JOHN DAY Families First Parent Resource Center in John Day is contracting with Blue Mountain Hospital to provide prenatal classes at the hospital.

The free classes, Baby Steps: Birth and Beyond, will be held four or five times a year. The next class is set for 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, in the Blue Mountain Hospital conference room. Lunch will be provided.

Both the expectant mother and her childbirth partner are encouraged to attend, ideally during the last couple of months before the babys due date. However, they can call anytime during pregnancy to get signed up.

The class includes a tour of the hospital birthing center.

Katrina Randleas, childbirth prenatal coordinator, will lead the classes. Randleas is also a family support specialist at Families First.

She has a bachelors degree in liberal studies, with an emphasis in early childhood education, from the University of LaVerne in California, and has been employed by Families First since July 2012.

Were very excited to partner with Blue Mountain Hospital in this, said Families First executive director Teresa Aasness.

We see it as a great opportunity to expand the services we offer at Families First, Aasness said.

Randleas added, It will increase our ability to reach out to families in all communities.

She also explained that the more information and education parents have before their baby is born, the less intervention they will need later.

Aasness added that statistics have also proven that labor is shorter when parents have taken prenatal classes.

For more information, contact Randleas at Families First by phone, 541-575-1006, or by email, ffhvkat@gmail.com.