Our Classes

We are proud to offer

Bringing Baby Home

The OCEA Bringing Baby Home class was developed in 2004, by Erin Shaheen, to fill an information gap for expectant families on the transition to parenting after birth.  With a strong background in mental health counselling, post-partum Doula support and a variety of additional certifications (CPR, Car seat Installation, Breastfeeding counsellor, Infant Sleep Educator, Circle of Security Training, Self-Reg with Stuart Shanker), Erin brought all of this information into a full two day or six evening class.

As our other classes have shifted back to in-person or online, the BBH class remains exclusively online. This has allowed us to present resources, websites and videos in ways not possible in person. We acknowledge that this also increases inclusivity for those who face barriers to in-person attendance due to transportation limitations, for participants outside the City of Ottawa, and for those who may be on bed rest or have an immune-compromised condition.

This is NOT your regular online class! Erin has a Master's in Education, specializing in course development and has tailored the content delivery to an online, small-group format. We look forward to having you join the BBH class!

This class welcomes all families, including families giving birth to babies, or having babies join through adoption or surrogacy.

We ask that all participants keep their video on throughout the small online class. Like an in-person class, this creates a sense of community and safety. If you prefer not to be seen, we recommend a private one-on-one session with one of our instructors.  Online classes are accessible to anyone across Canada and run over four weekend mornings from 9 am-12 pm or online over six evenings.

Our Bringing Baby Home class is a hands-on parenting class for expectant parents, including
  • Choosing daycare and managing the wait list
  • Building your after-birth support system, including filling in service gaps when you do not have a Family Doctor
  • How to decide what items to purchase for life with a baby
  • Basic baby care, including bathing, swaddling, and holding the baby
  • The difference between cloth diapers, disposable diapers and diaper service and the diaper loaner program
  • Benefits of babywearing and how to pick baby carriers for ergonomics
  • Infant Feeding and Introducing Solids
  • What you need to know when purchasing a car seat for your baby
  • Learn how to properly and safely install your car seat
  • How to properly restrain newborns in car seats
  • How to deal with choking
  • Babyproofing: how to make your home safer for your baby
  • Learn the most common causes of injuries and how they can be prevented
  • Where to purchase home safety products

The cost of the class is $230 (CAD) (per couple). 
*A couple is defined as a pregnant person and one support person (which can be a spouse, partner, friend or family member)

Refund Policy: When cancelling a prenatal class after it has been booked, there is a $25 (CAD) administration fee. If cancellation occurs less than 14 days before the class, a 50% cancellation fee applies. If it is less than 7 days, no refund will be issued.  Requests for changes within 7 days of class will reflect a $75 fee.  Please remember this when booking classes and plan to finish your session by 35 weeks.

People who took our class had this to say:


We dearly want to support the health of expectant families.

This course provided it us with the knowledge and confidence we need to bring our bundle of joy into this world! In these uncertain times it reminded us to focus on things we can control! Erin was a great teacher. Thank you so much!

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Erin provided good information regarding on screen time with infants/children which is something that we have always been concerned about.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

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

Was able to do it from the comfort of my home

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

Yes - Couldn't recommend these classes more. After taking the Pre Natal and Bringing Home Baby Classes, myself and I my partner both feel more prepared for the unexpected and to welcome our baby home. We now have many tools and resources specific to our area to help us through the process.

Pre Natal – with Brandie Lekovic

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

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.

Pre Natal – with Misty Pratt

She was fantastic ! Made the class fun to attend !

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

Bringing Baby Home was a great class! Brandie's informative, non-judgemental teaching was perfect and set a great tone for us as first-time parents. She did a great job of creating a sense of community in the online class. Thank you!

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

It was useful to understand the real benefit of breastfeeding compared to formula, as opposed to all the judgemental information that is out there.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

Bringing Baby Home was a really thorough and educational experience. It managed to alleviate our first parent jitters and made us feel a bit more secure that we knew what we were doing. It also offered us a lifeline to ask questions after the course was finished which has helped a lot.

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen

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.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi


 
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  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    6 weekday evenings
    FULL
    Tue, Aug. 5 · Aug. 7 · Aug. 12 · Aug. 14 ·
    Aug. 19 & Aug. 21, 2025

    07:00 PM - 09:15 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Waitlist

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    weekend
    FULL
    Sat, Aug. 9 · Aug. 10 · Aug. 16 & Aug. 17, 2025
    09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Waitlist

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    6 weekday evenings
    Thu, Sept. 4 · Sept. 11 · Sept. 18 · Sept. 25 ·
    Oct. 2 & Oct. 9, 2025

    07:00 PM - 09:15 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    6 weekday evenings
    Tue, Sept. 16 · Sept. 23 · Sept. 30 · Oct. 7 ·
    Oct. 14 & Oct. 21, 2025

    07:00 PM - 09:15 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    weekend
    Sat, Oct. 18 · Oct. 19 · Oct. 25 & Oct. 26, 2025
    09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    6 weekday evenings
    Thu, Oct. 23 · Oct. 30 · Nov. 6 · Nov. 13 ·
    Nov. 20 & Nov. 27, 2025

    07:00 PM - 09:15 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    weekend
    Sat, Nov. 1 · Nov. 2 · Nov. 8 & Nov. 9, 2025
    09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    6 weekday evenings
    Tue, Nov. 4 · Nov. 11 · Nov. 18 · Nov. 25 ·
    Dec. 2 & Dec. 9, 2025

    07:00 PM - 09:15 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    weekend
    Sat, Nov. 15 · Nov. 16 · Nov. 22 & Nov. 23, 2025
    09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Bringing Baby Home
    weekend
    Sat, Dec. 6 · Dec. 7 · Dec. 13 & Dec. 14, 2025
    09:00 AM - 12:00 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now