Prenatal & Postpartum Education

Learning as much as you can about pregnancy, the birth process, comfort measures, breastfeeding/bottlefeeding, newborn behaviors, and newborn care before you give birth builds confidence and allows you to make informed decisions.  I offer classes that are non-biased, non-judgmental, educational, fun, and inspiring.  In addition to my experience and certifications as a Labor and Postpartum Doula, I have also been educating families since 2004.  I am certified by CAPPA as a Childbirth Educator and Lactation Educator and have taken New Parent Educator, Happiest Baby on the Block and Infant Massage Instructor courses to give well-rounded educational opportunities to expecting and new families.

Below, you will find the various classes I offer along with some brief descriptions of the course.  Some classes have more materials than others and that is reflected in the pricing.  Please note that I do offer private courses for those who cannot attend group classes and those are based on location and my personal schedule. Contact instructor for more info.  


I would love the opportunity to help your family get the best start possible with this new phase of life.
COURSES
Breastfeeding Intensive for Expecting Parents
Breastfeeding/Human Feeding is recommended for at least the first year of life due to the superior benefits of human milk on both the newborn/infant and the mother/birthing person.   Breastfeeding is not always intuitive and for many, it takes time and patience to perfect.  In this course we will discuss how the breast makes milk, the energy required by the brain to produce milk, problems and solutions, positioning, pumping and storing, and resources for ongoing support

This course is approximately 2 hours.
Pricing: 
Group Class:  $125

UPCOMING BREASTFEEDING INTENSIVE COURSES for EXPECTING PARENTS:

August 23rd
September 13th
October 25th
November 15th
December 13th
Class will go from 6:00pm-8:00pm.  Pregnant person may bring one guest/support person/partner.  All payments must be received at least 24 hour prior to class.  NO REFUNDS. Students must arrive at least 10 minutes before class start to sign in, get a seat and snack.

    Register for Breastfeeding Intensive for expecting parents

 Childbirth Education Course (NOT currently teaching this course. Please go to PureBirths.com to register for their series.
This course will cover a wide array of topics to prepare you for all of the possibilities of birth.  Course topics to include:
Anatomy and Physiology of pregnancy
Healthy diet
What to pack for the hospital/birth center
Labor: What to expect from early labor, active labor, and transition
Birth Plans
When to go to your birthplace
Labor support, comfort measures, pain management
​Eating and Drinking in Labor
Interventions
Informed choice
Pushing stage
Positions for pushing
Delivery of the placenta
Delayed cord clamping
Golden Hour with newborn

This course is approximately 5 hours.
Pricing:
Group class: $300
Private class: $500
Comfort Measures for Labor (in-depth) 
​NOT currently teaching this course. 
While some basic comfort measures for labor are taught in the Childbirth Education Course, this class is hyper-focused on all the comfort measures available to a laboring person.  This 2-hour course is hands-on and very interactive.  Introduction of the Birth Ball, Peanut Ball, Labor Wrap, Massage Tools, Aromatherapy, Music Therapy, Lighting, Breathing Practices, and Movement will all be discussed and practiced.  The Double Hip Squeeze for back labor will also be practiced. 

This course is approximately 2 hours.
Pricing:
Group Class: $100
​Private Class: $200
Parenting Class: Newborn Care Basics (NOT currently teaching this course. Go to PureBirths.com to sign up for their class.)
Many expecting couples plan and plan and plan to HAVE a baby, but most do NOT plan to bring a baby home and are shocked by how a newborn behaves, eats, sleeps, and cries.  This course walks parents through the precious newborn period. We will cover:

Newborn Appearance
Newborn Reflexes
Sleep/wake cycles
Safe sleep practices
AAP Recommendations for co-sleeping vs bedsharing
Swaddling 
Newborn bathing (sponge bath and immersion bathing)
Newborn diapering (disposable, cloth, wipe options, etc)
Newborn dressing
Newborn Crying (including the Crying Curve and "colic")
Calming and Soothing Techniques for a newborn
Reflux
Interviewing a pediatrician
Scheduling vs Routine
Following you intuition

This course is approximately 4 hours
Pricing:
Group Class: $200
Private Class: $400

 Parenting Class: Sibling Interaction  (NOT currently teaching this course)
Have another child or children at home and concerned with how they will respond to the newborn? Then, this class is for you!  This class will explore introducing the newborn to the other child/ren in a healthy and non-threatening way.  Helping the other child/ren understand what to expect with a newborn, how to carefully touch or hold the newborn can set up a more positive experience when the baby is actually home.  This class will also discuss how the parents can continue the relationship with the other children in a healthy way, while still finding balance with the newborn.

This course is approximately 2 hours
Pricing:
Group Class (both parents and 1-2 children welcome): $100
Private Class: $200
Newborn Safety  (NOT currently teaching this course)
It seems things change all the time and it may be hard for new parents to know what is considered "safe" now compared with when they were a child. This class will discuss the current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding safe sleeping practices, safe sleeping/napping devices, and safe baby gear that may be in the client's home. We will also discuss basic safety considerations for everything from bathing a newborn, to leaving a newborn unattended, consumer safety devices, car seat safety, and safe feeding methods (hint: newborns should NOT eat rice cereal to sleep longer!).  Let's dispel some myths and keep everyone safe!

This course is approximately 2 hours
Pricing: 
Group Class: $100
Private Class: $200
Happiest Baby on the Block  (NOT currently teaching this course)
Soothing a crying newborn is one of the most challenging tasks for new parents.  When parents understand newborn behavior and the timeline for fussiness, it can relieve stress and anxiety.  Having tools to calm a newborn is priceless!  Dr. Harvey Karp researched cultures all over the world and paid close attention to those that had babies that didn't cry for prolonged periods. What he found was all of those cultures did similar things to soothe their newborns.  Dr. Karp was able to develop a series of steps that he believes triggers a calming reflex in newborns.  This hands-on course will cover this system in great detail.   This course will include a DVD and a swaddle blanket.

This course is approximately2 hours

Pricing:
Group Class: $150
Private Class: $300