All the training for all attendees is an absolute pleasure, with laughs, fun, insights, amazing gems of wisdom for all women of all ages under all circumstances.
Julie Clarke conducts two types of courses, "Calm Mindful Birth" is focused on breathing relaxation and visualization the other course is the "Transition into Parenthood" and is referred to as the practical birth and babycourse.
Best time to commence the courses is from 25 weeks of pregnancy
Both courses are very popular and available weekends for pregnant couples.
If there is ever a time in your life when you need the right information available to assist you in decision making, guidance towards the healthy and safe path, along with true emotional nourishment to sustain you into the future changes it is during your pregnancy.
It’s important to note there is no doubling up with the information in the two different courses as they are coming at different angles covering aspects in a way that fits together like puzzle pieces.
Both courses will give you the full picture.
Think about this for a moment:
The ideal option is 2 days for the TiP and 2 days for the CMB.
Out of 266 days of a normal length pregnancy spending just 4 of them preparing for the most significant experience of your life is a time bargain isn’t it?
Only got time to do one course?
It’s fine and will be a massive benefit for you both, no matter which version you select. Trust your intuition to choose what will work best for you and your partner.
Why is there two courses?
It’s all too much to squeeze into one course, you’d be overwhelmed and there simply isn’t enough time to cover everything.
Can we do just a couple of hours with you individually and get it fast?
Yes we can attempt it but it would be like blending a main meal with an entrée or dessert and making a smoothie, drinking it down and expecting it to be like… well you get the idea don’t you?
Transition into Parenthood is the main course platter and Calm Mindful Birth is the delicious dessert or entrée.
You'll enjoy the bundle discount when booking both courses.
Transition into Parenthood options:
2 x Saturday: Condensed course 9am to 4.30pm
2 x Sunday: Condensed course 9am to 4.30pm
1 x Saturday: Super Condensed 9am to 4.30pm
1 x Sunday: Super Condensed course 9am to 4.30pm
1 x Weekday Super Condensed course workshop 9am to 4.30pm
6 x Evening course: one evening per week 7pm
Julie is unique in her style and approach, these courses are totally different to any other antenatal courses for pregnant couples, they are refreshingly rich with smart strategies for overcoming difficulties in labour, informative, reassuring, fully inclusive of partners, inspiring, fascinating and empowering.
A point of difference between these courses for pregnant couples and all the other prenatal classes is the real connection Julie creates with each person, in her soft, gentle, respectful way she is able to pull back the curtain of fear, discomfort, awkwardness to reveal a refreshingly, uplifting, wholesome, fascinating, awe-inspiring, logical, well-rounded, holistic, explanation of the whole journey of birth.
Each mother and father-to-be who attends is enabled in their own personal journey towards parenthood to be positive, to thrive, to enjoy the experience, to revel in the thrill, exhilaration of this peak moment in their lives to go on to fulfil their dream of creating a very positive future as an effective high functioning, loving, family for themselves and their children.
Another point of difference between these antenatal courses and any other courses is attendees freely and happily kick off their shoes at the door, enter a relaxed loungeroom style class room, to chill out in air-con comfort, eat, drink and be merry all day long without having to wait for breaks.
This is so not school – this is adult education and you are free to look after your own needs easily and comfortably all day; grab another hot cuppa anytime you feel like it, or a chilled organic juice, dip into the huge bowl of Minties, enjoy another Tim Tam whenever you want.
Morning tea and fun lunch breaks are in the pretty garden featuring the big wooden table and seating positioned under the graceful peppercorn tree surrounded by quirky garden art, flowers, ferns, fresh air and sunshine.
Julie is a fully trained facilitator, childbirth and parenting educator and a Calm Mindful Birth specialist, with over 30 years’ experience, conducting courses in Sylvania, near Cronulla, south of Sydney.
Pregnant couples are attracted to Julie's courses for her advanced knowledge of Active Birth and her warm, friendly, gentle, easy-going approach. Julie’s style of presenting the information is down-to-earth, balanced, level headed, rational, logical, positive and encouraging approach.
The next point of difference here is the benefit of attendees being able to contact Julie directly to discuss options, solutions to problems, get a better perspective on situations. All attendees have become familiar with Julie’s insights and they know they can talk with her in confidence, they can trust her, they’ve gotten to know her and she’s gotten to know them and understands where they are coming from and their individual needs. This is a unique personalised service.
In fact, couples who attended 20 and 30 years ago are sending their adult children along when they get pregnant because Julie is familiar with the family history.
The comfortable course venue, Julie's home, is in Sylvania, a tranquil leafy southern suburb of Sydney, just 20 minutes’ drive south of the airport.
Julie has recently refurbished her lovely class lounge room making it even more comfortable, and she has completely updated and revised her extensive course notes provided to participants.
Free parking is plentiful and very easy at the front of the premises and there are no steps to climb when you arrive.
Julie conducts the two most popular courses, with a good variety of date options for 2018/19
Transition into Parenthood - Julie's birth and baby care course - focussed on active birth and newborn care on are well regarded and respected as the most comprehensive and best-value birth and parenting preparation courses currently available in Sydney.
Julie provides a premium level Doula birth support and baby care support exclusively for the couples who attend her courses.
In Transition into Parenthood course Pregnant Couples will Learn:
Transition into Parenthood covers the labour and birth, basic breathing, active birth positioning, and includes a special focus on skills and techniques for keeping birth normal and minimising the use of medical intervention when appropriate. Here are some questions Julie will answer in fun interactive sessions:
How to respond to the physical and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy?
What to do if I go overdue?
How does the baby grow and change before being born?
Steps to take if my waters break/membranes rupture?
How can I minimise complications, health risks and discomforts throughout the pregnancy?
How can partners prepare for their role during the labour and birth?
How will I know when my labour begins and what to do?
What types of self-help coping techniques can I use to keep birth normal and avoid unnecessary interventions?
Clever tricks to hasten a slow long labour
What facilities are available and what options should I consider when making choices?
How can I prepare siblings for the arrival of a new family member?
What do I need to do to care for my newborn baby in the first 12 weeks?
What are the most up-to-date ideas for including partners in caring for and bonding with our new baby?
Smart buying tips for baby goods, services, and products
How can I nurture myself and my baby during pregnancy?
How to strengthen your loving relationship as your family grows
Both of These Courses are Especially Designed For:
pregnant couples expecting their first baby who want to feel ready, prepared and organised
those who are highly motivated and have already read everything but want to be able to ask questions, fill in more gaps to their knowledge and gain better clarity of the details
those who describe themselves as completely clueless and scared, who need a gentle, kind, calm mentor to guide them easily and simply
those who have had a baby before and want to prepare for a more positive experience this time
those who had a premmie baby before and missed out on the chance to prepare previously
those who have already been along to Julie’s courses previously, loved it and want to soak up all the positivity in readiness for their next awesome experience. They are excited to return to receive the input of encouragement, enthusiasm, passion and inspiration as their family grows.
Benefits you will gain from attending the Transition into Parenthood: Birth and Baby Preparation course:
· Provides good clear information about what, why, where, when and how of labour and birth
· Enhances your understanding of what self-help measures a woman can do in labour to make it quicker, more comfortable and easier
· Explains the partners role including support skills: massage, and loads of other ideas that ALL women wish their partner had a handle on prior to going to the hospital
· This course also provides an explanation of what expectations to have of the staff whether midwives, obstetricians, other doctors and staff
· How to work with the staff, how to communicate, being a team player and also an great advocate for the pregnant woman
· Fills you in on the truth of what midwives want you to be aware of during labour in hospital whether delivery suite or birth centre model of care
· Provides solutions to common problems which may occur during labour and how to side step or overcome the issues with ease
· Replaces all hospital classes with more extensive content and detail - see table below for explanation
· Covers all the factual details to prepare pregnant women and their partner for the normal course a labour and birth experience normally takes - very different to Hollywood movie scenes
· How to identify the phases of labour; pre or true labour. How to know if the waters have broken. How to identify the correct time to go to hospital, making the journey more comfortable, settling in and making use of the hospital facilities,
· What happens step by step after the birth, what is normal for mum and bub and what to expect for the remainder of your hospital stay
· Coming home; ideas tips tricks on dealing with lots of small or large issues which typically trip people up whether it's their first or subsequent baby
· The first 12 weeks; the early patch of time with a newborn baby, breastfeeding, sleep, settling, calming, crying, nappies, bathing, what's normal, what's not normal and what to do about it.
· Identifying issues and situations not covered in typical baby care books, or general courses and not general common sense knowledge. Highlighting enjoyment and making life happier, easier and fulfilling with a young bub - through to five years.
· Signposting where to get help, current best resources for new parents to turn to, how to minimise or overcome challenges, difficulties to instead shine bright and thrive in new parenting and have a sense of control and routine for wellbeing
Benefits You and your Partner Will Gain from attending Both of the Courses with Julie during your mid-late pregnancy:
· Julie ensures each of her courses are wholesome, enriching, supportive, positive, and potentially increases the well-being of each participant
· Julie shares unique details in each course without doubling up or repeating or cross over of information - don't hesitate to book both, look forward to gaining wisdom
· You will gain a lot of useful, practical knowledge quickly and easily in a comfortable lounge environment, without any stress, pressure, or embarrassment
· Couples achieve a strong sense of becoming a more effective team in readiness for working together throughout birth and beyond into raising children as loving effective parents
· To positively enhance the increased communication and connection which naturally occurs during pregnancy, for each pregnant couple, to reduce the risk of family breakdown later
· To assist each mum and dad-to-be to thrive in their respective roles, to increase understanding, respect, togetherness, relationship bond and closeness so vital to begin parenthood
· These courses tend to automatically reduce anxiety and depression during your pregnancy which may possibly reduce post-partum depression risk as well
Transition into Parenthood: Birth and Baby Course is presented for you with 3 Choices:
1 Day Super Condensed – the quickest
2 Day Condensed – the efficient, effective and comprehensive
6 Evening Sessions - easy pace, quite thoroughly detailed, sociable with other pregnant couples
TiP Childbirth and Parenting One-day Super Condensed Sunday Workshop
Sunday from 9am to 4:30pm - only $300 per couple. This course covers "everything possible to cover" in just one day and is very popular.
This super condensed version of the 6 week course is a very quick and easy convenient course as it only involves attendance for one day, starting at 9am and finishing at 4.30pm. More info quickly.
It is the most time efficient course available anywhere, covering: Pregnancy, Labour and Birth in the morning, and then Baby care and Parenting during the newborn period, the first twelve weeks, covered very thoroughly in the afternoon.
Brilliantly designed for shift workers, very busy couples, particularly those who are very busy and can't spare much time at a course.
Pregnant couples coming from a distance – Newcastle, Wollongong, Nepean regions, who desire an early morning drive.
This course is also terrific for couples who are wanting to refresh their knowledge, having already had a baby, and now needing to prepare for their second, third, fourth or subsequent baby.
It's far more convenient to arrange child care for only one Sunday and so this course suits refreshers quite well.
Course materials made freely available as part of the super-condensed package, as well as unlimited variety of teas and coffees, delicious snacks and full comprehensive course notes.
Places are limited and Julie normally only runs this one day super condensed course once a month or once every two months, so if it's what you're after be sure to book in as quickly as you can to secure your position. There are limited places in each course. BYO lunch, be reassured that refrigeration and a microwave are available for your use. Very comfortable air-conditioned venue.
Pre-payment is required to secure your place in any of the courses.
The Condensed Two-Session TiP Transition into Parenthood Course
This excellent "birth and baby care" course is designed for those having their first baby or a subsequent baby. The size of the groups is small to allow for interaction and personalised attention. Julie ensures you are comfortable, feel listened to, respected, included and valued as a group member.
Julie covers many of the aspects that midwives in delivery suites and birth centres would like couples to be aware of, though they often don't have the time or the resources to convey.
The feedback Julie receives from midwives working in hospitals is that they can really see a difference in the couples who come along to these courses, they are confident, they understand, they work as a team, they are easy and comfortable to work with and mostly have very positive birth outcomes.
Julie enables couples to work in a positive way, as a team with staff in hospitals, by becoming informed of the facilities, as well as their rights and responsibilities during their usually fairly short stay in hospital.
Julie is a highly skilled childbirth educator and in a positive, reassuring, fun and inspiring way she is able to deliver the following topics to you in a way that is both interesting and effective, so when the time comes you feel well prepared and more confident. $385/couple.
Session #1: Jam packed with lots of practical, worthwhile, creative and informative and empowering ideas. Pregnancy, labour, active birth options. How to recognise labour, what to do in response, great tips for partners to be supportive and helpful, comfort measures to use during labour, partner's role and what to expect, women's self-help strategies for labour, how to best use hospital facilities, breathing for labour, effective positions for the woman to use to keep labour normal, techniques for massage, all the right acupressure points to use to overcome issues such as slow labour, ideas to try in a variety of challenging situations in labour, medical interventions and drugs: being informed, Knowing the healthiest and safest pathway through labour, Department of Health charter for health consumers, guidance for birth options and choices, the first hours after the birth, mum-dad-baby bonding and the early breastfeeding experience. Waterbirth benefits – Waterbirth is normal in ALL Public Hospitals in NSW as of 2010. Many important points to boost your confidence and reduce anxiety.
Session #2: Everyone (mums and dads-to-be) love this session as well! It contains lots of practicalities of parenting. Our focus is on looking after a little newborn baby during the first 12 weeks in a very positive way. How to avoid Colic. Being able to read the baby's body language and their variety of cry "signals" helps parents-to-be feel they can trust their intuition and look forward to getting to know their baby. The newborn period in the first 12 weeks at home with a new baby, how to wrap, feed, deal with crying, sleep and settling, involving both mothers and fathers equally. What to expect after baby is born, breastfeeding, safe sleeping, nappy changing, settling, bathing, needs of mother and baby, what to buy for baby, the first 12 weeks as a family, parenting resources and where to get help, reasons babies cry and how to calm and comfort babies with the right handling. Techniques to avoid Gastric Reflux. When to take baby to the Doctor. This session really helps couples feel much more organised and prepared for becoming parents. Includes clear thorough notes for you to take home and keep for future reference.
Snacks are provided by Julie during the break times. BYO Lunch. Couples happily BYO picnic lunch and usually sit on the picnic blankets and garden seating provided, relax and enjoy friendly chat with each other in the lovely, peaceful beautiful garden enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Julie provides bottomless beverages; tea, herbal tea, coffee, and organic fruit juices.
Many couples ask if this course will adequately cover what the hospital courses would cover - and the answer is yes most certainly and a whole lot more... Julie worked in a large tertiary maternity hospital for 12 years and is very familiar with the topics covered, so is in a good position to ensure these courses cover all those topics and beyond. Hospital classes do not have a free lending library for your use, the resources Julie kindly provides for you to take home greatly enhances the learning gained from the course with Julie.
Hospital classes are often quite large with many couples in one group. Quite often women will ring Julie after they have done one class at a hospital and say they want to switch over to these courses instead. Julie does her best to accommodate the woman and her partner to a course which will suit her due date. 9544 6441 Julie.
Groups enjoy the opportunity to chat during relaxed and friendly break times such as lunch time and get to know each other, swap ideas and shopping for baby tips.
Lunchtime; picnic under the peppercorn tree in Julie's garden on the garden seating provided and picnic rugs, beautifully shaded and cool in Summer and quite sheltered and comfortable in Winter.
Quite a relaxing and pleasant way to spend the lunch time enjoying each other's company.
Many new friendships are formed here.
