Childbirth Classes and Doula Care
Childbirth Classes
Certified Childbirth Educator, BirthWorks International
Certified Doula,
ALACE, toLabor
Serving families
in the Baltimore region
and beyond
For more information, contact
240-997-5319
netsitsah@hotmail.com
Reisterstown, MD
Interactive and empowering ten-week series,
condensed Sunday series,
& private classes offered
Nets and Jakir in 2007 with our first baby, Lev
Where, When, and How Much
(Northern Baltimore County, North of Owings Mills)
Classes are held once a week, usually on a weeknight from 7:30-9:30.
Contact me at netsitsah@hotmail.com or 240-997-5319
to find out when the next series begins and for pricing information.
I believe:
•The knowledge of how to give birth already exists within every woman
•A woman labors best where she feel safest,
•A woman in labor deserves an environment in which her privacy, autonomy, and emotional security are protected, and her mobility is encouraged
•Mother and baby form a unit whose well-being is intertwined
•Nutrition, exercise, relaxation, and loving support are fundamental to Motherbaby health and development
•Pregnancy, birth, and parenting make up a continuum
of enormous growth and learning
•Birth is a crucial rite of passage during which women are both
incredibly powerful and vulnerable
•Mother-led care leads to empowered parenting
•Homebirth is a safe option for those who choose it
•Less intervention leads to fewer complications
•Beliefs and emotions influence birth
•Women deserve access to good information in order to exercise informed consent
Unit 1 - Beliefs,
Hopes, and Fears about Birth; Your Needs for this Class, Birth History, Models of Care
Unit 2 - Prenatal Parenting: Maximizing Health and Well-being, Nutrition, Exercise, Stress and Relaxation, Fetal Development, Optimal Fetal Positioning, Sexuality & Communication
Unit 3 - Research & Resources to Develop Personal Expertise, Tuning into Your Body and Baby, Communication with Care Providers, Prenatal Testing - history, options, alternatives
Unit 4 - Physiology of Undisturbed Labor and Birth, the Placenta, the Newborn, & Immediate Postpartum Period, the Wide Range of Normal
Unit 5 - Interventions, Complications, Drugs, Doulas, Birth Plans, Informed Consent
Unit 6 - Coping Strategies & Comfort Measures, Pain, Feeling Safe
Unit 7 - Breastfeeding & Bonding, Unexpected Outcomes, Grieving & Healing
Unit 8 - Postpartum Healing, Changing Relationships, Baby Care and Parenting
Unit 9 - Overflow From Previous Classes (So Necessary!)
Unit 10 - Guest Families Share Experiences
Materials and Activities
Whole and
small group discussions; question & answer sessions;
Relaxation
techniques, breathwork, stretches and exercises drawing on yoga and qigong
Hands-on
instruction and practice with partner including massage, rebozo, craniosacral release,
positions for labor and birth, acupressure, and comfort measures; visualization;
affirmations;
Videos, writing, drawing, playdough, workbook activities, games, role
plays;
Class in the woods, on the farm, and/or
around the campfire;
Comprehensive workbook, supplementary handouts, take-home activities, lending library access, special guests, wholesome snacks;
And more!
