with parents as they move through the birth year, supporting their curious minds and soothing typical anxieties via information and group experiences. Since 2001 she has taught prenatal classes with a faith base through Jewish Baby University. She is delighted to help launch the new Catholic Baby University at Rose. “There is no better lens to look through along this magnificent journey than the one we know as faith.”

Jessica Potter, CLD, CCCE

Jessica serves as a birth doula and childbirth educator with nine years of experience as a birth professional in the Denver metro area. After experiencing the birth of her own three children, she is a big believer in the power that a positive birth environment, an encouraging and supportive birth team, and a calm and compassionate doula can give to expecting couples as they experience one of life’s most sacred moments. She assists her couples in exploring all their options and choices for birth and the immediate postpartum and provide support with different comfort measures and techniques throughout the course of labor. Her goal is for the childbirth experience to be one that is transformational and empowering for each new family she serves.

Baby Safety Instructor

Dr. Sarah Hodack, MD, Family Practice, Bella Women’s Health Care

Dr. Sarah Hodack is a Colorado native and considers Buena Vista her hometown. She did her undergrad at CSU and studied Health and Exercise Science. She attended Creighton Medical School and then did her family medicine residency in Greeley at the North Colorado Family Medicine program. Her first job was at Sunrise Community Health Center in Greeley where she worked for 4 years before coming to Bella Women’s Natural Care in October, 2016. Her husband is Troy and their kids are Lucy, Finn, and Clare. To learn more about Bella Women’s Natural Care, visit bellanwc.org.