POMPTON PLAINS Being a new or expectant mother is a time for a woman to take the best care of herself to ensure that she is functioning at her optimal level. One way this can be accomplished is through regular exercise. To help women look and feel their best, Chilton Memorial Hospital's Parent Education Department sponsors a prenatal and postpartum aerobic exercise class, which meets every Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m. at Collins Pavilion, 97 West Parkway, Pompton Plains. Classes are ongoing. Cost is $50 for five sessions. The program, which follows guidelines of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology for exercise during pregnancy, is taught by MaryAnne Deregibus, RN, instructor and parent educator, who is certified by the American Council on Exercise. "The class takes into consideration the changes that are caused by pregnancy, specifically in the joints and ligaments," said Deregibus. "Students are monitored throughout the class. We also try to limit the amount of participants to 10 per class so it's almost like each student is getting individual instruction." The classes begin with a warm-up, followed by low-impact aerobic exercises, cool-down, muscular toning and yoga relaxation moves set to popular music with easy-to-follow dance steps. The hour-plus class encourages pregnant women to foster relationships with other pregnant women and offers individual assessments before and during the program. For more information or to pre-register, call the Parent Education Department at 973-696-1954.