Best Prenatal & Birthing Classes in the East Bay

Congratulations on your growing family! In the East Bay, we have many choices for great childbirth preparation classes.  From free birthing classes offered by hospitals to intensive home birth prep, you can have your pick. Here are some of the most popular options for birthing and labor classes nearby.

This list is sponsored by Brilliant Births. For growing East Bay families, Brilliant Births is the most supportive and inclusive pregnancy and postpartum education center in the East Bay, offering childbirth classes, workshops, doula recommendations, and more. Use promo code 510FAM to save $25 off of their class: Settling in with Baby: Newborn Care.

Prenatal and Birthing Classes

Brilliant Births (Berkeley) Brilliant Births offers a range of classes and workshops that meet all the needs of expecting East Bay Families. Offering multiple kinds of childbirth education classes, Brilliant Births aims to help you achieve the birth you want. The workshops on Infant First Aid, newborn care, and breastfeeding prepare you to be the best parent you can be. And with a team of affiliated doulas, you never have to do it alone: knowledge and care are a phone call away.  See all of the community offerings at the Brilliant Births website >

Loving Arms (Oakland)
With a focus on childbirth classes, Loving Arms offers a childbirth prep class, refresher childbirth, planned Cesarean, and VBAC classes, too. They also have a ton of options in case your schedule is limited. See all the prenatal classes at Loving Arms >

Intrinsic Birth (Your home in Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda, Berkeley, or San Leandro)
Private birth prep sessions in your own home are the special offering of Instrinsic Birth coaches Ottilia and Cody. They have put together a curriculum of 3, 5, or 8 90-minute sessions, or custom packages of your choosing to focus on you and your partner’s areas of interest or concern. Learn more >

Center for Early Childhood (Albany)
With a mission to support families at all income levels, Center for Early Childhood offers occasional Birth From Within sessions and newborn care classes. Visit their website to learn more >

Awakening Homebirth Prep (Oakland)
Considering a Homebirth? Awakening Birth Services offers a prenatal class specifically for this route.

Bay Area Birth Education (San Francisco)
Offering a one-day class that can be taken anytime during your pregnancy, this San Francisco-based childbirth education center combines birth education with newborn care in a single class. Learn more >

Hospital-hosted Birthing Classes

Hospital classes are a great opportunity to meet your medical team, get a sense of how they prepare for childbirth, and learn about how your baby will be born. All the classes are open to both the expecting moms and their partners.

Kaiser (Oakland) hosts free online Preparing for Childbirth classes for their patients. They also offer Newborn Care and Breastfeeding classes online, too. We recommend taking them when you’re pregnant so you don’t have something else to do once baby arrives. Here’s Kaiser’s class offerings filtered for “Pregnancy”>

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Berkeley) offers a one-day intensive Childbirth class. Second-time parents can consider a Childbirth Refresher as an alternative to the entire labor class or a VBAC-specific class if you’re considering a vaginal birth after Cesarean. They also offer a Birth Center Tour, Breastfeeding classes, and Newborn Care classes, too. Unlike Kaiser, most of the classes cost something. See all of the Alta Bates Pregnancy Classes >

You can also start with a couple books as you decide which class to take. A few of our favorites are Expecting Better and the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. If you want some laughs with a smart guide, see Angela Garbes’ Like a Mother.

Regardless of which class you choose, remember to take care of your body and your mind during your pregnancy.

Our sponsor Brilliant Births also offers massage and craniosacral sessions, yoga classes for pregnant and postpartum parents, and postpartum support groups in a light-filled Berkeley studio. See a list of upcoming workshops for expectant parents here.