Childbirth Education Classes

While you may not get to decide how your birth will go, it is important to prepare as much as possible! Having knowledge about what you can expect in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum will help set you up for success. You will be able to have conversations with your provider and other support people to make decisions about your care that best fit your situation.

A birth class is a great way to start preparing! Not only will it provide you with knowledge so you can be informed about your choices, both during labor and postpartum, but it also provides hands-on learning for comfort measures to help you cope with labor.

My in-person childbirth class is designed with these goals in mind:

  • Community: in-person classes allow you to meet others in the area who are expecting. Start building your village now during your pregnancy and find others who might have similar experiences to you!

  • Being an active participant: know how and what questions to ask, tips for thinking through difficult decisions, and how to help your voice be heard.

  • Evidence Based Research: up-to-date information regarding best practices for your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I will give you the benefits, risks, and alternatives for different procedures that you may see.

  • View birth as a healthy physiological process.

  • Emphasis on comfort measures: It is hard to know what you will like during your labor. This class provide hands-on practice for different techniques that you can use during your labor and birth.

  • Importance of support people: Your partner and support person are encouraged to take this class with you! They will learn about different ways Research shows that having a support person are:

    • more likely to have a vaginal birth

    • less likely to use pain medication

    • less likely to have negative feelings about birth

    • less likely to have a cesarean birth

What I offer:

Topics covered in classes:

Pregnancy

  • Informed consent and advocacy

  • Your rights and responsibilities as a pregnant person

  • Nutrition

  • Exercise

  • Mental health

  • Anatomy and physiology

  • Role of hormones

  • Warning signs

  • Preparing your body and mind for birth and postpartum

  • Building your support team

  • Family-centered maternity care

Birth

  • Signs of labor

  • Stages of labor

  • Comfort and coping measures including: relaxation, breathing, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, TENS, acupressure, music/sound, affirmations, visualization/meditation, touch/massage, counterpressure, rhythm

  • Interventions including: inductions, monitoring, vaginal exams, ultrasounds, epidurals and other pain medications, episotomies, vacuum and forcepts delivery

  • Cesarean birth

  • Complications in labor

  • Importance of support people

  • Birth plans

Postpartum

  • Newborn characteristics

  • Newborn care

  • Newborn screening

  • Emotional changes

  • Bonding

  • Self-care

  • Breastfeeding/formula

  • Infant safety

  • Postpartum plans

  • Building your village

Upcoming Classes

  • 4 Week Course $250

    (focus on pregnancy, birth, and postpartum)

    February 6, 13, 20, 27 (every Thursday): 6-9pm

  • 1 Day Course $200

    (focus on birth )

    January 25 9:30am-4:30pm

Sign Up

Private classes can be scheduled based on availability. If you are interested in a private class, please contact me by email (haileydoulaservices@gmail.com) or through the contact page.

FAQs

  • Typically you want to take a class at the end of your second trimester or at the start of the third, between 28 and 36 weeks (although you can take it at any point in your pregnancy)! You want to make sure you have enough time to learn the information but have it fresh in your mind as you near the end of your pregnancy.

  • I recommend calling your insurance to see if childbirth education classes are covered. You may be able to use your HSA/FSA plan.

  • For the 4 week course, there is a total of 12 hours of class time. The weekend course is a total of 6 hours and is great for anyone who needs a refresher or who needs a little more flexibility in their schedule. Classes supplemented with additional information sent through email. All participants will also get a work book!

  • Your body! A pen and notebook is helpful to take notes. You should also plan to bring your partner or support person as they will learn a lot in this class to! I will provide yoga mats, birth balls, and peanut balls to use during class.

  • I have taken a childbirth educator course through Bastry University. I am also a RN and a certified birth and postpartum doula.

  • This class is for anyone interested in learning more about birth, whether you are a first time parent or not. The information included can be applied to births at home, birth centers, or hospitals. It includes information abo t unmedicated or medicated births and cesarean births.