Great Starts™ - Classes & Registration

Classes

For schedules, fees, locations, and online registration, click here or call (206) 789-0883

Other Classes

Pregnancy & Birth

Labor & Birth Only

This class is for first-time parents, or for experienced parents who did not take a childbirth preparation class for a prior pregnancy. It covers all the essential information about labor and birth:

· Choices in Pregnancy and Childbirth

· Exercises and body mechanics for pregnancy, and help for common discomforts of pregnancy

· Stages of Labor

o Recognizing that labor has begun

o What moms and support people should do during early labor

o Knowing when it’s time to go to the birthplace, or call midwife to attend a home birth

o What moms and support people should do during active labor and transition

o Knowing when it’s time to start pushing

o Birth and Postpartum: After the birth

· Pain-Coping practices for labor will be taught and practiced in class*

o Breathing Techniques

o Relaxation Skills

o Labor Support

· Pain Medication

· Typical Hospital Routines and Procedures

· Variations in Labor and Possible Interventions, including Cesarean birth

This class meets for two weekend sessions (4 hours each). Class fee covers expectant mom and one support person, and includes a copy of our book.

Classes are held at several locations in Seattle, and in Redmond. For schedules, fees, locations and to register online, click here or call (206) 789-0883. (We also offer this class at Stevens Hospital. Info about Stevens registration can be found here.)

* There will be some practice time in this condensed Labor & Birth series. The full Great Starts series has more practice time.

The Labor & Birth only class does not cover baby care, so you may want to consider also enrolling in newborn care and/or breastfeeding classes. To add even more skills to your “toolbox” for coping with labor, consider also taking our Working with Labor Pain class.

Community Resources for Pregnancy

What expectant parents have said about our labor and birth prep classes:

"We truly enjoyed coming to class. We feel better prepared!"

"The most helpful parts were the videos, coping techniques, role-playing stages of labor, and tips for partners."

"We were told by friends who had taken preparation classes that they were mostly a waste of time, but instructor’s experience and information was absolutely invaluable. I feel, as does my wife, that we are so much better prepared from the class than from any of the books we’ve read.”