Group Childbirth Education Classes

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Register for Class

2017 Childbirth Class Calendar
July 15, 2017: 1-Day Labor & Birth Intensive
July 25th: Aug 29th: Six-Week Childbirth Preparation
August 26th: 1-Day Labor & Birth Intensive
September 30th: 1-Day Labor & Birth Intensive
Oct 11th-Nov 15th: Six-Week Childbirth Preparation
Dec 9th: 1-Day Labor & Birth Intensive

​Class Location:
Classes are held at our classroom in Mountlake Terrace. 
23406 46th Ave W ~ Mountlake Terrace, WA

When in my pregnancy should I take a class?
​It is best to take a childbirth class that ends before you are 38 weeks. Planning ahead is wise as these classes can fill quickly.

One-Day Labor & Birth Intensive

This class is designed for those birthing couples who are wanting to devote one full day to completing their child birth preparation course. The class is from 10am to 6pm, taught by KC Johnston. It is an amazing day of education and exploration!

Class Fees and Registration:

The fee for the Labor & Birth Intensive is $200.  

To Register, please fill out the online Registration Form and then submit payment. The balance is due at or by the first class unless otherwise arranged. 

8-hour Class Outline:

Morning Session:
During the morning session, we cover prenatal anatomy, cervical changes during pregnancy and labor, what labor looks like and the stages and phases of labor and birth. 

Lunch Break
45 minute break to eat!

Afternoon Session A: Standard Class
We cover coping techniques after lunch, then go into pain medication options, labor interventions, inductions and cesarean birth. 

​Afternoon Session B: Home & Birth Center Birth Class
In the class that is specific to out-of-hospital birthing families, we cover the same coping techniques as well as what it looks like when families need to transfer to the hospital for their birth. We end this class with a Labor Simulation to help get a feel for what this process looks like. 

Class Materials:

~ The instructor will provide the class packet  
~ Each participant needs to bring their own snacks and a lunch for the class day. There is a kitchen space available.
~ We strongly recommend purchasing and reading some of the following books:
   * "The Essential Homebirth Guide" (2013) by Jane E Drichta and Jodilyn Owen 
   * "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" (4th Edition) by Simkin et all   

Six-Week Childbirth Preparation

This class is taught by Kate Dewey and is the standard 6-week course covering Labor, Delivery, Newborn Care & Breastfeeding. Come and learn while connecting with other parents due around the same time as you! The class runs on weeknights from 7:00-9:30pm. 

Class Fees and Registration:

The fee for the Complete Childbirth Preparation is $250.  
​
To Register, please fill out the online Registration Form and then submit payment. The balance is due at or by the first class unless otherwise arranged. 

6 Week Class Outline

Class 1:
"Co-Creating the Birth Space" 
We begin with covering the aspects of what makes a good environment for birth, what hormones are at play, and we discuss our partner's role as co-creator. We talk a lot about what needs to be present for labor to flow.
Class 2:
"Early, Active Labor and Transition"
We learn about the aspects of each stage of the dilation phase of labor, along with coping skills specific to these stages of labor. 
Class 3:
"Pushing & Immediate postpartum"   
We continue our discussion of the flow of labor how to manage the pushing stage and what happens with the MotherBaby after the birth. There is a great segment on how to help your body heal once you have birthed,
Class 4:
"Interventions, and creating a coping mindset" 
We learn about the interventions offered in and out of a hospital.  We also go over the mental coping skills we need to birth our babies naturally and incorporate practicing these visualizations in class.
Class 5:
"Breastfeeding and the Newborn" 
Here we learn breastfeeding basics, emotional postpartum recovery, newborn procedures and a bit of the "happiest baby on the block" baby soothing skills. 
​Class 6:
"Labor Simulation" 
The class ends with a 2 hour mock labor simulation. We put all of our coping skills to use as we go through a simulated labor.

Class Materials

~ The instructor will provide the class packet  
~ Each couple will be asked to sign up for snack duty for one of the classes
~ We ask each birthing person to bring an Exercise or "Birth" Ball to the second and third classes.
~ We strongly recommend purchasing and reading some of the following books:
   * "The Essential Homebirth Guide" (2013) by Jane E Drichta and Jodilyn Owen 
   * "Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn" (4th Edition) by Simkin et all   
   * "Nursing Mothers Companion" by Kathleen Huggins, RN, MS
   * "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Harvey Karp, MD

Testimonials

     "Kate taught my birth class. I was amazed at her wealth of knowledge, and her easy going personality was exactly what my husband and I needed as we nervously anticipated our first child.
     Kate's experience with many different birth scenarios allows her to be comfortable talking to women with any birth plan with care and understanding. I watched her reach out to every future mother in our class, from women who were high risk and planned on c-sections, to women who wanted birth center or home births with minimal intervention. She spoke to them all with respect, and from her wealth of knowledge was able to connect and give them all the information they were looking for.
     I have kept in contact with Kate since leaving her class over 2 years ago, and have loved having her brain to pick whenever I had a birth or breastfeeding related question. I would recommend, without hesistation, Kate as a doula or birth instructor to anyone who asked. In my opinion, she is one of the best doulas I've ever come across, she truly was made for this job."
- Mommy of C