Want to actually enjoy giving birth?
If you’re ready to set yourself up for a positive birth experience, you’re in the right place.
We’ll give you the tools and resources you need to create a birth experience you can look back on with a smile!
Worry Is the Work of Pregnancy
But sometimes worry helps us move forward, ready to take the next step.
If you’re feeling worried about giving birth - whether it’s your first baby or not - there are probably good reasons. You may have given birth before and wish you had prepared more fully for the experience. Or maybe you’ve heard stories from loved ones about scary birth experiences, or complications you had never heard of before.
Most of us don’t have a lot of experience with birth until it’s our turn. This often leads to a discomfort with - or even fear of - giving birth. Or at the very least, it can mean we have a LOT of questions!
We’re here to help guide you on a more positive path toward a birth experience you can look back on fondly.
Picture heading into your birth feeling supported and confident!
Spending time during pregnancy preparing for birth is one of the biggest gifts you can give yourself and your family.
This mini-course is designed to give you a bird’s eye view of the ways you can set yourself up to have a positive birth experience - regardless of the medical events of your birth.
We’re here to help reduce the overwhelm so you can start preparing for birth in meaningful ways, instead of spinning your wheels and wondering what you’re missing.
We LOVE supporting growing families!
Photo by Amanda Cagle
We are Marlee and Megan Malone-Franklin, a wife-and-wife team.
Since 2014, we’ve supported well over 300 families as they navigate all things pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenthood.
As our friends started having kids, we heard story after story about how unprepared parents felt. How it felt like so much slipped through the cracks, and no one seemed to be able to answer their questions.
In 2014, we decided we didn’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore, so we dove into birth work as doulas and educators and started making a difference, one family at a time.
As our practice has grown and developed over the past 7 years, we have noticed a pattern in people who say they had a positive birth experience. It’s not what you might think. Some of these people had home births, many gave birth in the hospital, and some even had cesarean births.
We’re here to help you start connecting the dots, pointing you toward the 10 key ways you can stack the deck in your favor to create a positive birthing experience.
Our clients rave about how supported they feel when they invite us to be part of their pregnancy journey.
And now we want to bring that warm, supportive experience to YOU as you prepare to welcome your little one!
Introducing…
This is birth preparation at its most practical.
This interactive online mini-course leads you through the 10 Keys to a Positive Birth - and ALL of them are action-oriented.
We’ll share our favorite tips for expecting parents - whether you’ve given birth before, or it’s your first time.
If you want to get off the conveyor belt and curate your own birth experience, we’ll show you how! All of these strategies are designed to help you create a supportive, nurturing environment that suits YOU.
These tools and based on real strategies that help real people. Remember, this is for PRACTICAL PARENTS! If that’s you, we’ll be a great fit together!
You’ll find out:
How to create the best possible environment for your birth based on your unique situation and goals
The ways expecting parents often self-sabotage their birth before they are even in labor
How you can learn to cope with the intensity of birth
Addressing fears and uncertainties in helpful ways (without blaming yourself for having these very real, very human feelings!)
The top 3 things you need to know about childbirth classes
Actions you can take every single day to stack the deck in your favor
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Module 1:
Choosing Your Birth Location & Attendants
Learn how to evaluate the birthing locations available to you, and how to find a care provider and support people who will have your back when you need them most.
Module 2:
Addressing Concerns
Birth is BIG, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Learn how to best address your concerns about the birth process so you can feel more relaxed about your baby’s arrival.
Module 3:
Filling Your Toolbox
Discover ways of developing your resilience and coping skills in preparation for birth. Learn how you can strategically take advantage of the modern tools and technology available to have the best birth possible, even in unexpected circumstances.
Module 4:
Preparing Your Body
Learn big and small ways to help your body prepare for birth ahead of time, stacking the deck in your favor each day of pregnancy!
Module 5:
Create Your Practical Postpartum Plan
Part of having a great birth is knowing that you’ll be well supported afterwards. Learn practical ways to gather support and resources around yourself after your baby arrives.
Module 6:
Words Matter
We’ll guide you in curating a list of helpful and encouraging phrases you can use during pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Affirmations are for practical parents too!
Value: $150
PLUS… we have some amazing bonuses for you!
Interview Questions for Choosing a Care Provider
Interview Questions for Choosing a Doula
Curate Your Personal Affirmation Collection
Value: $50
Total Value:
$200
Enroll today for only $27!
Testimonials
“Marlee and Megan make everything so clear! I swear I’ve read so much about nursing, but every time they explain something it’s like the light bulb finally goes on.” - Rosy
“WOW! My partner and I have only completed one module so far and we can’t believe how much we’ve learned already! This is a really special class, can’t wait to keep going through the rest of it.” - Sam
“I’ve heard so many stories from my sisters about how hard breastfeeding is. With all this new information, I understand a lot better why my sisters struggled. I wasn’t sure I wanted to try breastfeeding because of everything they told me, but now I feel like I can do this!” - Soo-jin
FAQs
Is this a basic, bare bones lactation class?
Not at all. This is the perfect class for you if you want to go beyond the basics. So many parents are seeking more comprehensive information on this topic which can be hard to find. We’re here to fill that gap!
I had a hard time nursing with a previous baby, but I want to try again this time. Is this class a good fit for me?
You’ll likely be familiar with some of the concepts we cover, but if you don’t mind a little bit of repetition we’re confident there will be plenty of new information for you!
I’m not sure if I want to exclusively nurse my baby. Can I still take this class?
Yes, definitely! We talk a lot about making nursing work for your own situation and goals. We offer guidance for mixed feeding with expressed milk for people who need or prefer to do a lot of pumping, and formula for families who want to combination feed.
If I know I want to use some formula, will I feel shamed by this course?
We certainly hope not! We’ve worked with many families where formula is needed and/or desired. We’ll help you understand a bit more about the difference between human milk and formula, and how you can best implement a combination of foods for your baby. No formula shaming here!
Does this course use gender-inclusive language?
Yes! We love offering inclusive lactation support because it’s VERY lacking out there in the big wide world (if you’ve made your way here, likely you’ve already noticed that!). There may be some anatomical references that feel uncomfortable for some people since we can’t customize the language used for each individual’s preferences, but we’ve done our best here to make this feel welcoming and accessible for many folks who identify outside of the gender binary.
Is this a video course?
Yes, each lesson is presented in video format. You will also have access to the video transcripts and slides, as well as additional material for further reading if you want to keep exploring the topics in each lesson.
Can I move at my own pace?
Yes, this is a self-paced course you can take at your convenience.
Will I always have access to the course?
Yes. And you’re welcome to download the additional materials as you go along as well.
How much time should I set aside to complete the course?
There are over 5 hours of content, so it depends on how you prefer to go through the course. Some people like to treat this course as a workshop and complete it during a concentrated period of time, like over a weekend. Other people prefer to move through the lessons little by little, spreading the course out over several weeks so they can absorb it better. It’s up to you and however you learn best!
Why spend 5 hours learning about all of this when most hospital breastfeeding classes are under 2 hours?
Many parents spend thousands of hours nursing their babies. There is so much to learn when it comes to the big topic of nourishing a new life. Often lactation classes that are only an hour or two long have to oversimplify things and make important, nuanced aspects of this topic into black and white statements to pack in as much info as possible. This often results in miscommunications and misunderstandings that cause confusion when parents are trying to figure things out after their baby is born.
We want to avoid that, so we’re giving this important, nuanced topic the time we feel it deserves.
My birth class talked about feeding newborns, but I think I want more information. Could I still take this class?
Yes, you’re very welcome here! Many of our clients feel it’s important to take a thorough lactation course as well as a thorough birth preparation class. They are really two separate (and very BIG) topics1
If you’re still on the fence, please know…
You’re worth it. Your baby is worth it. Your family is worth it.
Compassionate, meaningful preparation ahead of time is one of the best ways to improve your postpartum and early parenting experience.
We have designed this course to guide you gently through the concepts that we have seen make a huge, positive difference for frustrated new parents, time and time again.
We want YOU to be armed with this important knowledge ahead of time!
Envision yourself holding your little one close and taking in every adorable detail. You’re so proud that nursing is going beautifully, and so relieved that you can just enjoy this special moment with your brand new tiny human. You’re radiating peace.
Ready to make that vision a reality?