With the many free ways to get information nowadays, spending money and devoting time to taking a childbirth class might seem unnecessary. Here are 10 reasons that might change your mind.
#1: Get Insider information
Childbirth classes are taught by the “industry experts”: nurses, midwives, doulas and certified childbirth educators, many of whom are experienced mothers who have given birth themselves or have worked in labor & delivery in a hospital. When you take a childbirth class you have exclusive access to this expertise. Your instructor is bound to divulge all her best tips so get your pen ready – you won’t get that kind of information from a book!
#2: Answer your questions
What’s the problem with what you’ve read? It’s a good starting point, but it only goes ONE way. What better way to take advantage of your time in class than to ask your instructor all the questions that your books couldn’t answer? No question is off limits or too embarrassing so ASK!
#3: Review and build upon what you’ve already read
Adults learn in many different ways, and reading is only is only one of them. Your class instructor will utilize a variety of different approaches – movies, lecture, demonstration, models and hands-on practice – to breathe life into the words you’ve read on the pages of those books.
#4: Learn practical tips
Many partners are especially concerned that they “won’t know what to do” once labor begins. I always tell my students at the beginning of class that I am giving them all an imaginary toolbox that I will fill with practical tips, strategies and techniques to help them be an effective labor coach. What to SAY and what to DO are explicitly outlined in practical terms to arm your partner with strategies to decrease your pain perception, stress and fatigue as well as increase your comfort and relaxation in labor. Which brings me to my next point…
#5: Practice what you learn
If I was to give your partner written instructions on how to perform, for example, counter pressure or a hip squeeze to alleviate back pain in labor, my guess is that they would either struggle to get it right or be too intimidated to try it at all. But with the help of an experienced instructor physically showing them how to do it, your partner is likely to feel more confident in trying these hands-on touch techniques during your labor. When it comes to trying new things in a stressful situation, humans are pretty predictable: they just WON’T. But with practice, your partner is much more likely to give it a go come delivery day.
#6: Set realistic expectations
If I had a dollar for every time a woman in labor was depicted as an out of control screaming lunatic on television or in the movies, I would be a rich lady. Never mind the producers of pregnancy and birth “reality” shows that over dramatize even normal, uncomplicated labors to make them appear like terrifying emergencies. I was a labor & delivery nurse for 5 ½ years and have had the privilege to support hundreds and hundreds of women in labor. I’m here to tell you that Hollywood is NOT real life. Sure, labor is hard work. That’s why they call it labor. If it was easy, they would have called it “picnic.” But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be a positive, safe and empowering experience because it absolutely CAN! Learning about what labor is REALLY like is important preparation for birth. That’s a good segue into talking about fear…
#7: Address fears & increase confidence
One icebreaker I use in class is to ask everyone what they are looking forward to about labor and what they are scared or nervous about regarding labor. Can you guess which list is longer? Addressing your fears is an important part of labor preparation because the hormones of fear (like adrenaline) can decrease the body’s ability to respond to the hormones of labor (like oxytocin) which can result in a slowed or dysfunctional labor. And while being nervous about labor is normal, you also have a lot to feel confident about. Like the fact that your uterus has so much power that it can grow 400 times bigger than it was pre-pregnant. Or that your body has so much wisdom that is manufacturing an entire human being from just two single cells. Increased confidence: a side effect of taking a childbirth class!
#8: Meet other parents
The first year after having your first baby has been dubbed “The longest, shortest time.” That’s because there has never been a time in your life that you have been so elated yet so exhausted, so busy yet so bored, so loved yet so lonely. Swirling through your mind is a vortex of self-doubt: Am I a good parent? Am I doing this right? Is this NORMAL?!?! Making connections with other adults that are in the same boat as you before you give birth helps you to establish a support network once the baby arrives. Think of it as dating 2.0! In fact, just last week I hosted a play date for six toddlers and their mothers, all of whom I met through my childbirth educator. Despite differing work schedules and hectic lives, we have made an effort to keep in touch (thank you social media!) and they all have been a tremendous support network for me during my son’s first year.
#9: It forces your partner to learn something
Let’s be honest, most partners, especially men, would really, really, really rather not read a pregnancy book. It’s common for the non-pregnant parent to lack the same, shall we say, motivation to read up on all things birth. Many just hope the nurse will take care of everything at the hospital and fail to realize that a big part of the labor is spent at HOME. So instead of nagging or flooding those partners’ inboxes with “must read” articles, drag them to a class instead! It would be next to impossible for them to leave without learning something useful! And who knows? They might even have FUN. Oh, that brings me to my last point…
#10: It’s FUN!
That’s right…FUN! Honest! You have to be a special kind of person to want to talk about mucus plugs and vaginal discharge with a room full of strangers, so more likely than not, your childbirth educator will have a knack for making gross, boring, or uncomfortable topics interesting and engaging. When I teach a class, I pretend I’m in labor, give a dad a fake epidural and walk around wearing disposable mesh panties over my pants to illustrate postpartum perineal care. Hey, it’s a tough crowd…you have to be creative!
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates offers a wide variety of pregnancy and childbirth classes. Classes include prepared childbirth, natural childbirth, VBAC, baby care, breastfeeding, prenatal yoga, infant CPR and more. Online childbirth classes are also available.
For more information, you can view our class listing, call 1-877-439-5465 (toll free) to speak with our health education staff, or call your Harvard Vanguard clinician.