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

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

People who took our online class had this to say:

Ottawa CEA is a fantastic organization. My husband and I have taken two classes through them and feel less anxious about welcoming our first child, and more prepared about what to expect both during labour and when we bring our baby home. The instructors who lead the classes (Erin and Brandi) were extreme knowledgeable, friendly and explained everything thoroughly.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Great class! Would definitely recommend it!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

The classes offered by Ottawa CEA are great courses for first time parents. We took the prenatal classes and the Bringing Baby Home classes. My husband and I really enjoyed them. They were very useful to get up to date information specific to Ottawa. It helped us greatly in preparing to be parents. The classes stimulated a lot of discussion between us that I do not think we would have had if we did not take the classes. Erin and Tabitha are great instructors, we really enjoyed our time with them. Thank you!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Erin was absolutely fantastic! She was engaging, explained topics enthusiastically, answered all questions and overall was an excellent instructor. My husband and I are very grateful for all info we learned throughout this 2 day course.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Easy going, could speak up and ask questions without feeling judged.

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

We were a bit skeptical going in to the class as so many friends have said they didn't find prenatal classes useful. We found both days of the course to be interesting and useful. I would not hesitate to recommend CEA to a friend or family member. Both my husband and I feel a little more prepared for the big day!

Pre Natal – with Colette Gignac

It was easy to share questions verbally or in writing, or that you had the opportunity to ask them more privately, before or after the class via text with Julia. It was a nice option that made me feel more at ease.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

We really appreciated the very frank, honest, non-judgemental explanations. It has helped us to separate the facts from the opinions.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Brandie was amazing, very knowledgeable, answered all our questions. Very engaging instructor and would recommend her to anyone taking the course.

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

The six week prenatal class was worth the investment of time and money. It allowed us the opportunity to not only meet other expectant couples, but to absorb the information between classes and then come back to ask questions the following week. Our instructor, Lilly, was very warm, reassuring and knowledgeable. We would recommend this course to others

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

This class prepared us extremely well for the birth of our wonderful daughter. We had planned on delivering at the Birth Centre but due to a fast labour had her at home. The information received during the session greatly helped and took away any worry I had. And Lilly was an absolutely fantastic teacher!

Prenatal Classes for Midwifery Clients – with Lilly Bianchi

It really prepared us for the journey we are about to experience, we highly recommend everyone who is going to have their babies to take this prenatal sessions. Removes the fears and unknowns about childbirth. Being able to share your knowledge and experiences with the other new parents in the class was very helpful.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Thank you Lilly for an awesome prenatal class! We feel much better informed and ready for the birth experience. The information presented was evidence based and despite the transition to online, the class had a welcoming and safe atmosphere.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Bringing Baby Home is a great opportunity for new parents to help learn the basics, get answers to common questions, and connect with the local parenting community and resources.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Lilly is a very skilled educator. She lays out the course material in a way that is very approachable and spends an appropriate amount of time on each subject. More importantly, Lilly created a safe environment in the class where no one ever felt intimidated by asking a question, and used inclusive terms like "partner" instead of "dad" or "husband" and "chestfeeding" instead of "breastfeeding". I would recommend Lilly's class to everyone I know!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Julia was really informative and full of excitement, so it was indeed a wonderful series of class

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

We felt a lot better after attending this particular prenatal course. It was well worth the time and money as first time, soon-to-be parents. We had tried other prenatal courses and left feeling scared and non-confident.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

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

I liked the structure, and being muted at home meant my partner and I could talk about the information as we were learning it.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

My husband and I had done very little reading prior to taking this class - as each and every prenatal book we started would frustrate us in some way (tone, type of information, etc.). This class was the perfect primer to labouring - a good variety of information and activity. While we recognize that the birth of our child may not go according to our birth plan, we feel confident that the knowledge we have gained will empower us to make the right decisions for us no matter the challenge.

Pre Natal – with Colette Gignac

Absolutely! Taking this class is one of the best decisions we've made as first-time parents-to-be, and we are so glad that we enrolled before making any major purchases or having our baby shower. We are bombarded with so many decisions regarding feeding, diapering, transportation and parenting, and this class was very effective at presenting some of these options to us in an easy to understand way, which has made us feel empowered to make consumer choices that will best suit our lifestyle. The course paid for itself within the first hour, when we were able to immediately rule out some of the purchases that we assumed were "must haves".

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

She was fantastic. I really appreciated her non judgmental approach. She provided information in a scientific manner, without inserting a personal bias.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Before baby gets here

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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.

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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

cart

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