Amma Parenting Center

Took the 6 week ‘New Mama’ class here after hearing recommendations from friends, our hospital & our doula. Because the first few weeks of being a new mom can be overwhelming & isolating, I thought this would be a good way to connect with other new moms & learn some tips & tricks. The class was $ 150 for 6 weeks (each class runs 2 hours) & is usually run by either a nurse or a lactation consultant (sometimes both). Your teacher also asks that you meet outside of the classroom with your group 1 time each week.
You bring your baby to each meeting. Amma seems to have fixed it’s uncomfortable chair problem I read about in the other reviews… they now have very comfortable chairs & they keep the classrooms very conducive to newborns (dim light, the noise machine if the babies are fussing, diapers/​wipes if you need them, Brest Friend & Boppy pillows to use).
My group was composed of 8 other new moms. Each week, you cover a relevant topic such as Adjustments to Parenthood, Sleep, Relationship Changes, Breastfeeding, & Going Back to Work. Much of the class is an ‘open’ format where you share your thoughts/​feelings with the group.
I truly enjoyed my experience at Amma. Our instructor, Vickie was kind and very knowledgeable. The class not only helped me learn more about valid topics, it made me feel normal. Other moms were sharing in the same struggles & opening up. We shared struggles & some tears in class. A big take-​away for me? Getting ready for class each week! It helped me figure out time management with a newborn. You grow pretty close to your group & most groups stay in touch after Amma classes are done.
You can also weigh your baby on-​site every week, which was wonderful for me to ensure my little girl was gaining the appropriate weight with breastfeeding.
Another thing I really liked was the shop at Amma. They carry a bunch of ‘tricks of the trade’, products that make being a parent easier: (for me, the best things I purchased were the Dohm white noise maker & the Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit). Hello, lifesavers. These are things I wouldn’t have known about without hearing first hand how they worked for the other moms in my class.
I would definitely recommend this class to all new moms. I docked off a star because I felt like 2 hours got to be a bit long for each class (1.5 hours would have been plenty of time us). Amma prides itself on helping you ‘build your tribe’ by helping connect you to other new moms, experts, great products & resources. After spending 6 weeks with my group, you truly witness a transformation in each new mom, from anxiety and worry to confidence that comes with the beauty of finally ‘knowing’ your baby. A great experience I will definitely treasure.

I took intro to childbirth one day class at Amma’s. The instructor seemed to be knowledgeable and friendly but she speaks very very fast. I could hardly follow what she was saying and I could not understand any of the terminologies she was saying. Even though I asked her to slow down during my first break, there was no difference in the way she spoke.
The worst part are their chairs. They are very uncomfortable for any normal person to sit in them for even half hour and is the worst for pregnant women and I saw most of the other participants were also struggling including the dad to be’s. It was much painful and I lost interest in the session half way through. Could have been better with a different instructor and better chairs. I don’t feel the worth for the 100 $ we paid for this class.

I took my prenatal classes here and they were very informative! After having my baby I took the first time mama class which was the best thing any new mama can do! The class made me feel welcome and helped me build my self confidence as a mommy. It also gave you a village of people to go to with questions and concerns. After the new mama class there are other classes to take but I opted to do Ecfe instead. They also have a weekly mama breast feeding support group that was very helpful in the early weeks and months. Now I still visit amma weekly for Macphail music class! I go with some mama friends from the «new mama» class. I also went to the «baby wearing school» and bought my beco baby carrier in the boutique up front– great investment– it was the only thing my baby would sleep in for months! Basically, this place is awesome pre and post natal. My baby is now 13 months old and amma has been great through it all!

Really loved the classes we took here. They were natural friendly, but completely based on scientific/​medical research, which was perfect for us. I just wish we lived closer, or that they offered weekend classes, or more classes in other locations, since Edina is quite a drive for us in rush hour traffic. The chairs aren’t the greatest, but they aren’t awful, either. I was impressed with the presenters for both classes we took (breastfeeding and newborn care), and they gave us good printed materials too. Definitely worth it for the cost. The shop out front seems a bit expensive, but it is fun to look around. I’m sure I’ll take more classes here, or possibly some of the online ones. Good place for first time parents.
Update: I won’t take a star off for this but I am revising my review. I tried to go to a play group here and after 5 minutes I was the only one there. Apparently the people in the music class just hang out for a few minutes before going home and there isn’t really a play group per se. Disappointing, but ok. So I tried the music class and it was so crowded I was relieved to leave after 30 minutes. No place to put your stuff, people squished in everywhere, and hokey music. Yuck. So I guess I’m a fan of the prenatal classes (and the online sleep classes are decent too), but not the social activities.

My husband and I took the Natural Childbirth class with Jenna and loved both the class and the instructor. The class is highly informative and empowering and also feels very balanced in tone. It covered the physical process of labor and childbirth, natural ways of coping with and aiding labor, as well as discussing pain medication and intervention. I also appreciated the structure of the class – it’s spread out over six, two-​hour sessions and the classes included a mix of lecture, discussion, video, and time for practice.

If I could build a room and live here after having my newborn I would. Their new mamma class is a lifeline like no other after having a brand new baby. 6 weeks of various topics and getting to know other new moms is a life savor. On Tuesdays they also do a weigh in and Q and A session with a lactation consultant for free! Its a great way to get to know other moms, get some questions answered, and to be assured you are doing ok! There is a small shop with all the essentials you didnt get at those baby showers. We also took their labor and delivery class prior to the little guy getting here and I highly recommend that as well. They have many other classes that I will sign up for!

My husband and I took three prenatal classes through Amma and thought all of them were useful and reasonably priced. After our son was born and my husband went back to work I took their New Mamma Class (once a week for 6 weeks) and it was my absolute favorite! I found it invaluable — best $ 125 we spent! Class was taught by a nurse who is also a mother and I learned so much about my baby’s physiology and behavior, as well as developed «mommy friendships» that I hope will last for years to come! The Amma environment is supportive and welcoming, and I love it there!

Wifey and I are going to have our first little one. We decided to take a couple of classes to relieve some of our anxiety regarding this wonderful event. We took the All-​in-​One class and the Labor & Delivery. The All-​in-​One class is geared for couples who want to «get it over with» in one marathon 6 hour day. It might be overwhelming for some, but we took loads of notes and drank cups of coffee to stay alert. Actually, she took the notes, I drank the coffee. Both classes reinforced a lot of things that we have read and we also learned new techniques. The best thing about these classes, like all group sessions, you get to share the prenatal experience with other couples. Also, the other couples most likely have questions that you haven’t formulated. Furthermore, they don’t shove down the all natural birth philosophy down your throats. They urge you to adapt the philosophy of reducing stress by having the mindset of being flexible.
The down side: those chairs gotta go. Seriously. Plastic stools that they provide does not ease the pain of a sore ass. If cost is an issue for Amma, just update half the chairs. The dudes/​partners/​helpers can sit on the circa 1970 chairs and the mommies can sit on Herman Miller chairs or sliders. Come on!
They also have a small retail shop conveniently placed near the front door. You can buy things like a chew toy that serves as a necklace for mommy!

We’ve had an amazing experience with Amma Parenting Center in Edina.
Prenatal classes: We did Option 5 which included Preparing for Childbirth One-​Day, Breastfeeding, and Baby Care Basics. I personally would not recommend the all in one class or the combination classes because there is so much to take in and it can be overwhelming. Surprisingly my husband enjoyed the classes as well even though I felt like I had to drag him there.
Postnatal: The New Mama class is a must! It is a 6 week class meant to be started anytime from birth to 8 weeks. My little one was 5 weeks old when we took the class and I wish we would have started when she was about 2 weeks.
The other classes that we have taken at Amma include Beyond Newborns, Rollie Pollies, Music Together and Infant Massage. I have met some friends for life here and I am not sure what I would do without my Amma Mammas.

I took several classes here and the most helpful I found with the Breastfeeding class. It helped me prepare for what to expect with breastfeeding. While you can’t know what your challenges are going to be until after the baby is born, it gave me insight to resources available and some initial tips to help set up for success.
However, by far the best thing I have done here is the New Mama Group and now Beyond Newborns. It is a fabulous support network with facilitated useful topics, and a great way to practice getting out of the house, feeding in public, etc.

The setup of this class made it impossible to even make it through the class.
I signed up for the breastfeeding class held at St. John’s.
The instructor started the class by asking everyone for names and due dates. I consider the due date private medical information, and I am not interested in sharing this information with a room full of strangers. So the class kicked off with a little invasion of privacy.
At the time of the class, I was near the end of pregnancy, and have many aches and pains and a few potential injury scenarios I need to watch. One is that my pelvis is very loose and has required constant chiropractic care to keep it aligned so I can continue to walk.
The chairs provided for this class were at least 20 years old, and completely inappropriate for myself or anyone, really, to sit on. The wooden frames were still good but the cushions were worn out, and you sat in a hole! Within 20 mintues I could feel my pelvis moving out of joint, and knew I was looking forward to a weeks’s worth of pain until my next chiropractic appointment.
I had to leave halfway through. I could not physically make it any longer without risking injury, and the insulting invasion of privacy just made it that much easier to leave.

My husband and I took three of the prenatal classes before our son was born this fall. All of them were useful, but some more than others…
Preparing for Childbirth (3 week course): Definitely the best of the three classes we took. Our instructor covered everything from the early signs of labor through taking care of you and your baby when you get home from the hospital. We were encouraged to ask questions and there was a nice mix of instruction and group discussion time. I appreciated how non-​judgemental the class was as well — we talked about epidurals and non-​medicated births and couples openly shared what kind of birth they were hoping to have. After going through the whole labor and delivery process, I can say that we put a lot of what we learned to use! We took the three week course, but they also offer a two-​day or one day course to fit your schedule.
Labor Skills Workshop: This class is geared towards couples hoping to have an unmedicated birth and covers different relaxation techniques — or in the words of my husband — mommy massage time. I found this class useful, but in the end, not totally necessary. I used some of the techniques during my labor, but this was also covered in less detail in the preparing for childbirth class.
Baby Care/​Breastfeeding Combo: This turned out to be our least favorite class. The course was heavily weighted towards breastfeeding, which is important, but we were really hoping to learn more about baby care. The main skill we learned was how to swaddle a baby and just breezed through topics like diaper changes, baths, and when to call the doctor if your baby is sick. Amma does offer separate courses for these two topics, which I would recommend doing instead.
Even though some classes were better than others, all of the courses were taught by very knowledgeable instructors — most, if not all, of whom are labor and delivery nurses. After taking the classes at Amma, we felt as prepared as we could be for the birth of our little guy.