You're busy. You're excited and uncertain.

You don’t need a lecture or gimmicks. Just honest, research-backed insights so you can know exactly what’s on the menu. Whether you have a clear vision for your birth or aren't entirely sure what you want yet, this course gives you and your partner the practical tools and language to feel self-assured. We focus on building trust in your body and opening up positive communication with your care team, so you can navigate your unique birth story with grounded confidence.

Who is this for

• You want a complete roadmap: You and your partner want a flexible, self-paced format that covers everything from pregnancy through postpartum, helping you feel fully prepared for any turn birth takes. • You don't know what you don't know: You are looking for clear, evidence-based guidance over one-size-fits-all advice, whether you are planning a hospital, birth center, or home birth, and whether it's your first baby or not. • You value data without the overwhelm: You love having the facts and the research, but you are busy and need the information delivered in a streamlined, practical way. • You want to understand all your options: You want to discover what choices are available to you so you can make confident, informed decisions aligned with your personal values.

Why this course

The Birth Options Course helps you understand your choices, learn how labor and birth unfold, and make confident decisions from late pregnancy through postpartum. It’s designed to reduce overwhelm, build trust with your providers, and minimize surprises on birth day.  • Options‑first: Clarify your values, provider fit, and place of birth.  • Clear framework: How labor starts, progresses, and what to expect.  • Practical skills: Pain management, movement, and positions for you and your partner.  • Prepared choices: Inductions, interventions, and cesareans in context.  • Postpartum grounding: Healing, recovery, and the first days with baby.  • Tangible partner tools: Clear signposts, support guidance, and informed language. • Flexible learning: Short videos, self‑paced, revisit anytime.

What you'll learn

• Informed Pregnancy Foundations: Care options, birth location fit, and communicating what matters to you.   • Understanding Labor: Signs, stages, progress, timing, and immediate postpartum.   • Pain Management & Labor Positions: Coping options, movement, and positions partners can help with.   • Interventions, Inductions & Cesareans: What they involve and the questions that support informed choices.   • Healing & Settling In After Birth: Recovery needs, realistic expectations, and building support.

Build trust with your providers

Choose aligned care, communicate clearly, and collaborate as a team. Use simple question frameworks and shared decision‑making strategies that keep you informed, centered on your goals, and aligned with safe, respectful care.

What's included

Everything you need in your toolkit.

40+ short videos (about 5 hours)

Downloadable resources and evidence‑based links

Lifetime access, self‑paced, mobile‑friendly

Options‑first approach and practical skills

Optional 45‑minute private session add‑on

More!

Enroll today! $279 one‑time

Discounts for doula clients and Birth Roots students. Enter codes at checkout.

$279.00

Enroll in The Birth Options Course

What people are saying

Testimonials

”
We really had the best time in your class and are so thankful for your way of sharing such a breadth of information with us. It really has helped drop our shoulders and fostered so many interesting conversations outside of class too. Simply put, we both are sending another big THANK YOU for your time and your thoughtful guidance.
Hunter and Maral

First time parents

”
I would highly recommend a class with Lisa if you love to learn, want to feel empowered in the birthing process, as well as have fun. I would take this class again in a heartbeat.
Childbirth Ed Students

Las Vegas, NV

”
I wanted to say thank you for all the information provided in the class. A lot of my birth plans changed but I felt so educated and empowered because of what we had learned in the class.
Julia E.

Childbirth Ed Student and First Time Parent

”
Your class was such a helpful foundation for this whole experience, and I felt empowered each step of the way. I also think Matt really benefited from the tools you taught. He was an amazing support person! Thanks so much for everything and for the work you do!
Kim C.

Childbirth Ed Student and First Time Parent

”
Thank you so much for all the incredible knowledge you shared during your class. I truly cannot express how wonderful it is to just feel like I have some understanding of what will be happening, and the way you distilled down all this information made it so accessible.
Brandon C.

Childbirth Ed Student and First Time Parent

”
Shout out to Lisa: your classes were infinitely helpful during our birthing experience. From the logistical “what to expect” and how to self-advocate guidance, to your facilitating an understanding of the intimate role of the support partner in the process, it’s a fact that things went smoother because we took your course. Thank you so much!
Jen and Nate

Childbirth Ed Student and First Time Parent

Lisa Kourakos, CD(DONA), MA Ed.

Hi, I’m Lisa! 👋 I’m a certified birth doula, childbirth educator, and the founder of Steady Birth. With an M.A. in Education and a passion for evidence-based care, I built this course to fill the gaps so often left by standard childbirth ed. It’s the exact resource I wish all my doula clients had, completely free of an agenda and with options clearly (and not overwhelmingly!) laid out. I'm dedicated to helping parents and partners understand their options, gain confidence in their decisions, and navigate their unique journey feeling prepared and empowered.

The syllabus

17 Chapters · 41 Lessons

  1. 1

    Module 1: Understanding Options + Decision Making

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Welcome. I'm glad you're here.

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M1_L1_Informed Consent

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M1_L2_Evidence Based Care

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      M1_L3_Provider_ Location_ and Communication

  2. 2

    Module 2: End of Pregnancy

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M2_L1_Vocabulary

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M2_L2_Common Tests

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M2_L3_Internal Exams

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      M2_L4_Understanding Due Dates

  3. 3

    Module 3: Your Birth Place

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M3_Your Birth Place

  4. 4

    Module 4: Labor Background

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M4_L1_Hormones in Labor

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M4_L2_Labor Progress

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M4_L3_Body is Preparing and Organized Contractions

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      M4_L4_Timing Contractions and Water Breaking_v2

  5. 5

    Module 5: Early Labor

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M5_L1 and L2_Early Labor_ Overview and What to Do

  6. 6

    Module 6: Active Labor

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M6_L1_Active Labor_ Looks and Sounds

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M6_L2_Active Labor_ What to Do

  7. 7

    Module 7: Transition

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M7_Transition

  8. 8

    Module 8: Pushing

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M8_L1_Pushing_ Background and Progression

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M8_L2_What is Happening and What Can Occur

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M8_L3_The Placenta

  9. 9

    Module 9: The Emotional Stages of Labor

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M9_The Emotional Stages of Labor

  10. 10

    Module 10: Immediate Postpartum

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M10_L1_Immediate Postpartum_ Feelings_ Cord_ Tears

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M10_L2_The Golden Hour and Newborn Procedures

  11. 11

    Module 11: Induction + Augmentation

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M11_L1_Induction Background and Reasons

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M11_L2_Clinical Induction Methods

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M11_L3_Non Clinical Induction Methods

  12. 12

    Module 12: Other Interventions

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M12_Other Interventions

  13. 13

    Module 13: Pain Management + Comfort Measures

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M13_L1_Pain Management and Comfort Measures_Role of Pain

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M13_L2_Medicated Pain Management Options

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M13_L3_Unmedicated Comfort Measures

  14. 14

    Module 14: Movement + Positioning

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M14_L1_Movement and Positions_Background and Vocabulary

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M14_L2_The Pelvis

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M14_L3_Positions During Labor

  15. 15

    Module 15: Cesareans

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M15_L1_Types of Cesareans

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M15_L2_What Happens and Options

  16. 16

    Module 16: Postpartum

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      M16_L1_Postpartum_ What to Expect

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      M16_L2_The Lying in Period

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      M16_L3_Hormones

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      M16_L4_Basic Needs

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      M16_L5_Care People and Feeling Good

  17. 17

    Want personalized support?

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      45-Minute Private Birth Prep Session