I’m so excited to announce that I’ll be adding independent, out-of-hospital childbirth education to my list of services very soon. I’m going to go through two programs which I think will complement each other well – a “left-brained” approach and a “right-brained” approach to childbirth education. Within my philosophy of birth, they are two sides to the same coin. You’ve got to do the “right brained” work to confront and move past birth fears, to learn to trust birth and to celebrate your transition to parenthood. And you’ve got to do the “left brained” work to understand on a concrete level what will be happening around you in the hospital, birth center or home, what your providers are doing, and be informed so you can be part of the decision-making process as things come up (such as proposed interventions) during birth. (At the birth itself there is just not enough time to adequately address learning about the various interventions, etc., nor are you in a mindset to learn them.)
I’m not sure yet how my classes will evolve – if I’ll be teaching them simultaneously, or through two different classes, or just letting the class “personality” naturally lead us on our journey…but I really can’t wait to do this.
As a doula, I’ve really been enjoying the prenatal period. It’s a time where my information can make the most difference – to educate, but more importantly to empower. I can help a new mother trust her own body and her own needs and desires for birth. And being involved earlier in the pregnancy is something I really enjoy – I can make a real difference in a woman’s nutrition, empowerment (such as realizing she has a voice and a choice in care providers, birth settings, and her care), and awareness in her own unique needs for childbirth.
It took me over a year to choose a program out of the dozen or so childbirth educator training options out there. They all have strengths. In the end, though, I chose two:
Birthing From Within. (Attending classes in early August, 2008) I fell in love with Pam England’s book that mixes really practical and effective comfort measures with a spiritual awakening and celebration of birth. In Birthing From Within classes are interactive ways to discover our unique blueprint for effectiveness of various unique comfort measures (that I know are effective because I use them regularly in my doula practice). Also Birthing From Within gives us a way to explore our fears and feelings of birth and work through them through birth art (it sounds corny, but it works). Finally, Birthing From Within includes rituals to celebrate a woman’s transition (which in our culture there really aren’t many of these types of traditions anymore). I use Birthing From Within’s principles in my doula prenatal meetings with every client. Birthing From Within’s philosophical assumptions and guiding principles are:
- Childbirth is a profound rite of passage, not a medical event (even when medical care is part of the birth).
- The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, not assimilating obstetric information.
- The teacher is “midwife” to the parents’ discovery process, not the expert from whom wisdom flows.
- Childbirth preparation is a continually evolving process (for parents and teachers), not a static structure of techniques and knowledge.
- Parents’ individual needs and differences determine class content.
- Active, creative self-expression is critical to childbirth preparation.
- The purpose of childbirth preparation is to prepare mothers to give birth-in-awareness, not to achieve a specific birth outcome.
- Pregnancy and birth outcome are influenced by a variety of factors, but can’t be controlled by planning.
- In order to help parents mobilize their coping resources, it is critical for childbirth classes to acknowledge that unexpected, unwelcome events may happen during labor.
- Parents deserve support for any birth option which might be right for them (whether it be drugs, technology, home birth, or bottle-feeding).
- Pain is an inevitable part of childbirth, yet much can be done to ease suffering.
- Pain coping techniques work best when integrated into daily life, rather than “dusted off” for labor.
- Fathers help best as birth guardians or living partners, not as coaches; they also need support.
- For parents, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a time of continuous learning and adjustment; holistic support and education should be available throughout that period.
- Childbirth preparation is also parent preparation.
Lamaze. (Attending classes early May, 2008.) Now – wait a second before you all cock your heads or roll your eyes. Yep, it surprised the heck out of me that the same classes that my mother used to birth me naturally would be ones I’d want to teach decades later – only – they aren’t the same classes at all. In the past, I’d always thought of Lamaze as sort of precursor to modern-day, more effective childbirth education classes – they deserved their place in history, but aren’t we past all that hee-hee-hoo stuff? Well it turns out, Lamaze has come a long way, baby. They’ve changed so much – all that rigid, structured patterned breathing is out the window, and it is replaced by a huge advocacy for “normal birth“, evidence-based education (wee ha!) and some really effective comfort measures that are all over the birth map. I’ll be taking my class from Passion for Birth, taught by the ex-President of Lamaze herself, Teri Shilling. Passion For Birth’s mission is to stamp out boring childbirth education classes and I’m really excited to learn new and interactive ways to teach birth. Lamaze International’s Philosophy of Birth is:
- Birth is normal, natural and healthy.
- The experience of birth profoundly affects women and their families.
- Women’s inner wisdom guides them through birth.
- Women’s confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth.
- Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions.
- Birth can safely take place in homes, birth centers and hospitals.
- Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom.
Stay tuned for more information on my childbirth preparation classes!