People who took our online class had this to say:
This experience was great! We would definitely recommend this session to others.
I would recommend this prenatal class to anyone having a baby! The mechanics of childbirth are so much more complicated than I thought, but Brandie explained everything perfectly! We laughed, and learned so much! I definitely recommend the course, it is SO worth the investment!
Bringing Baby Home was a practical, yet evidence-based course, to help expectant parents learn the ins and outs of the first year and beyond. An abundance of resources is presented to the participants in multiple formats - web-based, books, and also by using a hands-on approach. Hands-on introduction to both slings/carriers and diapers (disposable vs. multiple cloth) allows you sample products without the pressure of being in a store or purchasing a variety and figuring it out by trial and error. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable, approachable and encouraging. I would highly recommend this course as a step-above most baby courses!
I highly recommend the OCEA's Prenatal Class. As first time parents my husband and I had a lot to learn and this course was so helpful for us. We left class feeling like we are prepared for the birth of our baby. We were provided with all the tools and resources we need and our instructor was excellent. Thank you OCEA!
She was fantastic. I really appreciated her non judgmental approach. She provided information in a scientific manner, without inserting a personal bias.
My husband and I were NOT looking forward to taking a pre-natal/birthing class, in fact we tried to get out of doing one. However our midwife urged us to take one because we are first time parents. All we had to go on about what would happen was from movies really and we were both dreading what we thought would happen. Both of us were actually really surprised at how much we enjoyed the class, and how much we learned. I can say now that I eat my words about not wanting to go, and we both are very glad to have all of this information in our arsenal to help us have a healthy birth.
We would highly recommend this course to any new parents. I thought I knew a fair bit going in, but came away with a ton of new information. We feel more excited and more reassured about our ability to manage our new arrival than we did before the course. It really increased our confidence.
We very much enjoyed the online OCEA pre-natal course and are glad we took it. We appreciated that our instructor presented unbiased information on the birth process that was specific to Ottawa hospitals. Even my partner who already has experience with childbirth and babies learned a few new things! Would recommend to other expecting parents.
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.
My partner and I took the Bringing Baby Home course through the Ottawa CEA, taught by Erin Shaheen. Erin is very knowledge and took the time to answer any all questions the class had. All the topics were thoroughly presented and never felt rushed. She even provided lots of links, resources as well as information on local support services. We took this course about three months before the baby's due date, and we are so thankful that we did. After taking this course, we felt more confident about our decision making regarding feeding, sleeping, diapering and what items to purchase We look forward to taking more classes with Ottawa CEA!
Erin was incredibly personable, knowledgable, responsive and a very fun teacher. She was able to keep our attention throughout the day with her lovely jokes, depth of her knowledge and experience and kind and welcoming personality. We learned a lot from the class and truly enjoyed ourselves.
My husband and I really enjoyed the prenatal class. We left feeling armed with an abundance of knew information and we now feel more confident to be able to advocate for ourselves during the childbirth process. We also feel less nervous about childbirth knowing more about what to expect. I definitely recommend this class!
Our classes were interesting, detailed, dynamic, and fun. Our instructor put everyone at ease while preparing us for our birth. She used a range of teaching techniques that kept everyone interested. We were given a wealth of information that has really made us feel ready and excited. We did not expect to enjoy child birth education classes as much as we did. Thank you!
We liked being able to following the course from our home. We also appreciated how flexible and understanding Erin was throughout.
The OCEA pre-natal classes are extremely valuable for first-time expecting parents. The information is shared in a very open, practical and fact-based manner without any judgement attached. It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the advice and research that is out there, but the OCEA classes really manage to distill this information and present it in a clear and structured way. The instructors are very experienced and knowledgeable and are great inter-personally. We were particularly impressed by how they handled giving online classes during the pandemic. They also provide a lot of Ottawa-specific information on the amazing resources that are available here. This was particularly useful to us as newcomers. We have many friends who have given birth in other countries, and when telling them about our experience with OCEA they have all said that nothing like this was available to them and it would have been so useful. Overall, we would highly recommend taking these classes.
Erin was amazing and I would highly recommend her class. We found it incredibly valuable and she was just so lovely!
Discussions and candid disclosure of information about various topics
The one-day condensed course was a great preparation for giving birth and breastfeeding for both mom and dad! We left feeling more prepared and knowledgeable and armed with more resources for future readings.
Last weekend I was feeling super anxious about the unknowns of the birthing process, particularly in light of Covid-19. I feel so much better now after having taken this course. I feel much more educated, adequately prepared, and the fear of the unknown - while not gone, is way more in check now. Thank-you!
Julia is EXCELLENT! She was very knowledgeable and very funny! She knew how to navigate those awkward and uncomfortable topics with care and grace. If we have a 2nd baby, I would love to have Julia as my midwife :)
Amazing class for new parents to be. Very informative and we both feel more prepared for the birth of our baby
Lilly was amazing - she is clearly extremely knowledgeable, answered every participant's question, and her voice was extremely soothing especially during the comfort measures section.
