Feel empowered & prepared for your dream birth
Birth isn’t just one day
What happens during your birth, good or bad, can affect you for a lifetime.
You will never forget how you felt and how you were treated during your birth.
We spend months (sometimes years!) preparing for and investing in our weddings. Birth is a monumental part of life, and should be given the same time and dedication so you can have the peaceful, uplifting birth you’re hoping for.
In a world where birth is portrayed as scary, dramatic & traumatizing, it can be difficult to know what's the truth.
>> Everywhere you turn there’s conflicting advice, confusing options, and you have a limited time to sift through it all.
>> You shouldn’t have to spend hundreds of hours trying to piece together what you need to feel ready.
>> Doing it all yourself can often feel like you’re getting your PhD in birth.
>> And I know you’re an information girlie who wants to feel confident and prepared, but doing it alone can just be too much.
This program will guide you step-by-step through every birth decision so you can have an experience that shows you just how powerful you really are.
Is this you?
You’re about to have a baby (yay!), and you’re overwhelmed by all of the choices you’ll have to make surrounding your birth.
You’re worried that you won’t feel confident making decisions for yourself & your baby when the time comes.
You don’t want to “go with the flow” and have your provider make decisions for you, but there seem like SO MANY THINGS to know.
You feel like decisions are being made for you rather than by you.
Maybe you’ve given birth before and you know that this time you want something different, but don’t know how to achieve that.
Don’t worry, mama. You’re in the right place.
Imagine having everything you need to make empowered decisions in one place – no overwhelm, no second-guessing.
That’s exactly what you’ll find inside this program.
What moms are saying about the course
You don’t want to take an average approach to your birth education, because you don’t want to end up with the average birth. The average birth is full of fear, unnecessary interventions and sometimes regret for what you didn’t know.
I know you’re not your average mama, which means…
Meet Dr. Sarah
As a clinical doctor who had worked with women for years, I thought I was prepared for my first birth. I had taken a hospital childbirth education class, had studied pregnancy & the human body for well over a decade, and had done my own research, but I still ended up with an unnecessary c-section. Afterwards I faced years of PTSD, depression & anxiety from the experience, which no one warned me could be a possibility. This led me to have an unassisted birth with my second son, taking total responsibility, and it completely changed my life.
Taking control back from the maternity care system that provided conveyor belt care, and arming myself with the knowledge to feel confident in my birth choices, brought me out of the dark. It also made me wonder how many other women could use the information I’d gained - turns out, there’s a lot!
Today I help other women to avoid what I experienced by educating them on all of their options, not just what is told to them in a 7 minute OB appointment. Being prepared and confident allows you to be the authority over your birth. I know you are a smart, capable woman and, given the right tools, can have any birth you desire.
WHAT THE COURSE COVERS:
After completing this module you will feel secure in your chosen birth provider and location, feel mentally and emotionally ready to tackle the challenges of labor, and be able to spot common myths (lies!) that may affect your pregnancy and birth.
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Deciding on the right provider & location for your birth are two of the most important choices you’ll make during pregnancy. This module will leave you feeling crystal-clear on where and with whom you should give birth. This lesson also includes a download of my e-book, “How to Choose Your Provider During Pregnancy” to help you dive deep on this topic.
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Labor is SO MUCH more than a physical process. It’s mental, emotional, spiritual - and you want to be prepared for all of it. After this lesson you will understand the mental and emotional challenges you may face during your birth, and will acquire practical tools and strategies to get you ready for the big day.
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From “Your Pelvis is Too Small” to “Some Women Don’t Go Into Labor On Their Own”, there are so many myths out there about pregnancy. This lesson will leave you feeling confident in how to respond if these myths are brought up to you, whether it’s by a family member, friend, or at your prenatal appointments.
After this module you will feel secure in your rights as a birthing woman, know the questions to ask to get clear on your birth facility’s policies & procedures, and will have real-life advocacy scripts handy to navigate common situations you’ll encounter during labor & birth.
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No matter where you plan to have your baby, you have certain rights with regard to how you and your baby are treated. After this lesson you will know everything you need to know to make sure that you are respected and cared for.
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It can be hard to know what to say when you encounter certain situations during your birth. With these advocacy scripts you will feel confident in navigating difficult conversations if they arise, since you’ve already practiced them!
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Every birthing facility has different policies & procedures that dictate their practices, and, ultimately, how you get to give birth. This checklist gives you all the right questions to ask your birth team before you go into labor, so you can feel confident in what to expect once you enter their facility.
After this module you will understand what exactly is going on in your body during labor birth, feel confident in your knowledge of the progression of labor, and be crystal clear on which birth positions lead to a faster birth.
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Knowing what to expect before labor begins can help you to trust the process & understand what is going on in your body. After this less you will feel confident in the stages of labor so that you can have a clear picture of how labor normally progresses.
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The positions that you are in during labor can either help labor along or hold it back. After this lesson you will know the best positions to use to work with your contractions rather than against them.
After this module you will understand exactly how to create your optimal birth environment, feel confident in which pain management options are right for you during labor, and easily navigate the common interventions that come with birth.
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How you set up your birth space (and who you allow in it) has a HUGE impact on how your labor plays out. After this lesson you will have planned out the most peaceful birth space for you to feel safe & confident.
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You obviously want to experience as little discomfort as possible during your birth, right?! After this lesson you will know all of your options for pain relief, both non-medical and medical, and have a pain-management strategy that is individualized to you.
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Unsure on whether you want IV fluids or cervical exams? Still up in the air over what kind of fetal monitoring is best or which medications you want to accept? After this lesson you will feel ready to tackle any labor option that’s thrown your way.
After this module you will feel prepared to make every early postpartum decision for you and your baby - from delayed cord clamping to how to birth your placenta to which injections you want your new baby to receive.
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Your baby is here! Hooray! But the decisions don’t end there… After this lesson you will have answers to some of the most pressing early postpartum questions, from whether to delay cord clamping to whether your baby should be weighed right away and more.
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The second lesson of this module will leave you confident on how you want to proceed with decisions from how to birth your placenta to whether stitches are right for you if you have a vaginal tear.
After this lesson you will feel ready to tackle the mountain of decisions that you need to make for your new baby. From vaccines to circumcision to swaddling, we cover it all.
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There was so much to go over with regard to your baby’s first hours, it needed 4 lessons! After this first one you will be clear on everything from where your baby should sleep (and why), to when it’s best to bathe your baby and what to do about Vitamin K.
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In this second newborn lesson we dive into topics like how you’ll feed your baby, the Hepatitis B vaccine, and antibiotic eye ointment. After this lesson you’ll feel ready to make each of these important decisions for your new baby.
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We got so in depth on this topic that it needed its own lesson! Whether or not you’re expecting a boy, I feel that the information in this lesson is essential knowledge. You will leave this lesson feeling confident in your choices surrounding circumcision, and will be able to communicate your choices with your provider with ease.
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In this last newborn lesson we cover swaddling, pacifier use, whether your baby should wear a hat, and the heel prick test. You’ll walk away feeling ready for all of the decisions you’ll be making for your newborn!
After this module you will know ALL of your options (many that the hospital won’t tell you) in the case of a c-section, leaving you feeling prepared, grounded, and more in control.
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Even if you’re not planning a c-section, it’s good to know your options so that you feel safe & confident in case one is ever necessary. After this lesson you will know many of your options during a c-section that can make it a much calmer, less scary experience (many you will NEVER be told about at the hospital!). From whether you want a clear drape to delaying weighing and measuring your baby, it’s all in this lesson.
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In this second c-section lesson we finish telling you all of the options no one else will. From whether to choose stitches over staples to having a lotus birth in the OR, you’ll leave this lesson feeling prepared for a surgical birth, even if it’s just in case.
After diving into this bonus section you will have your hospital bag packed (or home birth supplies ready to go!), have affirmations to keep you focused during labor, and have all the answers you seek on birth-related topics from sources I trust.
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But wait, there’s more! In this bonus section you’ll find all kinds of goodies to help you prepare for your birth, including this hospital bag checklist, complete with clickable links! No more searching the internet for what you need to bring with you for your birth, because I’ve consolidated it all for you in one convenient place.
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If you’re a home birth mama, this list is for you. Though we don’t need much to have a baby, there are a few things that make the whole experience a bit easier and help you feel prepared. This list is complete with clickable links to save you time and energy.
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The words we tell ourselves our powerful, which is why this downloadable set of floral birth affirmation coloring cards is the perfect compliment to this course. Print them out, color them yourself (or have your older children/friends at your baby shower color them), and hang them in your birth space (yes, even at the hospital!).
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Have a question about something we didn’t get into in this course (hello, breastfeeding)? Or maybe you want to go deeper on a topic we discussed? This resource guide is a compilation of some of my favorite books, websites, Instagram accounts and podcasts to help further your knowledge and leave you feeling ready to meet your baby.
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Knowing what you need for postpartum, especially if it’s your first, can seem daunting. With this list you’ll feel more secure about what supplies you should have and what to expect after your baby arrives.
What other mamas are saying about Confident Birth Academy
This isn’t your average childbirth education course, which is perfect for you because you’re not average.
You want ALL of the information, not just the pieces that a traditional childbirth class will share. You like to feel prepared and knowledgeable, so it’s no surprise that you’re here.
This program not only covers the basics of childbirth education (the stages of labor, birth positions, pain relief), but also every. single. decision you’ll be making during and after your birth.
You’ll find content here that you won’t find anywhere else.
I’m talking interventions, your rights, how to advocate for yourself, and, above all, how to have the birth that feels right for you, whether you’re in the hospital, a birth center or at home.
Having the birth of your dreams means that you need to be prepared, and I’m not talking the kind of prepared you can get from random Google searches or internet freebies. I’m talking about really knowing what to expect, knowing your options, and walking into your birth feeling like a boss.
Whether this is your first baby or your 10th, this course will help you have the birth you’re dreaming of. Each birth experience is unique and important, and you deserve to meet your new baby feeling on top of the world for what you just accomplished.
I know you have lots of questions…
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Yes! I designed this course for all pregnant women, and that includes those having a home birth or a birth at a birth center. I believe it’s important to know ALL of your options, because it’s better to know and not need them than to need them and not know.
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Most of the course is in video format, and every lesson also includes the audio only and transcript. A few lessons are in the form of written guides as well.
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There is no wrong time, but I always say the earlier in your pregnancy, the better. You want to have time to go through the materials and feel confident, so I’d say by the 2nd trimester, if possible. If you’re at the end of your pregnancy you can still go through the course quickly if you need to - even if you’re 40 weeks!
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Once you’re a part of Confident Birth Academy, you have access for the lifetime of the course!
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Traditional classes often cover general information about labor, delivery, and newborn care. Confident Birth Academy covers those topics, too, but it is entirely focused on helping you make personal, informed choices for your birth experience. Instead of generic guidance, you’ll gain insights into each decision point so you can build a plan that truly feels right for you. We also cover lots of topics that a traditional childbirth class won’t.
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Not at all! While it’s incredibly helpful for first-time moms, it’s also perfect for moms who want a more empowered, informed experience the second (or more!) time around. Every birth is different, and this course helps you prepare for the experience you want.
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Sorry, my courses are designed for individual use only (one mother or couple per registration). I appreciate you acknowledging the time, knowledge and financial investment it took me to put this course together. Thank you for not sharing your login details with anyone!
