After practicing as a doula and supporting 50+ clients during their birth and/or postpartum, I didn’t feel confident about recommending an in-person childbirth class to my clients. Hospital based classes and independent classes alike didn’t offer the comprehensive, complete education I wanted my clients, and all birthing families, to have access to. The EBB class teaches parents how to get evidence based care, what their options are in labor, birth, and postpartum, along with all of the important tools for comfort, managing pain, and having a sacred, empowering birth experience.
I want to provide an option where families learn about the possibilities of what can happen in birth and how they can be informed decision-makers and active participants in their own care. Instead of focusing on there being a right way to birth, parents taking this class will come away knowing that there is no one right way, only the way that feels safest and most satisfying to them. Empowering birth experiences can happen anywhere: home, birth center, hospital, and the operating room.
The Evidence Based Birth® childbirth class will teach you all the skills and tools to help you get evidence-based, individualized care in today’s birth culture, no matter where and how you plan to give birth.
Frequently Asked Questions
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A lot of that info you find online about pregnancy and birth? It’s inaccurate! The benefit of the Evidence Based Birth® class is that we curate all of the best, evidence-based information for you. What’s more, you can ask your me questions any time– meaning you’ll have someone to mentor you through the process!
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Routine practices in some hospitals are still about 15 to 20 years behind the research, and there is a lot of pressure to conform to traditions that might not be in your best interests. We will teach you and your partner(s) how to be your own advocate—how to respectfully speak up for yourself, your partner, and your child. This is a skill you can use for the rest of your life!
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Unfortunately, there are a lot of poor-quality classes out there, which have given childbirth education a bad reputation. The founder of Evidence Based Birth®, Rebecca Dekker, PhD, RN, is a former college prof who knows how to make classes exciting for teens and adults. The end result is a class that is motivating and SO much fun to participate in. You will learn more than you could ever imagine! -
For starters, we talk about the real issues affecting childbirth today. We do not shy away from addressing the issues caused by patriarchy, institutional racism, or lack of inclusivity in our systems today. We are not perfect, but we attempt to uncover the issues in a relaxing way and, when approached with an open mind, we find and discuss real life solutions to affect change for your birth.
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Our students are most excited to learn about the entire toolkit of comfort measures for labor. We cover pain management techniques like massage, water immersion, upright birthing positions, acupressure, music therapy, and deep breathing, just to name a few. Then you get hands-on practice in our Comfort Measures Rehearsal. When labor starts, you and your support team will be ready!
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I am there to provide you with guidance after you watch the course videos each week. I will lead your class in discussion and answer all questions they can. If I do not know the answer, since this is a series class, I will let you and strive to find an answer for you by utilizing my resources and the connected EBB community. As your EBB Instructor, I am your touch stone through out the class and beyond!
About the EBB® Childbirth Class
Who is this class for?
This class is for anyone who wants to have an informed, empowered birth experience. Whether this is your first baby or your third, or you’re planning a hospital birth, home birth, VBAC, unmedicated birth, or an epidural birth, this class is for you.
What will this class cover?
Partner advocacy, evidence based care, overcoming fears and anxieties, comfort measures, stages and phases of labor, navigating the healthcare system, providers, doulas, and models of care, building your support team, navigating interventions and medical inductions, family-centered cesareans, communicating with hospital staff, knowing your rights in childbirth, pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic pain management, postpartum care, newborn procedures, baby care, lactation and feeding your baby… and much more!
What is the format of this class?
The Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class uses a flipped classroom format. This means that much of the learning happens on your own time, through the Evidence Based Birth® Parents Site, where Dr. Dekker and her team have skillfully crafted the best childbirth education content. Each week, after you have learned about that week’s material, we will discuss it as a group, do learning activities, and get any of your questions answered. This model allows for more in-depth learning, since you are introduced to a topic before our in-person meeting. It’s also more flexible for those with busy schedules, since the weekly modules are completed on your own time.
What is EBB® ‘s approach to interventions in labor, birth, and postpartum?
We teach that interventions are part of your toolkit for having a safe and satisfying birth experience. By understanding the evidence, risks, and benefits to intervention or tool, you can make the best, most intuitive choice for you and your family.
When should I take this class?
I recommend taking this class near the end of your second trimester or beginning of your third so everything will be fresh on your mind for birth!
What is the cost for the class?
The investment for the class is $350 per couple. It includes a printed copy of the Evidence Based Birth® ® Workbook and 3 months access to the Evidence Based Birth® Parents Website
Upcoming Class Dates
The Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class is available in-person to families in the Bay Area. The class will be held at Heartful Birth, in Novato, California.
Class Dates: 3/7/2026, 3/14/2026, 3/21/2026, 3/28/2026, 4/4/2026, 4/11/2026 from 12 - 2pm
The Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class uses a flipped classroom format. This means that much of the learning happens on your own time, through the Evidence Based Birth® Parents Site, where Dr. Dekker and her team have skillfully crafted the best childbirth education content. Each week, after you have learned about that week’s material, we will discuss it as a group, do learning activities, and get any of your questions answered. This model allows for more in-depth learning, since you are introduced to a topic before our in-person meeting. It’s also more flexible for those with busy schedules, since the weekly modules are completed on your own time.