Because You Deserve a Beautiful Birth

Rochester Birthing Classes

Q: What’s the best timing for starting a childbirth education class?

We recommend beginning a five week series at the middle/end of your second trimester or the beginning of your third trimester. If you plan to take the Express Childbirth Class, this could be scheduled early/mid third trimester. We provide a lot of information that is relevant for late pregnancy, so early is helpful!

Q: Will we learn natural and medical comfort techniques?

Absolutely. We teach both. Really awesome ways to move with your body when you’re up and around, equally awesome ways to move your body when you’ve got an epidural on board. Things for your partner and/or doula to do to help you cope with contractions, as well as ways that medical comfort can pair with that to get you where you want to go.

Q: How will we remember everything we learn in class?

That, we can’t promise. But we do send you weekly emails with tons of resources to back-up what you learn in class. We also have some cliff notes that are super helpful. And, ya know, we have a few doulas in the mix who might just be available to help you should you decide that’s a good fit for you. What’s a doula? So glad you asked!

Q: Do you teach us how to write a birth plan?

We never require that you write a birth plan, but we do have a really cool activity that we do with you that helps you realize the bones of a birth plan so that you can build up from there if you’d like to. We also send along some great resources to help you do that.

Q: If I’m planning a home birth, is this class still relevant?

Yes. Our educators and doulas who teach our classes are knowledgeable about home birth, so we have been able to create resources that lean into the home birth experience and can personalize certain materials and resources for you. Physiology is key.

You have so many questions as you prepare to give birth. We're here as your guides.

You have a big life event right in front of you and you want to be ready. To be prepared. To lean into hopes and dreams for your baby’s birth.

You’ve heard that it’s hard, that it might be the most challenging thing you’ll ever do. That’s what we’re here for. To share the truth. To help prepare you. And to help guide you toward an informed, intuitive, and incredible childbirth journey.

Let’s get you ready! You might be at a place where you have a fairly good idea of what you want for your birth, or you may be at starting point zero - tell me all the things. Either way, our Rochester childbirth classes will gather you and other expectant new parents who are walking a similar journey together in one space to figure it all out. Our experienced educators will get you starting from the same baseline and then delve into all of the really cool things that you’re about to experience. Trust us. Your body is amazing.

The truth about giving birth:

So yes, giving birth will be one of the hardest and most challenging things you’ll ever do. And we believe that you deserve to be as prepared as possible.

That means excellent, evidence-based information and resources that you don’t have to go digging for.
It means guidance for you and your primary support person as you learn about what your body and your baby are designed to do together; understanding the physiology of birth.
And it means encouragement to tap into your intuition about what your needs are and when to draw on the people around you.

WHAT TO EXPECT IN OUR ROCHESTER BIRTHING CLASSES:

Practical tools.

The goal of our childbirth classes is to give you the tangible tools you need to take with you into your labor and birth. We hope that you leave feeling empowered and informed about the incredible physiology of labor and about your choices surrounding labor, birth and the postpartum period.

Diverse approaches.

Our teaching is informed by our backgrounds and experiences in decades of doula work, as well as our education and training from organizations like Lamaze International, Evidence Based Birth, Spinning Babies, and Body Ready Method.

All birth choices.

We teach from a comprehensive model, so whether you’re planning for a hospital or home birth, an unmedicated birth or wanting to access use of an epidural or other pain medications, or if your plans are open and flexible and your goal is want to learn about your options, we want to give you the information and tools to do so.

Creative learning.

Our classes are interactive and engaging with a variety of learning styles. You will find yourself engaged hands-on comfort measures, birth stories, small group activities, birth planning, lectures and group discussions, and even an opportunity to hear from brand new parents. We mix it all in so that everyone walks away feeling educated, empowered, and supported.

EACH CHILDBIRTH CLASS INCLUDES:

Late Pregnancy
Stages & Phases of Labor
Anatomy & Physiology of Labor
Hormones in Birth

Comfort Measures
Coping & Relaxation Strategies
Optimal Fetal Positioning
Choices in Birth

How to Navigate Possible Interventions
Cesarean Birth
Planning for Immediate Postpartum

"My husband and I took the 1 day birthing class before the arrival of our first child. It was incredibly informative and enjoyable! We had a great instructor and lots of engaging conversations with everyone! We were able to leave that day feeling more knowledgeable and prepared to welcome our baby in a few short months! I highly recommend the class and can only imagine everything else they offer to be just as wonderful!"

Sarah B.

"BBC’s childbirth classes were SO helpful to my husband and me in preparing for our first child. Julia and Christy are amazing and very knowledgeable teachers and every class was encouraging. By the time we finished the classes, my husband and I both felt very well prepared for childbirth."

Naomi

"My husband's work schedule makes it difficult to attend weekly events. We were so thankful to find this one day class to help us prepare for the birth of our first child. The instructor provided all of the information we needed to make decisions surrounding the birth and, more importantly, prepared us to expect the unexpected and prioritize what we wanted for our birthing experience."

Ashley

"This is just what we needed. My husband and I went from knowing nothing to feeling much more prepared for labor after completing the Child Birth Education series. Natural childbirth was a goal of mine, so I particularly appreciated the info and practice time on coping mechanisms for pain in labor. Taking this class with my husband was a great experience and he was able to coach and remind me of the helpful tips that we learned in class while I was in labor."

Melissa

"I felt I had a pretty good understanding about birth and what to expect for labor, hospital stay, etc but I learned SO much from the childbirth education class! I would HIGHLY recommend any first-time parents take this class! My husband and I left feeling so educated and empowered and it has sparked so many conversations between us to plan for our baby’s birth. I truly can’t imagine going into labor without having taken this class. Also, a huge shout-out to our class instructor Julia! She is simply amazing and so knowledgeable and comforting!"

Shannon

CHOOSE YOUR CHILDBIRTH CLASS:

5 WEEK CHILDBIRTH SERIES

WHEN: Tuesdays or Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9 PM
COST: $275.00. One registration includes both the birthing person and their primary support person.

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS:

Tuesdays, January 21 - February 18, 2025
Wednesdays, February 12 - March 12, 2025
Tuesdays, February 25 - March 25, 2025
Wednesdays, March 19 - April 16, 2025
Tuesdays, April 1 - April 29, 2025
Wednesdays, April 23 - May 21, 2025
Tuesdays, May 6 - June 3, 2025
Wednesdays, May 28 - June 25 2025
Tuesdays, June 10 - July 8, 2025

One Day Express ChildBIRTH Class

WHEN: Saturdays, 9 AM - 3 PM
COST: $200.00. One registration includes both the birthing person and their primary support person.

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS:

Saturday, January 25, 2025
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Saturday, March 8, 2025
Saturday, March 29, 2025
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Saturday, June 7, 2025
Saturday, June 28, 2025

PRIVATE BIRTH CLASS

REQUEST A CLASS

WHEN: Scheduled at a time that works for your family.
WHERE: Taught at our Rochester Beautiful Birth Choices studio.
INCLUDES: Individualized information covering specific topics decided by the birther and the instructor together.
COST: $75/hour. 4-hrs recommended with a 3-hr minimum required, to be paid when class is scheduled. Any additional hours will be paid at the time of class. Registration includes both the birthing person and their primary support person.

We do encourage you to consider joining us for a series or express class – you’ll fill your tank with so much knowledge, birth wisdom, and hands-on learning! However, if our class dates and times don’t work for you, let's create a private childbirth class for you.

REQUEST A CLASS

THE DETAILS

CLASS SIZE: When meeting in-person for class at our studio, we keep our classes small (usually capped at ten couples) to give you an opportunity to begin to build community and to have your questions answered in an in-depth and personalized manner by your instructor.

INSURANCE: You may find that your insurance company will cover your childbirth class investment - it’s happening so often now! The best thing you can do is to call the number on the back of your insurance card to verify if this is possible. Either way, almost all HSA and FSA accounts will reimburse or pay for our classes. If you need a detailed receipt, just email us at info@bbcroc.com and we’ve got you covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you serve chocolate at classes?

Of course we do! And it’s always dark!

What’s the best timing for starting a childbirth education class?

Does my partner or primary support person come with me to every class?

Yes! This is an experience for both of you. If one of you has to miss a class due to work or travel, we can typically work out an arrangement for you to make up the class material in one of our other classes or through online opportunities that we can send your way. Ideally, you are able to attend the entirety of the class together. If you are a single parent, we encourage you to bring a primary support person along with you!

Does a natural childbirth class mean you don’t recommend epidurals?

Your birth, your way. That’s what we recommend. Our goal is to first share knowledge and teaching about the incredible things happening in your body as your baby grows, the way you work together, and the natural, built in cool things to help you cope with labor. Then we talk about possible interventions that might come up by necessity or by choice, and how to navigate those things to achieve the birth that you hope for.

Will we learn natural and medical comfort techniques?

How will we remember everything we learn in class?

What’s the primary difference between the Express Class and the Five Week Series?

Time. Six hours vs twelve hours. The Express Class meets the needs of families who are on a tight schedule, have a complicated work regimen, or honestly just want a comprehensive but compact class. The Five Week Series is designed to spread things out, allow for more questions and processing, and give you more time for community building.

Do you teach us how to write a birth plan?

What kind of options do you cover?

Non-medical and medical. All of the above. This is a comprehensive class and what we don’t get to talk about in class, we boost with resources. We always start with non-medical because it’s so important to learn what you’re capable of, we walk through the physiology of movement and hormones and that fine blueprint that’s in place, and then we navigate the layers of interventions that might come up and see how it all fits together.

If I’m planning a home birth, is this class still relevant?

Do you have follow-up classes that you recommend?

We have a wealth of classes at BBC that pair beautifully with our childbirth classes. If you plan to breastfeed, the Intro to Breastfeeding Class is at the top of that list and falls in the teaching cycle every 4-6 weeks. You are bound to find one on the schedule that comes up right after your class. In addition, we have a fabulous Baby Basics Class that teaches everything you need to know about life with a newborn. Check out the schedule for more!

MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS

CHRISTY MUSCATO

FOUNDER, CO-OWNER, BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM DOULA, DOULA TRAINER, CD/BDT(DONA), EDUCATOR, LCCE, SpBCPE, ACTIVE CERTIFIED BODY READY METHOD PRO

MORE ABOUT CHRISTY

JULIA SITTIG

FOUNDER, CO-OWNER, MSW, ADVANCED BIRTH DOULA, DOULA TRAINER, AdvCD/BDT(DONA), EDUCATOR, LCCE, SpBCPE, ACTIVE CERTIFIED BODY READY METHOD PRO

MORE ABOUT JULIA

PHYLLIS SHARP

SENIOR LEVEL BIRTH AND POSTPARTUM DOULA, EDUCATOR, CD(DONA), CLC

More about Phyllis

Phyllis is a wife and mother of five whose love for birth began at age 17. Phyllis’s goal when supporting her birth doula clients to help all birthing people feel empowered, educated and supported throughout their entire birth journey. Phyllis is Lamaze educated and has recently earned her status as a Certified Lactation Consultant. When not at a birth, Phyllis enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and snuggling up with a good book.

Phyllis is a Senior Level Birth Doula and is currently accepting birth and postpartum doula clients.

KIRSTEN ELTING

SENIOR LEVEL BIRTH DOULA, EDUCATOR, BA, CD(DONA), LCCE, CLEC, CLC, SBD, CVD(TVL), BODY READY METHOD PRO

More about Kirsten

Kirsten has been supporting families during their entire journey through pregnancy, labor, and delivery since 2003. Believing that birthing people are powerful when they understand their own innate ability to give birth, and that pregnancy and birth are NORMAL. Because she is constantly researching and educating herself on all things pregnancy and birth related, she provides evidence-based, factual information and continuous emotional and physical support. Kirsten aims to guide families in making informed choices and decisions during pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early postpartum.

Kirsten teaches Childbirth Education and Comfort Measures classes, she is also a Lactation Counselor and Stillbirth and Bereavement Doula.

Kirsten is a Senior Level doula at BBC and is currently accepting new doula clients.

NELLA GOHO

SENIOR LEVEL BIRTH DOULA, EDUCATOR, CD(DONA), CLC

More about Nella

After the birth of her first child in 2008, Nella’s interest in birth started to grow. Her personal journey lead her to have a beautiful homebirth with her second (2011) and gentle hospital birth with her third (2013). Nella soon decided to turn her passion into a profession and went on to become a DONA Birth Doula, Lamaze Childbirth Educator and a Certificated Lactation Counselor.

Nella is a Senior Level Birth Doula and is currently accepting birth doula clients.

CASEY PERRY

SENIOR LEVEL BIRTH DOULA, EDUCATOR, RN, LCCE

More about Casey

Casey’s mission is for every family to feel supported and empowered during pregnancy, birth, & postpartum. She became a DONA trained Birth Doula and joined BBC in 2018. In 2023, she trained and earned certification through Lamaze International to teach Childbirth Education.

As an educator, it is her passion to normalize the physiologic birth process and educate families of their choices through evidence based resources. She believes parents who acquire the ability to ask questions and participate in decision making feel powerful & positive about their unique birth experience.

It is an honor to be able to guide expectant parents through this transformational time in their lives. Outside of the birth world, Casey is a Registered Nurse, wife, and mother of four.

At BBC, Casey is a Certified Childbirth Educator and is currently accepting new birth doula clients.

Casey is a Senior Level Birth Doula and is currently accepting new birth doula clients.