Ottawa Childbirth Education Association

Did your littles get dressed up tonight? Share your photos in the comments - we’re dying to see them! 👻

Join us for "It Takes A Village" workshop

A class designed specifically for the family support system. Participants include grandparents, aunties, uncles, and close friends who want to honour the new family in the fourth trimester and beyond!

Three evenings, including January 21, January 28 and February 4th, 2025 from 7-9:30pm

We are excited to share that as of 8 AM this morning, the Ottawa Birth and Wellness Centre has re-opened for births!
This weekend's OCEA Prenatal Class has been invited for a personalized tour.
Check out the monthly Choice of Birthplace sessions at ottawabirth centre.ca and learn more about your options.

Congrats OBWC - we are so glad to have you back!

Multiple model numbers are included in this recall. For more details, please see the Healthy Canadians or Fisher Price websites.

Health Canada recommends that consumers immediately stop using the recalled Fisher-Price Snuga Swing and remove the headrest (by cutting the tether) and the body support insert from the seat pad before continuing to use the product. Consumers may contact Mattel to receive a partial refund for the headrest and body support insert.

https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/fisher-price-snuga-swings-recalled-due-suffocation-hazard

Our next Comfort Measures for Birth Class is on October 10th from 6-9pm!

Join Brandie for 3 full hours of hands-on strategies for non-pharmaceutical pain options for all stages of labour.
You will be guided through massage, breath awareness, and practicing positions that optimize the baby's movements. Inspired by Lamaze, Bonapace, rebozo, yoga, visualization, cranial-sacral therapy, and years of Doula experience.



Register here: https://ottawacea.com/comfort_m

It is happening, do you feel it?

The mornings are cooler, the older children have started school, and summer holiday plans are tucked away until next year.

We LOVE baby photos in beautiful fall colours and it is time for a health-warm food giveaway!

1. Share a tip from one of the classes you have taken with us that stood out for you
or
2. What you are looking forward to in your upcoming class with us
or
3. A piece of wisdom from one of our teachers that you took with you on your parenting journey

AND share a sweet photo of your baby in the lovely fall colours!

We will draw ONE name on October 1 (5pm)for a $50 Gift Certificate for the Red Apron

The OCEA Baby Steps class is here!

Join us for 7 weeks of connecting with other new parents at the Richelieu Community Centre starting on October 1, from 9:30-11am.

Shift into a new fall routine by creating new connections! Learn how to use your baby carrier, increase your strategies for building new family rhythms and more!

You can register https://ottawacea.com/special-events

Join us for a Comfort Measures for Birth class on September 12, October 10th, November 14 or December 12th from 6-9pm.

Brandie will lead you through strategies inspired by Lamaze, Bonapace, rebozo, yoga, visualization, cranial-sacral therapy, and years of Doula experience to labour and birth with a focus on non-pharmaceutical pain relief or VBAC. (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian)

This class will take place in the comfort of your own home!



Register: https://ottawacea.com/comfort_m

OCEA is launching its very own parent-baby group!

Baby Steps will run on Tuesday mornings from 11 am -12:30 pm starting September 25th. You can join Michelle at the Vanier Richelieu Community Centre for 7 weeks of sharing and community!

Michelle has been facilitating parent & child programming for more than 10 years, is a Postpartum Doula and parent to 5! Michelle's calm approach to gentle parenting and supportive care towards new parents will make this a wonderful, non-judgemental, safe group.

-Join her in covering life with baby aged 0-6 months to cover building new routines, traditions, setting gentle boundaries with loved ones, managing expectations from friends and family.
- Sleep and naps: normal infant sleep cycles and how we can get some rest during those early months.
- Planning family meals
- Baby wearing: bring your carriers

Registration will open this week!

If you do not have a family Dr. that you can have your child's vaccines through the Ottawa Public Health Vaccine Hubs?
https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/neighbourhood-health-and-wellness-hubs.aspx

Are you getting ready to greet your newborn? Join us for a Bringing Baby Home class! We will cover everything from creating relationships, understanding attachment and skin-to-skin, newborn milestones

PLUS all the practical parts of parenting: navigating the daycare registry, holding a newborn, car seats, diapering, bathing, sleep patterns, feeding and creating your new family support system

Join us for evenings on
Tuesday/Thursday starting July 23
Mondays/Wednesday starting Aug 19
Tuesdays starting Sep 3
Wednesdays starting Sept 11

Weekends 9-12 August 3, 4, 10 and 11
October 19, 20, 26 and 27
November 16, 17, 23 and 24

Register: www.ottawacea.com

We are so pleased to be back teaching at the Ottawa Birth Centre starting in September!

Join Brandie for a one-day class on September 14 or December 15 and weekend classes on October 5 & 6
November 16 & 17
November 23 & 24
December 7 & 8

Register now to confirm your spot! www.ottawacea.com

This post is posted at 2am, for everyone snuggling, feeding and diapering a baby. Reminding you that you can never spoil a baby for responding in the night.

These sweet newborns and young toddlers cannot self-regulate and look to the caretakers in their lives to provide a dry diaper, feeding, touch and safety.

Parenting is hard, and you are so valued. If you would like to learn more about preparing for your newborn sleep patterns, join us in a Bringing Baby Home class!

Did you know that has been teaching prenatal and parenting classes since approximately 1972?

Our group may be small, but we are mighty! Over the last 50 years, we have evolved to respond to the community's needs around class topics. We are well versed in teaching information on Vaginal Birth after Cesearian (VBAC), Multiple Birth classes, Grandparent classes, NICU expertise, Infant Feeding, Massage and more!

We are here for your in-person and virtual class needs, or private tutoring at your convenience!

We have more classes added to our summer schedule and are booking classes all the way into April 2025!

Join us for:

Prenatal on Wednesday evenings starting Wednesdays July 24
Bringing Baby Home starting Tuesday July 23 - 7-9:15
Bringing Baby Home Aug 3, 4, 10 and 11 - 9am-12
Comfort Measures August 8th
CPR August 20th

Spaces available June 27 and Aug 8.
Join Brandie Lekovic for an evening of Comfort Measures.
https://ottawacea.com/events

Imagine being 4 months old and suddenly realizing that you are a separate person.

Our Bringing Baby Home classes are full in June but you could find a spot as soon as July.

We discuss milestones because it helps to recognize normal behaviours, build confidence through empathy, and remind us how quickly our littlest ones are growing.

She is 4 months.

Her aunt is holding her,
Her eyes dart around looking for me.
She finds me and I feel her eyes burning into me.
I look over at her and she beams.
I smile back and carry on cutting the veges.
I can tell she’s staring at me.
I look up again but instead of a smile, her face crumbles and she begins to cry.
I take her back and her aunt finishes the veg.
She immediately stops crying.

She is 4 months.

I place her down on the mat next to the en-suite so I can duck to the loo.
My face disappears and she sobs.
I poke my head out and her relief is palpable.

She is 4 months.

She’s had enough of playing so I scoop her up.
There’s washing to bring in still so I pass her to daddy.
I turn to walk away and she’s already crying.
I turn back and she’s staring sadly at me.
I take her back and she snuggles in.
Daddy collects the washing.

She is 4 months.

She does not yet have the brain function to manipulate.
She’s not cunningly devising a plan.
She is not deliberately making my life hard.
She’s not asking for more than she needs.

She is 4 months.

Her needs are so genuine.
Her experiences so real and raw.

She is 4 months.
For the first time in her life she is realising that we are two separate people.
Until now, she and I were one and the same to her.
Just as we shared our circulatory system while she grew in my womb she came to this world knowing only our shared existence.
She didn’t exist without me and me without her.

She is 4 months.
Suddenly, she can see with painfully limited understanding that I can indeed leave her.
This person who is her sun, her moon , her stars.
This person who sustains her...
Can just walk away.

She is 4 months.
This reality is terrifying.
With no concept of time she only has one thing-
A deep trust and faith that I will come when she calls.

She is 4 months.
Some days, she’s permanently attached to my hip or the carrier.
Some days, she’ll happily play watching her brothers.
Some days, I can hand her over to another and she’ll happily coo and chat a while.
Some days, she crumbles before the handover is even complete.

She is 4 months.
She’s just learning about life.
Learning about trust and faith.
I come when she calls be it day or night,
As I also have deep faith and trust in her.
She knows what she needs and as long as my arms, my chest and my presence are where she find peace, safety and security she shall have them.

She is, after all, only 4 months ❤️✨

✨Carly Grubb, 2018

Penny Simkin was a fierce advocate in the birth world. Her research, public speaking and books have impacted educators and parents alike. 💗

In Memoriam: Penny Simkin, PT

With profound sadness and a heavy heart, DONA International announces the passing of our esteemed co-founder, Penny Simkin, PT, after a brief battle with cancer. Her departure on April 11, 2024 marks a tremendous loss not only to our organization but to the global doula community, childbirth educators, perinatal researchers, families she supported, and the countless lives she touched through her pioneering work in childbirth and maternity care.

Penny's unwavering dedication to supporting families during one of the most significant moments of their lives has left an indelible mark on the field of labor support and childbirth education. Since 1968, Penny, a skilled physical therapist, embarked on a mission to transform the childbirth experience, making it more empowering, informed, and supported. Her tireless commitment to this cause led her to prepare over 15,000 individuals, couples, and siblings for childbirth, directly assist hundreds of families through labor as a doula, and author several influential books that have become staples in the field that have been translated into several languages.

Penny was a visionary and a luminary in every sense. Her work has paved the way for a new generation of doulas and childbirth educators, instilling in them the values of compassion, evidence-based practice, and relentless advocacy for birthing people and their families. Through her profound contributions and co-founding of DONA International, Penny has revolutionized doula care and childbirth education across the globe, leaving a legacy that will undoubtedly endure for generations to come.
Her book, The Birth Partner, remains a beloved resource for anyone involved in the childbirth process, illustrating her commitment to not only the physical but also the emotional well-being of doulas and families during childbirth.

Though she recently stepped back from her professional endeavors to focus on her family, Penny's legacy continues to thrive through the work of the many doulas she trained, the families she supported, and the impactful works she left behind. Her life was a testament to her passion for making childbirth a positive and supported experience for all.

Penny's life was rich not only in professional achievements but also in love and joy. She and her husband, Peter, were blessed with four grown children, eight grandchildren, four many grandchildren-in-law, four great-grandchildren, and a beloved dog, Casey. Her family was her pride and joy, and she cherished the time spent with her loved ones.

As we mourn the loss of Penny Simkin, we also celebrate her extraordinary life and the countless ways she has enriched ours. Her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us as we carry forward her mission to improve childbirth and support families around the world. Penny's spirit lives on in the work of DONA International, in the lives of the families she has touched, and in the hearts of the many who loved her.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to DONA International in Penny Simkin's memory, to continue her life's work of supporting and educating doulas and families. For more information on how to make a contribution, please visit https://www.dona.org/impactprogram/

We invite all who knew Penny, were touched by her work, or wish to share their thoughts and memories to do so by sending them to [email protected]. Your stories and memories will be a great comfort and a cherished collection for her family during this difficult time.

We extend our deepest sympathies to Penny's family, friends, and the many individuals whose lives she has touched. May her soul rest in peace, and may her legacy of love, support, and education continue to flourish in the years to come.

Looking for some routine with your little bunny starting next week? Join Brandie for Infant Massage or Baby At The Table starting on April 3rd!

For more info and to register www.ottawacea.com

To all the strong women in our community and beyond, Happy International Women's Day.

Newborns sleep 16-18 hours after birth. But the majority of this sleep is light sleep, which is why they sleep better being held. They are programmed to wake to eat, for touch, and for safety.

Social media has created a separate (stressful) vocabulary that includes:
sleep regressions
wake windows
Bad habits
Crutches
Manipulation
Overtired

Leading parents to think they have to plan sleep training EVEN before giving birth.

There are alternatives, and they start with real expectations of newborn sleep. Join us for our sleep class starting this morning!

Here is a sneak peek of our coping strategies for dealing with criticism around newborn (0-12 months) sleep in our upcoming Sleep class starting Monday, January 29

Does your criticism come from family, strangers or yourself?

Want to learn more about:
*Why your baby wakes frequently
*How to support more sleep for YOU
*Practical plans for changing sleep rhythms as your baby grows, evolves and reduces their own daytime sleep needs

Join us here: www.ottawacea.com/sleep