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:

Given the continued need to physically distance, the size of our room rentals and the evolving state of our global pandemic, OCEA will continue to offer all classes online throughout 2022.
We dearly want to support the health of expectant families.

I loved Brandie's chat at the end about plugging the baby into your life, and seeing the first 6 weeks as "vacation."

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

Great use of zoom. Thank you.

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

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

Julia was awesome! Would have loved to do it face to face, but completely understood due to the current climate. It worked well online and was very information.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Julia was very informative and engaging. She kept the topics interesting through the online format.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Discussions and candid disclosure of information about various topics

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Lilly was amazing, she has so much experience to share and tips to give. She makes the entire session super lively and interesting. Barely using any notes makes the whole thing more interactive. We both highly appreciated her and would definitely recommend.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Julia has been very patient and has a really calm way about explaining difficult things which was very helpful

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Was able to do it from the comfort of my home

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

Honestly, it was easily one of the best online courses I have taken. The size of the group was perfect. I still felt connected to the instructor and the participants. Lilly did a great job of making us all feel included and part of the class, despite there be a screen between us. I don't have anything bad to say about it.

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

The courses offered by the OCEA have been very helpful and informative. They allow you to feel more confident about the labour process, the hospital environment you will be entered into, and bringing baby home. I would recommend this to anyone having a baby.

Bringing Baby Home – 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 & Toddler 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

CPR classes are Level C certification level. This life skills class is excellent for family and friends who are interested in learning all aspects of infant, child and adult CPR. Class training is approximately 2 1/2 hours and ... CPR Schedule

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OCEA workshops

Join OCEA for workshops on practical topics that include Building a Communication Toolkit, Creating a Family Social Media Strategy and more! Each participant will leave the workshop with a practical checklist of tools that will help their family achieve their workshop goals. Full list of our specialty workshops

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

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NICU Doula

Pregnancy and birth are almost always joyous times. However, sometimes we get news we might not have prepared for that changes our expectations and plans, and we find ourselves preparing for the arrival of our newborn in a different way than we planned. ... NICU Doula

OCEA Social