PROGRAMS

Ontario Perinatal School offers programs in a traditional classroom setting and also in a convenient online format. All of our programs are eligible to earn a certificate upon successful completion.

1) Classroom Option

All classroom programs are taught by our approved teachers. Our classroom programs have a certification process, where additional requirements must be met in order to earn a certificate. These additional requirements are done independently by the student outside of the classroom, and sent to OPS head office for review. Upon successful completion of the requirements the student is awarded with certification.

• Taught by one of our approved teachers
• All classroom programs have a certification process that needs to be completed by the student independently outside of the classroom
• Face to face contact with instructor and other students
• Classroom interaction
• Networking opportunities
• Not as structured as online, geared to someone who wants to take their time completing certification
  

2) Online Option

All online programs are taught by Kathy Kay directly through OPS head office. All online programs lead to a certificate at the end of the program, provided that all class assignments are successfully completed. There are no independent requirements for our online programs. Online programs are of a more intense nature.

• Taught by Kathy Kay directly through OPS head office
• All online programs lead to certification, provided that the student successfully completes all assignments
• No independent practicum
• More academically intense
• More structured
• Flexibility for student as the program can be completed around work and family schedules
• Online interaction with instructor and other students
• Cost-effective – no travel costs or parking fees
• Learn from the comfort of your own home
  

CHILDBIRTH SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 4 months

Women continue to look at birthing a healthy baby as their number one priority but also look to have a more positive experience in terms of emotional and psychological satisfaction. The process of birth is an intense physical, spiritual, and emotional experience. A satisfying birth experience is important to the development of a healthy family unit. Women and their families need special, skilled support and encouragement throughout the childbearing year – particularly during labour and birth. A Childbirth Support Specialist is a valuable component of the team. Her focus is to decrease stress and anxiety that the labouring mother may be experiencing, which leads to a more optimal birth experience for all involved.

Usually employed by the pregnant woman and her partner, you will provide professional support during the prenatal period and during labour and birth. Your training and expertise will enable you to provide your clients with non-clinical emotional, informational, and physical support, advocacy and facilitation of the birth experience. Typically, you meet with your client several times prenatally, go to their home or to the hospital with them in early labour, and accompany them throughout labour and birth. You’ll also provide follow up visits in the important early postpartum period, when many families are left alone.

 

POSTPARTUM SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 3 months

During pregnancy, women are guided by a multitude of experts. During labour and birth, she is surrounded by specialists. The baby is born, and the mother is no longer the centre of attention. Information may be hard to come by, and she’s expected to recover rapidly and independently. Soon she’ll be at home and likely won’t see her doctor for several weeks. She may feel ‘abandoned’ by the experts.

These first few weeks are critical to the physical and emotional health of the mother, and the baby’s health and well-being rely heavily on the mother. New families need nurturing and gentle support. Mothers need help and guidance as they recover from birth. They need emotional comfort and reassurance as they process the events surrounding the birth, and they need a guiding hand has they learn to care for their new baby. Dads and siblings are also adjusting to their new roles. In our culture, older female relatives are not always able to take care of new mothers. Many new mothers leave the hospital with no instructions, a lack of resources, and this may lead to problems.

As a Postpartum Support Specialist, you are an expert in the postpartum period. You will provide non-medical physical and emotional support, informational support, and practical household assistance in the immediate postpartum period.

 

PERINATAL EDUCATOR

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 14 classroom days + independent practicum
Online 6 months traditional or 4 months fast track

Want to make a real difference in the birth experiences of countless families? Our Perinatal Educator Program will qualify you and most importantly prepare you to facilitate prenatal education programs in your community.

As a Perinatal Educator you are a professional who develops and delivers childbirth education classes to expectant parents. You will be an important source of information and support for birthing parents. Your role has many components and includes that of teacher, leader, decision-maker, change agent, consumer advocate, consultant, entrepreneur, and manager. These roles overlap and complement each other.

This multi-faceted program is geared to equipping the student with all of the skills needed to be successful. So much more than just a weekend workshop, this program will allow the student the time and opportunity to thoroughly learn the theory behind the core curriculum, as well as how to teach it, in a supportive setting with your peers.

This program is ideal for anyone wanting to teach prenatal classes, or for those who want to expand their knowledge about pregnancy and birth. It is ideal for busy mothers, or those already with an existing business, as the workload is spaced out over a four to six month period.

The curriculum consists of the following subjects:

• ADULT LEARNING theory and principles of teaching adults
  
• PRENATAL EDUCATION evolution of childbirth education, define the role of the perinatal educator, personal philosophies about childbirth
  
• PERINATAL ISSUES cultural diversity, overview of social issues such as substance use, poverty, woman abuse, single parenting, teen parents, delayed parenting, needs of pregnant women (emotional, sociocultural, cognitive), prenatal testing issues
  
• ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY terminology, female reproductive organs, physiology of pregnancy, hormones in pregnancy and birth, role of the pelvis, process of naturally progressing labour and birth
  
• COMFORT & PAIN MANAGEMENT assumptions about pain, physical causes of pain in labour, PAIN, pain management theories, non-pharmacologic pain management techniques
  
• MEDICATIONS & ANESTHESIA FOR CHILDBIRTH approaches for teaching expectant parents about medications, pharmacologic options for pain relief
  
• COMPLICATIONS IN CHILDBIRTH cesarean sections, indications for cesarean, educating about cesareans, VBAC, educating about VBAC, medical procedures and choices in childbirth, informed choice, prolonged labour, complications vs. variations of normal, teaching difficult subject matter
  
• SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF CHILDBEARING emotional aspects of childbirth, spiritual aspects/rituals to honor the birthing mother
  
• POSTPARTUM HEALTH emotional and physical expectations, recovery, mood disorders
  
• NEWBORN CARE newborn procedures, care, characteristics, supplies/equipment
  
• LACTATION SUPPORT supporting the breastfeeding mother, best start possible, skin to skin, colostrum, good latch, suck/pause/drink, how to know if baby is getting enough milk, compressions, preventing sore nipples, supplementing, lactation aid, when baby is not latching, colicky baby, sore breasts, nutrition for nursing mothers
  
• TEACHING STRATEGIES various strategies used by adult educators adapted to prenatal education
  
• PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES setting up a private CBE practice, small business ownership, marketing your business, writing course descriptions, evaluations, record keeping
  
• CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT - THEORY systematic approach from needs identification, course outline preparation, content planning, lesson design and delivery
  
• CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT - PRACTICAL as part of the certification requirement students will develop a complete curriculum for their prenatal education class series
  

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 4 months

This program is aimed at providing anyone who works with women in the childbearing period with the knowledge necessary to support mothers in establishing healthy breastfeeding practices from the moment of birth. This program will benefit all practitioners, including but not limited to; peer supporters, doulas, midwives, nurses, and doctors, Participants in this course will explore the historical, cultural and political influences in the past which have resulted in our current infant feeding practices. Common myths and misunderstandings related to breastfeeding will be dispelled and replaced with well researched information to support the establishment and maintenance of the breastfeeding relationship. Breastfeeding itself will be discussed from both the mother’s and the infant’s perspective covering the anatomy, physiology, psychological, social and environmental factors important in the establishment of healthy breastfeeding behaviours in the immediate postpartum period.

 

BREASTFEEDING EDUCATOR

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 4 months

This is an advanced program which will complement the Breastfeeding Support Specialist Program. Participants in this course will explore education, professional communication, documentation and assessment skills necessary to assist breastfeeding mothers in both normal and more complex breastfeeding situations. Common problems experienced in the establishment of breastfeeding will be covered in greater depth as well as their management. Special feeding challenges will also be explored such as; kangaroo care, gastric reflux, colic, HIV, and infant loss. Healthy practices related to; feeding multiples, tandem nursing, extended breastfeeding, and returning to work will also be discussed.

 

LABOUR PROGRESS SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 3 months

As many as 75% of birthing women receive one or more significant interventions in labor. Why is this happening? Have we forgotten how to support birthing women?
This program is focused on teaching doulas and others who support laboring mothers about 'dysfunctional' labour and what they can do to prevent and correct abnormal labor patterns. You will learn simple, non-invasive techniques that will alleviate factors that can lead to physical or emotional dystocia. Participants of this program will be empowered by the information that they learn that can be put to immediate use in the birthing room. You will be invaluable to laboring mothers, potentially preventing countless prolonged labors that might otherwise have ended with interventions or cesarean sections. Learn how the doula can be the laboring mother's best insurance policy towards cesarean prevention. An essential program for anyone caring for women in labour.

 

BIRTH PLANNING SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 3 months

Birth is unpredictable. It’s an uncontrollable force, larger than we are. It’s like this: we may plan to get from London to Toronto via the 401 highway, but there could be a roadblock, a detour that we didn’t foresee. It doesn’t mean that we’re not going to get to Toronto; it just means that we’ll have to take an unexpected detour, and it may take us through different scenery than we’d envisioned, or it could take a little longer, but we’ll still get there.

No one can tell a woman what type of birth to have. The pregnant woman is the only one who knows what she wants. But there are so many things to consider, it can be overwhelming. She and her partner need help and guidance as they sort through their preferences. There is so much information about pregnancy and birth, and so many different philosophies that exist about childbirth.

A doula or a childbirth educator is in an optimal position to lend a guiding hand. As a Birth Planning Support Specialist, you will be able to help your client create a personalized birth plan. This is a valuable service that you can include in your practice. Because it is an educational process, designing a birth plan is a very effective tool that will help to prepare your client for childbirth. You will help them to learn their options, evaluate the risks and benefits of various interventions, and in doing so, alleviate their fears. You will be empowering them to make their own best choices every step of the way, while appreciating the need to remain flexible.

 

PRENATAL POSITIONING SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 1 day + independent practicum
Online 2 months

It has been said that as many as 50% of babies in utero are not presenting in the most optimal position for birth. A large percentage of those will be due to the baby being in a posterior presentation. The position of the baby in the mother’s pelvis at the end of pregnancy as she goes into labour will have a major impact on the type of labour she has and on how her baby will ultimately be born. Malpositioning is one of the primary causes of dysfunctional labour, causing longer and more painful labours for mothers.

As a Prenatal Positioning Support Specialist, you will be prepared to educate your clients about the best maternal positions and practices which will facilitate the baby to be in the most optimal position for birth. You will be able to teach your clients about which positions encourage proper alignment in the pelvis, and which ones impede.

 

CESAREAN/VBAC SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 3 months

Cesarean rates are high. About three out of ten women now give birth by major abdominal surgery. Cesarean births can be a difficult experience for many parents; emotionally and physically, especially if they were planning for a vaginal birth. Women often feel disappointed, angry, or depressed, and their partner may have similar feelings.

Childbirth professionals need to be informed about issues concerning cesareans and VBAC. Women planning a VBAC know that having a support person can reduce their chances of having another cesarean. Therefore, you must be educated in how to provide the specialized support that these clients will need.

As a Cesarean/VBAC Support Specialist, you will be prepared to provide support and education to clients who need to have a cesarean and also those planning for VBAC. You will be aware of the physical aspects, the emotional concerns, current trends in cesarean births, cesarean prevention, elective cesareans, and so much more. Supporting VBAC mothers represents a challenge. Today several studies have shown that when women are offered a choice between repeat cesareans and planning a VBAC, up to 50% of women choose repeat cesarean. Our role is not to make up women’s minds for them, but to provide education and support for their choices. You’ll learn about VBAC safety and risks, statistics, challenges in VBAC labours, benefits of VBAC to mothers and babies, and more. If you support an expectant mother who plans VBAC you can help her and her partner prepare wisely for their experience.

 

CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION FOR PROFESSIONALS

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 2 days + independent practicum
Online 3 months

The goal of this program is to provide doulas with a basic knowledge level in Childbirth Education. We will take you through a complete prenatal class series, familiarizing you with the core curriculum.

Those who support women in childbirth will benefit from this program as they will be able to incorporate childbirth education into the services they provide to their client. It will greatly enhance the support you provide to your client, and deepen your understanding of the birth process.

Participants will receive a certificate that will satisfy the CBE Observation certification requirement that is part of the independent practicum for the Childbirth Support Specialist In-Class Program.

 

SIBLING SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 1 day + independent practicum
Online 2 months

Siblings are going through a period of adjustment as they await the arrival of a new baby brother or sister. This program will explore their concerns, and provide you with an outline that can easily be followed by a Doula or a CBE who wants to offer sibling classes to a group, or to work with a client’s child one-on-one to help prepare them for the new arrival.

 

MARKETING FOR BIRTH PROFESSIONALS

Certificate Program
Offered In-class and Online
Length of Program: In-class 1 day + independent practicum
Online 2 months

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the birth professional is to market their services. This program is designed to give you the motivation and information you need to make it much easier. We will look at several professional practices, including benefits and risks of setting up a private practice, small business owner characteristics, business planning, naming your business, how to market your product/service, compensation, writing promotional materials, contracts, paperwork, and more.

We are also pleased to bring our Programs to your location. 
If you are interested in hosting a workshop in your area, please Contact Us.

Ontario Perinatal School
PO Box 370
Komoka, Ontario
N0L 1R0
info@ontarioperinatal.com