When to Take Childbirth Class?

Taking a childbirth class is an important step in your parenting journey. For many expectant parents, this is the first time they’ve come together to really realize they are having a baby and what the process will entail. Getting a class at the right time is a big boost to your confidence as a new parent.

Hi, I’m Hilary — The Pregnancy Nurse 👩‍⚕️. I have been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of L&D nursing experience, I am also the curly head behind Pulling Curls and The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. 🩺​ I taught prenatal classes for my hospital, and all of these work together to make me a bit of an expert in when to take your birthing class.

I also have a free beginning class that might be a good option to get you started.

What are Birthing Classes?

First off, I think we need to define what birthing classes are. They actually go by several names:

• Birth Class
• Hospital Class
• Prenatal Classes
• Childbirth Classes

Of course, there are also different “brand” name classes (like Lamaze classes), but those are the main generic names people use for this type of class.

Types of Prenatal Classes

There are a few different types. They all have a different focus in what they prepare you for:

• Lamaze Classes (these are the classes of our parents generation) — very breathing-focused and some basic labor knowledge.
• Bradley Classes — parents tend to have a “focus item” to use during their labor, a lot about partner help & participation
• Pain management classes — Some classes focus entirely on pain management, by several methods (my favorite is HypnoBabies — and I’ll talk more about that later)
• Hospital Prep Classes — These classes are most often taught by an RN that has/does work labor and delivery and prepares you for what to expect throughout your hospital birthing process, along with some pain management techniques.

Where Can I Find a Prenatal Class?

Back in the day when your mom took a class there were limited options…. but there are still in person classes that can be found in places like these:

• A local birth center (better if you are delivering there)
• Local Doulas often teach classes (better if you’re hiring them for your birth)
• Some lactation consultants also teach birth classes (although their best knowledge should be breastfeeding)
• Local hospitals may offer birth classes (although many moved online during Covid)
• Large OB practices may offer them
• Local childbirth educators may have a class in person at a location near you.
• You may also be able to find private classes for larger fee with birth professionals

Online Childbirth Classes

Pre-Covid most classes were taught in a hospital at 6 pm on Tuesday nights (or, the dreaded 8 hour Saturday class). However, with the dawn of a lot of online instruction, people realized they could find a great professional to teach them what they need to know on their own schedule.

As one who taught in-person classes I can assure you that online classes are a step up. Why?

• The best time to retain knowledge is not 6 pm on a Tuesday night when you’re starving, tired from work and overwhelmed by all the knowledge thrown at you. 🙂
• If you have a partner, you guys can easily do it together. No business trip taking you out of class, work around your schedule!
• Take it in small bites in your own schedule
• You can also re-watch those parts you want to review, rather than just glancing at some flyers they hand out.

Best Online Childbirth Classes

There are a LOT of good options out there, but of course I recommend is The Online Prenatal Class for Couples. Why?

• It has been around since 2014, and is constantly being kept up to date
• She is a great teacher. Check out the reviews for how engaged both partners were for my enjoyable classes.
• It is meant to get partners just involved in this as moms — I bet you want that too.
• It has some of the most helpful postpartum information available.
• It also comes as an ebook refresher course that is priced to help families affordably.

When Should I Take my Birth Class?

Now, back to the question at hand.

WHEN should you take your childbirth class?

My favorite time is sometime after your second trimester (after 26 weeks)

The cliffnotes, is that I recommend it any time after 20 weeks — but let’s dive a bit deeper into why I recommend that timeframe:

Pro Tip: If you’re planning to take an in-person class, I would recommend calling once you find out you’re pregnant to make sure you get a spot — those classes fill quickly!

When is too early to take a childbirth class?

I am not a fan of starting classes before 18’ish weeks for a few reasons:

• During the first trimester there is still a chance of a loss, so your time would be better spent doing other things (likely, napping because you’re SO tired growing that placenta)
• It’s so early you’ll likely forget a lot and need to review anyway

When is too late to take a childbirth class?

Well, back in the day when you had to schedule in-person hospital classes, you couldn’t pick when you took the class. So, I always recommended people start calling/looking around by 20 weeks so they could assure themselves a spot (because they also fill-up very quickly).

However, now that we have online classes, things are a bit easier. You, honestly, can take a childbirth class right up til’ you leave for the hospital. It’s more like college test-cramming. 🙂

When is the best time to take an online childbirth class?

Because you could go into labor at any point, I tend to steer people to their third trimester to start the classes. Of course, you can start earlier because it’s available and it can ease some fears ahead of time, but 30 weeks is a good time to really start digging in and understanding the information.

But, like I said, you could start as early as you want, and study right up until that baby’s coming out. 🙂

What Should Birth Classes Cover?

Here are a few things your comprehensive childbirth class should/could cover:

• Relaxation techniques
• Comfort techniques or comfort measures
• Cesarean birth
• Creating a birth plan
• Baby care / infant care practices
• What happens at a vaginal birth
• The birth process
• Stages of labor
• Breathing Techniques
• Postpartum care for you
• Infant cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Pain management options
• Pain medications
• Medical interventions and medical procedures during labor

Are Prenatal Classes Necessary?

No, the baby will still come out without a prenatal class.

Probably with a lot of worry on your end that the world is ending because it is a very foreign experience for most people.

People are just SO much happier when they have prenatal education. They start out that journey feeling confident about themselves, and their skills — and that is a GREAT way to start out.

In fact, studies show that people who take a prenatal class are 10% less likely to have a cesarean section. Likely due to training on movement in labor, and communicating with their healthcare team to make the best decisions for themselves.

Other Pregnancy Classes

I recommend two other doses of education in addition to a prenatal class, and a third if you have the time:

Hospital Tour

While many hospitals don’t offer tours, you can sometimes take them online, or at least call the hospital and find out what to expect. Many have a lot of free online information you can consume.

Breastfeeding Classes

If you plan/want to breastfeeding, I think a simple class can help out a lot with getting started. I also love the online ones because you can refer back to them once the baby is actually there. I recommend two the most (Pulling Curls has a post on all the breastfeeding classes I’ve reviewed).

The Breastfeeding Mama On Demand Classes: I like the troubleshooting that Katie offers in case things aren’t going right (which happens pretty often)

Milkology: This class is polished and smooth. She gives a lot of basic information without overhwelming you!

I would recommend checking out both classes, and picking which one “jives” with you more. 🙂

When to take a Breastfeeding Class?

I would start this, again around 30 weeks. As it is more of a physical thing you’ll be doing, the closer you are to delivery, the better. And, the best thing about these online courses is being able to watch them after baby is born!

Free Online Childbirth Classes

While most free online childbirth classes are worth just about what you paid for them, some good providers offer something to see if they’re a good fit for you. I do offer my own Free Beginning Prenatal Class to help you get a sense of my style and it also includes a lot of helpful tips about pregnancy & postpartum life.

Birthing Classes FAQ’s

So, that’s the skinny on prenatal classes. If you have more questions, pop them in the comments so I can answer.

Whatever you do, please do take a birth. In my 20 years at the bedside I was always shocked by how different couples with a little education are able to handle labor. I want that for you. Come join The Online Prenatal Class for Couples today!

And, if you’re not quite sure you’re ready for that whole thing, check out my free prenatal class. It’s your first step toward becoming your own birth boss.