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.
Specifically for the five-weekly course is it important to have a signed invoice. Please mail the invoice you received from ACCESS to Childbirth Class Gale and we can sign it digitally (or bring it to the class if possible).
I am a member of the Yvlo-Zwanger-Fit Network with registration number ZF00636.
The AGB codes can also be 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
All this information is already on your invoice.
Are the Childbirth Preparation Courses presented online or face-to-face?
All our Childbirth Classes except the Four-weekly course are presented face-to-face.
The private courses are always face-to-face in your own home; keeping a safe distance from each other.
Are all courses in English?
Yes, all classes are in English.
What is the best time to start a Childbirth Preparation course?
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 too early.
The best time to start the Five-weekly course is around 28 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 face-2-face, we can only accommodate six to seven couples in the classroom.
Is there a discount on the online courses?
The costs for the courses in person or online are the same.
The reason is that we may need to switch from face-2-face to online again.
What is the difference between Three-weekly course and the Four-weekly course?
The biggest difference is that the Three-weekly courses are face-to-face and the Four-weekly classes are offered online, also after lockdown.
Recent feedback from our Three-weekly course indicates there is a demand for more detailed and new information about medical interventions (like induction), waterbirth, and about what happens after your baby is born. 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.
The Four-weekly online course runs parallel to many of our other Childbirth Classes.
This is intentional, because if you or your partner are not feeling well enough to participate in a face-to-face class (or if you are abroad or in quarantine), you can always attend a similar lesson online.
What is the difference between a Five-weekly course and the One-Weekend course?
A Five-weekly course takes five weeks, a One-Weekend course takes two afternoons in one weekend.
The Five-weekly course is five times two hours on a Monday or Tuesday evening, the One-Weekend course is 6½ hours of information and interaction on a Saturday afternoon and a Sunday afternoon in the same 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 the next morning , and we see each other again later that afternoon.
A baby reunion is held after the Five-weekly course. After the One-Weekend course, feel free to organise your own baby reunion.
What is the difference between the One-Weekend course and the Childbirth Preparation Class in three hours?
The difference between the Childbirth Preparation Three-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 6½ hours than you can in three. In the Childbirth Preparation in three 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.
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 your 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 courses by Annet Coumou or Marieke Wildeman.
About registration:
You book and pay the Five-weekly course through ACCESS. (You will be automatically rerouted).
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 biggest difference is that the Five-weekly is face-2-face and the Four-weekly stays online, also after lockdown.
Another difference is one extra lesson of two hours.
Two more hours to interact with other couples, discuss specific topics, rehearsals etc.
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.
What is the difference between the One-Weekend course and a Private consultation?
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.
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-Weekend course gives us much more time to cover topics such as the C section, vacuum, waterbirth, the first week with your newborn and a possible post-natal depression.
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 in the course is clear. We finish with an empowering birthing film.
In both the weekend course and the private consultation, I provide handouts with homework, summaries and a timeline for dads during labour, and referral to other relevant ways to prepare yourself for birth.
In the One-Weekend 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 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.
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, 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.
Do you cover breastfeeding information in your classes?
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.
Do we receive a handout of the material covered in class?
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).
What if we have to miss one lesson (at the Five–weekly course)?
We offer so many courses at Childbirth Class Gale, that there is always a way to attend the missed lesson in another course.
We also introduced a Four-weekly course that stays online after lockdown.
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.
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?
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).
However, the Childbirth Preparation Class in three hours is most suitable to attend on your own.
Please inform us before you register and we can adjust the price and/or organise a doula for you during the class.
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 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).
How do I claim the costs at the insurance company?
If you registered for a Five-weekly course, please bring the invoice you received from ACCESS to the course for me to sign if you think your insurance company will reimburse the course fee. Or email your invoice to me and I can sign it digitally.
For your insurance company it tis important to mention I am a member of the YVLO ZwangerFit Netwerk with reg nr ZF00636. Please check if this number is on your invoice as well as my AGB codes.
Most insurance companies will only be able to handle your claim after you have followed a Childbirth Class Gale course and handed in a signed invoice in the name of the pregnant lady.
Is Childbirth Class Gale affiliated to one of the organisations often mentioned by your insurance company?
I am a member of the YVLO-ZwangerFit Netwerk
Registration number ZF00636
AGB code Childbirth Class Gale 90065530
AGB code G.L. Gale: 90106311
Most insurance companies will reimburse the course fee if you have a supplementary insurance.
Some insurance companies want a signed invoice (please check)
How do I know if there are still spots available on a course?
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, new dates (not visible on the website yet), and we can discuss other options.
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.
However, there can be last minute changes (some babies decide to arrive a little earlier) or new dates (not visible on the website yet).
But you can always mail us if a course is fully booked, and we can discuss other options.
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 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.