Choose Your Childbirth Class Carefully!

Photo from www.Bradley.com

I remember the excitement I felt 24 years ago when I signed up for Childbirth Classes at Brookwood Hospital in Birmingham. My husband went with me faithfully as we learned the basics of childbirth, saw an epidural needle and basically learned what we needed to know for a good epidural birth. We had one couple in our class who was planning an unmedicated, natural birth; quite frankly, I thought they were crazy! I remember that our instructor did spend time talking to them individually, but I really didn't give it much thought.


By my second baby, however, I knew I wanted a natural birth. We lived about an hour from the nearest hospital with a midwife, so we didn't attend a class. But our midwife gave us lots of good reading material and spent time helping us prepare for our natural birth. With our third baby we actually took a Christian Childbirth class and learned so much that we used with both our third and fourth babies.

Choosing Your Childbirth Class
The Childbirth Class you choose can make a huge difference in your childbirth experience. Both Crestwood and Huntsville Hospital offer Prepared Childbirth classes. If you know that you want an epidural, then a hospital class is perfect for you. One of the benefits of a hospital class is that you will get a tour of the facility. Another benefit is the tremendous flexibility in scheduling your class. You can schedule a 5 week evening series or an intensive weekend class. Everybody can find something that works for their schedule!

However, if you know that you really don't want an epidural, and you would prefer to learn more in-depth pain management techniques, then you might want to consider a childbirth class that is not associated with a hospital. The childbirth educators who teach in the hospital have to teach specific things that the doctors want taught, and there are certain topics they tend to avoid. An independent childbirth educator has no such constraints. There are several options available at A Nurturing Moment for local moms:

• Bradley Childbirth Classes 

The Bradley Method of Husband Coached Childbirth offers intensive preparation and education for expectant parents. The class size is limited to just 5 couples so that there is plenty of individual attention. This 10 week series covers everything from the anatomy and physiology of birth to birth plans and relaxation techniques. Students learn exactly what to expect at each stage of labor and practice various scenarios. Husbands and wives work together to achieve the goal of a medication-free birth. A Student Workbook with over 130 pages and 75+ pictures is included in the price of the price of the class. .Jen Berry has been a Bradley instructor for 8 years, and has helped numerous families achieve the birth they wanted.

• HypnoBirthing 

HypnoBirthing - The Mongan Method  is a unique method of relaxed, natural childbirth education that uses self-hypnosis techniques. Classes emphasize pregnancy and childbirth as well as pre-birth parenting and the consciousness of the pre-born baby. Women learn to use their natural instincts to achieve a safe, comfortable birth, Participants learn to view labor as hard work and pressure rather than pain. Marsha Mathes, Certified Hypnobirthing Instructor teaches our Hypnobirthing classes and also limits her classes to 5 couples. Participants in the 5 week series receive the HypnoBirthing text as well as the Rainbow Relaxation CD.

• Christian Childbirth Classes

Courtney Buckley is a childbirth educator who has created a distinctly Christian childbirth series. Her class combines all the practical aspects of childbirth with an emphasis on relying on the Lord and growing spiritually through pregnancy and childbirth. The class includes specific instruction on fear and how to alleviate and release your fears. It also deals briefly with Genesis 3:16-17 and how that relates to us today. Other practical aspects of instruction include positions for labor and birth, how to write a birth plan and preparation for husbands.

Whether you choose a hospital class or a private class, be sure to get signed up early and play close attention. You'll be glad you did!

The Right Childbirth Class for You

When I was pregnant with my oldest child 20+ years ago, my husband and I attended a series of 5 prepared childbirth classes at our hospital. In our group of about 15 couples, only 1 couple was planning a non-medicated birth. Quite frankly, I thought they were crazy! Why in the world would anybody want all that pain when you could have an epidural and not feel a thing??

I didn't really know that I was in labor when I went in for my checkup on June 22, but my doctor said I was, so we headed on over to the adjacent hospital to have a baby! The doctor came in and broke my water so labor would progress, then a little bit later the anesthesiologist arrived with the biggest needle I had ever seen to give me my epidural. Unfortunately, my husband had run home to grab a few last minute things since (as noted earlier) I wasn't really planning to have a baby that day.

The nurse said that it would feel kind of like a little bee sting when I got my epidural. Since I'm allergic to bee stings, that kind of scared me just a bit. Let me just say it didn't feel like any bee sting I've ever had. It HURT!!!!! Several hours later, the nurse said I was fully dilated and could start pushing. I couldn't feel anything, so I tried to push when they told me I was having a contraction, but I didn't do a very good job of it. After over 2 hours of that, they used a vacuum extractor to get her out and whisked her off to the nursery because she had swallowed a lot of blood from being stuck in the birth canal so long.

I decided that I would never again give birth that way. I began to educate myself, found a wonderful midwife who worked with an OB/GYN group, and nearly three years later had my second child after just a few pushes following a labor that progressed on its own under Midwife Katie's watchful eye. I was still in a hospital setting, but everything was radically different. Babies 3 and 4 were born in similarly natural, relaxed settings.

I have since become a huge advocate for a mother's right to have the birth she desires. If you know you want a medicated birth, then prepare yourself for it by attending a class at the hospital. Huntsville Hospital offers a 2 week or 4 week class for $50. Crestwood Medical Center offers a free 4 week series or a 1 day Saturday class. If you already know you will have a C-Section, it's still a good idea to take a class designed for you.

However, if you are leaning toward an unmedicated birth, you would be very wise to look for more extensive preparation. Jennifer Berry is a Bradley Childbirth Instructor who offers an in-depth 10 week series that will prepare you for any eventuality you may face during your labor. Her students range from couples giving birth in the hospital setting to those who are planning a midwife-assisted delivery. The time and money you spend preparing your mind and your body for birth will be well worth the end result! He class size is limited to just 5 couples, so it is imperative that you make your plans to attend one of her classes early.

If you haven't really given much thought to this matter, spend some time talking with your partner about what's important to you in your baby's birth. Then together you can choose the class that is best suited for your needs.

If you've already had your baby, please leave a comment about your childbirth class and what you most liked or didn't like about it!