09/15/2026
The new prenatal class schedule at Radiant Community Centre is live!! And I wanted to share a little bit of background on *why* I have built these classes the way that I have, and for that, I have to rewind to my doula training!
Prenatal classes were described during my training as a form of "passive income" to support my main work as a doula.
After almost a decade of facilitating classes for families here in Sarnia, virtually across Canada, and as far as Germany and Australia during COVID-19, my understanding has shifted significantly.
I now see childbirth education as a form of Reproductive Justice: a way to bring knowledge, community connection, and collectively questioning of the systems that shape pregnancy, birth, and parenting, and imagining what care, safety, and community could look like beyond systems rooted in surveillance, coercion, and control.
And I see a lack of accessible prenatal education, like the situation we see in so many small communities across Canada, as a real public health issue.
Families deserve more than the theoretical right to make choices about their care. They deserve access to the information, resources, and support necessary to make those choices meaningful, in environments where they are treated with dignity.
The reality is that for many families, this is simply not available.
Many families might not be able to afford a prenatal class. They might not find a class that reflects their experiences as a q***r or racialized person. They may not be able to get time off work or find the childcare needed to attend. Or they may not be able to access anything beyond an online YouTube video to educate themselves about their choices.
Public health and hospital-based classes are institutionalized and can lean towards teaching parents to be a "good patient" instead of educating them on the full scope of their choices.
So at Radiant, I’ve been experimenting with a different model.
Instead of requiring families to purchase or commit to one large childbirth education course, I’ve been developing short, focused, **pay-what-you-can classes that can stand on their own.**
People can come to the information they need, when they need it, without cost being the primary barrier to participating.
Our space is child-friendly, so no childcare is needed, and classes take place later in the evening so they don't interfere with regular work schedules.
Each class focuses on one topic, with the same question behind all of them:
**What do people deserve to know before they are asked to make decisions about their bodies, their babies, and their care?**
It isn't only about what choices technically exist. It's about whether people have meaningful access to the knowledge, resources, and support that allow them to exercise those choices.
And I don't want this work to end here with me at Radiant!!
I’m beginning to think about how these classes can become facilitator-ready resources that doulas and community birth workers can bring into their own communities — particularly folks who want to offer accessible, evidence-informed, rights-based prenatal education without having to build an entire curriculum from scratch.
As doulas, we can do **SO MUCH MORE** than teach prenatal classes as side income. Our knowledge is impactful and transformational, and while it can most certainly generate income, it can also serve a larger and way more radical purpose.
That is the bigger vision behind these little 90-minute classes at Radiant, and I'm excited to see where it goes.
💌 If you're a birthworker/doula who wants to stay updated on this little project: drop your email in my inbox, and I'll add you to my mailing list for doulas!!
🤰 If you're a local expectant parent: head over to Radiant Community Centre to see the full prenatal class schedule! And if you know someone who is expecting, I'd really appreciate you sending this their way. ❤️
