Childbirth Education - Most of our classes are held at our office on the second floor of the Ballard House located at 131 Spring Street in Portland. We offer a wide variety of classes for pregnant and postpartum families. Birthing From Within and HypnoBirthing are both offered in a 5 class series. Both work to reduce fear and empower informed birth. Visit our calendar to see the dates and times for all of our classes.

Slings, sales and instruction, when you purchase a sling from Birth Roots you'll also recieve a private instructional session on the most comfortable ways to wear your baby at each developmental stage.

New Parents Drop-In Groups,Birth Roots hosts an informal gathering space for new parents and their babies in our classroom space at 131 Spring St.

Monday and Thursday 12-2pm for 0- 12month olds and Tuesdays 12-2 for newborn to 4 month olds

Birth Roots Perinatal Resource Guide, formerly the Gentle Birthing Resource Guide, is a free booklet of local resources updated annually.

Monthly Doula Teas - usually the second Sunday of the month at 10:30 am - an opportunity for expectant couples to meet a variety of local doulas and learn more about the benefits of having a doula present at your birth.

Birth Doula Services - Doulas offer emotional, physical and informational support to families before during and immediately following childbirth. They support a family's wishes and desires and remain by the family's side throughout the birth process. The presence of a doula has been proven to improve mother and child outcomes during the birth process. Doulas help the mother to navigate the winding path of birth with reassurance and trust in her ability to birth. Equally as important to the doula is providing suggestions, examples and ideas for the father or birth partner to stay as involved as they want to be as the primary labor support person.

Ballard House Birth Center - Ballard House is Maine's only free standing Birth Center. Families experiencing healthy pregnancies can choose to birth outside the hospital in this home-like environment under the care of Certified Nurse Midwives. In this setting, they are free to experience their birthing in quiet, dim surroundings, in the birth tub or in one of the queen sized beds.

Home Birth - For some families, their own home feels like the safest, most comfortable place to welcome their new baby into their family. Birth Roots feels that it is important to support this choice by offering assistance with the cost of water birth tub rentals and possibly, in the future, also funding a portion of the cost of the fees of the Certified Professional Midwife attending the birth.

Postpartum Doula Services - Many families have excellent prenatal education and care but the postpartum transition is overlooked. Postpartum doulas help to bridge that gap by providing in home services such as meal preparation, sibling care, pet care, laundry, light housekeeping and errands so the new family can focus on caring for themselves and bonding with their new baby in the first few weeks of life. The close knit family can then emerge when they are ready and begin to integrate as a unit back into their lives.

Applying for and using

a Birth Roots Voucher

• Email info@ourbirthroots.org or call 772-BIRTH (772-4784) and set up a meeting time so we can discuss your needs and the availability of funds.
• Once we have determined how Birth Roots can help, we will give you a voucher that can be used to pay for a portion of the fee for services above.
• You will also receive a list of birth professionals in the area who have agreed to accept Birth Roots vouchers.
• Once you have decided who you would like to work with, just give them your voucher and your portion of the fee. It is up to you to find the birth professional that you feel comfortable with. Birth Roots does not endorse or recommend the providers on the list nor is Birth Roots responsible for the care you receive or the actions of these providers. The choice is yours.
• Birth Roots requests that you complete an annonymous survey around 6 weeks after you birth and again at about one year after your birth. This allows us to gather data that we can use to show our funders how our programs make a difference in the lives of birthing families.