Top 24 Chicago Birthing Classes to Fit Any Birthing Plan

Although it may be difficult to anticipate every aspect of childbirth, there are certain steps you can take to adequately prepare for it.

No matter what type of birthing experience you have in mind, becoming educated about the process of childbirth during your pregnancy can make a huge difference on the big day and can help you feel more empowered, calm, and in control during your labor and delivery. 

In the following, you will find a list of 24 of the most highly rated places to look when searching for childbirth education courses in Chicago.

Many of these facilities/companies offer additional education courses in parenting and breastfeeding; however, this article focuses specifically on the childbirth education courses that each has to offer. 

Among this list, you will find options for any and all kinds of deliveries, preferences, and budgets from doulas and private home sessions to group sessions at a hospital near you. 

1. Birth Center of Chicago

The Birth Center of Chicago offers services ranging from preparing for pregnancy, prenatal care, and labor and delivery as well as postpartum care. 

Classes Offered  

The Birth Center of Chicago offers several different comprehensive birthing classes for both first-time and returning parents: 

• Three different 6-week series’ geared toward preparing parents for childbirth in either a birth center or a hospital
• Holistic Dive into Childbirth: Preparing for birth center or home birth
• Review of Birth and Coping

Fees

• Most of the childbirth classes at this facility are in the $300-350 range.
• The Review of Birth and Coping class is around $75 as it is not as comprehensive as the other classes. 

2. Chicago Family Doulas

This is a full-service Doula Agency that strives to provide families with professional and personalized support throughout pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care. 

Classes Offered  

There are four main classes offered by this company: 

• Preparing for Childbirth
• Preparing for Your Hospital Birth in Chicago
• Bringing Home Baby
• Breastfeeding

They offer two different self-paced bundles with a combination of these classes.

One bundle includes the Preparing for Your Hospital Birth class, and the other does not. The bundles can be purchased and reviewed online at your own pace and convenience. 

If you do not want the bundle, they offer each of these classes individually as well. Some are done online, and others are in-person classes.

They also offer a class on Hypnobirthing and Comfort Measures to prepare for labor. 

Fees 

• 3 Class Bundle: around $200
• 4 Class Bundle: around $270
• Individual Classes: around $100 (self-paced) or $150 (in-person)

3. Birthways

Birthways is one of the most experienced doula service providers in the Chicago area that supports parents with highly trained and dedicated providers.

They offer support services for pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding and lactation, and postpartum and newborn care. 

Classes Offered 

Birthways offers virtual group classes to help prepare you for birth, breastfeeding, and parenting. 

• Celebrate Birth (6-Week Series or 1-Day Intensive option): A comprehensive class that covers information on pregnancy, birth, and parenting. 
• Breastfeeding 101

Fees 

• Celebrate Birth 6-Week Series: around $350
• Celebrate Birth 1-Day Intensive: around $150
• Breastfeeding 101: around $50

4. UChicago Medicine

The University of Chicago offers birthing classes at their Family Birth Center with their experienced nurse educators. 

Classes Offered 

• Child Preparation: 4-week series
• Breastfeeding
• Infant Care: 2-week course 

Fees 

• Child Preparation: around $30
• Breastfeeding: around $20/session
• Infant Care: $20

5. Archways Birth Support

Archways is a private support service run by Candace, a certified Childbirth Educator and Lactation Consultant.

She offers virtual birthing classes as well as breastfeeding workshops for expectant mothers and couples. 

Classes Offered  

• Birthing From Within: 5-week course for new parents
• Birthing Again: 3-week refresher course for returning parents
• Postpartum Planning Package: Two private sessions with Candace before birth, email access for the first three weeks postpartum, and plenty of resource recommendations to build a custom plan for life with your newborn. 
• Breastfeeding Workshop: Virtual 2-hour workshop

Fees 

• Birthing From Within: around $375
• Birthing Again: around $180
• Postpartum Planning: around $200
• Breastfeeding: around $50

6. Asana Mama

Asana Mama helps women and families find the professionals and support they need throughout their pregnancy journey.

They have a team of doulas, maternal wellness professionals, providers, and physicians that offer evidence-based care from preconception to postpartum. 

Classes Offered  

• Meditative Birthing: A private, 4-hour class that can be done virtually or in person. The class is created specifically for you, and you have the option to request certain childbirth topics that you would like covered. 
• Hypnobirthing: 5-week series
• Breastfeeding: 2-hour virtual class
• Baby Care: 2-hour virtual class

Fees 

• Meditative Birthing: around $260
• Hypnobirthing: around $475
• Breastfeeding: around $60
• Baby Care: around $60

7. Holistic Family Doulas

Holistic Family Doulas offers mothers and families affordable and accessible childbirth education options.  

Classes Offered  

Located in the western suburbs of Chicago, Holistic Family Doulas offers a new Holistic Childbirth Immersion experience that includes the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of birth. 

This class is offered in a group setting or privately. 

Fees 

• Group Workshop: around $175
• Private: around $225

8. Chicago Family Picnic

Family Picnic is run by a mother-daughter duo who strive to support you in becoming parents from doulas and childbirth classes to breastfeeding and postpartum care.

Their team is made up of nurses, certified lactation consultants, massage therapists, doulas, and speech-language pathologists. 

Classes Offered 

• Childbirth Class (5-week or weekend intensive) 
• Hypnobirthing course
• Becoming a Parent and Caring for Your Baby workshop: Prepare for the arrival of your baby, and learn what to expect at home with a newborn.
• Childbirth choices consultation: Learn about your options for childbirth.

Fees 

• Childbirth Class (5-week or weekend intensive): around $350
• Hypnobirthing course: around $350
• Becoming a Parent and Caring for Your Baby workshop: around $75
• Childbirth choices consultation: around $50

9. The Women’s Group of Northwestern

This OBGYN office offers short prenatal and childbirth classes at a very affordable price. 

Classes Offered

• Prenatal Class: 2-hour class focused on understanding pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum recovery

Fees 

• Each prenatal class is around $100 

10. Swedish Hospital

Swedish Hospital in Chicago offers educational childbirth classes for expectant parents that are accessible and affordable. 

These classes are a great option if you want a hospital birth and, especially, if you know you will be delivering at this hospital. 

Classes Offered  

• Childbirth Education Class: This class covers all you need to know about a hospital birth and helps you learn what to expect during labor and delivery.  

Fees 

• Around $75/couple

11. Birth Without Fear

Julie Parache specializes in natural childbirth education and is a certified Bradley Method childbirth instructor in Chicago.

She helps you to become educated about natural childbirth and create a game plan going into the labor process.

Her highly reviewed class is a great option for those wanting to have a natural delivery. 

Classes Offered  

Julie offers one childbirth education class that covers everything you need to know and expect with natural childbirth. In her class you will learn: 

• What to expect in the natural course of birth
• How to avoid unnecessary pain in labor
• How your coach can best support you

Fees 

• Around $350 for the 12-week session

12. La Luna Doula

Isa is a Spanish-speaking doula who is passionate about providing education, support, and accessible resources to everyone, especially people of marginalized communities. 

Classes Offered

• Birthing class with a curriculum that includes topics such as the stages of labor, pain management options (natural or medical), newborn care, breastfeeding, and more. Her class is offered in-home or in small group settings.   

Fees 

• Interested clients must contact Isa to discuss rates. 

13. 312 Doulas

This doula agency offers a community for expectant mothers and makes communication and education accessible with their mobile app. 

Classes Offered 

• Evidence-Based Birth
• Hypnobabies
• VBAC
• Advanced Comfort Measures 

Fees 

• Evidence-Based Birth: around $350
• Hypnobabies: around $350
• VBAC: around $125
• Advanced Comfort Measures: around $50

14. Weissbluth Pediatrics

This pediatrics office is making prenatal education extremely accessible.

While they do not have a specific child-birthing class, their prenatal course covers important topics from pregnancy, birth, and beyond. 

Classes Offered

• Newborn Care

Fees

• Their classes are FREE! 

15. Partum Health

This company is all about helping you find the support you need in all stages of your pregnancy. 

Classes Offered  

• 1:1 With a Birth Doula
• Evidence-Based Birth
• Gentle Birth: Natural birth preparation

Fees 

• 1:1 With a Birth Doula: around $40/hour
• Evidence-Based Birth: around $300
• Gentle Birth: around $350

16. UI Health Family Birth Place

The University of Illinois Hospital seeks to provide comprehensive care, education, and research to all of its patients. 

Their Family Birth Center offers the care and support that a woman might need during every stage of her pregnancy. 

Classes Offered  

• Prenatal classes 

Fees 

• Free for everyone, including non-UI patients 

17. Blissful Births and Babies

Robin Ross began her practice because she is committed to helping other mothers have a confident, calm, and empowering birthing experience. 

Classes Offered  

• Hypnobirthing Childbirth Class

Fees 

• Around $375/couple

18. Mindful Birthing

Mindful Birthing focuses on offering mindfulness-based childbirth education for expecting parents. 

Classes Offered  

• 9-week or 3-day intensive Mindful Childbirth and Parenting course

Fees 

• 9 week: around $345 single or $495 couple
• 3 day: around $300 single or $450 couple

19. Mesa Birth

Mesa Birth provides birth doula support, postpartum in-home care, Lamaze childbirth classes, and personalized instruction for new parents in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. 

Classes Offered 

• Lamaze Childbirth Education: Private and group classes 

Fees 

• Around $200

20. Christine Sheets Birth Services

Christine Sheets is a postpartum doula, certified lactation consultant, and childbirth educator who offers a full range of educational and support services for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. 

Classes Offered  

• Organic Birth Childbirth: Private, in-home instruction
• Evidence-Based Birth Childbirth Class

Fees 

• Around $400/couple plus a $100 traveling fee if more than 20 miles from Oak Lawn

21. Magic Hands Birth Services

Deb Lawrence has been in the field of childbirth education since 1996 and strives to provide knowledge, skills, and confidence to expecting couples through her classes. 

Classes Offered

• Informed Beginnings: A comprehensive course that covers topics including pregnancy, labor stages and management, risks and benefits of medicine, managing complications, and more.  

Fees 

• For more information on the course, including pricing, contact Deb. 

22. Cloud Nine Birth Services

This group of doulas and educators hope to make your labor and delivery as easy as being on cloud nine — okay, the pun was intended, but they really do provide incredible resources and support. 

Classes Offered

• Birth Your Way: A personalized, comprehensive course in the comfort of your own home  

Fees

• Fill out an interest form on their website to get more information about the course.  

23. Kick-Ass Birth

Learn how to tackle birth, no matter what unplanned obstacles or challenges come your way. 

Classes Offered 

• Birth Basics
• Complete Guide to Pain-Coping in Birth
• Live Childbirth Class 

Fees 

• Birth Basics: free
• Complete Guide to Pain-Coping in Birth: see price in signup
• Live Childbirth Class: 6 weeks – around $300, 1 day – around $250

24. Natalie Ann Evans

Natalie is a doula and educator who wants to help empower you and help you make the best decisions about your childbirth experience. 

She is highly reviewed as “the one” you need to learn from in Chicago!

Classes Offered 

• Childbirth Prep 5-week series
• Childbirth Prep 3-week intensive
• Comfort Measures for Labor
• Birth Basics: Preparing for Labor and Delivery: 1-day class
• Private Childbirth Class

Fees

• Childbirth Prep 5-week series: around $375
• Childbirth Prep 3-week intensive: around $275
• Comfort Measures for Labor: around $90
• Birth Basics: Preparing for Labor and Delivery 1-day class: around $75
• Private Childbirth Class: around $50/hour

Closing Thoughts 

There you have it! I hope you found something that will help you tremendously in your journey! Remember, education is knowledge, and knowledge is power!