Childbirth Education Classes
Give birth with confidence
Want to know more about what to expect physically and emotionally during labor?
Planning to go with the flow and open to an epidural? Would you feel more confident knowing when is the best time to get an epidural or how to avoid one?
Hoping for a no or low intervention, natural birth?
Want to know what you can do to help decrease your chances of having a cesarean?
You can do this. We can help.
Not knowing what is happening in our own bodies is stressful for many people and can lead to tension and fear. Knowledge, therefore is a powerful tool in helping to eliminate or reduce fear and make for an easier, more relaxed birthing experience.
Our classes are designed to help you prepare your body and mind for birth and early postpartum. We help clarify misconceptions and misinformation about the labor process. We discuss your options from an evidence-backed perspective. We practice coping techniques and give tips for partners. We encourage you to move through your birth experience feeling informed and empowered, confidently able to make choices that suit your unique physical, emotional, and philosophical needs, and to have their your best birth possible.
Our goal is that you will be able to recognize where you are in labor, understand what you are experiencing in your body, feel confident in your abilities, and be able to relax more easily into the birth process.
"Your classes helped us as a couple to feel prepared and excited for birth. We understood how to labor at home for as long as we wanted and knew when to go to the hospital. The different positions, massage, and pressure points we practiced helped labor progress and were so helpful in relieving pressure/pain during active labor. The class helped us decide what options and choices were important to us and what we wanted for our son's birth. I can't imagine doing it without you!" - Natalie & Toni
| The Works |
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| This 7-hour series of classes is taught by certified ICEA childbirth educator, Teri Nava-Anderson. It draws from some of the best childbirth modalities and relaxation strategies, from mindfulness to self-hypnosis, to help you find the strategies that will work best for your individual needs.
You have several options for how to take this class:
All options include access to the recorded lectures and handouts in our online Classroom, as well as a bonus recording our of Lactation, Postpartum Recovery, and Newborn Parenting classes. Private classes include a bodywork session to learn the body balancing pelvic floor exercises. |
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What you will learn:
Part 1 (2 hours)
Part 3 (2 hours)
Part 4 (2 hours)
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"I loved how this was a small class, so it wasn't intimidating to ask personalized questions about my own body. We enjoyed the information provided. It helped us to really feel prepared, ready, and excited for our baby to arrive." – Christina
| VBAC Preparation Session |
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| This 2-hour private session is taught by trauma-informed care specialist, Teri Nava-Anderson. This session can be done in-person or online. |
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The VBAC Preparation Session is designed to talk through your previous birth experience, to help you feel prepared and release stress, and to strategize realistic options to help you have a safe, empowering experience this time around. Fee: $100/hr |
| The Bodywork Homework |
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| This 1-hour bodywork session for you and your partner(s) is taught by Teri Nava-Anderson at the Mountain House office. |
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This session is people who have either watched the recorded "The Works" class or attended online and who want hands on learning of the Bodywork Homework for improving anatomical balance in the pelvis, increasing the comfort and speed of labor, and decreasing the pain and risk of pelvic floor and perineal damage in labor and birth. Fee: $100 |
| The Refresher |
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| This 2-hour class is best for someone who has given birth recently.
The one-on-one session can be conducted online or in-person at the Mountain House office. |
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This class can be tailored to your individual needs. It can include a reminder of the pre-labor bodywork, an overview of labor/birth/postpartum recovery, information on how subsequent labors might be different than before, and/or help with formulating a birth preferences plan Fee: $200
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| Bradley Method Childbirth Education Series |
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| This 30-hour class is taught by Bradley Birth-certified instructor, Susan Jessee.
It is for anyone wanting an extended, comprehensive class for the year surrounding birth
(7-10 weeks, 3 hrs each session).
The group class is taught in private homes on the schedule of the host, as well as virtually online. |
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The Bradley Childbirth classes are designed to educate you and your partner about what is happening with your body and baby during pregnancy and delivery. It teaches you how to work with your body through relaxation and positioning so that you can work toward your goal of natural childbirth. During the series we will discuss exercise, nutrition, pregnancy, labor, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum, newborn care, and more. Fee: $500.
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| Lactation Classes: Breastfeeding & Bodyfeeding |
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| Did you know that the #1 reasons people give up on lactation is because of a lack of information on how to do it and a lack of support.
We strongly believe that all people who want to provide human milk for their babies receive education on how this process works and how to optimize their milk production. So we offer our lactation class for free. This recorded, online lecture allows for self-paced learning at your convenience. We recommend you watch it before baby is born to decrease your worries, increase your confidence, and help you recognize difficulties so you and seek support resources early and significantly increase the chances of meeting your goals. |
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Don't wait until the baby comes to figure it all out. Make making milk your superpower. What you will learn in this 90-minute self-paced class:
Fee: $10
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Lactation Support Sessions
Sometimes a little extra help is needed.
2-hr lactation support and education sessions can be booked for telehealth or office visits.
The Works Birth Doula Support Package includes three lactation support sessions in the baby's first week of life. But add-on or stand-alone sessions can also be booked.
Teri is a certified lactation educator and accredited peer counselor. Support requiring diagnostics, medical treatment plans, and feeding schedules will be referred out to the appropriate medical support professional.
FAQs
When should I start taking classes?
Because some of the relaxation techniques we teach you work best when practiced with regularity over many weeks, we suggest that you start the class between 20-24 weeks, and complete it during or before your 36th week (although late comers can still benefit!).
Is the information covered the same as a hospital class?
Our birthing classes are very comprehensive and cover all the information your need to feel prepared for labor and the early days with your baby. The benefit of our classes is that the information can be tailored to what YOU want to know.
What are the benefits of private versus group classes?
Private childbirth classes allow you to work around your schedule to make it more convenient. The focus is on providing information that is relevant to you and you situation. Private classes also allow you the comfort to ask any questions you may have without feeling embarrassed with other people around.
How do I become familiar with my hospital if I don’t take the hospital class?
We are very familiar with the standard protocols at all the area hospitals and can discuss what you need to know at your specific place of birth. Many hospitals have in-person or virtual tours that can you take as well.
Will we be watching graphic videos?
No, although there is some nudity in some of the videos we show. Many people feel uncomfortable watching birth videos because there is no emotion attached to that experience. While have made an effort to include videos that emote those feelings, it still feels quite different when you are in the moment and welcoming your baby.
How are partners involved in the class?
Partners are a very important part of our classes. We focus on getting both expectant parents on the same page by facilitating conversations between the two of you. We also love to practice the tools and techniques with you both so we can build a comfort level with these techniques.
Why take a class and not just read about the information?
There is so much information out there that it can sometimes be overwhelming as well as conflicting. Our goal is not to only give you information, but to help you discover and cultivate internal resources already within you that will help you meet the challenges birth and parenthood can bring.
No matter what type of birth you're planning - or if you don't have a plan at all - our classes are a time for you to ask questions, explore your feelings around birth and parenting, and prepare to meet your little one.
Also, being in a group class helps to create a community of people who are going through the same experience you are. You can't get that from a book.
Service Area
Community Birth Centers
- Homestead Natural Birth Center (Modesto)
- Pacifica Family Maternity Center (Oakland)
- Nightingale Birth Center (San Mateo)
- Welcome Home Community Birth Center (South Sacramento)
- Sierra Natural Birth Center (Sonora)
We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional lands of the Tammukan and Yokut people.
Home Births
- San Francisco East Bay Alameda County (Oakland, Alameda, Fremont, Hayward, San Leandro, Castro Valley)
- Tri-Valley (Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Daville, Alamo)
- Diablo Valley Contra Costa County (Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga, Concord)
- Delta Valley (Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Bethel Island, Byron, Mountain House, Discovery Bay)
- San Joaquin County (Tracy, Lathrop, Manteca, Ripon, French Camp, Stockton, Lodi, Linden, Farmington, Escalon)
- Western Stanislaus County (Modesto Metro area, Salida, Oakdale, Patterson)
- Sacramento County (Galt, Isleton, Walnut Grove, Rio Vista, Elk Grove, South Sacramento)
- and all points inbetween!
Hospitals
- Stanford Valley Care (Pleasanton)
- John Muir Medical Center (Walnut Creek)
- Kaiser Medical Center (San Leandro, Walnut Creek, Oakland, Antioch, Modesto, South Sacramento)
- Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center (Modesto)
- Sutter Tracy Community Hospital (Tracy)
- Sutter Delta Medical Center (Antioch)
- Doctors Medical Center (Manteca, Modesto)
- Eden Medical Center (Castro Valley)
- Highland (Oakland)
- Alta Bates (Berkeley)
- Mt. Rose Hospital (Hayward)
- Washington Hospital (Fremont)
- San Ramon Regional (San Ramon)
- San Joaquin General (French Camp)
- Adventist Health Lodi Memorial (Lodi)
- Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (Martinez)
- St. Joseph's Hospital (Stockton)