Core Workshop

with Lena DeGloma, CCCE, MS, LMT, CD, CLC

Optimal nutrition has considerable benefits both during the preconception and prenatal periods. This session will address the impact of nutrition on lifelong health, providing guidance to pre-pregnant and pregnant women. Topics will include appropriate weight gain, prevention of gestational diabetes and the pros and cons of various prenatal supplements. Special attention will also be given to the unique nutritional needs of women on specific or restricted diets.

Core Workshop

with Dr. Susanrachel Condon LM, DM

This session will offer participants greater understanding of the body systems in the context of pregnancy. 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.

Core Workshop

with Emily Cohen-Moreira, CCCE, CD

Rather than focusing on a rigid method, CEA/MNY’s cooperative childbirth education embraces the process of labor and birth while offering students a wide variety of pain-coping and labor-coping strategies. This workshop explores the myriad ways women can move through labor without medication and identifies certain universal pain coping techniques as well as the theory behind them. Participants will also learn ways to teach this material in class through discussion and demonstration. This workshop focuses on non-pharmacological techniques for labor and is not a “hands on” workshop. Physical support techniques are covered in “Teaching Labor Support.”

Core Workshop

with Susanrachel Condon, CCCE, LMT, LM, CLC

This session will discuss address the administration, benefits and risks of common medications used in the perinatal period. Participants will learn about various classes of medications and their impact on the mother, baby and the labor. Particular attention will be paid to medication safety, as well as techniques for discussing medications with sensitivity and presenting a balanced view of the benefits and risks.

Core Workshop

with LaShanda Dandrich, IBCLC

This session will prepare participants to present expectant couples with the information needed to understand breastfeeding, including anatomy and physiology, birth practices that can affect breastfeeding, attention to positioning and latching, dynamics of the early postpartum period, and the hormonal impact of breastfeeding on mother and baby. It will also detail the range of services that are available to assist new families establish and maintain breastfeeding.

Core Workshop

with Shira Moss, LM and Allegra Cummings, MD

Testing and procedures are often routine throughout pregnancy and labor, but pregnant women and their partners may have concerns and questions about their purpose and necessity. This session will enable participants to fully understand and name the various tests and procedures that are typically advised during the course of prenatal care, during labor, and after delivery.

Core Workshop

with Frances T. McCarthy, MS, RNC-NIC, CPLC

Childbirth educators and doulas are uniquely positioned to offer comfort, support and understanding when a client’s pregnancy ends in a loss, or when childbirth follows a loss experience. This session will facilitate a deeper understanding of pregnancy loss at any point during gestation, and the impact it may have on a couple’s relationship with each other, their children at home, their extended family members and their plans for the future. Participants will learn to recognize the stages of grief and offer supportive guidance to clients in the moment to ensure the start of a healthy grief process.

Core Workshop

with Kimberly Seals Allers

This session will explain how perinatal health disparities (PHD) disproportionately impact birth outcomes for black women, and harms other populations including people of color, those who identify as LGBTQ, undocumented people, disabled individuals, etc. The workshop will focus on understanding the historical context of systemic racism that leads to PHD as well as how health care provider bias, societal prejudice and discriminatory practices affect the physical and psychosocial wellbeing of marginalized communities.

Core Workshop

with Bonu deCaires, CCCE, CD(DONA), CBC, MS

This session will review the history, trends, and current statistics for cesarean surgery in the United States and in New York City hospitals. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the surgery itself, including the risks and benefits, and will learn about the circumstances when a cesarean is medically indicated. We will dispel the myths associated with cesarean surgery, and have an in-depth discussion of Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Students will also learn to identify the factors that increase the risk for a cesarean and what steps expectant parents may take to prevent a cesarean.

Core Workshop

with Meredith Fein Lichtenberg, CCCE, IBCLC, JD

This session focuses on helping participants understand and identify the most common physical and emotional issues in normal postpartum experience, and to differentiate these from clinical problems that may require additional evaluation. The workshop will explore how birthing people can prepare for the emotional and physical issues of the postpartum period, and which coping measures may be helpful. Participants will also begin developing methods to teach these issues to current childbirth clients and former students.