Congratulations on your upcoming birth!

Welcome! I am a certified Birth Boot Camp instructor (BBCI), teaching childbirth education classes in the New York City area. Please look around my website and contact me with any questions.

Video produced by Babu: www.babuvillage.com

Birth Boot Camp is committed to preparing partners for birth and breastfeeding through accessible, contemporary education. Birth Boot Camp is for moms and their partners. You’ll learn to work together to bring your baby into this world as a team.

Birth Boot Camp is specifically designed for moms planning births with the least number of interventions, including those planning to use epidurals but desiring to avoid other interventions, like C-section, labor augmentation with Pitocin, induction, vacuum and forceps, etc. The curriculum is modern, teaching you how to achieve the birth you want in the present birth climate with thorough education on the risks of unnecessary interventions and how to avoid them, choosing the right care provider and place of birth to help you achieve your goals, how to stay healthy in pregnancy, and tools to help you manage your labor effectively.

This 10-week course trains couples in childbirth, reducing the chances of a cesarean birth, and increasing the chances of successful breastfeeding. It's not just a birth class, it is:

  • Pregnancy Nutrition Class

  • Pregnancy Well-Being and Fitness Class

  • Childbirth Preparation Class

  • Breastfeeding Class

  • Newborn Care Class

  • Postpartum Well-Being Class

  • A chance to focus on your partner and your inside growing baby

  • A great way to make long lasting friendships

All students will receive the 170-page full color, professionally printed Field Manual, relaxation training, weekly links to additional reading on complementary topics, and a comprehensive breastfeeding DVD, taught by renowned lactation consultant, Mellanie Sheppard, IBCLC.

Birth Boot Camp makes education easy, effective and accessible with live and online classes to best fit your needs and desires. A unique and fun curriculum is geared toward couples working to have a birth experience they're wishing for.

Is it hard to commit to a several week course with your busy schedule? No worry, whenever you miss a class, you can watch it online.

 

Birth Boot Camp Course Curriculum covers:

  1. Optimal nutrition and exercise for healthy pregnancy and in preparation for labor and birth

  2. Various options for birth places, their pros and cons

  3. Who attends the birth and their roles: doctors, midwives, nurses, doulas...

  4. Testing and procedures done in the last weeks of pregnancy

  5. Anatomy and Physiology of Pregnancy, Labor, and Birth (this includes explanation of the role of the major hormones of pregnancy and postpartum, their physical and emotional effects, and the development and functions of the human placenta)

  6. Stages of labor (First stage, Second Stage and Third Stage), how labor starts? What are common physical and emotional signs of each stage and what is best to do at each stage?

  7. Laboring positions and their benefits and cons (if any)

  8. Pushing positions and their benefits and cons (if any)

  9. Learning how to deliberately relax

  10. Breathing

  11. Comfort measures techniques, pain coping strategies and tools for partners (including movement, relaxation techniques, various tools like water or hot/cold compresses, massage techniques, acupressure points, using Rebozo, etc.)

  12. Detailed descriptions of various procedures during labor and birth (IV, Labor induction, Labor augmentation, Artificial breaking of the bag of water (AROM), Electronic Fetal Monitoring, Epidurals & other pain medications, Episiotomy, Cesarean, Forceps or vacuum, Pitocin or other medication after the birth, and after placenta delivery, Uterine massage or controlled cord traction, Immediate Cord Clamping)

  13. Detailed description of variations of labor (possible incidences in labor or birth, for example: meconium staining, occiput posterior position of the baby, premature rupture of membranes, fetal distress, etc.)

  14. Tools on how to prepare good birth preferences (aka birth plan)

  15. Newborn Procedures

  16. Immediate postpartum period (first hour and first days)

  17. Breastfeeding

  18. Newborn Care and life with the baby

  19. Maternal Postpartum particularities

  20. Tools on how to prepare a good postpartum plan

For more detailed curriculum description, please check in here.

 

What parents say about Birth Boot Camp classes?

One-on-one private classes in Ulster County

or via Zoom

I recommend that you start classes between 12-34 weeks of pregnancy to fully benefit from nutrition and exercises that will may help you to have an easier labor and birth.

Investment

Childbirth classes are an investment into your birth experience and mom's and baby's health. $450-475 for the entire course including materials.

What Makes Birth Boot Camp Different?

These are my 5 TOP qualities:

  • It's taught by mothers. Those who had been there before: they had a vaginal, unmedicated birth and breastfed their babies for at least a year.

  • It's contemporary & comprehensive! This high quality education program was developed pretty recently and by a team of experts in birth profession (midwives, doctors, chiropractors, nutritionists, lactation consultants, physical therapists, etc.) and they strive to continually update the curriculum.

  • It's convenient & accessible! If you are unable to attend a class, Birth Boot Camp offers streaming video classes that can be taken on your timetable in your home.

  • Classes focus on mom AND her birth partner. Partners are truly hands-on and ready to confidently and beautifully support the moms during labor and birth at the issue of the entire course.

  • Method proved to be effective: 86% vaginal births; out of which 78% were unmedicated! Comparisons... Medicated and surgical births: 93.8% US rate vs. 32% Birth Boot Camp rate; Unmediated vaginal births: 6.2% US rate vs. 67% Birth Boot Camp rate.

And more:

  • One price includes EVERYTHING!

  • Up-to-date materials including birth videos and an incredible full color, professionally printed workbook.

  • Serious relaxation training for BOTH mom and her partner! You will learn to relax together.

  • Comprehensive breastfeeding education, Breastfeeding: the Ultimate MRE DVD comes with every class series.

  • Personalized pelvic floor program designed by a licensed Physical Therapist.

  • Extensive weekly pregnancy physical training made specifically for growing mothers!

  • Daily “Chow Charts” helps you streamline and optimize your nutritional intake and focus on self-care throughout your pregnancy.

  • A lot of practical information you will use in your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

  • A focus on parenting techniques to help your new family adjust and enjoy this time together.

  • The length of the program allows to create a strong community of parents which is a wonderful way to feel supported on this journey.

Birth Boot Camp offers online classes in addition to live classes.

A live class is always preferred over the online option. The community from a class environment is a wonderful way to feel supported on this journey. Your questions are answered immediately and then there is that accountability! We also have a lot of fun!

But, if your schedule is just too hectic to accommodate a live class, the online class option is great!