“Eat” “Milk” “Bath” PHOTOS COURTESY OF SIGN WITH YOUR BABY™

The FamilyPlace -- part of The BirthPlace maternity unit at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center -- offers a variety of useful, informative and hands-on programs to help Las Vegas families interact and form strong parent-child bonds.

"We offer programs ranging from childbirth education to baby-sitting basics that support our family-centered approach to care," says Kristin Rafie, RN, a childbirth educator and coordinator of The FamilyPlace. "We continually add classes and groups that will help educate, support and nourish families throughout our community."

Two new programs now available through The FamilyPlace are the Wee Can Sign program and a lactation support group.

Wee Can Sign classes
Imagine knowing exactly what your baby wants and needs. That's not an impossible goal any longer thanks to an innovative program called Wee Can Sign, which teaches parents of babies from birth to 3 years old how to communicate with their babies through sign language.

Wee Can Sign is based on a simple premise: babies generally understand language and can control their hands and fingers long before they develop the ability to speak.

"Parents can start introducing sign language when their child is about 5 or 6 months old," says Shannon Osborne, owner of Wee Can Sign and a certified member of the presenters network at Sign with your Baby™. "By the time babies are about 8 months to a year old, they can use sign language to tell their parents whether they're hungry, tired or need to be changed. They also can tell their parents that they love them."

Osborne says teaching babies sign language starts a positive cycle of communication that may help:

• Reduce babies' frustration, fussing and whining
• Foster the parent-child bond
• Stimulate the development of speech
• Increase communication with youngsters whose development of language skills is delayed
• Increase parents' confidence in their parenting skills

There's also research that suggests sign language helps stimulate multisensory areas of the brain and helps create a strong foundation for the future learning of languages. Although most family members who participate in the program have normal hearing, Wee Can Sign can help families who have members with hearing limitations start communicating through sign language.

The Wee Can Sign course is offered monthly on Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The four-week program costs $99. Parents who participate in the program receive a Sign with your Baby™ Complete Learning Kit (a $50 value) that features a book, training video or DVD, and quick reference guide.

A free introductory class also is offered for parents interested in learning more about the Wee Can Sign program.

For more information, call The FamilyPlace at 233-7103.

‘Talk' With Your Baby
Parents who participate in the Wee Can Sign program at The FamilyPlace learn about 200 words using American Sign Language. Here are some of the signs parents use to "talk" with their babies.

Breastfeeding support group
For years, The FamilyPlace has offered prenatal breastfeeding classes, and moms who deliver at The BirthPlace receive breastfeeding instruction during their hospitalizations. Now, there's additional support for breastfeeding moms who need help after they leave the hospital.

Moms throughout Las Vegas are invited to attend the newly formed lactation support group offered by The FamilyPlace.

"Many moms, whether they're breastfeeding for the first time or have breastfed in the past, have questions about breastfeeding or encounter problems and don't know what to do," says Diana Miedema, RNC, an internationally board certified lactation consultant at The FamilyPlace. "At our weekly meetings, moms can support each other, talk about what works for them and get expert advice about what they can do to solve many common breastfeeding problems."

The group meets on Fridays from 1 to 3 PM in the ground floor conference room at the Medical Office Building. No preregistration is required and the group is free.

Miedema also offers private outpatient lactation consultations at Summerlin Hospital.

"We don't want moms to give up and throw in the towel," says Miedema. "So we give them as much help as they need to breastfeed successfully."

To learn more about the lactation support group or private outpatient lactation consultations, call 233-7542.

Find Out More About Our Classes
For more information about the programs and classes offered through The FamilyPlace or to preregister for a program, call 233-7103. You also can register online at www.summerlinhospital.org/FamilyPlace.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106