Our Classes

We are proud to offer

Baby at the Table: a baby foodie class for the first-year

Are you thinking about introducing solids?   Not sure when or where to start?   Purées or Baby Led Weaning? We talk about it all.

The first year is a fine time to establish healthy eating habits, nurture positive relationships with food, and start family traditions.  

Are they getting enough?  We will discuss current best practices and recommendations around baby nutrition (here and worldwide).

How do I know they are ready?   Special focus on babies’ physiology as they prepare to take in solids. 

What to do if a baby chokes?  You will leave this class with knowledge, tips and confidence to feed and care for your family - even to help with digestion!

What about introducing Allergenic Foods?  Find out the latest recommendations on this topic.

Baby is eating solids and you want to connect with others, diversify recipes, or create mealtime routines?

You will receive quick recipes and ideas that pack a nutritional punch without making separate meals for you and your growing baby.

$65 (CAD) for this four-week class
 
Refund Policy: When cancelling a prenatal class after it has been booked there is a $25 (CAD) administration fee. If the cancellation occurs less than 14 days before the class there is a 50% cancellation fee. If it is less than 7 days there is no refund.  

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The facilitator, Brandie Lekovic, is an OCEA Prenatal Educator who offers personal coaching and counselling as a Doula of 20 years. You may have met Brandie in an Infant Massage class or years ago facilitating the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program. In 2016, Brandie’s family traded travel to start a small farm where they participate in growing and raising food. Brandie’s rich and varied foodie history will provide tools that put you at ease and build excitement to bring your Baby to the Table.

People who took our online class during COVID-19 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 enjoyed the fact that we were at home, it made my wife more comfortable to be able to use our own bathroom and have snacks on hand etc. It also allowed us to must ourselves during the discussion and make comments to each other privately when an issues or decision that we wanted to discuss came up.

Pre Natal – with Misty Pratt

I would recommend this class to all expecting parents. It really increased my confidence in myself going into birth and the first few months with our child. It has facilitated my ability to communicate better with my partner. This course is worth every penny and every minute of time.

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

We both LOVED Julia's approach to teaching. She provided us with so much useful information and supported all areas of pregnancy. It was nice that she explained the pro's and con's of each topic without making one seem better than another or making us feel like we made a bad choice going the route we've chosen.

Pre Natal – with Julia Wykes

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

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

This course will help you answer questions you didn't even know you had - both for people who are pregnant and their partners!

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

If you have any fears or concerns about labour or the initial time after birth this course if for you! The instructors offer a non-judgmental and safe environment where students learn how to cope with all aspects of the process, including current COVID-19 issues.

Pre Natal – with Lilly Bianchi

Aside from all the info provided by the educator, I liked the interaction with other couples

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

My partner and I were both really happy with how easy Zoom was to use. Brandie made it feel like we were really in class!

Pre Natal One Day – with Brandie Lekovic

Brandie was a wonderful instructor. She was organized and personable. The content was fresh and relevant. It exceeded our expectations!

Bringing Baby Home – with Brandie Lekovic

How easy it was to use Zoom. That this was offered as an alternative rather than just cancelling outright. That we didn't have to get up earlier and travel anywhere :)

Bringing Baby Home – with Erin Shaheen


 
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  • Online

    Baby at the Table
    4 weekdays
    Wed, Jan. 8 · Jan. 15 · Jan. 22 & Jan. 29, 2025
    11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now

  • Online

    Baby at the Table
    4 weekdays
    Wed, April 2 · April 9 · April 16 & April 23, 2025
    11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
    Online Class Using Zoom
    Register now