As the state is making improvements to maternal health, at least one hospital system is offering help for expectant parents, and it's free.

According to Care Point Health, Hoboken University Medical Center is the only area hospital offering prenatal and maternity classes free of charge and in person.

Soon to be moms say it's a critical service that many families would miss out on if they had to pay.

Raymond Santana reports.

I'm just here to get a little extra like lactation support and ask some other questions.

Meet some other moms.

Alison Kelenic son is just four days old, but Kelenic is determined to start motherhood on the right foot.

It's hard adjusting to this like new postpartum period.

So having this resources really awesome.

I don't think my insurance covers like lactation visits, so being able to do this for free is a huge help.

I wouldn't be able to afford it on my own.

Clinic no longer will have to worry about financial constraints now that free prenatal maternity classes are offered at Care Point Health, Hoboken University Medical Center.

So neighboring hospitals.

I know the cost is close to $300, and most of those classes are still virtual.

We are here in person and we have experts in their fields doing the education.

Gillies Camilleri is the director of nursing for Maternal Child Health, Women and Children's Services at the hospital.

She says they've seen a significant increase in attendance since they started offering the program for free in April or since April, when we opened up the classes to being free.

We have a 77% increase in attendance in our classes.

We have prenatal classes.

We also have safety newborn classes.

We have a dads support group and we have many other classes that we give free.

I have seen other kind of local support groups that charge, and if you're able to commit to that and have the means to do so, that's great.

But like I appreciate their ability to kind of drop in and out of this one based off my circumstances, right.

Like if my baby is having a rough day or if I had a rough night, like it's it's hard to, you know, be able to make that call if you've already committed funds to to a certain period of sessions.

And so this provides a lot more flexibility, which I think is important to a new mom.

What have you noticed since the implementation of this program?

AH, my attendance in the prenatal breastfeeding class has quadruple easily.

I do have a wonderful I love to have them facing me and looking at me in front of me so that we can have this one on one interaction and I can read what their facial expressions are kind of telling me.

So.

When I say something and I see a quizzical look on their face, then I can say what's concerning you about what I just said.

And then they'll say something back to me and then I'll address their specific concerns person by person.

It's my first time here and I'm looking forward to meeting other moms and hearing from professionals versus the Internet about, you know, tips and tricks for being a new mom and navigating this this new life.

I think it could be a good resource, but you can also go down holes of, you know, maybe something you're experiencing you think is like bad when maybe it's really normal.

So hearing it from the professionals would make me feel better just because hearing like this is normal and how to navigate that versus reading something that seems more concrete and not specific to me.

Staff says the service is critical, especially early for working class expectant parents who can benefit from the information but may not be able to afford it.

We do it in depth education before they go into labor, before they go in for the delivery, give them all education on what the whole process is and so that what they can expect.

And so therefore, an informed patient so much better.

They do so much better than patients that aren't informed, given the demand for the weekly classes that anyone can register to attend.

Staff now hopes to expand classes to the weekends.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Raven Santana.

Support for the medical report is provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.