NEXT CLASS STARTS SOON. CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES. You will be redirected to a new site for scheduling.
MOST CLASSES are being taught VIRTUALLY and LIVE.
NEW IN JUNE 2023……an IN-PERSON Quick Class!
Joyful Beginnings classes are taught by me, Ali Weatherford. I am a Birthing From Within™ trained mentor, and am also certified by the ICEA.
The classes are for pregnant people and a partner, if available. They will usually be entering the third trimester of pregnancy.
The classes include:
COMPREHENSIVE BIRTH CLASSES
This is a 4-week series. We meet on 4 consecutive Mondays.
QUICK CLASSES
I hold these classes on one Sunday or Saturday a month. If you are nearing your due date and don’t have time for the comprehensive birth class, consider a 4 HOUR quick class. You can take this class virtually OR in-person.
PAIN COPING
This class is all about coping with labor pain without medication. The content is included in the comprehensive birth class, but is a great supplement to the QUICK CLASS, especially if you are planning an unmedicated birth. These are scheduled for one Thursday evening a month.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BIRTH?: Recover Heal & Restore
This is a class about postpartum recovery. The content is also covered in the comprehensive birth class, but this is a great supplement to the QUICK CLASS. These are on one Thursday evening per month.
PARTNER PREP CLASSES
One Thursday evening per month. This class is designed for people who are planning to support someone through labor and birth. FOR PARTNERS ONLY PLEASE!
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT C-SECTION AND VBAC CLASSES
This class happens one Friday evening per month. This class covers what to expect during a cesarean birth, how to prepare and know your options for a planned or unplanned cesarean, and plenty about VBAC including how to prepare to have a successful VBAC.
HOW TO MAKE A BIRTH PLAN
This an individual service. These are 1 hour private virtual sessions to help you make a birth plan. It’s best to do this AFTER taking a birth class. It includes some online assignments to get started including a Preferences Questionnaire, and one face-to-face virtual meeting. I will use the answers from your questionnaire to know a little more about you and design a rough draft to give us plenty to go over during our meeting time.
What can I expect from a Joyful Beginnings class?
A lot! I try to cover topics that are important for you, so I love questions. You will learn about anatomy, the stages of labor, pain coping, complications, interventions and decision making, and lots more! The content is important, but not more important than our depth of discussion. It’s not just about what you know, but also about how you feel when you leave.
My goal is to make this class fun, and for you to feel inspired and empowered. You will learn a lot, and possibly discover much about yourself. I want to hear from you, and I want you to find fun, joy, and wonder in the amazing changes you are experiencing. My hope for all future parents is that you enter your journey into parenthood not with a clear and definite plan, but with a clear heart and mind. I hope that you can be open to experiences as they come, because your birth story, whatever that ends up looking like, belongs to you and your children.
Comprehensive birth class topics include:
∗Pain coping practices
∗Eating in awareness, prenatal and postpartum nutrition
∗The stages of labor and physiology and hormones of birth
∗Birthplace and decision making
∗Psychological and emotional preparation
∗Laborland
∗Cesarean birth
∗Pushing and birthing
∗Welcoming baby and decision-making for baby
∗Postpartum adjustment
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- AuroraWorking with Ali was great. She has a wealth of knowledge but breaks everything down so it’s very easy to digest! I loved her class, it really prepared us!
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- AnonymousAli did a wonderful job! My husband and I feel much more confident about the birthing process now!
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- MichaelI’m a first time dad, who happens to be married to a labor and delivery nurse. I knew next to nothing about this process, and my wife knew it all! So you can imagine, that when we decided to take these classes, it was mainly for my benefit. We were pleasantly surprised to find that both the wife and I learned a lot from Ali! Many of the techniques we learned were so good that my wife will be using them to help expecting moms who did not have the good fortune to take a class from Ali. As for me, I feel I have learned how to be a better, more understanding and supportive birth partner, and that’s all I could really ask for. Ali was awesome, insightful, and you can tell she has passion for her work… and she makes the best guacamole and chips I’ve ever had 🙂 Prepping to have a baby is a daunting experience, Ali breaks it down and makes it seem less scary, and builds excitement for the big day. If you’re an expectant dad who wants to be the best you can, go see her.
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- RhondaThis class was great! My husband and I learned a great deal over 2 days (7 hours) and came out of the class feeling much more prepared for before, during, and after birth. The class had a good mix of teaching and learning mediums (role play, art, video, lecture). The pain coping mechanisms (e.g. breathing, non-focused awareness, eye of the storm imagery, pain-relieving birthing positions, hip squeezing, etc…) were especially helpful and useful. She also offered healthy but yummy snacks and tea, which came in handy for this hungry mamma! We would definitely recommend this class and Ali as an instructor for any expecting parents looking for a comprehensive and realistic overview of birth and postpartum; you will learn so much and be all the more prepared for various situations and scenarios! Thanks so much Ali!
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- AnonymousI really enjoyed this class. I have taken other birthing/labor classes and this one helped me feel the most prepared.
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- HannahAli Weatherford is knowledgeable, calming, patient and exudes warmth. She is just the type of person you want to surround yourself with during pregnancy. I’ve had the privilege of carrying two sets of twins and was hoping for a vaginal birth with the second set. My high risk doctor was completely on board but my delivery Doctor and the rest of the staff became very inconsistent and some wouldn’t answer basic questions only fueling my anxiety. Ali was exactly what I needed. She took the time to answer my questions and explain everything so thoroughly and calming my fears. She is an amazing woman and instructor and the best thing I did for myself leading up to the delivery.
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- AnonymousI love Ali. I reached out a few times and she always responded quickly with more than enough information. She helped me and my husband feel extremely comfortable and more knowledgeable about what to expect and to take charge of our birth plan.
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