Why can’t I just take a hospital class?
By and large, hospital classes are not designed to give you all the coping strategies I will. Hospital classes operate under this statistic – more than 80% of women get epidurals. Hospital-based childbirth educators may not be allowed to tell you that “routine” procedures such as IVs may be politely refused or modified (in this example, a heparin lock may be placed for access without compromising mobility).
Additionally, hospital classes are usually much larger than independent classes. Smaller classes allow for discussion and addressing individual concerns and needs.
A true prepared childbirth course should present you with all options. This is allows you to give true informed consent, particularly in situations when you may choose to have an IV or epidural, for example. This component of true informed choice makes an independent childbirth education class your best option.
Why are your prepared childbirth courses six weeks?
I believe that part of the reason we fear childbirth is because we don’t understand it. Our great-grandmothers learned pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding from their mothers. Women understood that labor and birthing were skills to be learned. They learned from observation.
We’re beginning to understand that these skills still need to be learned. These skills take time, and learning such as this can’t be rushed. Rushing the information results in more difficult recall and less ease of use during birthing.
Besides information, my classes are designed to allow ample practice time as a place to simply “try out” a variety of techniques. I also aim to give each couple the time to discover your needs and beliefs surrounding birthing – time you may not have otherwise set aside.
Why can’t I just rely on my doctor for everything?
You can, and you should, rely on your doctor for medical advice.
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t seem to have the time necessary for routine questions. Are your prenatal visits less than 30 minutes? Do you have long wait times to see the doctor? If these are YES, then you probably have unanswered questions. Most simply don’t have the time to address basic needs such as what you eat, how you manage stress, or how you plan to arrange life post-partum.
Childbirth education gives you the skills necessary to communicate your needs and concerns in an effective manner during your prenatal visits. It also gives you the skills to find additional information outside the doctor’s office (not “Dr. Google” either!)
When you are an informed consumer, you are better able to ask questions during office visits. Childbirth education empowers you and allows you to have a better relationship with your doctor.
Aren’t the nurses there to help me during labor? What about my husband/partner?
Yes, the nurses are there to help you, but the help they may be able to provide might not be what you need or expect. Nurses are responsible for a number of patients, limiting their time to spend individually with you. Additionally, their responsibilities also include a variety of clinical tasks and paperwork. A nurse will certainly help you when she is able, but you will likely find you need information, comfort, and support “NOW” rather than when the nurse is finished with another laboring mother.
As for husbands and partners – while many men feel confident before labor begins, they often find this confidence wanes as labor progresses. They may resent the fact that they have to put aside their own needs and fears to support a laboring woman. Additionally, most men lack the experience and training necessary to continually provide comfort, support, and coping techniques required for a laboring woman. Many men, no matter how well trained in childbirth education classes, find recall and actual practice of techniques more difficult than they imagined.
Childbirth education prepares you for this reality ahead of the game. This gives you time to consider how you will deal with labor and to practice techniques that you can use. It also gives you information about normal labor and possible variations ahead of time so you are better prepared for what you encounter.
What if I want an epidural? Are you going to try to make me feel bad or talk down to me?
No! I firmly believe that each woman (and couple) needs to make the choices they are most comfortable with at the present time. I feel my job is to help you make an informed choice – I want you to know and understand all the benefits and risks “common” procedures (such as epidurals and IVs) have.
I do support natural, unmedicated childbirth, and I feel that every woman is more than capable of having that kind of birth. But I won’t think you’re a failure if you don’t have an unmedicated birth. The thing I believe is most important is a safe, satisfying, healthy birth. Some women have it with epidurals, some don’t. Some women have it with natural childbirth, some don’t.
Some women find that childbirth education allows them to “compromise,” delaying an epidural when they originally hadn’t thought that to be an option. It also gives them more options to try in the event the epidural “doesn’t take all the way,” a phenomenon that occurs sometimes when using this method of pain management.
Am I going to look stupid doing some kind of crazy breathing that my friend says didn’t help her?
Nope! I do believe that breathing patterns and techniques help with labor, but again it’s about comfort level. Personally, I can’t currently do proper yoga breathing; it’s too slow for me. Instead, I slow my breathing down to a comfortable, relaxing level. This works for me, and it’s the point of the breathing in yoga.
We will discuss your comfort level and current ways of managing stress. Your current methods can then be adapted for labor, and we can build on these with others that may work for you.
How do you feel about hospital birth? Do you think all women should have home births?
I operate fully under ICEA’s motto of “freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives.” Therefore, I fully support women and families in the choices they make in childbirth from elective cesarean to home birth, whether I would personally make the same decision or not.
I fully support home birth. I also fully support each family as they make the decision of birthing location based on both the knowledge of facts and personal needs and comfort levels. Many women in the United States choose to birth in a hospital or birthing center.
Is independent childbirth education covered by insurance?
Usually no. However, some families have been able to use funds from their health savings accounts for childbirth education. However, most families find that it is are worth the price. I offer a variety of classes, including customized private classes. Also, because I am currently in the process of certification through ICEA, I offer my services at a lower price than a certified childbirth educator.
By and large, hospital classes are not designed to give you all the coping strategies I will. Hospital classes operate under this statistic – more than 80% of women get epidurals. Hospital-based childbirth educators may not be allowed to tell you that “routine” procedures such as IVs may be politely refused or modified (in this example, a heparin lock may be placed for access without compromising mobility).
Additionally, hospital classes are usually much larger than independent classes. Smaller classes allow for discussion and addressing individual concerns and needs.
A true prepared childbirth course should present you with all options. This is allows you to give true informed consent, particularly in situations when you may choose to have an IV or epidural, for example. This component of true informed choice makes an independent childbirth education class your best option.
Why are your prepared childbirth courses six weeks?
I believe that part of the reason we fear childbirth is because we don’t understand it. Our great-grandmothers learned pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding from their mothers. Women understood that labor and birthing were skills to be learned. They learned from observation.
We’re beginning to understand that these skills still need to be learned. These skills take time, and learning such as this can’t be rushed. Rushing the information results in more difficult recall and less ease of use during birthing.
Besides information, my classes are designed to allow ample practice time as a place to simply “try out” a variety of techniques. I also aim to give each couple the time to discover your needs and beliefs surrounding birthing – time you may not have otherwise set aside.
Why can’t I just rely on my doctor for everything?
You can, and you should, rely on your doctor for medical advice.
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t seem to have the time necessary for routine questions. Are your prenatal visits less than 30 minutes? Do you have long wait times to see the doctor? If these are YES, then you probably have unanswered questions. Most simply don’t have the time to address basic needs such as what you eat, how you manage stress, or how you plan to arrange life post-partum.
Childbirth education gives you the skills necessary to communicate your needs and concerns in an effective manner during your prenatal visits. It also gives you the skills to find additional information outside the doctor’s office (not “Dr. Google” either!)
When you are an informed consumer, you are better able to ask questions during office visits. Childbirth education empowers you and allows you to have a better relationship with your doctor.
Aren’t the nurses there to help me during labor? What about my husband/partner?
Yes, the nurses are there to help you, but the help they may be able to provide might not be what you need or expect. Nurses are responsible for a number of patients, limiting their time to spend individually with you. Additionally, their responsibilities also include a variety of clinical tasks and paperwork. A nurse will certainly help you when she is able, but you will likely find you need information, comfort, and support “NOW” rather than when the nurse is finished with another laboring mother.
As for husbands and partners – while many men feel confident before labor begins, they often find this confidence wanes as labor progresses. They may resent the fact that they have to put aside their own needs and fears to support a laboring woman. Additionally, most men lack the experience and training necessary to continually provide comfort, support, and coping techniques required for a laboring woman. Many men, no matter how well trained in childbirth education classes, find recall and actual practice of techniques more difficult than they imagined.
Childbirth education prepares you for this reality ahead of the game. This gives you time to consider how you will deal with labor and to practice techniques that you can use. It also gives you information about normal labor and possible variations ahead of time so you are better prepared for what you encounter.
What if I want an epidural? Are you going to try to make me feel bad or talk down to me?
No! I firmly believe that each woman (and couple) needs to make the choices they are most comfortable with at the present time. I feel my job is to help you make an informed choice – I want you to know and understand all the benefits and risks “common” procedures (such as epidurals and IVs) have.
I do support natural, unmedicated childbirth, and I feel that every woman is more than capable of having that kind of birth. But I won’t think you’re a failure if you don’t have an unmedicated birth. The thing I believe is most important is a safe, satisfying, healthy birth. Some women have it with epidurals, some don’t. Some women have it with natural childbirth, some don’t.
Some women find that childbirth education allows them to “compromise,” delaying an epidural when they originally hadn’t thought that to be an option. It also gives them more options to try in the event the epidural “doesn’t take all the way,” a phenomenon that occurs sometimes when using this method of pain management.
Am I going to look stupid doing some kind of crazy breathing that my friend says didn’t help her?
Nope! I do believe that breathing patterns and techniques help with labor, but again it’s about comfort level. Personally, I can’t currently do proper yoga breathing; it’s too slow for me. Instead, I slow my breathing down to a comfortable, relaxing level. This works for me, and it’s the point of the breathing in yoga.
We will discuss your comfort level and current ways of managing stress. Your current methods can then be adapted for labor, and we can build on these with others that may work for you.
How do you feel about hospital birth? Do you think all women should have home births?
I operate fully under ICEA’s motto of “freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives.” Therefore, I fully support women and families in the choices they make in childbirth from elective cesarean to home birth, whether I would personally make the same decision or not.
I fully support home birth. I also fully support each family as they make the decision of birthing location based on both the knowledge of facts and personal needs and comfort levels. Many women in the United States choose to birth in a hospital or birthing center.
Is independent childbirth education covered by insurance?
Usually no. However, some families have been able to use funds from their health savings accounts for childbirth education. However, most families find that it is are worth the price. I offer a variety of classes, including customized private classes. Also, because I am currently in the process of certification through ICEA, I offer my services at a lower price than a certified childbirth educator.
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