Do you know that you have many choices in birth? Learn your options and how to make informed choices with Birth Essentials Prenatal Classes. Take charge and create your version of an ideal birth! You can prepare for your birth, learn important tips, and ask questions – all from the comfort of your home as classes are offered online. Angie is one of the most experienced prenatal teachers in Canada. The info presented is evidence-based and also includes 20 years (and counting) of experience attending births. Current obstetrical practises and guidelines are discussed.
Birth Essentials is also available as On-Demand / Learn On Your Own Schedule Prenatal Classes. Both the live-streamed and on-demand versions contain the same information.
The prenatal class series includes access to my Online Regina Hospital Tours for Birth Prep.
Birth Essentials – Prenatal Class Online Series (four 90-minute sessions)
The Birth Essentials Prenatal Class focuses on preparation, birth and the immediate postpartum hours. There are 4 weekly sessions (90 minutes each but please allow an extra 15min after, in case we go over) you can do from the comfort of your home. It’s loaded with the essentials of prenatal education.
Classes are recorded in case you miss one (or more). Recordings are available only to those registered in the series.
You will learn about:
Throughout the series:
- Designing your Ideal Birth
- How to make informed choices
- Tips for a more comfortable and shorter labour
- Up-to-date hospital policies and practices
- Options for those planning homebirths
- Things to discuss as a couple and/or with your support team
- Ideas to put into your birth plan
- Actions you can take to prepare for your birth and postpartum weeks
Week 1 – Birth Prep and Foundations:
- How birth is portrayed in media vs. real life
- Six most common concerns and what you can do
- How our bodies are designed to cope with labour
- Pain and power in birth
- What to do when waters release (a.k.a. “water breaks”)
- Partners and their journey
- Factors that influence how your birth will go
- Preparing for birth and postpartum
- What to bring to / have in your birth place
Week 2 – Labour Stages and What to Do
- How to making informed choices
- Communicating with medical care team
- Your rights
- When to go to hospital
- Signs of labour
- Stages of labour – what to expect and what to do
- Common terms you might hear in obstetrical care
- Timing contractions / sensations /surges
- How positions affect labour and birth
Week 3 – Interventions (taught in an informative and empowering way)
- What the interventions are
- Detours / change of plans
- When / why each might be used
- Benefits of each
- Risks of each
- Alternatives and options
- Routine procedures and choices
- Pain medications
- Shared decision making with your team
Week 4 – First Postpartum Hours and Life with a Newborn
- What happens in the first minutes and hours after birth
- Routine maternal and newborn tests/procedures
- Optimal cord cutting
- Your placenta and options
- Maternal recovery from birth; short and longer term
- Breastfeeding basics and getting started
- First days and weeks
- Baby-care basics – when to feed, signs of good health
- Family sleep
- Sexuality / intimacy
- Mental health while navigating life with a newborn
- The realities of those first 2 months – all the stuff no one wants to talk about!!
Bonus – Newborn Care – This class includes my on-demand newborn care class which you can do on your own schedule.
Bonus – Hospital Tour – This class includes my local hospital tour (Regina General Hospital).
$135 per pregnant person, including their partner or birth companion
Registration is now open! Click on the dates below to sign up for a weekly series. Time-Zone Central (UTC-6.)
Tuesdays Mar 19 – April 09
Tuesdays April 30 – May 21
Saturdays June 01 – 22
Wednesdays July 17 – Aug 07
(offered monthly; more dates coming)
Check other class types and dates
We have on-demand classes too – keep scrolling.
If you missed the start date of the only series that fits your schedule or pregnancy dates, please get in touch as we have some creative ways to ensure you get all the info.
If you need a class but the fee is a barrier, please get in touch.
On-Demand Prenatal Classes
Prepare for your birth with the info-packed Birth Essentials Prenatal Classes, now on your own schedule! You can purchase the series as an On-Demand Prenatal Class, filled with birth support instructions, pain management advice, and more. Plus you can email me any questions as they arise. Available now!
Cancellation Policy: For the group classes, cancellations made 24 hours or more before the first class start time have the following options:
1) Reschedule to another Birth Essentials Prenatal Class.
2) Send someone else in your place (please notify us of their name(s)).
3) A refund less a $20 administrative fee.
Please note: We do not offer a refund cancellations received less than 24 hours before the class or for people who chose to not attend without notifying us. Refunds are not offered for on-demand classes as the entire class is opened immediately upon purchase.
Pregnancy & Birth Support, Online Prenatal Classes & Preparation 