Programs

prenatal classes | postnatal classes | childbirth education class | itsy bitsy yoga | workshops & events | fees & policies

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Prenatal Classes:

Prenatal Yoga

Deepen your awareness of your changing body and mind as you prepare for the life-changing events of birth and parenting. You'll learn stretching, breathing, and relaxation techniques to offer relief from the common discomforts of pregnancy, and practice down-to-earth, pragmatic methods for coping during labor.

The beginning of each class provides time for discussion of pregnancy-related concerns and for connecting with other women in various stages of pregnancy.

Schedule:

  • Tuesdays 6:15–7:45 pm
  • Thursdays 5:30–7:00 pm
  • Fridays 9:30–11:00 am
  • Saturdays 10:30-12:00 pm

Cost:

  • 8 class pass $108 (90 day expiration)
  • 4 class pass $56 (45 day expiration)
  • Single class $15

Pre-registration is required.  Register on-line here or call 804-612-6366.

“Taking the prenatal yoga class with Leslie was the best thing I did during my pregnancy. I learned more about my pregnant body, what to expect during labor and delivery, and how to deal with aspects of each than in any book I read or labor class or I took. . . . Being new to the Richmond area, it also allowed me the chance to meet other women, and I have been a part of a wonderful group of moms, post-pregnancy for "mom groups" and now "playgroups" for our over one-year-old kids.

—Kristin Karmon

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Postnatal Classes:

Baby & Me Yoga

Bring your baby to a class that offers gentle yoga poses to help you regain abdominal tone and body strength. This class addresses common postpartum concerns such as neck, shoulder, and pelvic strengthening and provides a forum for mothers to share information, support, and parenting tips. For moms and babies, from 3 weeks (6 weeks with a Cesarean birth) to approximately six months or crawling madly.

Thursdays: 10:30-11:45 am

Baby & Me Pilates

Connect with your core, your baby and other new moms all in the same class! Baby & Me Pilates addresses common postpartum concerns and assists our new moms in strengthening pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles. Attention will also be spent improving common postural imbalances that occur during life with baby – to decrease pain and increase your ease of movement. Developmentally appropriate activities for the babies are integrated into the class. For moms and babies from 3 weeks (6 weeks with a Cesarean birth) to crawling madly.

Tuesdays: 10:30-11:45 am

Saturdays: 10:45-12:00 pm

Cost:

  • 8 session pass $108 (6 month expiration)  
  • 4 session pass $56 (3 month expiration)
  • Single class $15

Register on-line here or call 804-612-6366.

“I loved it, wish I could have kept going! I looked forward to Thursday every week. The friendships my children and I have made in the classes I took with my daughter (who is now two) and my son (six months) are priceless.”

—Tara Childs

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NEW!! Childbirth Education Class: Expecting the Best

Be a part of a new birth education movement in Richmond. OmMama is debuting a new childbirth education class – Expecting the Best - for women and their partners seeking a unique and rewarding birth experience. Designed with input from health care providers, birth attendants and consumers, this six-week highly participatory program provides intensive preparation for pregnant women and their partners who anticipate a low intervention birth. Join us as we:

  • Learn breathing and relaxation techniques designed to decrease fear and increase comfort in labor.
  • Make sense of possible medical interventions that could affect your delivery and learn a process for informed decision-making.
  • Explore the specific roles partners play in labor.
  • Increase confidence in your body’s ability to give birth.
  • Experience a “Mock Labor.”
  • Celebrate and embrace the joys of pregnancy and birth.

Wednesdays, April 14 - May 19; May 26 - June 30

Instructor: Mary Toombs, RN, LCCE

Cost: $225 fee covers registration for the expectant mother and her partner or support person. Pre-registration required. Register on-line here or call 804-612-6366.

"I would recommend the "Expecting the Best" class for any couple who wishes to be empowered with knowledge. This class gives you insight into the process of child birth on so many levels. Maura and Leslie are able to help couples explore the known and unknown issues of childbirth as well as any misconceptions about the process. As an expecting father I would recommend this class to all fathers. It is one of the few times that you feel you can actually help your partner through this incredible journey."

— C. Rector

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Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for Infants

(3 weeks - Pre-crawling)

Enjoy a delightful, relaxing way to facilitate your baby's development and wellbeing. Based on the Itsy Bitsy Yoga® method developed by Helen Garabedian, our classes promote parent/baby relaxation and bonding, help your baby to sleep longer and better, and provide helpful tips to calm fussy or crying babies. The classes are a fabulous way to connect with other mothers and dads at similar stages of parenthood. Also open to aunts, uncles, grandparents, or any of baby's significant others. No yoga experience required.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for Tots

(Actively crawling - 24 months)

A fun-loving, supportive, and active yoga practice filled with dozens of Itsy Bitsy Yoga poses designed just for your tot. At a time when tots naturally explore movement, Itsy Bitsy Yoga builds Tots confidence in their moving bodies, and encourages their creative spirit both in and out of class. During a Tots Itsy Bitsy Yoga class crawlers and walkers playfully practice yoga postures while they are sitting up, standing, walking, and jumping. Parents also get to do a little yoga, but no yoga experience is required. Tots Itsy Bitsy Yoga was created by Helen Garabedian, an Infant Developmental Movement Educator, yoga teacher, and mother. No yoga experience required.

Itsy Bitsy Yoga® for Tykes

(21 months through 4 years)

Tykes Itsy Bitsy Yoga combines unique toddler-friendly yoga poses with songs, stories, and games to create an enriching parent/child activity. Each class is personalized around tyke’s curiosities as they learn yoga through social interaction, repetition, and play. Tykes also learn how to relieve frustration, improve motor skills, and increase attention span by actively following directions. Help your tyke build the foundation for a healthy and fit lifestyle while having fun! No yoga experience is required.

Cost: $75 per 5-week session. Pre-registration required. Limited to 10 parent/child couples.

Session Dates:

Babies:

Wednesdays, 10:45 - 11:45 am
Apr 14 - May 12
May 26 - Jun 23

Saturdays, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Apr 17 - May 15

Tots:

Wednesdays, 9:30 - 10:30 am
Apr 14 - May 12
May 26 - Jun 23

Saturdays, 9:30 - 10:30 am
May 29 - Jun 26

Tykes:

Tuesdays, 9:30 - 10:15 am
Apr 13 - May 11
May 25 - Jun 22

For further information call (804) 612-6366 or register on-line here.

"Wonderful chance to just enjoy, explore with baby, and allow me to find time during the day to just play."

—Laura C.

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Upcoming Workshops and Events:

Conscious Birthing: A Workshop for Couples

Learn to approach labor as a joyous, empowering rite of passage. This half-day workshop offers pregnant couples an opportunity to deepen their relationships though yoga, mindfulness practice, and focused inquiry. Share questions and concerns, learn poses to strengthen, open, and relax both of you, and practice effective pain-coping techniques. Partners will learn comfort measures to support pregnant and laboring women. Snacks provided.

Dates:

Sundays, May 23, Jul 11, Sep 12, Nov 14
1:30 - 5:30 pm

Cost: $95 per couple. Pre-registration required. To register call (804) 612-6366 or register on-line here.

Expert Speakers Series:

OmMama is pleased to offer a forum for local experts to speak on topics of interest to expecting and new families in Richmond. Please visit the Workshops and Events page of our on-line scheduler for upcoming speakers.

Thursdays, 7:15 - 8:15 pm

Jan 21: Eating for Two: Nutrition Tips for the Childbearing Year – Tina Shiver, RD

Cost: $5. All fees from the Expert Speakers Series benefit the OmMama scholarship fund. Pre-registration required. To register call (804) 612-6366 or register on-line here.

The Conscious Birthing workshop was more like a retreat than a class. Not only was I empowered by the birthing knowledge of the instructors and the tool kit of pain management techniques and labor positions that they taught, but I was reawakened to what it means to me to give live. My husband and I bonded in a unique way that is usually not possible in just four hours. The workshop is a rare opportunity for any woman and her birthing partner to center themselves on the adventurous and amazing journey of parenthood that is about to unfold.

— Ann Rasmussen

“The whole workshop was fantastic—wonderful opportunities to soul-search, reflect, and get out of my head and into both my body and my heart/soul.”

—Katie Adams Parrish

"I just wanted to thank you again for the session and to let you know that your class gave us the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in having a natural childbirth. Our healthy baby boy Samuel was born without any pain medication at all. It was a wonderful birth experience, the labour was quick and we arrived at hospital just in time to deliver Sam."

— Larissa Hutson

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“This was a great opportunity to share in the pregnancy journey with my wife and to learn together. It gave us both some comfort as we make our way to the big day. Thank you.”

—Shawn Van Tiem