Join staff from the Community Health team for an eight-week Matter of Balance series located at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital campus on the ground floor of the Physician's Building, in Conference Room C.

Many older adults experience a fear of falling. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater. A Matter of Balance is a program designed for community dwelling adults age 60 and older to increase activity levels and reduce the fear of falling. If you are concerned about falls, have sustained falls in the past, or are interested in improving your flexibility, balance and strength, this class is for you.

*Registration is required due to a limited number of seats available in this class.*

Please call (207) 301-3950 with any questions. 

Bad weather cancelations?  We follow the local school district's safety guidance/plans!  If we do cancel a single class, we add an extra class onto the end so that we meet the 8 week requirement.

Enjoy a new approach to child birth class combining brain science, birth science and technology to empower your positive birth through preparation. This class takes place over a series of three Tuesdays and will include training and education in mindfulness, hypnosis, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and sports psychology. A mobile app will also be able available if desired to enhance the learning experience.

Pre-registration is required in order to obtain access to virtual access. Please call (207)301-8337 to register. 

This is Part 3 of a three part series. Please sign up for Part 1 and Part 2 above. All of your class dates should be in the same month. Join us in person at MidCoast Hospital for the final session of our Preparing for Labor & Birth series. We will meet at the entrance of the offices building where you go to your prenatal appointments. It will start with a tour of the maternity unit and birthing rooms and then we will spend the rest of our time practicing various labor positions and hands on support techniques for partners, as well as discuss a variety of coping techniques! 

Partners/support people are encouraged to attend but do not need to register online. We recommend taking this course between 30-36 weeks if possible. Our hope is that after attending all three sessions you will leave feeling like you have the knowledge you need to make informed decisions, and the confidence to navigate the transition from pregnancy to parenthood. We look forward to working with you!

Wednesdays, September 9 - October 28, 10-11 am

IMPROVment® | Improvisational Movement for Brain Body Health

Fun, creative, and lively, this series of evidence-based dance classes encourage participants to build stamina, strength, and confidence all while moving to music in a joyful and non-judgmental atmosphere. No prior experience is necessary, and attendees are invited to take the class at their own pace and slow down or rest at any time. 

Program aims: 

• to build strength and endurance 
• to focus on balance and agility
• to have fun and be creative in a non-judgemental and non-competitive atmosphere

Any adult 65 years of age or older is encouraged to participate in this class series! Those with PD, early dementia, or individuals looking for cardiac rehabilitation are especially encouraged to participate.

This 8-class series may be taken on a class-by-class basis at $8 per session, or $40 for the entire series using the promo code MOTION26. 

Registration is Required.

To learn more, call 207-373-6585.

MaineHealth Lifestyle Medicine, 329 Maine Street, Brunswick (Parkview)

About the teaching artist: Jessie Laurita-Spanglet is a dance artist, educator, and arts administrator based in Brunswick, Maine. Jessie’s work at the intersection of movement and health has led to her current role as Intervention Coordinator on a cross-disciplinary dance and neuroscience research team at Wake Forest University. In addition to her work at Wake Forest, Jessie has taught courses on the topic of Dance and Health at Colby College and the University of Southern Maine, where she is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Theater. Jessie holds an MFA in dance from the University of Maryland, and is a 2024 National Arts Strategies Creative Community Fellow.

Please join our postpartum support group to find the village you deserve! You will get to meet other new moms and find out that many of the struggles you may be experiencing are common and you are not alone. You will also get good ideas for coping. We vent, we celebrate, we cry, we encourage, we drink coffee and eat snacks! You can weigh your baby here and ask any questions at all to another mother or a nurse. 

The group meets every Wednesday morning at 10:30am at MidCoast Hospital. Sometimes we meet in Conference Room 1, right next to the cafeteria. If that room is not available, our back up location is the waiting room outside the Maternity unit. The group is led by our breast/bottle feeding specialists. Mothers with children 0-6 months are welcome. 

Saturday, September 26, 9 am-1 pm

You’re invited to join us for A Morning of Intention — a thoughtfully curated experience designed to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.

Creative Reset…Community Watercolor

• Enjoy a relaxing morning of creative experience, conversation and connection - one brushstroke at a time!
• Everyone will contribute to one beautiful collaborative painting that each participant will bring home a section of as a meaningful reminder of connection, creativity and shared experience. 
• Estelle, our nurse educator, will lead you through a series of drawing and painting prompts to guide the process – No experience needed!  All supplies will be provided - Just bring your curiosity and willingness to try something new.  Discover the joy of creating art together, slowing down and being present, and seeing the individual contributions joining together as one.

A Healthful Lunch

• Next, we’ll join our registered dietitian and trained French chef, Lexie, for an interactive food demo where you’ll learn how to create a delicious, wholesome, nourishing lunch, followed by a chance to relax and socialize in good company while enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Mindful Walk in the Woods

• Cate, our Lifestyle Medicine director, will conclude our morning with a forest bathing experience. During this guided stroll, you’ll be invited to slow down and connect with nature in a way that is both soothing and gently invigorating.
• We hope to hold our walk outside in the woods surrounding our building, So please bring a light jacket and appropriate walking shoes, in case of inclement weather, we’ll gather indoors.

Facilitators:

• Cate Parker, MS, RN, DipACLM, Director of Lifestyle Medicine Brunswick
• Estelle Krestos, RN, BSN, Certified Wellcoach
• Alexandra (Lexie) Jungbluth, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Registration is Required. We are limited to 15 participants (minimum of 7 required). Scholarships are available.

To learn more, call 207-373-6585.

MaineHealth Lifestyle Medicine Brunswick, 329 Maine Street, Brunswick (Parkview) 

We are offering this class in person at Maine Medical Center, Portland. You will receive directions to parking and the classroom once you have registered.

To avoid duplicate charges, please register only ONE participant per class.  Adding a 2nd person’s name to the cart when registering will automatically generate a duplicate charge. The registration fee includes the registrant and one support person. 

A receipt can be provided for insurance reimbursement purposes. Reimbursement is subject to individual insurance plans, refer to your plan for additional information.

If you cannot afford the registration fee due to financial hardship, please contact childbirth education at childbirtheducation@mainehealth.org .

Rescheduling or canceling your class registration can be done by contacting childbirtheducation@mainehealth.org. Refunds for class cancelations include a 10% processing fee. No refunds will be given after class begins.

The One-Day Express Course covers all of the same information as the Childbirth Education weekly evening series in one full day.

Recommended for all first-time pregnant people and their birth partners, this class is designed to provide you and your labor partner with the information, skills, and resources to prepare you for the birth of your baby.

• Introduction to Labor & Delivery You can expect to learn the stages and phases of labor, what to expect physically and emotionally, the importance of labor support, and more. You will also see birth videos.
• Practical Skills and Comfort Measures You will learn comfort measures such as relaxation, breathing, and positions that you can use both at home and while at the hospital. Even mothers planning to use medication for pain relief will utilize skills to manage labor prior to and in conjunction with the use of medication.
• Medications and Interventions Be an active participant in the decisions that affect you and your baby. Learn about induction of labor, unplanned cesareans, vacuum, fetal monitoring and more. Whether you are planning on using pain medications, or just want to understand the available options, you will take home the information you need to make informed decisions about pain relief.
• Note: This class does not include a tour of the Family Birth Center. Please sign up for a tour seperately.

We recommend attending this class between the 28th and 32nd week of pregnancy.

*Please note for our Winter classes: If the weather forecasts unsafe driving conditions, the class will be cancelled. Be sure to check your email and/or voicemail! We will do our best to transfer you into another class. If where you are coming from has bad weather, please contact us to reschedule!

It's never too late to take an Infant CPR class! This class is for parents, grandparents, childcare providers and anyone who takes care of your baby.

This is a non-certificate course through American Heart Association, Friends & Family program. Learn basic infant CPR & choking rescue for your little one.

The text Family & Friends CPR will be provided.

Make sure to register EACH PERSON attending the class so we can have a correct head count. Refunds for class cancellations include a 10% processing fee. No refunds will be given after class begins.

NOTE: THIS CLASS IS IN PERSON IN BIDDEFORD