Childbirth Preparation | Prenatal Classes

We believe parents value support and information as they make choices about their care during pregnancy and childbirth.

You can now find Mothering Touch Prenatal classes at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre on the West Shore!  See below for upcoming dates.

Our Prenatal Classes provide a comfortable and friendly atmosphere where parents-to-be can meet to collect and discuss information and prepare themselves for the journey ahead.  Our Childbirth Preparation courses are designed by trained and experienced childbirth educators who are also doulas and breastfeeding counsellors.   To learn more about the instructors and staff who provides our prenatal and parenting courses , visit our About Us page.

The curriculum for all of our Prenatal Classes is based on the Lamaze Six Healthy Birth Practices.  Topics are presented in a variety of ways, including discussion, hands-on practice, video, couple work and group work, click here for the full course outline.

Because every family and every birth is unique, we offer you several options in childbirth preparation, click on the option you're interested in below, or just scroll down to learn more about each class:

• Prenatal Class Series and Workshops
• Private Prenatal Sessions
• Having a Baby Again - Prenatal Refresher
• Frequently Asked Questions

Prenatal Class Series and Workshops (6 weekdays or 2 Saturdays)

Whether planning your birth at home or at the hospital, with a midwife, or a doctor, knowing what to expect makes a big difference.  In addition to discussions practical exercises and videos, we will also tour Victoria General Hospital's Labour-Delivery and Mother-Babe Units.  Topics covered in this series include:

Because their needs often differ, we offer our prenatal classes for clients of midwives and doctors patients separately.  Each is available as a 6-week Series of weeknight classes OR as a 2-Saturday Workshop.  Hospital Tours take place on Monday nights. 

Both Series and Workshops are $170 for the mother and her birth helper.

If you'd like to join us for an upcoming class, please click here to send us your information and we'll contact you to complete your registration.

Having a Baby Again - Prenatal Refresher

A safe and supportive environment for you and your birth helper to de-brief about your previous birth experiences and practice breathing and relaxation techniques and comfort measures for your next birth.  We will discuss the planning of a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean).

$70 for Mother and her Birth Helper - Two Wednesday Evenings 7:00-9:00pm beginning on the following dates:

Private Prenatal Session for Childbirth Preparation

Difficult Schedule?  Special Needs?  Some expectant parents have special needs with regards to childbirth preparation.  These needs may include a quickly approaching due date, medical concerns that make attending a regular class difficult, or even a challenging schedule leading up to baby's arrival.  Private prenatal classes allow for added flexibility.

Over two 2-hour sessions, we will cover all the basics from labour to breastfeeding.  Our library of books and videos are also available for parents to view on their own.  This course is $220 per family and includes the following topics:

° the stages of labour
° comfort measures
° breathing awareness
° medical interventions
° pain medications
° informed consent
° the new mother and baby
° breastfeeding

° A hospital tour can be arranged

If you'd like to arrange a private prenatal session, please click here to send us your information and we'll contact you to complete your registration.

Childbirth Preparation - Prenatal Class FAQs

Why should I attend a childbirth class?
While your midwife or doctor provides you with a lot of information, many pregnant women and their partners find it interesting to meet with other expectant parents to talk over the decisions and plans they are making.

Who teaches the classes?
Mothering Touch Childbirth Educators are Lamaze-Certified childbirth educators and breastfeeding educators as well as DONA-trained doulas.  We have been teaching these classes for Victoria's midwives' clients since 1996.  To learn more about our instructors and staff, visit the About Us page.

When should I attend the classes?
You should register for classes taking place between your 30th and 38th week of pregnancy.  Please register early in your second trimester.  The classes fill up quickly.

Why do you have separate classes for midwives' clients and doctors' patients?
We find that the different models of care lead to different expectations and needs for the patients and clients.  For example, the possibility of a home birth will be discussed in the midwives' clients' class.  We find our clients needs are best served by having classes which can focus on their own model of care.

How do we choose whether to attend the six-week series or the two-day workshops?
The weekend workshops allow expectant parents to immerse themselves in the topic of birth.  They are intense but intimate.  They are also suited to mothers and birth helpers who are busy in the evenings, who are out of town frequently or who cannot take the classes until late in pregnancy.

In the weeknight series of classes, the same group meets for six weeks in a row.  This enables participants to get to know each other and provide each other with support through the last weeks of their pregnancies.  You should choose the format you prefer based on your availability, your learning style and the time of day when you feel best able to learn.

Refund Policy
A refund of the course fee, minus a 15% administrative fee, is possible until two weeks before the beginning of the course.  If you are unable to attend the course for a medical reason, a full refund will be given.  No refunds will be issued after the course begins, even if the absence is due to medical reasons.