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When should I sign up for classes?

Plan to sign up in your fifth or sixth month.  Classes are limited to 6 couples per series, so signing up early will ensure a place in the most convenient class for you. Salt Lake County classes are usually held for 2 1/2 hours a week for 6 weeks. You probably want to finish at least 3-4 weeks before your due date. I also do classes in Utah county on a regular basis, and private and semi-private classes are now available outside this schedule if there is a need. The table of scheduled classes below should help you plan.  Please call me at or e-mail me if you have questions (Sarah).

How much do classes cost?

The charge for regular class is $105. That includes the six prenatal sessions and one post-birth class. There is a $25 deposit to hold your place, and the rest may be paid at the first class. You can pay by check or cash. 

What's a Birthin' Again class?

Birthin' Again classes are specially designed for experienced parents, those that have birthed before.  We reflect on and learn from previous birth experiences, dust off old pain-coping practices and learn new ones, prepare siblings, enjoy this pregnancy and connect with this baby and each other through journaling and art.

Birthin' Again classes are 4 weeks long, to help with babysitting, and also include a postpartum connections class for the moms and babies after the births.  The fee for Birthin' Again classes is $85.

What if none of these classes fit my schedule?

We are pleased to announce that we now offer private and semi-private classes, condensed instruction offered around YOUR schedule.  Can't fit a regular scheduled class into your schedule?  On bedrest?  Baby due soon? 

Private and semi-private classes are usually in two four-hour sessions or three three-hour sessions.  We cover all the same topics as a regular class, but are able to move faster because of the personalized attention.  The cost for private classes is $145 and semi-private classes (2-3 couples) are $110 per couple.  These classes are usually held in class members' homes, but arrangements can be made to hold them at any convenient location.  Call or e-mail (Sarah) for details.

What can I expect at a Desert Rose birth class?

Variety! Each class includes a discussion and practice of a specific pain-coping technique. It also includes information on usual birth-class topics-when to go to the hospital, pushing positions, etc. And, each class has something multi-sensory, to stimulate both sides of the brain and provide a fuller experience. This may be birth art, role-playing a conversation in the birth room, an informational video, or a game. The classes are designed to cater to the needs of the couples taking them, so no two series are exactly the same!

So . . . is this a "natural childbirth" class?

This class is designed to provide support and teach pain-coping skills that will be helpful to mothers and birth partners whether they plan to use anesthesia for childbirth or not. Part of the Birthing From Within philosophy is that parents are the only ones who can decide which pain-coping techniques they will use in labor. Therefore, we learn about many pain coping methods, including breath awareness, visualizations, aromatherapy, massage, movement, vocalization, narcotics and epidurals. This is intended to prepare the couple to make the choices that are best for them, rather than steering them toward a particular outcome.

Where are classes held?

Regular classes are held at locations in Salt Lake Valley and Utah County, including Birth and Family Place birth center (2180 E 4500 S, Suite 150), and offices in Utah County.  Maps to these locations are provided below: 

Map of 2180 E 4500 S
Salt Lake City, UT

What is Birthing From Within?

Birthing From Within is a book by Pam England and Rob Horowitz. It is also a growing philosophy in the birth world, and Birthing from Within classes are based on the following ideas:

Childbirth is a profound rite of passage, not a medical event (even when medical care is part of the birth). The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, not assimilating obstetric information. While information is certainly a part of the class, the emphasis is on preparing for birth. The truth is, parents already know how to birth-the task is to discover that knowledge and begin to trust it.

Parents' needs determine class content. We start with a curriculum and schedule, and salient points will be covered, but things may be rearranged or added to meet the individual needs of the class.

Parents deserve support for any birth option which might be right for them. Only parents can decide what that is.

Pain is a part of childbirth, yet much can be done to ease suffering. Pain coping methods are taught and practiced every class session, and parents are encouraged to use them in their daily lives, not just for birth.

Fathers need support in their role, as well. Birthing From Within classes are for the mother and her support person, usually the father. His growth and experience is just as important and valuable as hers as they prepare to become parents together.

for more information about Birthing From Within, check out http://www.birthingfromwithin.com

"Truly, every birth is a rite of passage. In her own way every mother in labor, without exception, lives the mystery of her physical, psychological and spiritual transformation-whether she births by candle light at home, in an operating room, in the car, or in a birth hut hidden in the jungle."
--Pam England

Off-site information on Birthing From Within

ICEA's review of the book