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 eight hours of information and interaction on a 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 but 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, five weeks after all the babies have been born.
What is the difference between the One Sunday course and the Three-hour course?
The One Sunday course has five hours more information, more exercises and much more interaction with other couples. After the Three-hour course you have a pretty good idea how the Dutch healthcare system works, when to call your midwife and what is the best time to go to hospital (if applicable). We practise breathing and massage exercises to show how your partner can support you in labour. We talk about birthing positions, but cannot practise them. I refer you to other courses (like breastfeeding) to help you further prepare for having your baby.
In both courses, I provide hardcopy handouts with homework, summaries and a timeline for dads during labour, followed by more digital documents including the PowerPoint presentation.
What is the difference between the One Sunday course and a Private course?
The One Sunday course is with 10 other couples and lasts for eight hours and 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 a restaurant lunch you can interact with other international expectant couples. 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 hardcopy handouts with homework, summaries and a timeline for dads during labour, followed by more digital documents. 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 Childbirth Preparation classes (One Sunday, Three-hour or Five-weekly course)?
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, what kind of vaccinations should and does my baby receive, 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 exercises in different stages of labour.
Do you cover pain-relief options in your Childbirth Preparation classes?
Yes, we cover pain-relief exercises and ways to help you through the first stages of labour, but also other options with the midwife as your labour progresses, or if you need medicinal pain relief in the hospital.
Do you cover breastfeeding information in your classes?
Very limited. I would like to refer you to English-speaking lactation specialists who can inform you on this specific topic and answer your questions.
Do we receive a handout of the material covered in class?
Yes, you receive a hardcopy with a summary of the breathing and massage exercises, homework with useful links and important dates, and 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.
Can I get a discount if I book the Preparing for Parenthood course at the same time as one of the Childbirth Preparation courses (Five-weekly, One Sunday / Three-hour or private consultation)?
Yes, if you book two of these courses at the same time, I can offer you a €30 discount on the Preparing for Parenthood course.
You will see this as soon as you have registered online and arrive in your shopping basket on www.childbirthclassgale.com and are ready to pay. You do not need a special discount code.
How far before my due date should I book a Childbirth Preparation course?
The best time to book a One Sunday course, Three-hour course or a private consultation 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 around 28 weeks of pregnancy as that will end a few weeks before you expect your baby to be born.
What if we have to miss one lesson (at the Five–weekly course)?
I will ask you to arrive 20 minutes earlier for the following lesson to update you on what you missed and practise the most important exercises with you. 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?
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 to the course to practise the massage exercises with you.
For the Five-weekly course: specially in Lessons two and three 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, four and five are no problem).
What if my partner has to miss one lesson?
I will ask you both to arrive 20 minutes earlier for the following lesson to update you on what you missed and practise the most important exercises together. In the Five-weekly course, it is particularly useful to have your partner with you for Lessons two and three (or a friend or a family member).
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, four and five are no problem).
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.
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?
Always bring your invoice to the course for me to sign if you think your insurance company will reimburse the course fee, especially if you booked a Five-weekly course. 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.