Prenatal classes and education

Pregnant woman in sunny field with a breeze

Pregnancy is a time of change and learning. As parents, you will learn a lot as you prepare for baby’s arrival and beyond. The goal is to provide pregnant people and their families with information to gain knowledge, build skills, and make informed, safe choices about pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood. You may learn about:

Ways to get prenatal education: 

  • Brochures, handouts, and books
  • In-person group prenatal classes
  • Mobile apps, texting services, and websites
  • One-on-one prenatal education with a health care provider
  • Online self-paced courses

Explore the sections below for local prenatal classes and additional prenatal education resources. For more information about services in your community, contact your local health unit.

Local prenatal classes

If you’re aware of local prenatal classes available in your community that are not listed here, or if any of the information is incorrect, email us at HealthyStart@northernhealth.ca.

Dawson Creek

Northern Lights College

  • In-person pregnancy and childbirth class located at Dawson Creek campus
  • Covers signs and symptoms of the late stages of pregnancy, how to identify true labour, tips and tricks for navigating birth, medication and intervention options, and covers basic newborn feeding and care
  • Available to families living in Dawson Creek and surrounding areas (Chetwynd, Tumbler Ridge, Taylor, Fort St. John)
  • Cost: $295 (includes a plus-one attendee to accompany registrant)
  • Phone: 1-866-463-6652 to register (need registration code from website)
  • Website: Pregnancy and Childbirth Class

The Delightful Doula

  • General perinatal support and information including private childbirth education classes, individual and couple counselling, and postpartum services.
  • Jessica Dillon offers an informed and comfortable space to express concerns, successes, worries or fears around pregnancy, birth and postpartum, and supports families in the many life transitions that occur around a pregnancy or a pregnancy loss.
  • Cost: Services range in price, private counselling, private childbirth education, and postpartum services may be covered under some extended health benefits.
  • Email: delightfuldoula.tnc@gmail.com
  • Phone: 778-678-0664

Fort St. John

Glow and Grow Prenatal Education Services (Facebook page)

  • In-person classes about pregnancy, labour, birth, postpartum, and newborn care
  • Cost: $120 for two seats (pregnant individual and support person)
  • Email: glowandgrowprenatal@gmail.com

McBride

McBride Health Unit (also known as the McBride Community Health Building)

  • In-person group and individual prenatal classes about pregnancy, labour, birth, postpartum, and newborn care. Virtual classes upon request.
  • Cost: Free
  • Phone: 250-569-2026

Prince George

Be with birth. Childbirth Education and Doula Services

  • In-person group, individual sessions, and virtual childbirth, lactation, and postpartum education. Offered by Morgan Glover, prenatal educator and doula certified through Douglas College and Lamaze International
  • Virtual group sessions are four weeks (3 hours per week) online via Zoom, available to families across Northern BC
  • Cost: $350 for group sessions, includes informational support from the time of registration through birth and beyond
  • Email: info@bewithbirth.ca
  • Phone: 778-884-5205

Northern Interior Health Unit

Quesnel

Breathe, Birth, and Yoga Perinatal Support Services

  • Private prenatal education with Lauren Abbott, a DONA certified birth doula, lamaze certified childbirth educator, and prenatal/postnatal yoga instructor
  • Cost: $150 for 4 hours of instruction (may be delivered over two 2 hour sessions). Fee can be customized to fit individual needs and may be covered for qualifying families by the Doulas for Aboriginal Families Grant Program
  • Email: lauren@breathebirthandyoga.com
  • Phone: 250-991-2190

Quesnel Community Health Services

  • In-person group prenatal classes
  • Cost: Free, no cost to register
  • Phone: 250-983-6850

Smithers

Smithers Pregnancy Outreach Program

Terrace

Park Centre (a program of Terrace Child Development Centre)

Expand

SmartMom prenatal education texting program

SmartMom is a prenatal education program that texts information to prenatal clients from trusted sources. Text messages are tailored to the stage of pregnancy and includes helpful websites, phone numbers, and videos about:

  • How baby is growing
  • Important health choices
  • How to prepare for labour and delivery

Enroll in SmartMom

  • Text “Northern” to 12323 or visit SmartMom Canada and click
    “enroll now”
  • Free to sign up, standard message and data rates may apply

Learn more

Expand

‘My Next Birth’ tool

Vaginal birth after c-section: ‘My Next Birth’ decision tool

Are you thinking about options for your next birth after a caesarean delivery? Both vaginal birth and planned caesarean are healthy options. Studies show that 75 per cent of people in BC who have had a C-section are good candidates for a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC).

Perinatal Services BC has an interactive, online tool called My Next Birth for information about repeat C-sections and what the different choices may mean for you, your family, and your health. You will also receive a personalized summary to guide conversations and questions with your health care team.

Learn more

Expand

Virtual education options

Douglas College

Fraser Health

La Leche League Canada

  • Virtual prenatal breastfeeding class and/or attend a La Leche League Canada (LLLC) meeting in person to meet other nursing parents
  • Cost: Free
  • To learn more, access the LLLC meeting calendar

Pregnancy HUB

  • 12-month virtual program that offers participants unlimited access to local pregnancy outreach program and service referrals; a virtual library full of evidence-based information; a monthly newsletter; and access to virtual events on topics related to pregnancy and early parenting.
  • Registration is free to all pregnant, postpartum, and newly parenting people with infants up to 12 months old who are BC residents.
  • Learn more at The Pregnancy HUB

Providence Health Care (St. Paul's Hospital)

  • Virtual sessions (one-on-one and small group sessions with maximum three couples) focused on labour and birth, postpartum, c-section birth, and breastfeeding classes.
  • Cost: $80 for the small group sessions, up to $180 for private one-on-one sessions.
  • Content is designed for expectant parents who plan to deliver at St. Paul’s Hospital but are open to all families in BC.
  • Learn more about virtual prenatal classes
Expand

Featured resources

Featured NH StoriesNH Stories logo icon

For more information