Queer Beginnings: Navigating Pregnancy and Parenting

Guest facilitator: Sam Leeson (she/her), Childbirth Educator, Doula, Parenting Coach, Fertility Coach, Infant Feeding Specialist

Workshop description:

Facilitated by Sam Leeson, she brings 25+ years of professional experience and certification to deliver this condensed series that focuses on preparing you for the perinatal journey.

This 7-week queer prenatal workshop series is designed to support 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and couples navigating fertility, pregnancy and parenting. We will unmask some of the curiosities of pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period as they relate to intended, adoptive and not biologically-related parents. Each class provides educational content, tools for emotional preparation and practical skills to help IPs (intended parents) and APs (affirming parents) feel fully prepared for the transition into parenthood. We will cover a wide range of topics, from emotional support and grief to medical procedures and newborn care. The workshops encourage open conversations about diverse experiences of pregnancy, birth and family-making within the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We will cover:

• The latter parts of pregnancy and birth
• Your rights through the journey to parenthood
• What you need for baby
• Navigating different parenting styles
• Communication as new parents
• Establishing boundaries for the people who wish to be involved in your lives
• What is “normal” in the first few days and weeks
• Processing emotions
• Basic newborn care
• Infant safety
• . . . and more!

Register: bit.ly/2SLGBTQFamily