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Pre Natal Classes

In-person classes are on weekends in Ottawa, Ontario. Virtual classes will continue as evening sessions for anyone across Canada.
We ask that participants keep their videos on during class for our online group classes.  Like an in-person class, this creates a sense of community and safety.   If you prefer not to be seen, we recommend a private session with one of our instructors

We recommend taking your prenatal classes between 20 weeks and 36 weeks. Be sure to register early in your pregnancy to secure a place for you. Classes are offered in the following formats:
6 Weekday Evenings OR Full Weekend One Day Condensed
  • Your birth support team – The role of the Midwife, family Doctor, OB, Registered Nurse and Doula
  • Stages and Phases of Labour
  • Comfort measures, including relaxation and massage techniques
  • Breath awareness
  • All options for pain management
  • Making decisions and giving consent
  • Methods of induction
  • Interventions including IV’s, fetal heart monitors, instrumental deliveries, inductions, and cesarean sections
  • Post-birth procedures for babies
  • Post-birth recovery for women
  • Resources in Ottawa
  • Infant feeding
  • Your birth support team – The role of the Midwife, family Doctor, OB, Registered Nurse and Doula
  • Physiology of birth
  • Stages and Phases of Labour
  • Comfort measures
  • All options for pain management
  • Interventions, including inductions and cesarean sections
  • Infant feeding resources
Topics are presented in a variety of methods, including videos, hands-on practice, small-group discussions, and relaxation exercises. Topics are presented in a lecture-like style to allow for the content to be covered in a shorter amount of time.

Our one-day condensed classes are excellent for those who may not otherwise have time to take a prenatal class, or for expectant parents who work shift work. We cover the topics shown in the above table, which offers a comparison to our 6-week series and two-day weekend classes.  We focus on labour and birth, leaving you with reading resources for post-birth.

Cost of classes is $230 (CAD) (per couple) for the two-day class and $175 (CAD per couple) for the one-day class.

What materials are provided for class?  To make the class as interactive and hands-on as possible, we will share a series of links and information sheets five days before your class with your reminder email.  The internet has a wonderful amount of resources and we will link you to up-to-date resources on the net.  You do not need to print them off in advance.   We also strive to reduce environmental impacts by offering all resources in e-formats.

Refund Policy: Classes cancelled from the time of booking until 14 days before the class start incur a $25 administration fee. Classes cancelled between 7-14 days; 50% cancellation fee. Classes cancelled with less than 7 days’ notice; no refund

People who took our class had this to say:


We dearly want to support the health of expectant families.

Brandie was wonderful! She’s extremely knowledgeable, explains things really well and so kind!

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

With so much conflicting information online for new parents, it can get overwhelming. We found OCEA classes just amazing, providing evidence-based information on everything from the labour process to bringing baby home. I would highly recommend the classes to all new parents!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Erin was absolutely amazing, very knowledgeable and kept the class interactive even in the online platform. Very helpful at answering questions and gave a lot of great tips.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

The course was incredibly informative, and I’ll absolutely recommend it to others as a valuable experience. I would, however, mention that there aren’t take-home materials or reference books provided, so it’s helpful to be prepared to take thorough notes during the sessions to make sure all the great information isn’t forgotten.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Julia was an amazing educator and I would highly recommend her and this class to new parents.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Great use of zoom!

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

OCEA’s 2-Day prenatal class was worth the time and cost. The information was very valuable and the small group setting made it comfortable to engage and share and learn. Helpful resources were also shared.

Pre Natal – with Michelle Morra

The value of this class cannot be understated. Even with all the research that I did on my own beforehand, I still learned so many new things about what to expect for the labour and delivery process as well as post natal. We had a great instructor and meeting other moms and sharing experiences helped me to feel more connected and validated in my own experience. Thanks again to Brandie for a great weekend.

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

Great course! Erin is so knowledgeable. We feel like this course will save us a lot of money and angst once the baby is born. I really appreciated how current the information was and the information about local options we can use to get help and support. I wish every new family could take part in this course!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Erin was absolutely fantastic! She was engaging, explained topics enthusiastically, answered all questions and overall was an excellent instructor. My husband and I are very grateful for all info we learned throughout this 2 day course.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Julia's manner and the information she provided was so reassuring. We feel prepared for the birth and so excited to meet our baby girl. It was a delight to be enrolled in her class.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Erin was incredibly personable, knowledgable, responsive and a very fun teacher. She was able to keep our attention throughout the day with her lovely jokes, depth of her knowledge and experience and kind and welcoming personality. We learned a lot from the class and truly enjoyed ourselves.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen


 
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