Great Starts Birth and Parenting Preparation Series

The Great Starts series is our most recommended class for families expecting their first baby. It is appropriate for women planning to birth in hospitals, birth centers, or at home. The fee covers an expectant mother, and one support person, and includes a copy of our book.

The comprehensive series includes all of the information you need about pregnancy, labor, birth, breastfeeding, and newborn care. The class time allows for lecture, videos, group discussion, and plenty of time for practicing skills for coping with labor pain. The series also allows you to meet other expectant parents so you can socialize, support each other, and find future playmates for your baby.

The series is offered in several formats: four Saturdays (9:30am-1:00pm), seven weeknights (7-9pm), 8 weeknights with Penny Simkin (Wednesdays, 7-9pm) are described below. We also offer specialty series: HypnoBirthing® >> (7 weeks, Sundays, 3-5:30pm or Wednesdays 7-9:30pm), Lamaze® >> (8 weeks, Tuesdays, 7-9pm) and Expecting Multiples >> (7 weeks, Thursdays, 6:30-9pm).

Postpartum Reunion Class: Approximately one month after all the babies are born, the students from the class and their babies gather together to share birth stories and parenting experiences, ask their instructor any questions that have arisen since the birth, and re-connect to other new parents.

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Great Starts Class Comparison Chart >>

Class Topics

The series includes the following information:

Preparing for Labor & Birth:

• Help for common discomforts of pregnancy
• Stages of Labor: What to Expect
  • How you will know labor is starting
  • How you will know when to go to birthplace (or call midwife to attend you at home)
  • What labor and birth will be like
• Pain-Coping practices for labor. You'll learn and practice: Breathing Techniques, Relaxation Skills, Positions and Movement, Massage, Emotional Support, etc. All of our series include pain coping techniques from all the major “methods” – Bradley method, Birthing from Within, Hypnobirthing, and Lamaze.
• Pain Medication Options
• Typical Hospital Routines and Procedures
• Variations and Possible Interventions, including Cesarean

Preparing for Breastfeeding:

• Why breastfeed: The Benefits
• How to breastfeed: Positioning and Latch
• How often to feed, how to know baby is getting plenty
• Predicting, preventing, and coping with common challenges
• Pumping, storing, and bottle-feeding
• How partners can support breastfeeding moms

Preparing to Care for your Newborn:

• What newborn babies are like: Appearance, Senses, Capabilities, Temperament
• What babies need, and how they communicate it: Infant Cues; Crying and calming
• Daily care
  • Sleeping and sleep safety
  • Bathing and diapering
  • Feeding
  • Health

Postpartum Reunion Class:
Approximately one to two months after all the babies are born, the students from the class and their babies gather together to share birth stories and parenting experiences, ask their instructor any questions that have arisen since the birth, and re-connect to other new parents.

Logistics

Schedule:
This series meets weekly, either for seven weekday evenings (from 7 - 9 pm) or for four Saturday mornings (9:30 - 1 on the first three weeks, 9:30 - 1:30 on the last week). Plan to take a class series that will end 2 - 5 weeks before your due date.

Locations:
This class is offered at several locations, including our classroom on Rainier Ave S. in Seattle and in Mountlake Terrace; Northwest Hospital in North Seattle; UW Physicians Clinics at Roosevelt and Shoreline; and Group Health facilities in Capitol Hill, Northgate, Bothell, Burien, Bellevue and Everett. All classes are open to anyone, regardless of where they are giving birth. learn more >>

Registration:
For schedule, fees, and location, see our FAQ page >>, Online registration system >>, or call (206)789-0883

 

Additional Options.

If you are in your first or second trimester, consider also taking our Early Pregnancy class >> and Preventing Preterm Birth class >>

Penny Simkin's Birth & Parenting Preparation Series
Great Starts is pleased to offer an 8 week version of the birth & parenting series, which is taught by Penny Simkin, author of numerous books on pregnancy, birth, and labor support. Penny is a world-renowned expert in the field of childbirth education, and one of the founding mothers of the doula movement. Penny's series is 8 weeks long (from 7 - 9 pm each evening), and does have a higher cost than our seven week series. The same information is covered in both. Register now >>

 

Our Instructors

This class is taught by one of our team of 20 childbirth educators. They have diverse backgrounds in nursing, doula support, social work, physical therapy and more, and have supported women and their partners during labor and birth, as well as all being experienced mothers themselves.

Instructor Biographies >>