FAQ

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.

I am a member of the Yvlo-Zwanger-Fit Network with registration number ZF00636.
Prestatiecode 20400.

Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel): 34341969

All this information is already on your invoice.

Yes, all classes are in English. Most couples bring their partner, but it is of course possible to attend on your own. In the weekend course we always have a student doula to accompany you.

The best time to book a course is when you are around 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 much earlier than 30 weeks.

The best time to start the Five-weekly course is around 29 weeks of pregnancy as the last lesson is a few weeks before you expect your baby to be born.

Please don’t wait too long to register, in case of Five-weekly course, we can only accommodate six couples in the classroom.

For the Weekend course or Four-hour course we can accomodate 8 couples. (different location)

If you click on your preferred date, 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 via the webshop.
But please always mail us if this is the case; there can be last minute changes or new dates (not visible on the website yet), and we can discuss other options.

Yes there is, and sometimes someone drops out, or wants to move to another date.
These last minute changes or planned additional dates are not always immediately visible on the website.

So you can always mail us if a course is fully booked, and  and we can discuss the options.

Please review the terms and conditions

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 discuss your participation in another course.

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.

Most of our Childbirth Classes are presented face-to-face, except for our:

•  Three-hour ONLINE course, and
•  Preparing for Parenthood course.

Both these courses are online.

Look for dates on the website.

The private courses are always face-to-face in your own home.

At this moment we have a discount on the online Preparing for Parenthood course: from €95 to €75 per couple.

Yes, all classes are in English. Most couples bring their partner, but it is of course possible to attend on your own.
In the weekend course we always have a student doula to accompany you.

In principle that is always an option, but please 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 are only able to attend on your own, the Childbirth Preparation Class in four hours, is the most suitable for you.

Please inform us before you register and we can adjust the price and/or organise a doula for you during the class.

We offer so many courses at Childbirth Class Gale, that there is always a way to attend the missed lesson in another course.
If you know upfront you have to miss one lesson of the Three-weekly course, it is better to book another course.

Only at the Five-weekly course: if possible and necessary, we are happy to invite you to turn up 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 your baby decides to come early and  you miss the last lesson of the Five-weekly course, you have most of the information you need for your birth.

Only in the Five-weekly course can 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 another birth partner).
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).

Yes, each course comes with digital handouts including the PowerPoint presentation and a summary of the breathing and massage exercises, concept birth ‘preference’ (birth plan) and lots of useful links.
In the face-to-face course you will receive hardcopy folders about relevant birth professionals to prepare you further for your big adventure (like breastfeeding courses).

Yes, that is possible. Please mail us, and we will discuss the options.

A Five-weekly course takes five consecutive evenings on a week-day; a One-Weekend course takes two half-days in one weekend.

The content, however, is the same. We 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. We 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, and you have five weeks to digest all the information. In the One-Weekend course, you digest the information of the first day in the evening and we see each other again the next morning.
A baby reunion is held after the Five-weekly course. After the One-Weekend course, feel free to organise your own baby reunion.

The difference between the Childbirth Preparation Four-hour Course and the One-Weekend 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 four. In the Childbirth Preparation in four hours, you will also be practising breathing and massage exercises; we discuss different birthing positions, but do not 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-Weekend course you also receive hard copy handouts with homework, followed by more digital documents. There is more time to digest the information, because the course is divided into two sessions.

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 your baby.
But most of the other information and tools to cope with giving birth are the same.

Yes, various breathing and massage exercises in different stages of labour in all classes.

Yes, we cover this topic in all classes. Pain-relief options with your midwife and how your partner can support you, but also medicinal pain relief options in hospital.

Very limited. I would like to refer you to a couple of English-speaking courses given by lactation specialists in Amsterdam and vicinity. You have many options.

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 you spoil a baby?), safety guidelines 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.

It is a very practical class and it is always ONLINE.

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.