Being pregnant after loss is complex. We have created prenatal workshops that are designed to address the unique challenges of pregnancy after loss while giving you the information you need to empower your birthing and parenting experience.
Schedule (Fall 2021)
Our workshops are re-starting in Fall 2021 on September 15th.
Workshop #1 – September 15th
Workshop #2 – September 29th
Workshop #3 – October 13th
Workshop #4 – October 27th
Workshop #5 – November 10th
Workshop #6 – November 24th
FAQ
Yes, anyone can join any workshop that suits you. There are no requirements to join multiple workshops. Anyone at any stage of pregnancy can join.
FREE! These workshops are generously sponsored by Tiny Footprints.
Zoom (access from anywhere!)
Our Sponsors
These workshops are generously donated by Tiny Footprints.
Support them at https://www.tinyfootprints.ca
Workshop #1 - The Labyrinth and Labour Progress
Labour and birth are full of unknowns: how long will it take? how intense will it be? will I trust the doctor/midwife on call? what if I change my mind about what I want? While there is no way to know the exact specifics of how your labor will unfold, it IS possible to have a map to guide you. Explore the power of the labyrinth as a way to understand how labour progresses.
This workshop is Ideal for:
Parents planning a vaginal birth; partner not required
Next workshop: September 15th, 2021
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents will leave with an understanding of what to expect during labour and how the Labyrinth can be a useful tool for preparing for and understanding their progress through labour.
Topics covered:
- Stages of labour
- Signs of progress
- How safety and privacy may speed labour progress
- When and how to time contractions
- Draw & trace a labyrinth
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: paper, markers/pencil crayons
Post-workshop resources:
- Timing Contractions (handout)
- Holistic Stages of Labour (handout)
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
Workshop #2 - Comfort Measures for Labour
You probably already know a lot about what comfort measures can be useful in labour but you may be craving something more. Dive into mindfulness as a practice not just for pain coping but for life coping. You and your partner will learn and practice breath awareness along with other hands on comfort measures you can use during labour to increase ease and decrease suffering.
This workshop is Ideal for:
Parents planning a vaginal birth; partner required
Next workshop: September 29th, 2021.
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents-to-be will leave with multiple practical tools for coping with the pain and intensity of labour.
Topics covered:
- Difference between pain & suffering
- Building a pain coping mindset
- How safety and privacy decrease pain
- Mindfulness as a pain coping practice (specifically breath awareness)
- Double hip squeeze
- Take charge routine
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: bowl, hand towel, 2-3 ice cubes per partner
Post-workshop resources:
- Pain coping practices (link coming soon)
- Double hip squeeze (link coming soon)
- Take charge routine (handout)
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
Workshop #3 - Birth as a Rite of Passage and Inanna’s Descent
What if birth was more than something you just had to ‘get through’, more than a medical event, more than a crappy price to pay for having a baby? What if birth was a source of transformation, an opportunity to learn about yourself and grow as a person? Explore birth as a Rite of Passage and hear how the ancient story of Inanna’s Descent can help you understand the power of your own Underworld Journey.
This workshop is Ideal for:
all parents; partner not required
Next workshop: October 13th, 2021
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents will leave with an understanding of birth as a Rite of Passage and will experience the story of Inanna’s Descent as a way to understand the birth-death-rebirth cycle of transformation.
Topics covered:
- Common elements in Rites of Passage
- How birth fits the framework of a Rite of Passage
- How this can help them as they prepare for birth and postpartum
- Inanna’s Descent
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: pen, notebook/journal, candle
Post-workshop resources:
- Questions to ponder re Inanna’s Descent
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
Workshop #4 - Cesarean-in-Awareness and Decision Making
How do you gather information, make decisions, and navigate the system of maternity care? Have you ever stopped to wonder if you have enough information? How does intuition play into making decisions? What will you do when the unexpected or unwanted arise during labour and postpartum? Spend time exploring your own unique medical decision making process along with an overview of the cesarean birth process and how to create a connected and sacred birthing experience in all circumstances.
This workshop is Ideal for:
all parents; partner preferred but not required
Next workshop: October 27th, 2021
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents will leave with an understanding of the cesarean birth process and how to create a connected and sacred birth experience as well as an understanding of their unique medical decision making process.
Topics covered:
- Cesarean birth
- Your medical mind
- Doing the next best thing
- Art process: exploring strength
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: paper, pastels (preferred)/markers/pencil crayons, pen, notebook/journal (optional)
Post-workshop resources:
- Best Cesarean Possible (handout)
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
Workshop #5 - Newborns!
After a long pregnancy after loss, your newborn is soon to arrive. You might be wondering, “what now?” Many parents welcoming a newborn after loss experience some combination of excitement, fear, joy and grief. This workshop will help you hold space for all your feelings.
Learn the basics of life with a living baby, including breast/chestfeeding, what newborn sleep looks like, and what to do when your baby won’t stop crying.
This workshop is Ideal for:
Parents bringing their 1st living child home; experienced parents who are looking for more info; partner not required.
Next workshop: November 10th, 2021
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents will leave with an understanding of what to expect in the first weeks of parenting and how to care for their newborns
Topics covered:
- Breast/chestfeeding 101
- Demand=supply
- How to latch baby
- Common nursing positions
- Where to get extra support
- What if baby won’t nurse?
- How to tell baby’s getting enough
- Newborn sleep
- What’s normal
- How to meet your own sleep needs
- Co-regulation
- Why other people can sometimes calm your baby down faster than you can
- Soothing your baby
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: pen, notebook/journal
Post-workshop resources:
- What to expect in the first weeks (link coming soon)
- Newborn sleep & unicorn babies (link coming soon)
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
Workshop #6 - Relationship Transitions & Creating a Postpartum Plan
Not only will you as an individual transform into a parent with a living child, but you and your partner’s relationship will undergo an incredible transition as well. Spend time exploring what that transition might mean, how to maintain your connection, and how to honor the chapter of your lives that is coming to a close. PLUS! You’ll create your very own Postpartum Plan to help ease your transition into life with a living baby.
This workshop is Ideal for:
Parents bringing their 1st living child home; experienced parents who are looking for more info; partner preferred but not required.
Next workshop: November 24th, 2021
Ready to book? Scroll down and click “book online”
Objective: parents will leave with an understanding of how relationships can change and shift after the birth of a baby and how to maintain their connection through the challenges of life with a newborn.
Topics covered:
- The challenges relationships face after adding a new baby to the family
- Small things often (from the Gottman Institute)
- The four horsemen & their antidotes (from the Gottman Institute)
- Postpartum plan
Time: 2 hours
Materials needed: 1 large or 4 regular pieces of paper, pen/markers
Post-workshop resources:
- The Gottman Institute (link coming soon)
Need more info? Contact our Prenatal Workshop Director, Jordan Joanisse at jordan@pilsc.org.
We are dedicated to supporting individuals of all faiths, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge that we live, work and play on the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksika, Kainai, Piikani), the Tsuut’ina, the Îyâxe Nakoda Nations, the Métis Nation (Region 3), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.