This post is part of our ongoing comparison of the best online birthing classes. All prices noted below are accurate as of 2021.

Kopa Birth began as a local natural childbirth class in Atlanta, GA, and has since expanded to include online childbirth classes as well.

Following instructor and host Katie Griffin, RN, LCCE through her pregnancy, the Kopa online birth course teaches moms the process of labor, birth positions, potential interventions, and more regarding a natural birth in a hospital setting.

In some ways, Kopa is similar to The Mama Natural Birth Course, as we cover those topics. Additionally, Mama Natural provides training on VBAC and breastfeeding.

Kopa focuses on natural hospital birth, whereas the Mama Natural Birth Course focuses on hospital birth but includes training on birth center and home birth as well.

Spanning 12 hours, Kopa’s 8-class video series offers a downloadable manual to follow along and a private Facebook group for participating parents.

In comparison, the Mama Natural Birth Course is 10 hours divided into 8 classes with additional bonus content like a prenatal workout video, Natural Birth Playbook, and more.

Kopa’s Prepared Plus class takes a more clinical approach to its lessons, with a structured format that can seem a little stiff at times. The Mama Natural Birth Course takes a conversational approach to instruction, aiming to educate in an upbeat, talk show style.

Kopa online birth class screenshot
Screenshot from the Kopa online birth classes.

How does Kopa Prepared Plus Compare to the Mama Natural Birth Course?

Here’s a quick comparison chart reviewing the key features we think are most important when choosing the best online birthing course:

Class Specifics Mama Natural Kopa Prepared Plus
Course Length 8 classes / 10 hours 8 classes / 12 hours
Course Access 1 year 7 months
Instructor Genevieve Howland & Maura Winkler, CNM, IBCLC Katie Griffin, RN, LCCE
Taught by a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) ✓
Format HD video-based, hands-on HD video-based, hands-on
Approach Conversational, informative, “talk show style,” evidence-based Clinical, evidence-based for hospital births
Printable Worksheets ✓ ✓
Real Natural Birth Footage ✓ ✓
Community Group Moderated By Certified Doula ✓
Pricing $264 $245
Audio Tracks ✓ ✓
Section for Dad ✓ ✓
VBAC Training ✓
Breastfeeding Training ✓
Accepts FSA/HSA ✓ ✓
Donate 10% to Charity ✓
Physical Bonus via Mail ✓
Extras Mama Natural Affirmations App and physical copies, Prenatal workout video, Natural Birth Playbook, and more Meal plans, prenatal fitness tips, babywearing advice
30 Day Money-Back Guarantee ✓ ✓

 

Natural birth seekers are in good hands with either course, but believe the Mama Natural Birth Course excels in several key areas, including:

Instructor

While both are taught by medically trained professionals (which we recommend of all childbirth courses), the Mama Natural Birth Course is the only online birthing course instructed by a Certified Nurse Midwife. Maura Winkler CNM is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), which makes her a critical addition to your childbirth team.

Approach

Kopa’s style is friendly, but with focus only on mamas seeking a hospital-based natural birth, those seeking a birthing center or home-based birth are left out. The Mama Natural Birth Course covers options for all mamas, whether you’re delivering in a city hospital or a birthing tub in your living room.

Coverage

The Mama Natural course goes beyond covering a hospital-based natural birth to include VBAC and breastfeeding training. We want you to be prepared and confident as possible in all aspects of delivery.

Course Access

Kopa offers 7 months of access with the Prepared Plus plan, which is definitely better than the 3 months we’ve seen out there. But the Mama Natural Birth Course is accessible to you for up to one year, allowing you to revisit sections even after birth. This allows you to learn at your own pace and touch up on areas you might’ve forgotten about later.

Physical Bonuses

When you sign up for the Mama Natural Birth Course we send you a package in the mail that contains a deck of our Natural Pregnancy Affirmation Cards as well as a motivational bracelet from our charity partner in Haiti. (Mama Natural donates 10% of profits to charities that bring the midwifery-model of care to developing countries.)

Value

While Kopa’s course costs $20 less, you get so much more with the Mama Natural Birth Course. From Certified Nurse Midwife-led instruction to lactation consultant-instructed breastfeeding segments, our current, state-of-the-art course gives you the best information from the best resources.

Closing Thoughts

We’re elated to see that mamas have so many quality online birthing courses to choose from.

When we designed the Mama Natural Birth Course, our goal was to give mamas power over birth. We wanted to take back childbirth and make it less about only pushing and more about the overall experience. We’re happy to see that mamas like you are embracing this idea and having the births you dreamed of.

While there are many online birthing courses out there, we strongly believe that our Certified Nurse Midwife-instructed course is head and shoulders above the rest. Why? Because we made it that way. We want all mamas to feel represented, whether you’re delivering at home or in the hospital.

No matter what course you choose in the end, we wish you and your baby the best, mama.

The Mama Natural Birth Course