Pre Natal Classes

In - Person classes will resume in September 2023 for weekend sessions. Virtual classes will continue for evening sessions and weekend morning classes.

For our online group classes, we ask that participants keep their videos on during 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 session with one of our instructors

We suggest you take your prenatal classes between 20 weeks and 36 weeks. Be sure to register early in your pregnancy in order to ensure a place is reserved for you. Classes are offered in the following formats:

6 Weekday Evenings OR Full Weekend	One Day Condensed
Your birth support team – The role of the Midwife, family Doctor, OB, Registered Nurse and Doula Stages and Phases of labour Comfort measures including relaxation and massage techniques Breath awareness All options for pain management Making decisions and giving consent Methods of induction Interventions including IV’s, fetal heart monitors, instrumental deliveries, inductions, and cesarean sections Post-birth procedures for babies Post-birth recovery for women Resources in Ottawa Infant feeding	Your birth support team – The role of the Midwife, family Doctor, OB, Registered Nurse and Doula Stages and Phases of labour All options for pain management Interventions including instrumental deliveries, inductions and cesarean sections Infant feeding resources
Topics are presented in a variety of methods including videos, hands-on practice, small group discussion and relaxation exercises.	Topics are presented in a lecture-like style to allow for the time required to cover the content in a shorter space of time.

Our one-day condensed classes are excellent for those who may not otherwise have time to take a prenatal class at all, or for those who work shift work. We cover the topics shown in the above table, which offers a comparison to our 6-week series and two-day weekend classes. We focus on labour and birth, leaving you with reading resources for post-birth.

Cost of classes is $200 (CAD) (per couple) for the two-day class and $175 (CAD per couple) for the one-day class and includes telephone and email contact with your instructor free parking and air-conditioned rooms.
*a couple is defined as a pregnant person and one support person (which can be a spouse, partner, friend or family member)

What materials are provided for class? To make the class as interactive and hands-on as possible, we will share a series of links and information sheets five days before your class with your reminder email. The internet has a wonderful amount of resources and we will link you to up-to-date resources on the net. You do not need to print them off in advance. We also strive to reduce environmental impacts by offering all resources in e-formats.

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. Requests for date 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 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.

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

This class was so useful and well thought out! As first time parents, we feel so much more confident now about the practical side of things. Highly recommend taking this class before creating a registry to feel less overwhelmed!