HOW TO CHOOSE A CLASS OR SERIES: Planning on an un-medicated birth? Planning on using epidural/pain medication? Classes are for anyone preparing to give birth, however they choose to birth. If you have a scheduled cesarean, please contact us for classes that will are supportive in preparing for your cesarean birth and newborn. Women and their birth support can choose individual classes, or can take the full 7-week comprehensive series package. Class fees cover both the birthing women and her birth partner/s. Please review our cancellation policies here.

Birthing: Body, Breath, Heart & Mind: a Contemplative Workshop

Pregnancy, birth and parenting require a leap of faith into the unknown and the uncontrollable. How can we do this, but still remain empowered and safe?  Join other couples and explore the journey of birth and postpartum through experiential exercises, mindfulness practices and conceptual learning. Discover how turning to the wisdom of our bodies, hearts and minds can guide us in accepting the uncontrollable in birth, while remaining empowered in our choices. Mindfulness practices and experiential exercises help guide mother and birth partner toward a deep trust of the woman’s ability to birth, the birth partner’s capacity to support, the baby’s active participation in his/her arrival, and the woman and her family’s readiness to welcome a new baby. Classes develop knowledge of the birth process, standard US birth practices and interventions, and the family’s choices in childbirth and newborn care. Discussions and resources provided support families in choosing providers, birthing locations, and practices that are supportive of individual belief systems and needs.  For individual class details, please read descriptions below. Families who cannot attend the series in sequential order are welcome to choose their class dates. Please email us your details.

1. From In to Out: Understanding Birth

Traveling to the “land of birth” is like parachuting into an unknown universe. It can be the adventure of a lifetime, or can be overwhelming and frightening. Understanding how it all works is an important starting point to preparing for a positive, empowered experience. Spend an afternoon or evening with other couples and learn how baby travels from inside to out.  Discover the important role of the baby, the mother and the support person. Explore how emotions and thoughts shift and change through the process of birth, and how you can work together with, not against, the natural power of birth.

2. Labor of Love: Movement and Partner Support for Birth

3. Power + Pain: Working WITH the Sensations of Birth

4. Informed Choices: Interventions, Consent and Birth Plans

5. A Brave New World: Preparing for the Postpartum

6. A Baby! Now whatt!? – Newborn Care

7. The Nursling – Breastfeeding + Bonding

Most women are given strong messages about the importance of breastfeeding for her baby’s health.  Some expect it to be a natural and easy process that just happens. Others have heard all kinds of horror stories about the difficulties that can occur. Others feel pressured to try, but uncomfortable and uneasy about the idea of it. Not many of us are told that it is a joint effort between us, our body and our baby, and that like any new skill, it can take time and effort to learn and succeed at. Join us as we explore the wide range of experiences different mothers can have. Learn about the ways we can support the breastfeeding relationship and baby’s health beginning immediately after birth and in the first days and weeks. Explore both benefits and challenges to the newborn and the mother and how and where to reach out for additional help when it’s needed. Class will provide information on: skin-to-skin after birth, the breast-crawl, establishing breastfeeding, understanding the hormones of bonding, milk production and milk release,  nursing positions, and breast health. Resources for support with pumping, latch issues, formula feeding and going back to work with be provided.

Cesarean Scar Self-Care Workshop

A workshop for women who have had c-sections, perineal tears or episiotomies. How our scars heal can have a vast impact on our health, including organ health, back health, and fertility. How we feel about our cesareans, episiotomies or perineal tears can have an impact on our connection to our bodies, our births, and our babies, and how we feel about future pregnancies. During this workshop you will learn simple massage techniques and movement to support your scar in healing well and functionally. We will spend time exploring ways to reconnecting emotionally to our scars and our bodies.

The type of movement and touch taught will be adapted to when you had your surgical birth, and no time is “too late” to practice the supportive movement and self-massage provided in the workshop. Mothers six-weeks postpartum or less must obtain written clearance to attend from their OB/Midwife.

Instructor Kaeli Sutton is a massage therapist trained in manual scar rehabilitation, and a doula and childbirth educator with many years of experience working with woman who have had cesarean births, both inside the operating room and out.

Self-Care For Breast Health

Coming in Spring 2020, this class is for both lactating parents and women/breasted people of all ages. 

Breast health is often something we think about only in connection with breastfeeding, or in the case of illness (mastitis, blocked ducts, etc) or disease (cancer, cysts, etc). In actuality, we have the power to support the health of these important parts of our identity, sexuality and reproductive systems on an ongoing basis. Additionally, spending time physically connecting to the breasts also provides an opportunity to develop a more caring and active relationship to our own bodies, and in the case where our connection to our breasts has been broken, to “reclaim,” our bodies as our own.

Join us as we learn self-massage*, supporting the health of our chest muscles and breast tissue, and supporting healthy lymph flow. (Lymph is one of the main “protectors” of our body’s full system, fighting disease and illness throughout our lives). In addition to learning self massage, we will discuss basic breast care and clothing and bra choices that support breast and full system health. 

*All massage will be taught and practiced fully clothed, Videos of massage directly on unclothed breasts will be shown.