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.

It was nice to be at home and be able to adjust our computer, seating, etc. at our leisure.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

She was very engaging and passionate about the information she was sharing. I enjoyed her teaching style.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Julia was great! She kept things light, down-to-earth, and didn't sugar coat things. We all tend to have ideas about what childbirth is like based on tv, movies and old-wives tales, but she was great at dispelling anything that may have mislead us in the past. Her knowledge and experience in the area of childbirth was incredibly helpful.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Julia was wonderful! She did a great job of making the information engaging and easily accessible for first time parents. She was really encouraging and inspiring!

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

We liked when studies, research, etc. were referenced when presenting information. There is so much information out there that it's nice to know when information has been validated by research.

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

My partner and I took the Pre Natal Class with OCEA. The class was hosted on Zoom, since the COVID-19 pandemic meant we had to have a virtual class. Our teacher, Julia, really made this class top-notch. We learned about all our different birthing options in Ottawa and what to expect from each, including any adjustments resulting from the pandemic. It was comforting to learn the current standard of care we can expect in Ottawa, and how this matches the most recent scientific information about birthing. The local information is really what makes this class worthwhile compared to reading a general pre-natal book. We left the class feeling informed and empowered in our choice of care and our choice of birthing place.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Brandie sent us SO many links and provided us with a lot of different reading materials... a dream for someone like me who loves information

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

Julia was wonderful. Her voice is both lively and soothing to listen to. She’s also really hilarious. I loved the added bits of humour. She gave many opportunities to ask questions throughout the course. If she isn’t sure about something, she accesses her own resources/network and gets back to you with an answer. As COVID protocols are constantly changing within the healthcare domain (hospitals, birth centres, home births), I thought she was very knowledgeable about the current situation within each place. She was very knowledgeable about the birth process and the postpartum period for the family unit. There were many resources that we could access to facilitate some of the topics within the class that could need more attention either in the prenatal period or postpartum period (I.e infant feeding) which was great!

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

The Bringing Home Baby course offered by OCEA was worth every penny. My husband and I were thoroughly impressed with the educator’s level of knowledge and experience. The class covers a lot of material but somehow flies by! 10/10 would recommend!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Fantastic - very engaging Clearly loves what she is doing and made the class fly by (even in a virtual setting). Felt comfortable asking questions & that we were getting very informed up to date information.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

This course was a great introduction in all things labour. Things are a bit different in Covid-19 times and our instructor made a point of keeping us up to date with what to expect while being very empathetic with the challenges this situation brings to labour and tricks to get through it positively.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Lilly was an exceptional instructor and this course was truly an incredibly empowering experience for us (which we didn't fully expect). As scientists, we went into the course just hoping to get the information. But, with that information came a shared sense of connection and support that has been so challenging to develop during COVID because we are far from our family and because we can't both attend all of the prenatal appointments. Not only do I, the birthing partner, now know what support I may need and how to ask for it, but also my spouse, the non-birthing partner, feels equipped to offer and provide support when times get challenging. This course made us so excited to meet our baby and Lilly made us feel ready to care for them!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

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