No other life experience compares to giving birth to a baby. While there are as many opinions and experiences surrounding labor and delivery as there are mothers, no amount of talking about these topics can ever fully prepare you for the rite of passage from pregnant woman to mom. I say this in all honesty, because while childbirth education classes serve the wonderful purpose of arming you with a plethora of important details, while enabling you to bond with your partner or labor coach, there is no book or teacher which will allow you to truly capture or understand the visceral, raw experience until you’re immersed in it. That said, having as much knowledge as possible regarding the labor and delivery process will be beneficial. Here are four different types of childbirth education classes that will teach you vital information about the process of giving birth.
1. Lamaze International
Perhaps the most widely-known childbirth education class, the mission behind Lamaze classes is to “promote, support and protect natural, safe and healthy birth through education and advocacy.” The Lamaze philosophy embraces a wide-range of birthing experiences, with the tenets that a woman’s inner wisdom guides her through the birth process, and that birth can safely take place at homes, birthing centers or in hospitals. Six healthy birth practices are at the core of the Lamaze teachings:
- Let labor begin on its own
- Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor
- Bring a loved one, friend or doula for continuous support
- Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary
- Avoid giving birth on your back, and follow your body’s urges to push
- Keep mother and baby together- it’s best for mother, baby and breastfeeding
I always thought childbirth educaiton classes sounded ‘old school’ , but after reading Beth’s post I’m ready to sign up down the road when I’m pregnant.
I signed up for a fast-speed childbirth prep class, but nothing could possibly have prepared me for a real-life infant. In fact, watching the videos of women giving birth terrified me. I actually turned to my husband and said “Can I change my mind?”
I did Bradley Method classes and LOVED them. I would highly recommend them to every expecting couple. You will come away from the course being an expert in the process of labor!
Even if you don’t care about having a natural birth or want that epidural, this course is really useful just to understand everything to expect during the course of labor.