My private sessions are different from your standard hospital classes. Drawing on my background as a Coach, Doula and Acupuncturist, I offer Somatic Birth Preparation. We move beyond the intellectual understanding of birth and focus on ways you can connect with the process, your body and move through the experience in a way that resonates with you. This is intimate, tailored preparation for you and your birth partner.
Beyond "Breathing."
- The Physiology of Labor: Understanding the hormones that drive birth and how to protect them. Stages of birth, how to interact with your birthing team to access the information you need to make solid choices as you move through labor.
- Acupressure for Partners: I teach your partner specific, hands-on acupressure points to reduce pain, calm nausea, and stimulate contractions during labor. We also go over bodywork and rebozo techniques for partners to reduce pain and help keep movement a fundamental way to manage labor. They leave with a physical "toolkit" so they feel useful, not helpless.
- Neurological Rehearsal: We practice dropping into the "labor state"—shifting from the thinking brain (neocortex) to the primal brain. Dropping into meditation can be a useful tool to manage the waves of contractions and rest as you birth.
Your Birth, Your Plan.
Because these sessions are private, we focus entirely on your specific scenario.
- Home Birth: Logistics, comfort measures, and transfer plans.
- Hospital Birth: Navigating interventions, advocacy, and creating a "bubble" of calm in a medical setting.
- VBAC / High Risk: Processing emotions from previous births and creating a plan that respects your history.
Common Questions
How are these classes different from hospital childbirth classes?
Hospital classes are typically group settings covering the procedural logistics of birth. Brooklyn Qi's private sessions are tailored entirely to you and your birth partner — your specific birth plan, your fears, your history, and your preferred environment. Rather than focusing on procedures, we focus on the physiology and neurology of labor, and teach practical somatic and acupressure tools your partner can use in real time during contractions.
How many sessions are there?
Most birth prep packages consist of two to three private sessions of 90 minutes each. The number depends on your experience level, how many births you have had, and how much ground you want to cover. Liz will recommend a session count after an initial conversation. Sessions can be held in clinic or, in some cases, at your home.
What will my partner learn?
Your partner will learn specific acupressure point combinations for pain management, nausea, and stalled labor. They will practice rebozo techniques for back labor and sacral pain. They will learn how to create a calm environment, recognize labor stages, and support you in advocacy conversations with your birth team. Many partners report that this preparation is the most useful thing they did to feel ready for the birth.
Can you help us prepare for a VBAC or high-risk birth?
Yes. These sessions are particularly valuable for people planning a VBAC, a home birth, or a birth following a complicated previous experience. We spend time processing the emotional residue of prior births and building a concrete, evidence-based plan that respects your history and your goals. Preparation at this level can meaningfully shift both your nervous system state and your outcomes.
Serving Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Kensington, Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Sunset Park, Downtown Brooklyn, and neighboring communities in Brooklyn and NYC