More Local Resources for Mamas and Partners
(East Bay, South Bay and Peninsula (San Francisco Bay Area))
Exercise for Pregnant & Postpartum Mamas
- Dancing for BirthTM Classes – various Bay Area locations – A fun dance workout for pregnant and postpartum women. Visit the link for my Fremont class and links to classes in other locations.
- Prenatal Yoga – Wednesdays 6-7 pm & Saturdays 10:30-11:30 am @ Lifestretch Yoga, Fremont - Gentle classes for mamas.
- Shaktimoon Prenatal and Mom & Baby Yoga with Cynthea Denise in Oakland - Cynthea teaches from a deeply intuitive sense of the spirit in mother and baby. Her classes are an awesome complement to inner-connected pregnancy and motherhood.
- Mommy & Baby Pi-Yo Play (Pilates/Yoga) in Santa Clara - Mommy & Baby Pi-Yo Play classes are a fun and unique blend of pilates and yoga for new mothers to help regain strength and muscle while singing, playing with other mommies and babies, and creating a special bond with their newborns.
Building Supportive Mama/Parenting Community
- Birthing Mamas’ Circle, Working Moms’ Circle, and VBAC Support Circle @ The Red Tent, Los Gatos – Weekly/bi-weekly gatherings for mamas to build community and support each other in a woman-centered setting. Each group is led by a local, seasoned birth professional.
- Mama Walks at Lake Elizabeth in Fremont – An informal gathering and conversation for women at all stages of mamahood, from preconception through moms of older kids and beyond. Kids and babies are welcome.
- MomsWalk – Tuesday and Thursday mornings @ Oakland’s Lake Merritt – Walk with other mamas, doulas and birth professionals. Tuesday morning is for pregnant first-time moms, and Thursday is for new mamas with their babies.
- Holistic Moms Network – Network of moms who are passionate about holistic health and green living. We now have a Tri-City (Fremont, Union City, Newark) Chapter! Other local chapters include San Mateo, East Bay and San Jose.
- Tri-Valley Natural Families – Community of moms and dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, and other like-minded individuals in the Tri-Valley area (Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and San Ramon), united by a common interest in natural family living, alternative health care, and gentle responsive parenting practices.
- Mindful Mothers’ Groups with Gina Hassan in Berkeley - Meditation/discussion/support groups where moms can practice mindfulness skills, build community, and discuss topics relevant to mindful mothering. Specific groups for new moms, second-time moms, and moms of older children, in 8-week sessions and ongoing.
Childbirth and Parenting Classes
- Ask the Experts in Palo Alto & Campbell, 2nd Thursdays (alternates locations) – A free community event for parents-to-be: a rotating panel discussion with local midwives, OBs, lactation specialists, doulas and other birth professionals.
- Homebirth-Focused Childbirth Classes in Danville (link coming soon at MandalaMidwifery.org), Thursdays, 4/5-5/3, 7-10 pm – Led by Licensed Midwife Esther Healey, this is in-depth class is geared toward preparing for homebirth. Classes meet at the Danville Office of Nova Midwifery, 390 Diablo Road #115, Danville, CA 94506; fee is $350 (sliding scale). For more info and to register, contact Esther at (510) 479-0905 or Esther@MandalaMidwifery.org
- Aurora Birth Childbirth Preparation in San Leandro – A six-week series in which parents will gain information needed to make informed decisions, learn skills and comfort measures, and shape their own unique vision of birth. Taught by doula Victoria Perez.
- Shaktimoon Childbirth Prep & Infant Massage Classes in Oakland – Cynthea Denise has supported probably a thousand mamas in the last decade in her yoga, childbirth prep and infant massage classes and workshops. She is a very special teacher.
- Loving Arms Childbirth Class in Albany – This class offers techniques from a variety of the methods out there, and with twenty hours over eight weeks plus a postpartum reunion, it’s ideally supportive.
- Mamacare: How to Prepare for the 4th Trimester with Gina Hassan in Berkeley – Understand the physical, emotional and social changes that happen after the baby is born and how to navigate them as co-partners in the parenting journey. Topics include rest and recovery, nutrition for lactation, relationship issues, postpartum depression and shifts in identity. Contact Gina Hassan for upcoming class dates.
- Childbirth and Parenting Prep classes at your local birth resource center - These birth resource centers are excellent places to find classes, support groups and community.
- BirthWays, Berkeley
- Blossom Birth, Palo Alto
- Harmony Birth, Campbell (check out the regularly offered free talk, “How to Choose Your Childbirth Prep Class”)
- The Nurture Center, Walnut Creek
Homebirth Resources
- Homebirth Lunch Lounge in Campbell and Palo Alto – Bring your lunch and meet with other homebirth parents, parents-to-be, and families interested in homebirth. Informal and unfacilitated.
- Midwives Mingle at the Red Tent, Los Gatos – A casual way to learn about homebirth midwifery care and meet the midwives working in your community. Held quarterly on the first Wednesday of the month in December, March, June, and September.
Breastfeeding Support
- La Leche League - Click the link to find the chapter that meets closest to you. All women interested in breastfeeding are welcome.
- Drop-in Breastfeeding Support with Peggy Hinkle in Alameda - This free group is offered on Monday mornings, 9:30-11 am, for mamas who are breastfeeding, working on breastfeeding or pregnant. At Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1910 Santa Clara at Chestnut. Contact Peggy at 510-504-9413.
Meet the Doulas Events
Considering hiring a doula? Attend one of these events to meet local doulas, learn about their services, and ask questions. Please RSVP for these events.
I continue to update this listing. Please return soon!
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