The truth for women living in a modern world is that they must take increasing responsibility for the skills they bring into birth if they want their birth to be natural.
Making choices of where and with whom to birth is not the same as bringing knowledge and skills into your birth regardless of where and with whom you birth.
- Common Knowledge Trust
FREE
30 Minute
Pregnancy Massage
Session when you
pay online
Sarah Buck
Childbirth Educator, Doula,
and mother of 3 children
PRENATAL CLASSES
Deluxe | Standard | Intensive | Refresher | Siblings | Private Classes
Register
Our Philosophy on Prenatal Classes During Pregnancy
At BRA we value empowering mothers and their partners with an understanding of not just what you need to know to be well informed with practical information on labour, birth and early parenting but just as importantly, what you and your partner need to know about the emotional journey as well. Both these areas are great strengths of BRA.
Primarily it is BRA’s belief based on thousands of clients, classes and births plus the training of Educators and Doulas that pregnancy and birth is a very special unique journey to the mother and her partner. There is no one way to do it and no single agenda is pushed or advocated at BRA.
No first time expectant woman knows how she will need to labour and birth until she is in the experience – at BRA we aim to provide you with the best preparation for whatever your journey will bring. We do this by helping embrace a holistic understanding of yourself and helping those supporting you to understand what to expect and how to effectively support the mother throughout the pregnancy and birth experience.
Click here to read more about our philosophy.
Subjects Covered in the Classes
The classes have been designed, redesigned and constantly developed over the past 30 years by BRA Principal, Marie Burrows, her Educators and external colleagues. They cover many important topics including:
- The physical stages of labour and birth
- Emotional changes
- What is involved for those supporting the mother
- All types of breathing techniques and positions
- Easy to understand language on the different interventions and what they all mean
- Caesarean sections - if it is needed, what does it involve
- First hours with baby
- Postnatal care, breastfeeding and early parenting
Classes are presented through a combination of open discussions, video and audio presentations, role-plays and powerful visualisations. Light food and refreshments are also provided during classes.
Advantages and Benefits of BRA Classes
- Detailed workbooks to keep with self-searching questions, practical information and resources
- Specific classes for dads facilitated mostly by our male educator Pete Gailey
- Open discussions, video/audio presentations, role-plays & visualisation techniques
- Free participation into the Mothers Group while still pregnant
- Very reasonably priced counselling sessions with Educators. All Educators are available for chats and questions any time as part of the class fee
- The opportunity to meet some of the Doulas in the class and get know them
- Phone support throughout your labour if you don't have a Doula
- Follow-up phone calls after you complete the classes to check up on how things are going with the pregnancy
- Follow-up phone calls offering advice and support in those first few months after baby's arrival by our expert postnatal support team
- We network you with the industry's most experienced specialists on homeopathy, acupuncture, massage and other services you may need
Please Note: BRA's prenatal courses can be claimed on some private health funds.
Sarah Buck Memorial Scholarship Fund
In memory of Sarah Buck, a childbirth educator, Doula, mother of 3 young children, who passed away from cancer in 2007 at the age of 34, we have established a scholarship fund to assist couples experiencing financial hardship, single parents or young parents, who wish to do high quality prenatal education but are unable to afford it.
Birthing Rites Australia totally supports eligible recipents across the board by covering all expenses of attending prenatal classes and receiving counselling and any other support you may need.
Since its inception in 2007, the Sarah Buck Memorial Scholarship Fund has supported a total of 20 women who were interested in receiving a high quality prenatal education but could not afford it.
If you are interested in applying for the scholarship fund, please contact us via email at birthingrites@zip.com.au or over the phone at 02 9387 3615 outlining your situation and interest in doing our classes.