Holistic Childbirth Education

Holistic and empowering childbirth education in the Birthing from Within approach® – offered in Saratoga Springs, NY, and virtually.

About Birthing From Within® Childbirth Education

Birthing From Within® is a holistic, experiential approach to childbirth preparation that honors birth as a transformation. It began in the 1990’s with midwife and author Pam England, who, after experiencing her own birth as surprisingly disempowering despite years of professional training, set out to create a new kind of childbirth education. One that made space not just for facts, but for embodied, experiential learning. Today, Birthing From Within is taught by mentors worldwide and continues to blend evidence-based knowledge with tools that help parents prepare for the deeper inner journey of birth.

How Birthing From Within® Is Different From Other Classes

In our classes, we cover the foundational information you’d expect in a childbirth education class – the stages of labor, birth options, partner support, and pain relief methods, and more – but we go so much deeper, integrating mindfulness, embodiment practices, and creative processes.

While thoughtful education lays the foundation for informed choices and is an important part of the course, Birthing From Within® recognizes that birth is ultimately a deeply embodied experience. This class offers both: the practical knowledge to navigate your options with clarity, and the practices that help you quiet the mind, listen inward, and meet birth with presence and trust – not just preparation, but embodiment.

Topics We’ll Explore

  • Birth as a Rite of Passage


    • Cultural and ancestral perspectives on childbirth

    • Exploring your beliefs, fears, and desires about birth through creative processes

  • Preparing for Birth

    • Crafting a vision, intention and preferences for your birth

    • The importance of movement & physical preparation

    • Emotional preparation

  • Physiology of Birth


    • Stages of labor: what to expect, and how to navigate them

    • Hormones of labor: oxytocin, endorphins, adrenaline, and how to support the body’s natural rhythm and instinctive processes

    • Understanding cervical change, contractions, and baby’s passage through the birth canal

  • Comfort Measures & Movement


    • Pain vs. intensity: reframing labor sensations

    • Breathwork and relaxation techniques

    • Partner support: emotional and physical

    • Navigating pain relief options: natural & pharmacological

    • Active birth techniques and positions for different stages of labor

  • Interventions & Informed Decision-Making

    • Understanding interventions: induction, epidural, monitoring, cesarean birth

    • Balancing intuition with medical information

    • Advocating for yourself with care providers

  • Postpartum Planning

    • Golden hour and bonding

    • Common newborn procedures

    • Navigating infant feeding & lactation support

    • Creating a postpartum plan

What to Expect

Birthing From Within classes are known for being transformational, not just informational.

Participants consistently share that they leave with:

  • A deeper sense of trust in themselves and their bodies

  • Stronger, more connected partnerships

  • Greater clarity around their birth values

  • Effective, real-life tools to cope with intensity, change, and fear

  • Embodied, hands-on experience for coping & partner support

“My husband and I looked forward to our classes with Katie. They were very informative; we really felt like no stone was left unturned. She provided a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to ask any questions that we had. The focus wasn’t just on the mother being pregnant, but how you and your partner are growing into this new family.”
— Joanne S., Saratoga Springs, NY

Class Details

Each Birthing From Within® class series includes three comprehensive, experiential in-person classes. Participants have the option to join virtually, if needed. Each class series also includes a Zoom session that occurs after the last class session. This is an opportunity explore any new questions or thoughts that have come up following the conclusion of the class – think of it as an open “office hours,” though participants are of course welcome to reach out in-between classes at any time.

See the Class Schedule

Meet Your Teacher

My journey into birth work began over a decade ago as a volunteer in a local maternity unit, and deepened through my own experiences of preganncy and birth. I’m a mother, certified labor doula, Birthing From Within® childbirth educator, and Body Ready Method® educator, blending evidence-based information with heart-centered, embodied support. I believe every family deserves compassionate, informed care and the opportunity to connect with their own inner wisdom. I support hospital and home births across the Capital Region.

Upcoming Childbirth Education Classes in Saratoga Springs, NY

Classes take place at Vibrant Wellness Midwifery in downtown Saratoga Springs. Reach out below for details on our Fall 2025 schedule.

Inquire About Classes