Childbirth Education at Body Co
Walk into the birthing suite knowing what happens next.
Small group, in-person childbirth education in the Junction, taught by Childbirth Educator, Julie Bays.
Come with questions. Learn in Community. Leave feeling prepared.
$349 for you and your support person
Three sessions, starting October 14, 2026
Click here for upcoming series dates.
You have read, watched, and listened to a lot. Join our classes to make sure it all adds up.
You have read the books, downloaded the app, and asked every friend who has done this what it was like. What you have collected is a hundred pieces of advice, some that make sense and others that seem to contradict each other.
What you still do not have is a clear picture of what happens during labour and the questions to ask when the plan changes.
Prenatal classes in hospitals have mostly gone online, often with large, impersonal groups. Julie has spent years teaching childbirth education in Toronto hospital programs. She is teaching here now, in the Junction, just six families at a time.
Third trimester
Thirty-two weeks is the sweet spot. Far enough along that the information stays fresh through delivery. Early enough that you are not learning about coping positions while you are already using them.
First-time parents.
You want to understand what is coming before you are in it, and you want to ask the questions, even those you are slightly embarrassed to ask.
You've done this before but you would like a refresher.
You want a refresher on all the details you may have forgotten and you want to understand any new information that’s come along since your last birth.
You and whoever is going to be in the room with you.
Partner, mother, sister, best friend. Both seats are yours to fill.
Ten hours. Here is where they go.
What your body is actually doing
Birth stops feeling like something happening to you once you understand the mechanics. You will learn what each stage of labour is doing, why it feels the way it does, and what helps at each point.
A support person with a real job
The person beside you will know their job - they will go from being an anxious onlooker into an active, competent labour partner and advocate.
Words for the unplanned conversations
We cover interventions in detail, why they get offered, and what they involve. You leave with a set of informed consent questions for your care team, so when a decision arrives quickly, you already have the words.
Every pain relief option, side by side
Medicinal and non-medicinal, with the trade-offs named plainly. No agenda about which one you should pick.
A map of the early postpartum weeks
What is common and fixable, what warrants a call to your doctor or midwife, how to plan ahead, and what the person supporting you can take off your plate before you have to ask.
A feeding start that is not at 3am
For those planning to breastfeed, you get the mechanics of the first latch and a list of local support people, in your hands before you need them.
And with six spots, you get to ask the question you may not raise your hand for in a larger group or online with dozens of other families.
Julie Bays, CCE
Meet Julie Bays, C.C.E.
Julie Bays has been teaching prenatal classes in Toronto for more than 20 years. She held long tenures at both Women's College Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, and has guided hundreds of families through birth prep, baby care, and the questions that actually keep people up at night.
Her style is direct and unhurried. She explains things plainly, adapts to how each person in the room learns, and does not judge a single question. She also does something a lot of educators skip: she gets the group talking to each other. The people sitting beside you in week one tend to be the people you are still texting at 2am.
Earlier in her career, Julie attended many births as a doula, though she no longer practices in that capacity. She has three children of her own, and for 11 years she and her husband fostered seven newborns through Toronto Children's Aid, some for a few months and others for more than two years. She has called The Junction home for over 21 years.
A note from Julie:
"Just like caring for my foster babies, it is a true honour and a privilege to teach families during one of the most meaningful times in their lives. My love of babies comes from my mom, and my passion for teaching from my dad, who always taught me knowledge is power. In my classes, I am proud to combine both of these legacies to empower new parents with the knowledge they need as they step into this new chapter."
From families Julie has taught
"She took what can be a daunting topic and made it feel approachable, understandable, and digestible. The course helped us feel prepared not only for labour but also for those early stages of parenthood."
O AND J
"Her teaching style is informative and supportive, not judgmental. She is patient and explains everything thoroughly and plainly. For first time parents or those looking for a refresher, Julie's classes are first rate."
J AND B
"What really sets Julie's class apart is the community she creates along the way. We've gone on to do stroller walks, baby-and-me pilates, and share resources specific to our neighbourhood. Having a built-in community of new parents has made this transition much less isolating."
Past Participant
Same ten hours. Pick the series that fits your life.
Julie teaches all three sessions. Every session covers the same material. Choose between a 4-week evening series or a weekend series - both with the same content to suit your schedule.
Weeknight series
Fall Session
Four Wednesday evenings
6:30 to 9:00pm
October 14, 21 and 28
November 4, 2026
$349 for two people
6 spots
Weeknight series
Late Fall Session
Four Wednesday evenings
6:30 to 9:00pm
November 18 and 25
December 2 and 9, 2026
$349 for two people
6 spots
Weekend intensive
Winter Weekend
Saturday and Sunday
10:00am to 3:00pm
January 9 and 10, 2027
Ten hours in one weekend
$349 for two people
6 spots
Nothing you pay here is stranded. Cancel up to two weeks before your first class and you get a full refund. Inside two weeks, the full $349 becomes credit at Body Co, good for physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, naturopathic care, or another class. It stays yours either way.
Series run at Body Co, 3093 Dundas Street West. Choose the series where you will be at least 32 weeks on the first day.
If a session is full, or none of these dates work for you, add your name to the waitlist and you will hear about the next release before it goes public.
The questions people ask before they book
Whoever is going to be with you. Partner, parent, sibling, or friend. One registration covers two people and we do not ask about the relationship. If you are coming solo, that is fine too, and you are welcome to fill your second seat later.
Nothing you pay here is stranded. Cancel up to two weeks before your first class and you get a full refund. Inside two weeks, the full $349 becomes credit at Body Co, and you can put it toward physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, naturopathic care, or another class. Most people find they use it on something they wanted anyway.
Then you have better things to do than come to class, and so does your support person. We take the value of whatever you did not use and turn it into a Body Co credit, good for physiotherapy, osteopathy, massage, naturopathic care, or anything else we offer. Nobody is expected to finish the series after they have had a baby.
Aim to be early in your third trimester. At least 32 weeks on the first day of your series is the sweet spot. Earlier than that and the information has a long time to sit before you use it. Much later and you may be cutting it close, particularly for the four-week series.
No. This is open to anyone in Toronto, and plenty of people who take it have never been through our doors.
All ten hours of instruction, all materials, and both seats. There are no add-ons and nothing gets sold to you in the room.
Most of the room will be first-timers, but you are welcome to join and get a refresher on all the details you may have forgotten and learn any information that has come along since your last birth.
Add your name to the waitlist. You will hear about the next release before it goes public, and the sessions are small enough that they do sell out.
There is paid parking directly in front of the clinic on Dundas Street West. There are also Green P lots two to three blocks away, and free three-hour parking on the side streets right around us. For the evening sessions, give yourself a few extra minutes at 6:30.
STILL NEEDED: nearest TTC route and stop, and whether the front door is locked after hours.
Every plan is written differently, so the only reliable answer is the one your own insurer gives you. Call them and ask specifically whether educational classes are covered.
One thing worth knowing before you call. While Julie is a deeply experienced educator, she is not a regulated health professional. That distinction is usually what decides whether a plan will reimburse. Direct billing is not available for this class.
**Please note should you claim this class to insurance for reimbursement and then need to cancel, it is your responsibility to connect with your insurance company for next steps. We are not able to apply a credit to another service if the insurance benefit was paid out for educational services.
No it does not. You can be with an obstetrician, midwife or family doctor. These classes are for you.
Six spots. Three dates. One educator who has done this for years.
If the birth part has been on your list since your twenty-week scan and you keep pushing it to next week, this is the one to book.