Lamaze Childbirth Prenatal Class

“A positive birth comes in many forms - an effective epidural, a glorious waterbirth or a calm planned cesarean. But it is always defined by the mother. Not her OB, sister or best friend”
— Tracy Donegan

This is the whole kit and caboodle of prenatal education with the topics covering pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. Taught over three weeks or two six hour sessions it will provide you with evidence based information and tools to navigate every stage that’s ahead of you. At the end of this course you will be confident in your body’s ability to have a safe and natural birth and have a bunch of tools tailored to you that will help you through birth and postpartum.  

  •  Lamaze Six Healthy Birth Practices 

  • Creating your Birthing Environment (whether at the hospital, birth centre or home) 

  • Communication and Negotiation Skills and Informed Consent 

  • Birth Hormones 

  • Stages of Labour 

  • Pain Management (non pharmacological and pharmacological options) 

  • Theories of Pain Management and how you can use them to birth your baby

  • Active Birth Positions 

  • Comfort Measures 

  • Common Hospital Interventions and their effects on a physiological labour 

  • Cesarean section (including family centred cesarean section, what this looks like and what to ask for) 

  • Birthing the Placenta

  • Golden Hour (including delayed cord clamping) 

  • Newborn babies appearances 

  • Newborn tests 

  • Newborn bathing

  • Sleeping and breastfeeding (and what is normal for both)

  • Navigating the new you and your relationship 

  • Signs and symptoms of Perinatal Anxiety and Depression 

  • Building up your resources of local service providers in the community 

  • Developing your Postpartum Plan (looking at who to ask for help, what they can do to help and thinking about what changes can we make around the house to navigate this new period)

Included within this is developing your birth preferences and writing your birth plans (so you have Plan A, B and C). This means all options have been considered in a timely and less emotionally charged space and if circumstances change when you birth your baby you can be confident with the decisions that you, your partner and care provider have made previously and you can get on with birthing your baby. 

You will also receive a postpartum plan which will allow you and your partner to start talking about how things may change, what you are and aren’t willing to let slide around the house and who you can ask for help (whether that is for advice, someone to listen, to bring you a meal or snacks, hold your baby or do some laundry). If this is the birth of your subsequent child it also covers what you can do to help your older child feel included and how you can support them. 

The cost for this class is $550.00 which includes a Birth Affirmations specific for the birth of YOUR choice, a Lamaze Toy and a Preparing For Birth: Australian Edition.