Childbirth Preparation

Our General Childbirth Preparation class is everything you need to birth confidently. We start with birth fundamentals, then go in-depth on strategies and skills to find comfort during labor. We include medical advocacy and insider Bay Area birth information. This class prepares you for your best birth.

Available Sessions

Please select the class type you are interested in to be taken to the booking calendar.

Course Breakdown

1. Birth Foundations for an Empowered Birth

The fundamentals of birthing, and our foundation for the class.

2. Physiology of Labor

Anatomy! Everything we forgot from 8th grade biology, and then a really in depth picture of birth+your body.

3. Finding Comfort in Labor

Positioning, movement, massage, and more! A class where your birth partner can really shine.

4. General Interventions and Advocacy

What’s on offer when you’re giving birth, and how you and your partner can advocate for your best birth.

5. Navigating Birth in a Bay Area Hospital

We have so, so much experience helping people give birth in the Bay Area.

6. Postpartum

You made it! An orientation to recovery and caring for your brand new baby.

 Meet the Instructors

  • Throughout her entire life, Heidi has been a reassuring voice to others. A leader and supporter, a woman and a friend. Heidi earned an associate degree from Northern Arizona University in Environmental Sciences and a Dual Masters from the University of California Berkeley in Urban Planning/Environmental Sciences. After working for several years and earning a high-level management position in the solar power industry, Heidi had a life-changing realization. She became a mom and immediately realized that support is a fundamental need during pregnancy, labor and birth.

    Heidi left her degree and career to pursue becoming a professional, certified doula. Heidi knew that with her passion for providing support, her commitment to education, and her ability to encourage and reassure others, becoming a doula was an obvious choice. It was almost as if the position was created specifically for her!

    Heidi is certified to teach HypnoBirthing and Lamaze Childbirth classes. She has trained as a birth doula through DONA, CAPPA, Cornerstone, ProDoula, and Dynamo Doula. Her additional focus of study includes Spinning Babies and Evidence Based Birth. Heidi has also earned her Master rebozo credentials and placenta certification.

    With a passion for vaginal birth after cesarean section, Heidi has supported and celebrated more than 50 clients as they reached this powerful goal. Her deepest desire is for her clients to know that they are cared for, that they can feel confident in their choices, and that they have the information they need when they need it.

    Heidi married into a 4th generation Bay Area family and has resided there for the past 13 years. Together she and her husband raise their three children. When Heidi is not working, she loves spending time with her extended family, living an eco-friendly lifestyle, reading, watching BBC period dramas and doing seasonal canning.

  • My role as a doula is steeped in reverence, authenticity, humility, and advocacy. I believe in community-based care, reproductive justice, informed consent, and bodily autonomy for all! As a mixed-race, queer birth worker, it's important to me to cater my approach to each individual's unique needs and wishes for their birth. I want my clients to feel seen and heard.

    It takes a village to raise a baby. Birthing persons and their partners deserve the support of that village, as well! Through the powerful experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, I am here to stand beside my clients in their journey into parenthood with an empathetic ear and tender heart. Together, we cultivate a sense of connection, honor our experiences as personal power, and navigate the profound experience of bringing a life earthside.

    Outside of being a doula, you'll find me spending time with my partner and cat in our cozy home in Oakland. My most joyful moments often involve the outdoors, 35mm film photography, a new vegan recipe, or something to learn.

  • Keira comes to the birth world after a career in public health and social services research, evaluation, and consulting. That work also focused on supporting people as they navigate life transitions, social challenges, and the systems and institutions that support us as we all move through these moments. She has a passion for deep learning and listening, connecting to people, building communities, and being an advocate and a resource.

    Keira is also a parent to two young people who are heading off to college, which inspired a search for change and a return to pursuing a passion for women’s health and empowered birth. She is grateful for the support, opportunities, and connections made during her own pregnancy, birth, and early child-rearing years. She now enjoys helping others find the connections, information and support they need to build their confidence, make decisions, grow, and thrive as they build their family.

    Keira has a Masters in Public Health. She trained as a birth, postpartum, and full spectrum doula with Cornerstone. She is also a certified Cornerstone and Hypnobirthing Childbirth Educator. She also just started additional training as a lactation counselor!

    When not teaching, learning, supporting births or helping families postpartum, Keira is a mountain bike coach for the Berkeley High School team, grows veggies and keeps chickens in her backyard, sings and dances with MoTor Dance, and gets into the mountainous backcountry (on ski wheels, or on foot) as often as she can with her partner, two kids and friends.

  • Maureen is a mom of three who found the birth of her first child unexpectedly profound. The years following this birth and the subsequent births of her other children, Maureen found herself counseling and advising many of her friends and family members regarding their birth options and how to accomplish their own desires for an empowered birth. In 2012, Maureen decided it was time to leave her corporate job and to transition into her life's passion of supporting, encouraging and nurturing birthing people and their families through labor and birth. Maureen is DONA trained, has taken several types of birthing classes (The Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, Loving Arms, Natural Resources, Bay Area Birth Education) and lactation training classes. In 2015, Maureen added postpartum services to her practice after seeing many of her clients struggling to find their rhythm at home. Maureen will be a forever student of prenatal, birth and postpartum learnings and will continue to bring these learnings to her families that she is supporting. Maureen's peaceful demeanor and genuine care provide families with a strong base and level of support that is heartfelt.

Save 15% by adding a workshop!

Our most popular classes, paired with our most popular workshops. Save on both by buying together!

  • Childbirth Prep Package 1

    Our Childbirth Prep Package includes our 3-Week Childbirth Education Series and our Newborn Care class. You will walk away knowing everything you need to know in preparation for your birth and newborn care experience.

    Book Now

  • Childbirth Prep Package 2

    Our Childbirth Prep Package includes our 3-Week Childbirth Education Series and our Breastfeeding 101 class. You will walk away knowing everything you need to know in preparation for your birth and breastfeeding experience.

    Book Now
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Purchase the package, then use the emailed code to schedule our most popular classes and workshops at a discount.

 Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Your birth partner! All our classes cover two people, so make sure to bring them along.

    We also recommend something to take notes with, since we cover a lot of information each class.

    We have tea and snacks in our space, but some people also like to bring their own snacks and a waterbottle.

    Overall, bring your positive attitudes and curiosity! We're excited to have you with us.

  • Our classes can be taken at any time during pregnancy, however, we recommend the late second trimester or early third trimester which allows you plenty of time to immerse yourself in the information prior to birth. 

    We do not offer refunds if you go into labor before the series ends. We recommend taking a class early enough that that won't be an issue, whatever that looks like for you!

  • When you sign up for the 5 Week Childbirth Preparation class, you'll be emailed a code for 50% off in your confirmation email. You can then use that code to sign up for a class that works best with your schedule!

  • For the health and safety of our students, Brilliant Births requires COVID-19 vaccination. Proof may be requested. Masks are not required but welcomed.

  • We strongly recommend that you attend each class in the series. If you will miss one of your regularly scheduled classes, please contact Brilliant Births or your instructor as soon as possible. We will do our best to find another Brilliant Births class that you can attend to learn the information you may have missed. This must happen within the window of time of your original class.

    While we will do our best to accommodate you, we can not guarantee that a space will be available in another class for a transfer. No shows will not receive any form of reimbursement. If another class is unavailable, we can offer a private makeup virtual session (up to 2hrs) at an additional fee of $150.00 or an in-person session at the Brilliant Births studio (up to 2hrs) at $175.00.

  • We know plans change! After sign up, you may cancel up to 7 days before your class and receive 75% percent of the cost back, not including mailed materials. Cancellations within 7 days of a scheduled class cannot be refunded.

    We aim to fill our classes, but if there are less than three sign-ups for a class, it will be canceled, rescheduled, or moved to Zoom. If the dates of the reschedule or Zoom don't work with your needs, you will be issued a full refund, minus any mailed course material costs.

    Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the format may change from in-person classes to virtual classes if required by public health guidelines or at Brilliant Birth's discretion. No change in fee will be issued, and no refunds will be given outside of the allotted cancellation policy. 

More Information

Asking questions is part of the process.  
Feel free to send us an email and we will be sure to answer any questions that you may have!