Lamaze Classes

Lamaze classes are NOT all about breathing! The Lamaze method was developed by the French Obstetrician Ferdinand Lamaze, and has been used in the United States since the late 1950s. Today it remains one of the most commonly taught types of childbirth classes. In the early days, the focus was on using controlled breathing techniques to cope with labor — but Lamaze classes are no longer about the breathing! Classes range from a one-day intensive weekend workshop, to four once weekly sessions lasting a month or more. Lamaze classes are from 1 to 3 hours long, and last 4 to 8 weeks. Typically, you will attend for about 12 hours of total class time. They are actually fun — no, really! Your partner will enjoy the class too! In fact, your partner will get just as much out of going to class as you (maybe more!) You will meet other people that may become good friends and allies in your parenting journey! What you learn will impact your birth experience, no matter what the outcome! There are so many choices you have in birth! The information you get in class is based on best evidence, not just the most common policies! You learn in-depth information about interventions (no, the epidural is not “just a shot”) Baby-birthing is a LOT like baby-making! Birth is usually not an emergency! These classes are FUN! NOT one big lecture with note-taking — it’s interactive! You don’t have to push out a baby on your back, or rush to the hospital when your water breaks (thanks Hollywood!) Lamaze teachers aren’t taught by a woman wearing a long skirt and patchouli who shows her own birth pictures from the 1970s and who promotes an all-natural birth naked in the forest (not that there’s anything wrong with patchouli!) Treasured Birth educators are a diverse, educated, candid, funny, approachable, and current! We pride ourselves on teaching evidence based practices! Treasured Birth Lamaze educators work alongside the medical community, not against it! Treasured Birth teachers will not tell you how to do birth, but provide the information you need to make choices with confidence (this is your baby, and your birth!) We will NOT teach that interventions are inherently “bad,” but we WILL teach what the benefits, risks, trade-offs, alternatives, and necessities are! Treasured Birth’s classes are NOT just for those who want to give birth without pain medication! But they can be if that is your focus! The beauty of these classes is that they will be focused on what you want, and what you need to have from your own personal pregnancy, labor and birth experience! When Should I sign up for Classes? Generally, the best time to begin your childbirth class is between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. This means signing up for classes a month or more before to ensure your class doesn’t fill up. That means registering for class when you are 20 to 24 weeks into your pregnancy. Childbirth classes are an important step along your path to parenthood. Don’t let the opportunity to fully prepare for birth slip by. Visit our Calendar pages to read about and schedule your Childbirth Class!

Classes