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:

Julia was so helpful and answered all the questions I had which really helped to ease some of the anxiousness I've been facing with covid19 restrictions in place and how it may impact my birth experience. I am so thankful for her knowledge and care!

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

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

I found this pre-natal class a perfect choice for us as a couple because of the one-day condensed format and the energetic and fantastic instructor Tabitha! I would recommend this to anyone in Ottawa who is looking for a credible prenatal class that gives an overall approach to what to expect in labour, taking care of baby and taking care of yourself. Money very well spent!!

Pre Natal – with Tabitha Bernard

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

OCEA courses provide you with the information you need to feel confident in preparing for birth and baby. I'm so glad I took them. I highly recommend them to any Ottawa soon-to-be parents!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

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

OCEA’s prenatal course is a wonderful tool to help new parents-to-be feel empowered and prepared for labour and the immediate postpartum period. Michelle is an amazing instructor - she was able to pack so much useful information into 2 days in a way that was digestible and non-judgemental. My partner and I left the class feeling more prepared and ready for this adventure! We highly, highly recommend it!

Pre Natal – with Michelle Morra

Erin, our instructor. She made the experience really positive and always made sure that as parents of twins we had that perspective. She is AMAZING!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Julia was an amazing educator and I would highly recommend her and this course to new parents. It was incredibly helpful.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Erin was very personable and shared her expertise freely and in a non-threatening way. The way she laid out the information and gave us room to ask questions and determine the best route for our own choices was so appreciated. Her quick responses to questions on the chat was also most welcome.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

This class was unbelievably helpful for navigating the crazy world of new / first borns. My husband and I feel more equipped for bringing our baby home and learned so much about the options and resources available to us. Highly recommend for first time parents!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Erin was really good! We were both impressed by how easy she made it look even through these challenging times! Made us feel comfortable to ask anything.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Yes: Ottawa CEA provided us with the best educational experience out of the multiple baby classes we took. The content is very well researched, concepts are explained clearly. Multiple perspectives for many issues are provided with evidence and encouragement is given to make your own informed choices with extra resources. There is no "fluff" and we felt much better about bringing a baby home after. I will be referring back to the resources from this course often. I highly recommend Ottawa CEA for expecting parents.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Michelle was amazing! It would have been nicer if the class was in-person and we could practice more positions, but I really enjoyed the class and learned a lot. Thank you so much!

Pre Natal – with Michelle Morra

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

Again thanks for all the work you've done to make the class accessible during this time and to update all the resources.

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

We really enjoyed Erin's class! Her style of teaching was really engaging and a nice departure from presentation-heavy classes. We also loved the interactive parts to try on our own baby wearing items, learning to swaddle, and getting to know the carseat. Great class!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Julia was phenomenal! Very kind, knowledgeable and a great educator!

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Bringing Baby Home is like the Coles notes of parenting. It helps sum up what all the baby books Teach without any biased push on any one thing. It allows you test out each option and make your own informed decision on what will work best for you and your baby. Very impressed and well worth our time and money. Loved it.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Was very impressed with the educator, delivery, personal stories and experiences and neutral, evidence based opinions and attitude

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

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 course exceeded our expectations. It covered topics we never would have even thought of looking up on our own.

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

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