Get prepared, build community.
You know that birth is big, and you want to be prepared for a great experience — as natural as possible. We've got you! Our natural birth class is fun, interactive and evidence-based.
You know that birth is big and you want to be prepared for a great experience — as natural as possible.
We've got you! Our natural birth classes are fun, interactive and evidence-based.
What do we mean by 'natural birth'?
Throughout time, parents around the world have given birth naturally, without interventions. We believe that birth still works. Our childbirth class focuses on "natural birth," which some people like to call unmedicated birth or physiologic birth. We spend eight weeks exploring the ins and outs of what to expect in labor and how to stack your deck for a great experience.
Modern technology can be very helpful when it's truly needed, even lifesaving. But our system is out of balance. When interventions are used too often, they can actually make birth more difficult and complicated. Our cesarean rate in the United States is 32 percent (really? do a third of us truly need major surgery to give birth?). Many hospitals have epidural rates upward of 80 percent. Inductions are common. If you want a physiologic birth in our system, it takes some work. We'll teach you how birth works and how you can work within the system to meet your goals. Our students often include first-time parents, VBAC families, and even second- or third-time moms who just want learn more and a different experience this time.
Our greatest hope is that you have an informed, centered birth experience that leaves you feeling strong, happy and connected to your baby. Sometimes birth (and life) can throw us some curveballs. We'll prepare you with questions and decision making tools so that if you do need interventions, you will feel good about your choices. We celebrate every birth, even the ones with lots of unexpected twists and turns.
Hear from some birthing parents who've taken our class.
This is what support people (birth partners) have to say.
There are two main types of parents who join our classes:
1
People having their first baby. We love helping you prepare for this new experience. It's a sweet and important time in your life. Your first birth sets the stage for all your future births.
2
Parents who didn't have a great birth experience last time. Maybe it was a cesarean, or medication you had hoped to avoid. We love sharing new tools to help you this time around.
Every family is welcomed and celebrated in our space, including LGBTQIA+ parents. Let us know how we can support you.
Taught by one of Southwest Michigan's most experienced childbirth educators.
Hey, I'm Jessica English. I've been teaching childbirth classes in Kalamazoo for more than 18 years. It's my passion and my life's work — I love sharing evidence-based information in creative ways to help families get ready for centered, empowered births.
I started off teaching Bradley Method classes in Kalamazoo, but a few years in, I found that Bradley wasn't quite the right match for me. I wanted to expand my classes outside the Bradley Method philosophy and soften some of the hard edges of their program. So back in 2008, I transferred my certification to Lamaze International and wrote my own curriculum in keeping with the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices (which are amazing, by the way, and no funny breathing patterns either).
Here's a little more about me:
- Lamaze-certified childbirth educator
- Lamaze program director and trainer, which means I train nurses and doulas to become childbirth educators too
- Hired by hospitals around the state to train nurses in labor support skills
- One of only 60 DONA International advanced certified birth doulas in the world
- Birth doula trainer for DONA International
- Certified postpartum doula with DONA International
- Frequent speaker at conferences for doulas, childbirth educators and nurses.
There's nowhere else I'd rather be on a Tuesday night than teaching families about birth. I feel invested in every one of my students, and I'm always available to you if you have questions after class ends (more than once over the years, I've even had a student call or text in labor). My class is constantly changing as information evolves, as I attend births and as I learn creative new teaching techniques.
I'd love to help you get ready for your birth.
Ready to get signed up?
Our classes often fill early, so we encourage you to sign up as soon as you can.
Upcoming Classes
An 8-week series
Tuesday nights, 6 - 8:30 p.m.
Each series includes six classes of
childbirth ed, a breastfeeding class
and a final class on the 4th trimester
October 22 - December 10, 2024
January 7 - February 25, 2025
Can't make Tuesdays? Finding us too late to fit in a full series?
Check out our private classes or express class
Combined series (birth, breastfeeding + 4th trimester)
Eight-week series
- Our eight-week series includes six weeks of birth class, a week of breastfeeding and one week of fourth trimester/postpartum education. Pay in full or make a $150 deposit when you register.
For low-income families who receive WIC, we can offer a partial scholarship for the eight-week series from our "Fund for All." Please email info@birthkalamazoo.com for all the details.