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Childbirth Education Classes – Private Instruction

Childbirth Education – Private Instruction

Empowered Birth Choices

Natural Childbirth Preparation Class

Make Informed Choices. Cultivate Trust In Birth. Know Your Birthing Rights.

Empowered Birth Choices Childbirth Preparation Classes

 Natural Childbirth Preparation Classes, customized to suit your schedule, interests, and budget. Taught in the comfort and intimacy of your own home or on Zoom.

Esta clase se puede impartir en inglés o español.

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Complete the  Registration Form

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Areas Served Include:

Greater Los Angeles, Downtown, 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 Palisades, Malibu, Woodland Hills…and more.

During Covid-19, we are offering classes online on the Zoom format.

PAY FOR CLASSES

Classes are $50.00 per hour.  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 at:  http://PayPal.me/AWMNH

Make checks and money orders payable to: AWMNH- Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance

Send checks to:

Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance
600 Lincoln Ave., #92495
Pasadena, CA 91109

 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.


PAY FOR CLASSES AND SERVICES


 

ABOUT PRIVATE CLASSES

Learn from the comfort of your own home.

Is your schedule too hectic to attend group classes? Need last minute classes?  Social distancing because of Covid?  We offer private, one-on-one, individualized childbirth preparation classes over Zoom or in your home.

Private classes are generally 3 hours in length and can include siblings, grandparents, friends, etc. at no additional charge.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

  • Expectant parents in early pregnancy who want to explore their options for childbirth
  • First-time expectant parents
  • Experienced parents needing a childbirth prep refresher course
  • Expectant parents planning hospital, birth center or home births
  • Pregnant mothers on bedrest
  • Pregnant women planning scheduled cesareans
  • Expectant mothers desiring Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)
  • Expectant Parents who prefer socially-distanced classes due to Covid-19
  • Parents with hectic schedules who can’t make it to group classes
  • Procrastinators who need a quick class before the baby arrives!

PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

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
LEARNER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this course, pregnant  persons and their partners will have increased:

1) Knowledge about options for childbirth, understand pros and cons of medical procedures, and will make informed choices during pregnancy and childbirth and postpartum.

2) Confidence to give birth normally by utilizing labor coping skills.

3) Confidence in their ability to provide support to the birthing person during labor.

3) Knowledge to breastfeed the baby or support the breastfeeding person.

4) Skills to care  for the newborn.

5) Ability to create a plan for postpartum recovery.

DESIGN YOUR OWN CLASS! CHOOSE FROM TOPICS: 

We will customize the classes to suit your interests and needs.

Understanding Birth

  • Fetal Development
  • 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, birth center, or call the midwife

Out-of-Hospital Birth Planning

  • Discussing your decision with your family and friends (or not)
  • Supplies and materials for planned homebirth
  • Waterbirth at Home
  • Preparing siblings for birth in the house or birth center
  • Arranging for hospital and MD back up
  • Understanding how your midwives will deal with unexpected complications and emergencies
  • Insurance for Home or Birth Center

Coping with Labor

  • 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

Making Informed Choices

  • 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 Planning, 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–Restoring the Original Paradigm for Mother and Infant Care
  • Reducing Your Risks of SIDS 
  • Safe 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
  • Preparing a postpartum plan
SIBLING PREPARATION CLASSES OFFERED 

  • Children can be part of a birth process of a new sibling when the parents are comfortable with the child being present. 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, yet parents want to  prepare the sibling for the arrival of a new baby brother or sister.
  • Age appropriate materials and learning opportunities  provided to help children understand and feel part of the pregnancy.
  • Birth models, anatomical charts, and videos can be shared per parental guidelines
  • These classes can be customized to the age of the child (age 3 to 17).
  • Classes range from 15 minutes to 1 hour depending upon age of child.Mom & Daughter

 

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS 

J. Tranae, BS, CD, CPD

I am a Birth and Postpartum Doula, and a graduate from Towson University (Towson, MD) with a degree in Biology and a dual minor in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Bioinformatics (MBIII) and Women Studies. During my research and preparation for birth work, I fell in love with holistic birthing methods. I have been a doula since 2011. I  have assured and assisted VBAC moms, teen moms, and moms who have opted for a traditional hospital birth atmosphere as well as water birth practices. I have been a Volunteer Doula with this organization since 2011.

I don’t have any children at this time. I prefer to help bring life into the world.  I am currently in midwifery school, pursuing becoming a California Licensed Midwife. 

I have been fortunate to be mentored by some of the very best and established doulas, midwives and OB/GYNs in California. My skills are to efficiently direct your senses from the discomfort of labor via my massaging techniques, touch, and use of sound, and changing of positions to aid in the progression of your labor.I would be delighted to help support your preferences and assist with your emotional, informational, and physical support during pregnancy/ labor and postpartum.

 

Jazz DeCohen, BA, CPSS

Jazz

 

I am a self-aware wisdom seeker, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University. I am currently a midwifery student.  I am also trained in culinary arts. However, I am most proud of my specialty in service. I take pride in my holistic approach to life. I was Certified as a Perinatal Support Specialist (CPSS) through The Association for Wholistic Maternal and Newborn Health in 2019. They have equipped me with the wisdom of birth doula, post-postpartum doula and lactation support. I am available to provide support in many different birth settings: from a home waterbirth to hospital births (medicated and un-medicated), and caesareans, on through to postpartum care. I know that all births and labors differ immensely and that all mothers have different needs. I believe in the power of every mother’s story, and maintain the importance of being informed and educated throughout a pregnancy. I hope to help empower women with their birth and journey into motherhood!

 

 

 

 

Lisa Mejia, BA, CPD 

Instructora de español. Esta clase se puede impartir en inglés o español.

Lisa Mejia

 

Empatizo fuertemente con la misión de Happy Mama Healthy Baby Alliance de servir principalmente a las personas negras y otras personas de color y de menor estatus económico debido a su grave maltrato a manos de profesionales médicos en el campo y como personas con más probabilidades de experimentar mortalidad infantil y materna, sufrir depresión posparto y tener una falta de acceso para ayudar con estos problemas.

Yo he sido testigo de la lucha de depresión posparto con mi propia madre con el nacimiento de su hijo menor y la falta de acceso que tuvo a ayuda. Yo igual luché con la depresión posparto y tuve un año difícil después del nacimiento de mi hija. El sentimiento abrumador de soledad y deseo de apoyo me hizo dar cuenta de lo que una persona en este rol puede ayudar a alguien que enfrenta esas mismas luchas. Quiero apoyar a los padres y a las personas biológicas en su función parental y ayudarlos a cuidarse a sí mismos también. Tanta atención como el bebé necesita a la persona biológica y pareja necesita la ayuda también.

El papel de un padre nunca será fácil, pero con un poco de ayuda, crianza y guías podemos hacer que sea una experiencia maravillosa para todos. Como doula posparto capacitada por DONA, estoy aquí para ayudarle a tomar las decisiones correctas para usted y su familia proporcionándole información basada en evidencia y asistencia sin juicio y opinión innecesaria. Sería mi alegría ayudarles hacer esta transición hermosa!

 

Cancellation Policy

 Cancellation must be made in writing by deadline (5 days prior to start of course). Tuition will be reimbursed less $50.00 administrative fee if notification received by this date. After this date, there will be no refunds, with the exception of COVID-19-related illness, which will be decided on a case-by-case basis. However, in extenuating circumstances such as documented illness or emergency, the tuition is fully transferable to another person or training (this course or another topic); credit is good for the amount of training. If course registering into is higher price, the additional balance will be required. If it is a lesser price, there will not be any refund of balance. Credit will be honored for one year from the training. If not used by that time, the credit will expire.

 

Questions? Want to Register? Contact:

Lisa Mejia, BA, CPD

Community Childbirth Education Coordinator

(626) 388 – 2191 ext. 2

Email: Lisa.Mejia@motherbabysupport.net 


LINKS OF INTEREST

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