Now that you’re expecting, it’s a perfect time to find a pregnancy or baby prep class.
Luckily, there’s a good, local choice that can help answer just about every question you might have. Here are some to check out.
Birth Matters
If you’re looking for group childbirth classes and/or doula (labor) support classes held either in-person or via Zoom, consider signing up for the ones at Birth Matters, all of which are led by Lisa Greaves Taylor, a New York City mom and certified childbirth educator based in Astoria.
Taylor is also the owner and director of the East River Doula Collective, which can help connect you with birth or postpartum doulas in the tri-state area.
Boober
Wondering what life will be like in the days after you’ve given birth (otherwise known as the fourth trimester)?
If so, check out the Prepared Postpartum class here.
Boober also offers a whole host of virtual and in-person classes, covering lactation and newborn care to infant CPR and childbirth basics, at locations around the city, from Prospect Heights and Park Slope to the Upper West Side and Tribeca.
City Births
Whether you’re interested in a class that prepares you for a cesarean section, infant care and feeding, or baby CPR and safety, there’s something for you here.
This initiative has been offering these classes — as well as new moms groups, breastfeeding support, and dad boot camp, in both their West and East Side offices since 2012.
14th Street Y
Offering a host of options, expectant parents can drop into the 14th Street Y for prenatal yoga; sign up for an expectant-parent support group, covering how to adjust to life with a newborn; or jump into the indoor, heated pool for a low-impact, pregnancy-safe exercise class.
Prenatal Yoga Center
This is the first and only yoga center in New York City to focus solely on expectant and new moms.
The prenatal yoga classes are offered on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Tribeca, and the Flatiron District.
You can also sign up for childbirth preparation and breastfeeding workshops and events as well as access free yoga videos and an educational blog.
Sage + Sound
This membership community for “modern moms” at this Upper East Side wellness space includes an astrology class in partnership with Mysha.
Scheduled for Oct. 19, it will cover the traits of each astrological sign specific to babies, and how to parent children according to their sun sign.
While you’re there, consider signing up for a meditation or sound experience treatment to help de-stress.
Stork & Cradle
At Stork & Cradle, a prenatal education program led by Tamara Hawkins, a registered nurse, parents are led through a series of self-discovery exercises to create a birth plan that reduces stress and increases pain coping skills.
In addition, you can also sign up for in-person or virtual childbirth, baby care, infant CPR, and even sibling and grandparent prep classes.
The Well
Whether you’d prefer prenatal massage for reduced pain, reflexology for aching feet or mindful movement classes for extra energy and sleep, head to The Well.
This wellness center in the Flatiron District offers a variety of customizable options for moms-to-be.
92Y
For over 35 years, the Parenting Center here has offered a host of classes and drop-in sessions for expectant (and new) parents, with classes ranging from sleep support to baby massage.
Bonus: You don’t need to be a member to sign up.