Welcome to Ottawa Childbirth Education Association

Let's talk birth and babies!

Freedom of choice Based on a Knowledge of Alternatives

Practical tools to prepare for birth

Hands on parenting class for expectant parents

Bringing baby home

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For over 40 years, trusted by Ottawa's parents-to-be.

People who took our online class had this to say:

Amazing class, made us feel so much more prepared for the arrival of our baby!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

The OCEA prenatal course was amazing. We are first time parents and honestly didn't know what to expect or how to prepare for the arrival of our baby. This course and Brandie were excellent and have really helped us prepare with the most useful in depth information. It was more than we could have hoped for. .

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

Thanks for being willing to add in information about how to deal with our fur babies when we bring the baby home!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Erin was amazing and I would highly recommend her class. We found it incredibly valuable and she was just so lovely!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Excellent instructor, could not have asked for better.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

I was recommended Ottawa CEO Pre Natal by our midwife and I am so happy my partner and I took the course, as there was so much that we did not know! The 6 part class allowed us to digest and reflect on the information at a pace that helped ensure we fully understood the stages of labour, comfort measures available and post natal expectations. Our instructor, Michelle, was very personable, informative and answered all of our questions thoroughly. We certainly feel more confident entering the final phase of pregnancy after taking this class. Thank you Michelle!

Pre Natal – with Michelle Morra

Really enjoyed this class. So informative! I would definitely recommend it to friends who are about to become new parents. Erin was an excellent instructor and did a great job presenting the information. Particularly amazing how quickly this class was adapted from in-class to online and how thorough and easy to follow it was. Our confidence as soon-to-be new parents has increased exponentially since taking this class. Thank you!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

This class was an excellent resource for new moms and dads to be - highly recommended! Be prepared to learn a lot that your baby books don't tell you.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Lilly was fantastic and had a calm yet informative and empowering approach to educating our class on prenatal subjects. She was thorough and welcomed any questions we had, which created a very open and comfortable atmosphere for learning. My partner and I looked forward to our lessons and felt we benefiitted from them immensely.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

I had no idea what doing the class over Zoom would be like but Brandie was excellent!

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

Our educator was fantastic. We were really impressed by her. She knew her material, but was engaging and interesting, even remotely for the first time. We felt she was careful with her word choices. She had a pleasant demeanor and was very adaptable and responsive based on our questions and based on the new format of the course without any issues. We would highly recommend this course, but we would recommend any class with her particularly. She made us believe we could bring home a baby and we would all survive!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

The Ottawa CEA Pre Natal course was a great course for all parents to be whether you are a new parent or want to simply refresh your skills. I felt that the instructors were extremely knowledgeable and provided a safe space for asking questions. I also found the additional resources after the course very practical. Overall, very engaging and interesting two-day intensive course. Thank you Brandie!

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

Lilly was great at fostering a community environment through the screen! She was always available for questions and encouraged group atmosphere in an unprecedented new learning environment!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Erin and Lily are both very knowledgeable, resourceful, practical and pragmatic in all of their teaching and advice. We appreciated that their courses (Labour and Delivery and Bringing Home Baby) were offered through Zoom. We are thankful for their support before we welcome our baby.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

I am a medical doctor & took this course with my spouse who does not work in medicine at all. We both found our instructor knowledgeable & reassuring. We felt better prepared approaching the birth of our first child.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Bringing Baby Home was a great class! Brandie's informative, non-judgemental teaching was perfect and set a great tone for us as first-time parents. She did a great job of creating a sense of community in the online class. Thank you!

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

If you have any fears or concerns about labour or the initial time after birth this course if for you! The instructors offer a non-judgmental and safe environment where students learn how to cope with all aspects of the process, including current COVID-19 issues.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

The time that she took at the end to have a group chat and ask us all to check in. I would highly recommend that she do this with classes in the future. Ask questions and have the group check in. It was really nice to get the feedback and feelings of others in the class.

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

It was useful to understand the real benefit of breastfeeding compared to formula, as opposed to all the judgemental information that is out there.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Lilly is an amazing educator! I was so anxious before taking this course but looked forward to each class as I learned so much and it answered questions I didn't even know I had. Lilly is so knowledgeable and kind and unbiased and has a nice sense of humour too! It was a pleasure to learn from her each week. Thanks Lilly!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

This was the second course that we took with Ottawa CEA, and yet again our expectations were exceeded. Our instructor was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing balanced and informed views while fostering a relaxed and open learning environment. There was a very good mixture of lecture, discussion and hands-on activities (including the opportunity to try on various baby carriers, handle the many different types of cloth diapers, perform infant CPR on small dummies, etc.). We learned so much over the course of two days, and are very happy that we decided to attend. We feel much better prepared both for the months leading up to our baby's birth (we now have a better sense of what baby gear is really necessary) and the first year of her life.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

The educator, Erin, was so friendly, kind, and easy to talk to. She did an excellent job and we really enjoyed seeing her on Tuesdays :)

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Before baby gets here

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Pre Natal Classes

OCEA's prenatal class will give you all the practical tools to prepare you for your birth whether at home, hospital or birth centre. Our small interactive group classes include the following information presented in small group formats ... Pre Natal Classes Schedule

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Bringing Baby Home

Our Bringing Baby Home class is a hands on parenting class for expectant parents that covers normal newborn behaviour, diapering decisions, bathing strategies, bonding and attachment and more! ... Bringing Baby Home Schedule

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Comfort Measures

This hands on class includes coping strategies to help you feel confident understanding the Pain - Tension - Fear cycle. How to interrupt this cycle using a variety of positions, massage and breathing techniques to help you at each step of labour and birth ... Comfort Measures Schedule

With baby

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Infant sleep class

Are you an exhausted parent that has tried everything and cannot get your baby to sleep? Do you want to find a solution that is not crying it out? We will be creating a space for parents to follow their instincts when it comes to their new baby... Infant sleep class.

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Infant Massage

Learn the health-giving properties of Infant Massage: growth and motor skill development, blood and lymph circulation, immune system stimulation, building bones, helping with gas and colic, aid with deeper and longer sleep, emotional and physical bonding time ... Infant Massage Schedule

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Baby at the Table

Baby at the Table – a baby foodie class for the first year. Thinking about introducing solids? Not sure when or where to start? Purées or Baby Led Weaning? Baby is eating solids and you want to connect with others, diversify recipes, or create mealtime routines? ... Baby at the Table

Specialty

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It Takes a Village

About to be a Grandparent? Or maybe an Aunt, Uncle or another "villager"? This class is just for you! Sure, babies will always be babies, but parenting has so many new dimensions these days. Let us get you up to date on newborn development, sleep, tummy time, infant feeding, car seats, and more. We also explore how to be helpful and supportive while keeping your family relationships happy and boundaries healthy. It Takes a Village

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CPR

Our virtual CPR classes focuses on infant choking, signs of readiness for starting solids, babyled weaning and baby proofing strategies. This life skills class is excellent for family and friends who are interested in learning all aspects of infant, child and adult CPR ... CPR Schedule

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Parenting Group

Join us for the new OCEA parent group, BABY STEPS! Come and discuss life with your newborn. This group is geared to families with babies from 0-6months, covering topics including family adjustments, creating new family traditions, normal sleep patterns, and Parenting Group Schedule

Tutoring

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Private Tutoring

OCEA provides private tutoring for individuals and couples unable to commit to an evening series or weekend class. Take a session on your own or with friends and we will meet your scheduling needs ... Private Tutoring Schedule

OCEA Social