“I’m here to get some lactation support and ask some other questions and meet some other moms,” said Allison Kalnik, a Jersey City resident and new mom, who was at Carepoint Health Hoboken University Medical Center where free prenatal/maternity classes are being offered.

At neighboring hospitals “the cost is close to $300 and most of those classes are still virtual. We are here in person, experts in the field doing the education,” said Phyllis Camilleri, director of nursing for maternal-child health, Women and Children Services, at the Carepoint center.

“Since April when we opened up the classes to being free, we had a 77% increase in attendance… This is a mom’s support group but we have prenatal classes, newborn safety classes, dads support group and we have many other classes we give free,” Camilleri said.

Staff members at the center say the weekly classes are critical, especially for working-class expectant parents who may not want to or be able to pay for such a service.

Richard Pitera, chairman of anesthesia at Carepoint Health Hoboken University Medical Center, said, “We do an in-depth education before they go into labor and delivery and what they can expect, and an informed patient does so much better than patients that aren’t informed.”