CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION
I am prepared for whatever birth brings.
Birth is the most intense and powerful life-changing event that a human can experience. I want to help families achieve a satisfying and positive birth through education, experience, and support.
These classes are aimed at preparing you mentally, emotionally, and informationally. I want you to feel comfortable navigating the maternity care system through pregnancy, labor, and birth. Each class is carefully crafted so that families can choose which topics they feel are most important to reaching their goals. If you need help choosing classes based on your birth plan, please contact me.
- Group and private sessions available
- 5 hours of learning
- $220 for doula clients, $250 for non-clients
​
​
​
-
Human rights in childbirth and informed consent
-
Respectful communication and team building in the birth room
-
How birth works - labor stages and phases
-
Hormones of physiologic birth
-
Interventions and how they affect labor
-
Basic coping skills and options for pain relief
-
Immediate postpartum
-
Breastfeeding and newborn care
CORE classes
2 hours each - $80
- How your body rocks birth
- Anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth
- Stages and phases of labor
-
Hormones that drive birth
-
Baby’s journey from womb to room
-
6 ways to make progress
-
Delivery and placenta birth
- Medical wishes for birth.
- An activity in informing yourself
-
Knowing your choices
-
Evidence-based practices and hospital standard of care
-
What is important to you? What are your goals for this birth?
-
Tests and technology during pregnancy
-
Common Interventions and how they affect labor
- Your rights and informed consent in pregnancy and birth
- Navigating the hospital system
-
Decision making and communication with care providers
-
What to expect when your labor begins
-
Pain theories and your options for relief
-
Interventions and bringing evidence-based care to the hospital
-
Packing your bag - what’s inside?
-
When to go to the hospital
-
Advanced tools and techniques for dealing with contractions
-
A hands-on approach to teach coping mechanisms for labor
-
Alternative pain management
-
Massage techniques and Belly Breathing
-
Making progress past a stalled labor
-
Encouraging contractions and resting in between
-
Labor positions for everyBODY
-
Labor rehearsal
-
Breastfeeding basics
-
30-minute lesson by IBCLC Heidi Powell (group class only)
-
What does it take to successfully breastfeed?
-
Meeting the newborns' needs - “the baby manual”
-
Sleeping arrangements and babywearing​​
-
Newborn care
-
The “Golden Hour”
-
The first 40 days and your support network
-
Planning your postpartum
-
Healing and recovery, physical changes
-
Bringing baby home
-
Postpartum mood disorders
-
Postpartum tips
-
What is a postpartum doula?
ADD ON classes
1 hour each - $40
-
Your #1 predicting factor for the chances of a primary C-section are your choice of birth place
-
Obstetrics Model of Care vs Midwife Model of care
-
Midwives in the Hospital?
-
Fees and insurance
-
Statistics, Benefits and Risks of each
-
Is homebirth safe? What the research says
-
What about waterbirth?
-
Ask me about my homebirth
-
Watercolor for Birth
-
Painting and Visualizing Circles
-
Birth mantra and affirmation crafting
-
Make your birth banner
-
Dads and birth partners, what to expect
-
What you can do for the birthing person, and when
-
Using your BRAIN and your role in labor
-
Staying connected during the labor experience
-
Catching your baby
-
The postpartum hangover and your role in recovery
-
Ways to bond with your newborn
-
Postpartum depression red flags