Prenatal classes

Our prenatal classes provide you with the information you need to give birth confidently and make informed decisions about your care.

All of our prenatal classes include access for both you and your support person. We encourage your support person to attend prenatal classes with you so they know what to expect when you go into labour and how to be involved in the postpartum period.

We offer the choice of virtual prenatal as well as a variety of small in person prenatal classes. Our virtual prenatal includes access to five different prenatal workshop topics. Including a workshop designed specifically for birthing people having a scheduled cesarean birth.

The in-person prenatal series is a three-week series located in the hospital. Registration includes a tour of the maternity unit and birthing rooms. The content covered in this series includes:

Evening 1: Labour and Birth

Evening 2: Postpartum and Baby Care

Evening 3: Breastfeeding

Our instructors are registered maternity nurses from St Paul’s Hospital and are familiar with the hospital protocols. Our curriculum and content have been developed and tailored in partnership with our expert clinicians at St. Paul’s Hospital. Our nurses offer classes in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The content is designed for expectant parents registered to deliver at St. Paul’s Hospital, but are open to anyone who is pregnant.

For virtual workshops, we recommend that you register for classes that are four to six weeks before your due date.

For the in-person prenatal series, we recommend that you register for a class that starts six to eight weeks before your due date.

To help us cover our costs we do charge for our classes. If the cost of the course is a barrier for you please speak to your health care provider or email prenatalclasses@providencehealth.bc.ca to discuss alternative arrangements.

It’s much easier to do it from home rather than being in a hurry to be on time somewhere, especially when you have a small kid at home and your husband needs to go to work. So it worked perfectly! My daughter was sleeping while I was doing the workshop.

Topics include:
- How to tell when you are in labour
- How to make your labour & delivery more comfortable
- Pain relief options
- What to expect during labour & delivery
- Role of labour support
Topics include:
- This workshop is meant for families having a scheduled cesarean birth
- Reasons for a scheduled caesarean
- Signs of early labour and what to do
- What to expect through the entire caesarean process: from pre-op to birth
- Postpartum care for caesarean birth
- Identify ways to increase the postpartum experience
- Getting off to a positive start with breastfeeding
Topics include:
- Know what to expect during the immediate postpartum period
- Understand routine newborn procedures
- Learn about current recommended safe sleep guidelines
- Recognize the different between baby blues and postpartum depression
- Identify ways to increase postpartum comfort for the new parent
“The Zoom workshop worked well for me and my husband as we were able to pick our own date and time that worked for our schedule and didn’t have to commute from Squamish and pay for parking for an in-person class. We really appreciate SPH staff going above and beyond to fit needs of the population during the pandemic. Beyond amazing!”
Topics include:
- The anatomy of the human breast and breast/chest changes that occur during pregnancy that are important for breastfeeding.
- Understand the benefits of exclusive breast/chest feeding.
- Know how to set yourself up for an abundant milk supply, learn the technique of hand expression.
- Learn how to collect and freeze colostrum at the end of your pregnancy. The in-person breastfeeding workshop includes access to a colostrum collection kit.
- Understand baby’s cues for feeding and learn how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk.
- Troubleshoot and identify potential breast/chest feeding concerns.
- Know when and where to seek help.
* Taught by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
Topics include:
- Learn about the pelvic floor muscles and how to help them recover.
- Know what to expect in the early postpartum period.
- Have strategies to manage postpartum issues that may arise.
- Know what exercises you can start right after birth and how to progress them over the next few weeks.
- Know when and how to seek help or advice around your recovery.

Workshop registration

Our virtual classes are delivered via Zoom and offered in a small group sessions. Prices ranges from $80 per virtual workshop to $240 for the complete in-person series. We also offer private one-on-one virtual session that can be booked around your schedule and tailored to your learning needs. Private workshops are $180.

To resigter, please visit Eventbrite for available sessions and times.

Interested in private one-on-one workshop with our instructors? Email prenatalclasses@providencehealth.bc.ca

Virtual Prenatal Workshops Flyer

It was less stressful for a pregnant couple rather than going to the hospital during this pandemic situation. Because it was one to one, I got to know the nurse better and ask so many more private questions, which I might not ask if that was a group session. Also, my husband could participate and engage better.

Prenatal classes

All of our prenatal classes include access for both you and your support person. We encourage your support person to attend prenatal classes with you so they know what to expect when you go into labour and how to be involved in the postpartum period.

Available workshops

Workshop registration