Employers – Amma Parenting Center | Pregnancy & Early Infancy Education | 952-926-BABY

10 easy steps to bringing Amma to your team

technology@discovercurious.com — Thu, 26 Aug 2021 03:58:54 +0000

Are you looking for the kind of employee benefits that will set you apart as an employer of choice? Childbirth classes and new parent support from Amma Parenting are a great place to start—and offering them to your employees couldn’t be easier. We can have you up and running in as little as three weeks.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Discover the value.

Check out our website to learn how Amma classes can help you stand out as an employer of choice and support your bottom line at the same time. Here are a few of the top advantages to an Amma benefits package: Our classes help keep your workforce healthy and engaged, reduce the chance of complicated and expensive childbirth, prevent postpartum depression, reduce stress, support your employees and their families, and protect your investment in your people. Visit ammaparenting.com/employers to learn more.

2. Connect.

Schedule a quick 30-minute call with Amma’s partner relations manager, Lyndie Shackelford, at 952.201.5278 or ly****@***********ng.com.

3. Meet.

Need to add more people to the conversation? Let’s get together! We can talk through all of your questions and present various options for how you might want to structure your employee benefit. For example, do you want to cover one class per employee? Unlimited classes? Something in between? Do you want to cover spouses of employees? We’ll present all the options and you can determine what works best for you.

4. Decide.

This step is easy. Once you see how much your business has to gain with Amma Parenting classes, you can give us a thumbs up on getting started. From this point on, we can have you fully set up in just three weeks!

5. Review your contract.

We’ll send over our contract for your review. Our clients especially love two things about our contracts: First, you only pay for the classes your employees actually take, nothing more. And, second, there’s no long-term obligation—you can change plans at any time. The contract will cover pricing, billing, and whatever components we determine together in Step 3.

6. Design your launch.

While the contract is being reviewed on your end, we can keep moving forward on getting you set up. We’ll talk through how you’d like to let your employees know about this new benefit and what kind of language you’d like to use when you talk about it. For example, will Amma Parenting classes be part of your wellness program or your benefits package? What tools do you have for communicating with employees? What materials will you need for spreading the word? Together we’ll nail down the details.

7. Review and approve your custom website.

We’ll take everything we’ve discussed and use it to create a custom, co-branded Amma landing page exclusively for your employees. This page will have a custom URL you can distribute to your team, so your employees have a consistent, clear online experience and they only see the language and classes that fit your offerings.

8. Review custom marketing materials.

Remember, we’re here to provide everything you need for communicating with your employees about the Amma classes—but it’s up to you to get the word out. So let us know what you need. Many employers start with a postcard, a flier, a jpg image, and a blurb they can use in newsletters, emails, and social postings. All of these materials are included in your package (and more, if you need them).

9. Sign your contract and launch!

As soon as we’ve completed all the steps above and received the signed contract, your custom web page will go live and your employees can begin accessing classes!

10. Get monthly updates and ongoing support.

Every month, with your invoice, we’ll include a report on all of the activity with your employees. And we’re always here with marketing support!

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Top 3 things employers can do to retain working women

technology@discovercurious.com — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 18:57:33 +0000

According to a new study by Deloitte, 25% of working women are considering dropping out of the workforce as a result of added stress during the pandemic. With women holding more than half of U.S. jobs, this is a serious concern. That kind of loss would have a disruptive and lasting impact on today’s employers.

The good news is there are ways to turn this trend around. According to the study, 23% of women cited the top three things organizations could provide to help them want to stay: better support with childcare, the opportunity for short-term sabbaticals, and better support for mental health.

One way some employers are achieving this is by adding childbirth classes and parenting support groups to their benefits offering. Not only does prenatal education provide tangible support for parents, it’s proven to reduce postpartum depression rates and improve the mental health of new mothers.

Throughout the Midwest, companies are partnering with Amma Parenting to bring this kind of support to their employees. New mothers get to learn from Amma’s skilled childbirth experts, employers can build a more supportive culture for working mothers, and the Amma team makes it easy by handling all the logistics. Most importantly, this kind of education leads to healthier births, faster recoveries, and greater support for the mental health of working mothers.

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How to support new moms—and why it matters

technology@discovercurious.com — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 22:00:15 +0000

The global pandemic has caused one in four women (and three out of four Black women) to consider leaving or cutting back on their careers. The added burdens of working from home while caring for kids have taken their toll.

One group that’s particularly vulnerable to leaving their jobs, pandemic or not, is new moms. For employers, it’s important to find ways to support these new parents. Experiencing high turnover within that demographic can directly impact a company’s bottom line—and reputation.

As one solution, many employers are offering opportunities for working moms to connect through parenting classes and new-parent groups.

A recent Forbes article advises employers that parent-employee groups can create “a better environment” for new parents returning to work: “When your business becomes a place that holds solutions to your employees’ work-life balance challenges, such as parenting, loyalty increases and employees feel more understood and valued not just their work output, but for who they are.”

Many employers throughout Minnesota and the Midwest are partnering with Amma Parenting to provide new-parent classes to their workforce.

“Our mom and baby classes are a unique hybrid of education and support,” says Gwen Martin, Amma’s CEO. “We find that working moms benefit greatly from the connections they gain with other parents who are experiencing similar challenges.”

It’s not uncommon for moms to form lifelong friendships that started in Amma’s classes and groups. That kind of support makes a lasting difference for the parents, the kids, and the employers.

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How to encourage mothers to return to the workplace

technology@discovercurious.com — Thu, 13 May 2021 18:53:19 +0000

The pandemic pulled parents out of work at alarming rates and many still have not returned—especially the moms. As of April 2021, 1.5 million mothers were still missing from the workforce.

The reasons for their absence vary but many of these moms are still at home because of their kids and families. Some can’t find childcare, or can no longer justify the cost of it. Some are navigating the ongoing health risks. Some have simply come to appreciate more time at home.

As your business looks for ways to attract and retain female workers, factoring in family support will be more important than ever. Family first is the priority for many of these mothers, and they’ll be looking for employers who understand that.

One tangible way to stand out as a family-supportive employer is by offering high-quality prenatal and postnatal classes as a benefit to your employees. While an offering like this is appealing to job candidates who may plan to become pregnant, it’s also a clear indicator to any mother or father that your workplace supports parents.

Amma Parenting makes it easy to offer premium parenting support. For over 15 years, Amma’s expert team has been helping moms have healthier births, better recoveries, and lower chances of postpartum depression. Three of the largest health systems in Minnesota recommend Amma as the preferred provider of prenatal education, and mothers rave about their experiences with Amma.

Show your current and potential employees that you’re committed to supporting their families, help bring mothers back to work, and create a workplace culture where parents can thrive.

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The high cost of postpartum depression for employers

technology@discovercurious.com — Thu, 13 May 2021 18:07:53 +0000

Returning to work after having a baby is a difficult transition for any mother, but for the 2 in 5 new moms who struggle with postpartum depression (PPD), it’s exponentially harder. PPD can be as debilitating as any major depressive disorder and can significantly impact a woman’s ability, and desire, to work.

Employers play a bigger role in preventing and treating PPD than they might realize—and they pay a greater cost for ignoring it.

The cost of a hands-off approach

Leaving PPD to chance can result in expensive consequences. Healthcare costs are almost twice as high for women with PPD compared to those without—and visits to the emergency room are four times more likely. And, if PPD leaves a woman unable to return to work at all, replacing her position can cost up to 150% of her salary.

The good news is, according to the Center for Workplace Mental Health, employers can have a significant impact on preventing PPD and mitigating its damage.

Employers make a big difference

Experts stress that social support is key to preventing PPD, and many recommend that employers provide various kinds of support, including some form of prenatal education and/or new-parent groups. Doing so sends a positive message to new and expectant parents, and it’s an important, tangible way to buffer the risks of PPD.

Many employers in the Midwest achieve this goal by partnering with Amma Parenting. Amma’s expert teachers bring new-parent classes and support groups directly to their workforce, providing new moms with the information, skills, and social support they need to understand PPD, prevent it, and pursue treatment if needed.

Employers who understand how to support new moms will help protect the health of their employees, their employees’ families, and their bottom line.

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Healthier births create a healthier bottom line

technology@discovercurious.com — Thu, 13 May 2021 16:37:33 +0000

For today’s employers, maternity costs are one of the biggest drivers of healthcare claims—and, in recent years, unnecessary C-sections have driven those costs even higher.

C-sections hit all-time high

In 2018, over 31% of all babies born in the U.S. were delivered by C-section, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s twice the 10-15% rate recommended by the World Health Organization. And some U.S. hospitals have reported C-section rates as high as 60%.

Education makes a difference

Helping new moms avoid preventable C-sections is an important way to ensure that employees stay healthier, return to work sooner, and keep hospital costs lower. Because of this, many employers have begun including childbirth preparation and new parent classes in their employee benefit offerings.

Expectant mothers who know what to expect are better prepared for a natural birth and are far less likely to need a C-section—and high-quality birth-preparation classes have been proven to lower the rate of C-sections by up to 75%.

Amma makes it easy

Many employers partner with Amma Parenting to bring premium-quality childbirth education to their employees. Amma’s expert teachers use evidence-based curriculum to equip expectant mothers with skills and confidence, the Amma team handles all the class logistics, and—most importantly—new mothers have healthier births and faster recoveries.

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Why are 43% of new moms leaving the workforce?

Julie Johnson — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:05:42 +0000

In a recent study, 75% of expecting mothers said they looked forward to coming back to work after maternity leave—but, in reality, only 57% returned. And, of those, only half resumed their original positions. The other half chose more family-friendly jobs—even when that meant taking a cut in pay.

What’s changing their minds?

New parents cite several key reasons for leaving the workforce, including:

Lack of child care
Inflexible work hours
Doctor appointments and clinic visits
Postpartum depression

For employers, replacing these employees is costly (typically 150% of their yearly wage), and many are looking for ways to help working moms navigate the challenges of parenting.

Research shows that parenting education makes a difference.

Taking prenatal and new-parent classes, and being a part of parenting support groups, is proven to help new moms:

Build confidence
Reduce stress
Reduce distraction at work
Reduce feelings of isolation
Reduce postpartum depression

Through new-parent education and support, Amma Parenting has been helping employers retain and attract working moms since 2007. To see how easy it is to add Amma Parenting to your benefits package, schedule a chat with us today.

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Becoming an Employer of Choice

Julie Johnson — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:03:24 +0000

Including Amma Parenting in its benefits package gains rave reviews for this organization

As a national leader in wellness, Minnesota’s M Health Fairview prides itself on providing outstanding health benefits to its 32,000 employees. “Healthcare is a highly competitive hiring environment,” says Alexis, employee wellbeing specialist at Fairview. “We want to be the employer of choice.”

Attracting and retaining top talent

Each year, Alexis and the HR team reevaluate their benefits package—and only the best offerings make the cut. Amma Parenting is always on the list. The mostly female employee population at Fairview has raved about Amma’s prenatal education and new-mom support groups.

“Our employees love Amma’s robust programming,” says Alexis. “They even have an infant CPR class for grandparents!”

Happy mamas = Happy employees

Since incorporating Amma Parenting’s in-person and video classes in 2014, employee participation in these programs continues to grow. Word of mouth is strong—with 98% of participants expressing satisfaction with Amma’s education and many Fairview employees staying connected for years after their initial prenatal and new mama classes. Many employees who became moms together are still supporting each other through each new stage of parenthood.

Relying on trusted educators

With many of M Health Fairview’s employees being medical professionals themselves, the expertise provided by Amma’s ICEA-certified (International Childbirth Education Association) educators is especially important.

“We have a great partnership with Amma,” says Alexis. “They are so easy to communicate with and always open to new ideas.”

Do you want to help new parents in your workforce reduce depression and stay productive? Schedule a chat with us today to see how easy it is to add parenting support to your benefits package.

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How can companies support new parents with the increase in depression & anxiety?

Julie Johnson — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 10:48:15 +0000

In a normal year, up to one-third of new parents will suffer from some level of postpartum depression or anxiety, but the pandemic has dramatically increased these conditions—and their costs. During this past year, almost three times as many new moms have experienced postpartum depression and a whopping 72% have struggled with anxiety.

Untreated postpartum depression is expensive.

Not only is postpartum depression (PPD) debilitating to women—it’s expensive for employers. At best, untreated PPD can cost an employer around $6,223 in lost productivity. Worse, if new moms suffering from depression and anxiety can’t return to work at all, the average cost to replace these employees is typically 150% of their salaries. For a person making $50,000 per year, that translates to $75,000 in unexpected costs.

Amma can help.

The good news is that educating new parents before and after childbirth is proven to reduce stress. And providing new-parent support groups can decrease depression in new moms, especially for those who feel isolated after childbirth—a common condition for those with young babies that’s been made even worse by pandemic social distancing.

Do you want to help new parents in your workforce reduce depression and stay productive? Schedule a chat with us today to see how easy it is to add parenting support to your benefits package.

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