Child Birth Classes

Who it’s for:

Expectant parents and partners (that includes whoever will be a support person at the birth of your baby). Focus on vaginal delivery.

Details:

This Lamaze format class meets on either Friday night from 6:30 to 9:30 pm and on Saturday from 9 to 5pm ( Fri and Sat Weekend Class) or on Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 9am to 1pm (Sat and Sun Weekend Class)

Course topics include:

• Pregnancy changes before and during labor
• Laboring at home when in Early Labor
• Practicing Comfort measures: how to cope with contractions through breathing and relaxation
• Practicing various birth and pushing techniques
• Routine hospital procedures for most
• DC Area Hospitals Discussing various Medical pain relief: epidurals and narcotics
• Review Cesareans Procedures in most hospitals
• How to recover during the postpartum period
• Also 6 month access to online new parent portal and Facebook group.
• Will provide realistic expectations and examples to work with hospital staff
• Medstar Hospital Prenatal Tour is included when meeting at Medstar location.
• Your partner is taught how to comfort you to make your labor easier.

Fee is $250 per couple   or  Total Care Package   Weekend Childbirth + Baby Care + Infant CPR  for $350.50 per couple

Who it’s for:

This 8-hour intensive class is designed for women and partners intending to have a vaginal delivery.

Details:

The class will help you prepare for a vaginal birth with an epidural or without an epidural. Using handouts, videos and instruction, you’ll learn about all aspects of a medicated vaginal birth.

Course topics include:

• Focus on staying at home in Early Labor
• Limited amount of breathing, massage, and relaxation techniques for a medicated birth
• Routine hospital procedures
• How to recover during postpartum period
• Discuss Cesareans procedures at most hospitals
• Will provide realistic expectations and examples of how to work with hospital staff
• Suggest taking the 3-hour Comfort Measure class to practice additional pushing & comfort techniques
• Also 6 month access to online new parent portal and Facebook group.

 $225 per couples or Childbirth Plus Package, Childbirth  1 2 3 + Baby Care or Infant CPR class for $250. 

Who it’s for:

“HypnoBirthing® is a unique method of relaxed, childbirth education enhanced by self hypnosis and guided imagery techniques that allow women to use their natural abilities to bring about safer, easier, and more comfortable birthing”.

Details:

HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method is taught in 6 – 3hr classes and includes a 302 page HypnoBirthing textbook, 2 – CDs for relaxation, professionally written scripts, and a variety of handouts for preparation, practice, and birth companion.

Course topics include:

• History of birth and women
• The body’s perfect design
• Prenatal bonding techniques
• Rapid relaxation and deepening techniques
• Breathing techniques for labor and birthing
• Preparing birth preferences
• Birth companion’s prompts, scripts, and techniques
• Preparing your body for labor and birthing through nutrition, body toning, and massage
• Methods for avoiding interventions and for natural stimulation of labor
• Release negative emotions, fear, and limiting thoughts
• Optimal fetal positioning techniques
• Hallmarks of labor and the thinning and opening phase
• Positions for baby’s decent and birthing
• Baby’s first hour – including bonding and moving to the breast

Additional topics covered will include::

• What to expect at 3rd trimester pregnancy appointments
• Common symptoms and how to handle them
• Nutrition, weight gain
• Pre-term labor, signs of labor, when to call your doctor
• Postpartum depression and Baby Blues
• Breastfeeding and Latching
• Choosing a pediatrician

$450 per couple 

Who it’s for:

This class is recommended for women who are on bed rest or otherwise unable to attend Momease childbirth classes.  The Private Childbirth class is offered either in-person or virtual.

Details:

Our Private Childbirth class is taught by a Momease certified childbirth educator or a certified Momease doula. The Momease instructor will create a 3-hour customized class for the expecting mom and her support person.

Course topics include:

• Discussion of pregnancy changes
• Physical and behavioral changes during labor and birth
• Breathing and comfort measure techniques for labor
• Positioning and coping strategies for labor
• Also, 6 months access to the online new partner portal and Facebook study group.
• Will provide realistic expectations and examples to work with hospital staff.

$325 per couple for virtual or $375 for in-person 

Who it’s for:

Expectant women and partners. This class Birthing Refresher class is suitable for women that have birth experience or new mom wanting additional comfort measures.

Details:

This three-hour class provides the expectant mother and her partner with comfort techniques needed to cope with the pain of labor contractions. Birth partners will learn the optimal methods to make the expectant mother’s labor and delivery experience as easy as possible.

Specific topics covered include:

• Discussing your hopes for the upcoming birth and review past birth experience
• Stages of Labor and comfort measure for each stage
• Relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques position changes
• Massage and positive reinforcement
• Much of the class time is devoted to practicing the techniques

$85 per couple, virtual class with instructor 

Who it’s for:

Parents or expectant parents of twins, triplets and other multiples. This class is appropriate to take during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Details:

This helpful and informative two-hour class is designed for parents of multiples. It focuses on the various childbirth alternatives and situations that parents of multiples often experience. Parents also learn essential coping skills that help them care for multiple babies including special considerations or demands.

Specific topics covered include:

• Possible prenatal complications
• Strategies for coping with prenatal complications
• What happens if my babies are in the NICU
• Feeding multiples
• Routines for multiples in first six weeks
• Recognizing individual twin/triplet temperament
• Organizing for multiples
• Stockpiling for twins/multiples
• Logistics of breast feeding, storing milk and supplementing
• Doctor’s visits, shopping and other activities
• Will provide realistic expectations and examples to work with hospital staff

$85 per couple, virtual class with instructor 

Who it’s for:

Single Moms or women whose partner is not available for birth, our “Solo Moms”. This class is not for couples. But, Moms may bring whoever will be a support person at the birth of their baby.

Details:

This three-week course is to help single mom or “solo” moms enter into motherhood with confidence.

Course topics include:

1st Week – Childbirth Class

• Pregnancy changes before and during labor and, Laboring at home when in Early Labor
• Routine hospital procedures for most DC Area Hospitals
• Discussing various Medical pain relief options: epidurals and narcotics
• Review Cesarean Procedures in most hospitals

2nd Week – Comfort Measures and Relaxation Techniques

• Practicing Comfort measures: how to cope with contractions through breathing and relaxation
• Practicing various birth and pushing techniques
• How to recover during the postpartum period
• Mom’s support person should attend to become familiar with comfort measures.

3rd Week – Baby Care and Breastfeeding Basics

• Procedures following the baby’s birth
• Understanding normal newborn characteristics
• Bathing, diapering, burping, holding, and swaddling
• Learn breastfeeding techniques for successful latching

$200 per couple, virtual class with an instructor