Once upon a time, women were backed by a tribe of their own for emotional support, nurturing, and wisdom. Now our lives have become more isolated but that isn’t to say that there aren’t places where a similar, much-needed environment can be found. Do a quick search online and you’d find hundreds of lessons for just about any field of interest that you can think of. So, it only makes sense that for something as life-changing as giving birth that you enroll in a modern-day tribe. The best part is these sessions can include your spouse as you embark on this journey together. Thankfully, you and your partner can now find such classes in Manila. Here are the most popular ones.
Founded by Maricel Cua and Beng Feliciano, The Parenting Emporium is described on their website as a parenting community that provides various professional consultations, educational lectures, seminars, classes, and workshops that help mothers, fathers, caregivers, and other members of one’s “village.” Some free classes like When Your Baby Arrives, Cloth Diapering 101, Breastfeeding Group Consultation, etc. only require registration.
The Birth Basics Workshop is a one-day childbirth preparation class designed to empower pregnant couples for birth and parenthood. Facilitated by Betty Lugay-San Luis, a certified doula and a professional labor coach with Childbirth International and her husband, Manny R. San Luis, a professional trainer and an HR practitioner, this childbirth mentoring and doula support service aims to “mother the birthing mother.”
Facilitated by childbirth educator and certified doula Chiqui Brosas-Hahn, the Prepared Childbirth Classes are available all year round, usually in a series of four Sundays. Her students swear by her methods in feeling empowered through their journey.
Irina Otmakhova, a certified doula offers doula services and classes on basics of childbirth preparation, optimal fetal positioning techniques, and the hypnobirthing method where real medical hypnosis techniques are taught to create an easier, more comfortable, and sometimes pain-free natural birth. Conscious Birth Manila also provides post-partum care services and can create DNA keepsake jewelry that may contain your baby’s hair, placenta powder, a piece of umbilical cord, and breast milk.
Shiphrah Birthing Home offers free pregnancy and childbirth classes to expecting families. Each class is nine weeks long and covers different modules on nutrition, prenatal care, childbirth, breastfeeding, and childcare. Classes also include exercises to help the mothers prepare for birth.Their prenatal days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There will be an initial interview with their professional midwives upon your first visit.
Managed by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, Breastfeeding Philippines offers prepared childbirth packages on birthing, breastfeeding, and beyond. I attended one breastfeeding seminar that our office sponsored and it changed my life. All the myths to be debunked, the information, and support you can get from a lactation consultant can be amazing. I even hired a lactation consultant after that to do a home visit to educate everyone in my household and it’s partly what led to the success of my personal breastfeeding journey. My daughter is three years old now and is still at it so I’m definitely an advocate.