Childbirth Education – Private Instruction
Empowered Birth Choices
Natural Childbirth Preparation Class
Make Informed Choices. Cultivate Trust In Birth.
“Lamaze” Natural Childbirth Preparation Classes, customized to suit your schedule, interests, and budget. Taught in the comfort and intimacy of your own home.
Areas Served Include:
Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, Crenshaw / Leimert Park, South Pasadena, Pasadena, Altadena, Mt. Washington, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Silverlake, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Duarte, Azusa, Covina, Claremont, Pomona, Walnut, Playa Vista, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, Culver City, Topanga Canyon, Culver City, Brentwood, Pacific Palasides, Malibu, Woodland Hills…and more.
To register, submit the Birth form 
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Is your schedule too hectic to attend group classes? Need last minute classes? Private childbirth preparation classes are offered in the privacy and comfort of your own home to suit your schedule and budget, customized to suit interests . Instructor comes to you and transforms your living-room into a childbirth classroom. Includes DVDs, Videos and instructional materials. Classes are generally 3-4 hours in length and can include siblings, grandparents, friends, etc. at no additional charge.
LEARNER OBJECTIVES
By the end of these classes, expectant mothers and their partners will have:
- Increased knowledge about options for childbirth, pros and cons of medical procedures, and be able to make informed choices during pregnancy and childbirth.
- Increased confidence to give birth normally, cope with labor, and partners will have increased confidence to support the woman through the process of labor.
- Increased confidence to breastfeed and care for their newborn.
Design your own customized class by choosing from the topics below:
- Preventing premature birth
- Eating right for a healthy pregnancy
- Coping with common discomforts of pregnancy
- How your body works in labor and birth
- How labor begins and progresses
- “True” labor vs. “False” labor
- The phases and stages of birth
- How to time contractions
- When to go to the hospital
Homebirth Preparation Includes:
- Preparing your house and family for the birth
- Planning for home waterbirth
- Arranging for hospital and MD back up
Understanding how your midwives will deal with unexpected complications and emergencies.
- Breathing techniques and relaxation exercises
- Creative Visualization and other techniques
- Positions for easier, faster and more comfortable labor
- Support methods for birth partners
- Positions for effective pushing
- Trusting your body’s wisdom, surrendering and opening to birth
- Cultivating trust in birth; overcoming fear and anxiety
- The benefits of natural childbirth or “physiological childbirth”
- Orgasmic Birth?! How this is possible…
- The Role of the Doula–your partner in manifesting the birth you desire
- Choosing the place of birth: hospital, home or birth center?
- Choosing your birth support provider: midwife or obstetrician?
- Pain medication options: epidurals and analgesics; risks and benefits
- Advantages and disadvantages of medical procedures and their effect on labor, mother and baby (induction, electronic fetal monitoring, etc)
- Informed Consent and Refusal–Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities
- Birth by Cesearean and Vaginal Birth After Cesearean (VBAC)
- Creating a “Birth Plan” and Communicating with Your Care Provider
Class Four: Postpartum Adjustments, Your Amazing Newborn and Breastfeeding
- What to expect after baby arrives: physical and emotional needs of postpartum
- Bonding with your amazing newborn baby
- Newborn medical procedures: benefits and risks
- Breastfeeding Basics: Getting off to a good start
- A New Paradigm for Breastfeeding: Baby Self-Attachment and ®Biological Nurturing
- Kangaroo Mothercare
- Reducing Your Risks of SIDS by Co-Sleeping with Your Infant
- Laid Back Breastfeeding and other Positions to Make Breastfeeding Work
- Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers, fathers, babies and society
- How your breasts make milk
- Keeping up your milk supply
- Preventing sore nipples, dealing with engorgement and other issues
- Challenges of breastfeeding (inverted nipples, breastfeeding the premature baby, etc).
- Working or going to school while breastfeeding
- Pumping and storage of breastmilk
Photo by Denise Railla
Big brother or big sister classes can be customized in an age-appropriate manner for children ages 3-17. Children can be part of a birth process of a new sibling when the parents are comfortable with the child being present, they have their own support person and the child wants to be there. Having an older sibling at birth can lessen sibling rivalry and make the big brother or sister recognize their important role in the family. However, these classes can also be for children who are not going to be at the birth. Age appropriate materials and learning opportunities provided to help children understand and feel part of the pregnancy. Call us to schedule.
PROVIDING MOTHER-FRIENDLY AND BABY-FRIENDLY SUPPORT AND EDUCATION FOR BIRTH AND BEYOND
Prenatal education today is much more than learning how to breathe. These “Lamaze” childbirth preparation classes help pregnant women and expectant parents understand the birth process, learn how to cope with labor so they can enter into labor with confidence. These prenatal preparation and lactation education classes empower parents to take an active role in making informed decisions about their maternity and newborn care including making informed choices such as where to have the baby –hospital, birth center or homebirth, and choosing the maternity care provider: midwife or obstetrician. Classes are appropriate for first time expectant parents and experienced parents alike; whether planning a hospital birth or birth center or homebirth, whether you have a Midwife or Obstetrician. We promote a Mother- and Baby-Friendly Approach and promote Biological Nurturing and Attachment Parenting. Refresher childbirth education classes and sibling birth preparation classes are also available.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE THESE CLASSES?
Because we educate about and promote:
- Informed consent and refusal in maternity care–not only is it responsible and ethical, women who felt they had decision-making power during birth had improved self-esteem and bonding with their babies
- Alternative choices in childbirth such as homebirth, waterbirth, birth centers and midwife assisted birth
- Physiological childbirth–it’s natural and normal, and results in healthy outcomes for mothers and infants.
- The lifelong importance of maternal-infant attachment.
- Breastfeeding–it protects and improves maternal and infant health for a lifetime and is also eco-friendly.
- Awareness of spiritual and emotional aspects of birthing
- Awareness of the influence of the woman’s social environment on pregnancy, birthing, and breastfeeding
- Family involvement in the birthing process
- Complimentary modalities for pregnancy and childbirth: acupuncture, chiropractic, herbology, etc.
- Attachment parenting and Biological Nurturing as the most sensible way to develop happy and secure children
In short, we trust birth. We believe in you. We help you develop confidence for birthing, breastfeeding and parenting.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER
Contact Debbie Benton, Coordinator of Community Education
(626) 388-21-91 ext. 2 or Email
Classes are $50.00 per hour when taught in your own home. To reserve class, $50.00 non-refundable deposit is required, applied to first hour of classes. A minimum of one 3-hour class is required. Payments by check, money order, or cash are accepted.
Pay By Check:
Make checks and money orders payable to: AWMNH
Send checks to:
The Association for Wholistic Maternal and Newborn Health
3655 S. Grand Ave. Suite 260
Los Angeles, CA 90007
Pay by debit card or credit card via Paypal:
To pay for classes, use the pull down menu below to select “Private Childbirth Preparation Classes”. Enter the number of hours you want to pay for (1 hour = 1 unit = $50.00). Then select “ADD TO CART” You will then be redirected to Paypal’s secure website where you may pay using your Paypal account or your debit or credit card. If you do not have a Paypal account, you can set one up in minutes.
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LINKS OF INTEREST:
Listening to Mother’s Survey I and II -U.S. Women’s Experiences of Childbirth