Are the Childbirth Preparation Courses presented online or face-to-face?
As we all know: this changes all the time. As long as we have the lockdown, all courses are online. As soon as is it possible again the Five-weekly, Three-weekly course, Childbirth Preparation class 3.0 and Preparing for Parenthood will be face-2-Face again
Our NEW product: the Four -weekly course will stay online, also after lockdown.
The private courses are always face-to- face in your own home with keeping a safe distance from each other.
Is there a discount on the online courses?
The costs for the courses in person or online are the same.
The reason is that it can change any moment from face-2-face to online again
How will lunch be handled in the corona era?
The One Sunday course is split in two half days.
There will be no lunch offered.
As soon as we can do a ONE-Sunday course again in one day, lunch will be brought in, and we eat it outside.
In Haarlem lunch will be served in a restaurant with keeping the 1,5 mt distance.
What is the difference between Three-weekly course and the Four-weekly course
The biggest difference is that the Four-weekly classes will be offered online, also after the lockdown.
As soon as possible the Three-weekly course will move to face-2-face lessons again in the Boezemvriend.
Recent feedback from the popular Three-weekly course indicates there is a demand for more detailed and new information about medical interventions (like induction or waterbirth), and about what happens after the birth. So we have introduced a new Four-weekly childbirth Preparation Course. The ‘extra’ lesson also enables you to spend more time interacting with other expectant couples in breakout rooms. We guarantee this will be a good experience!
What is the difference between a Five-weekly course and the One Sunday course?
A Five-weekly course takes five weeks, a One Sunday course takes one day! The Five-weekly course is five times two hours on a Monday or Tuesday evening, the One Sunday course is 7½ hours of information and interaction on one Sunday.
The content, however, is the same. I explain how the Dutch healthcare system works. We practise various breathing exercises in the different stages of labour and cover a number of back massage and relaxing techniques. I outline pain-relief options. We try out birthing positions that may be useful during labour.
Before, during and after the Five-weekly course there is more time to interact with other couples.(make a WhatsApp group)
( online we have more time for breakout rooms)
In the One Sunday course there is a one-hour lunch break and interactive exercises in the afternoon to connect with other international expectant couples. A baby reunion is held after the Five-weekly course. After the One Sunday course you can organise your own baby reunion if you want.
What is the difference between the One Sunday course and the Childbirth Preparation Class 3.0
The difference between the Childbirth Preparation 3.0 speed session – formerly known as the ‘Three-hour Course’ – and the One Sunday course is simply more hours of intense information, interaction with other couples and exercises. You can do more in seven hours than you can in three. In the Childbirth Preparation 3.0 you will be practicing breathing and massage exercise; we mention different birthing positions, but cannot practise them.
In both courses, you will receive the PowerPoint and digital handouts. (summaries of all the massage exercises, a decision tree, a timeline for dads during labour, and a list What do you need)
In the One Sunday course you also receive hard copy handouts with homework, followed by more digital documents.
What is the difference between a Five-weekly course and a Three-weekly course
The difference is four hours (2 lessons of 2 hours) to do interactive exercises and discussions with other couples.
In the Five-weekly course we also have time to talk about the first hours, days, weeks after you have the baby.
But most of the other information and tools to cope with giving birth are the same.
The Five-weekly course is presented by Truus Gale, the Three-weekly course is presented by Annet Coumou or Marieke Wildeman.
About registration: You book and pay the Five-weekly course through ACCESS.
You book and pay all the other courses through Childbirth Class Gale.
What is the difference between a Five-weekly and a Four-weekly course
The difference is one lesson, two hours.
The biggest difference is that the Five-weekly will be face-2-face as soon as possible again, and the Four-weekly will stay online , also after the lockdown.
With two hours more, more time to interact with other couples, discuss specific topics, rehearsals.
What is the difference between the One Sunday course and a Private course?
During Corona time: the One-Sunday course is split in two online sessions in the weekend. Part one on Saturday and part two on Sunday.
a Private Consultation takes two-and-a-half hours, just you, your partner and me in the comfort of your own home.
Both are informative if intensive workshops.
I explain how the Dutch healthcare system works. We practise various breathing exercises in the different stages of labour.
We cover a number of back massage and relaxing techniques. I explain the different possibilities about pain relief. We also try out different birthing positions that can be useful during labour.
The big difference is that the One Sunday course gives us much more time to cover topics such as the C section, instrumental delivery, post-natal depression and the first week with your newborn. During lunch you can interact with other international expectant couples.( online more time to interact in breakout rooms). At the end of the day you have an opportunity to share ideas with the other couples and we do a rehearsal “Time line puzzle” to see if everything you learned today is clear. We finish with an empowering birthing film.
In both courses I provide handouts with homework, summaries and a timeline for dads during labour,
In the One Sunday course you also receive the PowerPoint presentation afterwards.
What do I learn at the Preparing for Parenthood course that is not covered in the other Childbirth Preparation classes ?
The one-off Preparing for Parenthood course (which you follow while still pregnant) is focused on the first few weeks after birth, so what you can expect from a newborn baby. Feeding times, crying, soothing (should you always soothe and calm a baby, can we spoil a baby?), safety rules with your newborn, how can I as partner have quality time with my baby, what are the signs of getting tired? How do you know what your baby needs at that moment?
We don’t have time to cover these topics in the Childbirth Preparation classes.
Do you cover breathing exercises in your Childbirth Preparation classes?
Yes, various breathing and massage exercises in different stages of labour in all classes.
Do you cover pain-relief options in your Childbirth Preparation classes?
Yes, in all classes this topic is covered. Pain-relief options with midwife and how your partner can support , but also medicinal pain relief options in the hospital.
Do you cover breastfeeding information in your classes?
Very limited. I would like to refer you to a couple of English-speaking online (and face-2-face if possible again) courses given by lactation specialists in Amsterdam. You have many options.
Do we receive a handout of the material covered in class?
Yes, in face-2-face classes you receive a hard copy handouts with a summary of the breathing and massage exercises, timelines for dads, folders describing the work of relevant birth professionals I work with.
After the courses I will send you useful digital documentation including the PowerPoint presentation, and lots of useful links.
After the online classes you receive all the homework and handouts digital
How far before my due date should I book a Childbirth Preparation course?
The best time to book course is when you are about 30 weeks pregnant. Please be advised that these courses are focused on how and where to give birth, how your partner can support you, breathing and massage techniques and the stages of labour. I would not want you to have forgotten everything you learned by the time of your due date. So don’t book your course too early.
You can start the Five-weekly course after 26 weeks of pregnancy as that will end a few weeks before you expect your baby to be born.
Please don’t wait too long to register, in case of face-2-face, we can only accommodate six couples in the room.
What if we have to miss one lesson (at the Five–weekly course)?
We offer so many courses in Childbirth Class Gale, that there is always a way to attend the missed lesson in another course ( certainly when everything is still online). We just introduced a Four-weekly course that will stay online also after the lockdown.
If possible and needed you can arrive 20 minutes earlier for the following lesson to update you on what you missed and practise the most important exercises with you (but please inform us before). If you miss the last lesson, you still have most of the information you need for the birth of your baby.
Can I follow a Preparing for Parenthood course first, and then one of the other Childbirth Preparation courses later?
Yes, you can. If the Preparing for Parenthood course following your Childbirth Preparation course is too close to your due date, it would be advisable to follow an earlier Preparing for Parenthood course.
There is no specific information you need to know before you follow a Preparing for Parenthood course.
Can I follow the Childbirth Preparation classes on my own?
Yes, in principle that is always an option, but be informed my courses are developed for couples. So if your partner is unavailable, I would recommend you to bring a friend or your doula to the course to practise the massage exercises with you.
For the Five-weekly course: specially in lessons two and four it is important to have your partner with you. If in rare circumstances you as an expectant mother cannot make it to one of the evenings, your partner is very welcome to come alone. (Especially lessons one, three and five are no problem).
If you want to come on your own the Childbirth Preparation Class 3.0 is most suitable for you.
For the online version it is no problem to follow the course on your own.
What if my partner has to miss one lesson?
Only in the Five-weekly course we give you the opportunity to arrive 20 minutes earlier for the following lesson to update your partner on what he/she missed and practise the most important exercises together. Be advised it is particularly useful to have your partner with you for lessons two and four (or a friend or a doula).
If in rare circumstances you as an expectant mother cannot make it to one of the evenings, your partner is very welcome to come alone. (Especially lessons one, three and five are no problem to be on your own).
Are these courses covered by my insurance company?
Reimbursement for childbirth classes varies, depending on your insurance company and if you have taken out supplementary insurance. If you only have basic insurance, you are unlikely to receive compensation, but please check this yourself.
Only for the Five-weekly course it is important to have a signed invoice. Please mail the invoice you recieved from ACCESS to me and i can sign it digitally. (or bring it to the class if possible)
The AGB codes are important for insurance purposes. This is proof of my being a midwife, although no longer practising as such.
AGB code Childbirth Class Gale: 90065530
AGB code G.L. Gale: 90106311
Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel): 34341969
How do I claim the costs at the insurance company?
If you registered a Five-weekly course please bring the invoice you received from ACCESS the course for me to sign if you think your insurance company will reimburse the course fee. Send it to me if the course is online, we can sign it digitally.
My AGB codes are specified on all invoices of Childbirth Class Gale or Access.
Most insurance companies will only be able to handle your claim after you have followed Childbirth Class Gale and handed in a signed invoice.
Is Childbirth Class Gale affiliated to one of the organisations often mentioned by your insurance company?
No, the reason why we are not affiliated to the organisations to which a lot of insurance companies refer (Samen bevallen, a yoga teacher, a ZwangerFit teacher or a midwifery practice) is because then you are obliged to adhere strictly to their educational programme, which is based on Dutch participants.
Childbirth Class Gale was founded by Truus Gale and customised to the non-Dutch expectant couple community on the basis of her 23 years working experience as a midwife in the Haarlemmermeer (attended about 800 births).
I am also a teacher at the YVLO ZwangerFit organisation (so it is strange they reimburse the pupils and not the one who is teaching them). At this moment I am a non-contracted, non-practising midwife in order to fully focus on Childbirth Class Gale, which I founded and have directed since 2005.
If you need to explain this to your insurance company, I have a letter written in Dutch that I can send to you upon request.
How do I know if there are still spots available on a course?
If you click on the date you prefer, you will immediately see how many places are still available (=”stock”) for that date.
If a course is fully booked, it is not possible to book or pay for this course.
If one class is fully booked, is there a “reserve” list?
Yes there is, but it does not happen very often that someone drops out. The best thing is to book another course to secure your spot on that course. I can still leave you on the reserve list just in case.
Is it possible to switch to another date or course once I have booked?
Yes, that is possible. Please mail me, and we will discuss the options.
Do I get my money back if I pull out after registering?
If you cancel your participation in a course more than two weeks before the course takes place, you will receive a refund minus €25 administration costs.
If you cancel your participation in a course between two weeks and 24 hours before the course takes place, you will receive a refund of 50%.
If you cancel your participation in a course less than 24 hours before the course takes place because you are not feeling well; we can see if you can attend one of the next courses.
If you cancel your participation in a course less than 24 hours before the course takes place, there is no refund of the course fee, unless you can send me a card announcing the birth of your baby on the date of the course or the day after. In that case, I can offer you a full refund minus €25 administration costs.
Why is there only €10 difference between the Three-weekly and the Four-weekly course?
Obviously it has to be somewhere between the price of the Three-weekly and the Five-weekly.
Because it is online we have less costs for renting a room at the Boezemvriend, and we can have more participants per course.