Featured Events

Friday, September 13, 2024

Science Night Out raises critical funds for hands-on science programs and exhibits, and also for free group admissions for Title I schools and social service organizations, including CASA, New Hope for Families, Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and more. This same fund also subsidizes admission for families with low incomes who participate in the Access Pass program.

Questions? Email sciencenightout@wonderlab.org.

Six week class series: 

• Tuesdays 
• October 15 – November 19, 2024 – 6 Tuesdays
• 6-8pm

This class series is designed for: Expecting parents and their support people

Partner Organization: Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House

How does labor unfold at home, at a birth center, or a hospital? Are you expecting to give birth yourself, or anticipating supporting someone in labor? In this 6-week series, Tandem Clinical Services Director, Haddie Katz, will navigate labor and birth as well as interventions for complications. With fun, interactive demonstrations, participants will practice comfort measures to be used throughout labor and learn about the many ways to manage pain. Sessions include education about breast/chestfeeding and setting up for a supported postpartum period. This class series covers approaches to labor and birth in all settings – from hospital to home. All are welcome!

The series consists of 6 classes that build upon each other. Topics and dates: 

• Week 1, Oct. 15 – Physiologic labor and birth: This session will cover what to look for to know when labor starts, when to call your provider, what changes will occur as labor advances, and what happens immediately after birth.
• Week 2, Oct. 22 – Interventions: This course will focus on an in-depth discussion of the various intervention methods that can be involved during the labor process. 
• Week 3, Oct. 29 – Postpartum planning: Postpartum Planning begins when we start planning to have a baby! This class helps families think ahead for what they might need to optimize their fourth trimester.  Featuring Tandem’s postpartum doula lead, Jenni Jurijczuk.
• Week 4, Nov. 5 – Comfort techniques: Everyone in labor needs comfort techniques,
•  and their support people too! Learn about the impact of continuous labor support, the use of hydrotherapy, narcotic pain relief, epidurals, positions for labor, breathing techniques and much more!
• Week 5, Nov. 12 – Lactation: Introduction to lactation and feeding for the first 6-8 weeks. Want to learn about how we make milk and feed babies? This introduction to breast/chestfeeding will orient you to how human lactation works in the early weeks.
• Week 6, Nov. 19 – Newborn care: Tiny people are often intimidating! Learn about normal newborn behavior, how to sooth and interact with newborns. We will go over diapering options, swaddling, bathing, common tests and concerns, and when you call your pediatrician!

Prices for the Class Series: Ticket price includes class participation for two persons (expecting parent and caregiver), class materials and snacks. 

• Member: $150
  Nonmember: $175
• Access pass: $75

Class Series can be purchased: 

• At WonderLab
• On-line: https://64603.blackbaudhosting.com/64603/Childbirth-Education-with-Tandem

About Haddie Katz, CPM: Haddie Katz is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC), Registered Nurse, and childbirth educator. Haddie serves as the Clinical Services Director at Tandem Community Birth Center and Postpartum House. Haddie was born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana. After completing her BA in Gender Studies and Human Sexuality at Indiana University, she became a Certified Doula (CD DONA). She started her midwifery education in Indiana before moving to attend the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery. She completed her MEAC-accredited program and residency through three busy birth center/home birth practices throughout the Gulf Coast of Florida. Haddie is the proud parent of a boisterous child, an experimental gardener, and a recently converted dog lover. 

About Tandem: Tandem is Bloomington’s local independent  Midwifery care clinic, offering perinatal services, postpartum support and more. From Tandem:

“Our mission is to improve perinatal outcomes by trusting patients, increasing options for care, and challenging the status quo. Our vision is a community where childbearing families of all kinds have choices in the care they receive and find support and connection during these transformative years. Tandem offers medical services, postpartum doulas, classes, mental health support, free materials and much, much more.”

Learn more at tandembloomington.org 

Saturday, October 19 | 7pm | 21+

Decomposition, Fermentation, Death, and Beer, dig into  the science of life and death at WonderLab AfterHours: Brews & Boos. Learn about how humans deal with death. People all over the world have to confront death, and every culture has their own way of dealing with it. During this time, you will respectfully engage with various traditions surrounding death.

Enjoy light snacks, meet new people, and continue your learning about this spooky, scary subject. Death is inevitable, let’s learn about it!

Grab a beer from Upland Brewing Company and chat with their bartenders about the science behind your favorite brews. Not looking for alcohol, no problem. Enjoy tasting local kombuchas while learning about the process of fermentation. You’ll leave with the knowledge to make your own kombucha at home. 

Let WonderLab’s animal experts guide you on a tour of our animal ambassadors. Discover how they protect themselves in the wild and their potential to turn deadly. Explore a death garden and test your skills identifying deadly plants and their dangers. Take home a vintage-inspired ID card for your favorite deadly plant. Bring history to the present, make your own piece of jewelry inspired by European poison rings. Then challenge yourself to correctly identify various animal skulls from WonderLab’s collection.

Capture your newfound knowledge and experience in a self-made zine, and then add to WonderLab’s ofrenda to remember a loved one who has passed. Dance to Malagasy music that is typically played during “Famadihana.” Expound upon your death-ucation by participating in a talk surrounding the culture of death and passing on.

A Night of Spooky Activities:

• Dive into the science of making beer
• Identify Animal Remains
• Explore a death garden of dangerous plants
• Hands-on learning about death and mourning in various cultures
• Take a tour of animal defenses, featuring WonderLab’s animal ambassadors.

Recommended Ages: 21+ Adults, Photo ID required

Dates and Times: Saturday, October 19, 7:00-10 PM

Ticket Prices for the Individual Event

• Member: $20
• Non-Member $30
• Access Pass: $10
• Member: $30
• Non-Member: $45
• Access Pass: $15