Preparing Siblings for a New Baby
Illini campus reunion celebrates 25 years of “Big Brother, Big Sister” class
Marsha Boarts has seen a lot of changes in birthing in her 25 years of helping young siblings adjust to a new baby in the family.
Dads were required to dress in surgical scrubs to be in the delivery room; newborns spent most of their time in the nursery; and, the first glimpse that big brothers and big sisters had of their new sibling usually came through an observation window. Youngsters weren’t allowed on the obstetrics unit, so kids went to the “viewing room” instead.
Today, birthing is far less mysterious and far more familylike. At the Illini Campus, mothers and fathers stay in comfortable rooms for the labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum care. Newborns sleep in the room with their parents, and siblings visit a place that looks very little like a traditional hospital room.
Come to reunion
To celebrate a 25-year legacy of sibling class graduates, the Illini BirthCenter will host a “Big Brother, Big Sister Reunion” from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23 in the Larson Center atrium, on the Genesis, Illini Campus in Silvis. Marsha Boarts, LPN, who has taught the sibling class for all those years, will be at the event.
Despite new birthing trends, one thing remains constant: Big brothers and big sisters still have to adjust to a new baby and still have fears about Mom going to the hospital. Boarts bakes them cookies and familiarizes them with the hospital and birthing process.
“Marsha and I have worked together for 28 years, and I hear it all the time. New parents will say ‘Marsha taught my sibling class, and now we’re back here to have our own baby,’ “ says Louise Olvera, R.N., childbirth class coordinator at Illini. “They remember Marsha well and have come full circle.”
Boarts involves siblings in the birthing process. She has them draw a picture of how they think their new baby will look; uses a baby doll to teach the correct way to hold a newborn; and, lets them play in a birthing suite similar to the one in which Mom will stay. “Education makes them feel far more comfortable about the whole process,” Olvera says.
Birthing has come a long way, and as a result, it’s easier to make siblings feel included. “It’s so much nicer today; kids really feel a part of it,” Boarts says. “I’ve had mothers-to-be tell me that their kids are upset that a new baby is coming. After the kids take the sibling class, meet some of the nurses, and experience the sights and smells of a hospital, they feel more familiar. They learn that Mom is going to stay with us a day or two, and we’ll take good care of her.”
She adds, “I had three children of my own, and there wasn’t a sibling class when my 5- and 9-year-old children had a new little intruder come along. It was quite a shock to them. When the hospital decided to create a class for siblings, I knew I wanted to be part of it.”
For years, Boarts has used a flip chart of handmade drawings that show basic fetal development in a kid-friendly way. The drawings, still used today, are the work of former BirthCenter nurse Cleo Bellman, who passed away several years ago.
“The class has been a labor of love,” she concludes. “It’s so much fun seeing the kids come back to the hospital to see their new baby brother or sister. They’ll say, ‘Marsha, come and see my baby!’ It warms my heart. They’re so proud of their new baby.”