Choosing the best childbirth class for you
Note, that everything below is a generalization about what you would typically find with a certain type of class, certain location, certain instructor. Obviously, “your mileage may vary.”
Topics
covered below:
Where to take your classes: Hospital classes versus community classes.
Instructors: Finding out more about your instructor.
Class Formats: How many sessions and how many hours?
Childbirth “Methods”: Lamaze, Bradley, Birthing from Within, and more…
Logistical Questions: Timing
Hospital classes: Most hospitals with birth facilities offer childbirth preparation classes, and your physician or midwife may give you information about these, or you can contact the hospital directly to find out more.
Independent educators: In most cities, there are independent childbirth educators who teach in their homes, or in community centers, or other public places. To find these classes, look in the yellow pages or in local parent-oriented publications, or go to the websites of any of the organizations listed below under methods – most of those sites will link you to information about where to find classes in your area.
Choosing what’s best for you: Hospital vs. Independent
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Hospital |
Independent |
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Knowledge of hospital specific policies and procedures: from little things like where to park, to bigger issues like routine interventions and pain medication options. |
More generalized knowledge of hospital procedures. May be more familiar with other birthplaces, like birth centers and home birth. |
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In a big hospital, lots of classes are offered, so you may be more able to find one that best fits your schedule. |
May be less flexible scheduling, as some independent instructors only teach a few series a year. |
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Instructors may be not be allowed to teach about some childbirth options, and may not be able to say anything critical of hospital procedures. May be “provider oriented” with the role of informing you of what to expect, and what is “expected” of you, and not offering many alternatives. |
Instructors generally have more flexibility with class content and teaching methods. Can answer questions without constraints on what they’re allowed to say. May be “consumer oriented”, encouraging you to take an active role in choosing the options you desire for your birth, and advocating for your choices. |
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Classes tend to be larger: 12 – 20 couples is common. |
Classes tend to be smaller: 5 – 12 couples is common. |
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You may not be able to find out who your instructor will be and what her philosophy and experience is. |
You may be able to speak to the instructor in advance, and ask questions about her philosophy and experience. |
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May be biased toward medical model of birth, with a focus on preventing and treating possible complications. |
May be more likely to view birth as natural and normal, and generally not in need of medical intervention. |
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May be able to use insurance or medical coupons to pay. |
May not be able to use insurance or medical coupons. |
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May include tour of the hospital. |
Usually would not include a tour. |
Childbirth educators come from a wide variety of backgrounds, have differing amounts of experience, wide-ranging philosophies about birth, and diverse teaching styles. Some questions you may want to ask to find out more about your instructor:
· What is her educational / professional background? (Many educators are also: labor and delivery nurses, midwives, doulas, massage therapists, social workers, or other related professionals.)
· How experienced is she with labor and birth? Has she attended only hospital births, or also seen home births and birth center births?
· Has she given birth herself?
· What organization did she do educator training with? Lamaze? Bradley? ICEA?
· What types of teaching techniques does she use in class?
(Note that if you are taking classes with a large organization, or at a hospital, the registrar will most likely not be able to answer these questions for you.)
Childbirth preparation classes come in many forms, ranging from
one-day seminars (8 hours) to twelve week series (24 hours).
When you register for a class, make sure you know how many sessions there are, and how long each session is. Also, be sure to check whether your childbirth class will include breastfeeding and newborn care info, or whether you’ll need to take additional classes to cover these topics.
Often, when people discover that there are so many different schedule options, they’re not sure what the benefits would be of taking longer series, so they sign up for the shortest class possible, because that’s the easiest one to fit into their schedule. It’s helpful to understand what the trade-offs are for different formats.
In general, even in a one-day seminar, the instructor will be able to convey to you “all the information you really need to know to prepare for labor and birth.” The differences are in the less tangible things you get in a childbirth class.
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One-Day Seminar |
Short Series 3 – 5 weeks |
Longer series, 6 – 10 weeks |
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Tends to be a large group (10 – 30 couples) |
Medium class size (10 – 20) |
Smaller class size (6 – 10) |
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Few chances to interact with classmates. |
You may get to know a few other couples in class. |
You’ll have lots of chances to interact with others and build friendships. |
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Very little time for questions. |
More time for questions and for discussion. |
Lots of discussions and personalized answers to your questions. |
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Because of limited time, instructor may need to do a lot of lecture, which is the quickest way to convey information, but may not be as good at helping students understand or retain the information. |
The more class time there is, the more the instructor can use teaching techniques which enhance understanding and memory of the material: videos, visual aids, demos, practice, homework, discussions, quizzes, Q&A, etc. |
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Can be an overwhelming amount of information to absorb in a short time. You may only “get” a small portion of it. |
More time between classes to think things through, practice, discuss, find answers to questions that arise. |
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Less focus on practicing skills, and on getting the knowledge into your body, not just your head. |
More time to practice massage, relaxation techniques, breathing techniques, etc. |
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Easier to fit into a busy schedule. |
More of a time commitment. |
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Best for people planning a birth with pain medication, and people who are less concerned with possible interventions. |
Best for people planning a birth without pain medication and hoping to minimize possible interventions. |
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For one day seminars: May be uncomfortable for a pregnant woman to sit for that many hours straight. |
For evening class series: May be hard for a pregnant woman to stay awake for an evening class each week. |
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Weekend getaways: Another format that may be available to you is the weekend getaway to a Bed and Breakfast. These tend to have small class sizes, of 4 – 8 couples. Advantages: time to focus on the upcoming birth and baby without other distractions, romantic getaway with just the two of you. Disadvantages: May be much more expensive.
Private education: Some educators offer private instruction as an alternative to a group class. These private classes are often taught in the student’s home. Advantage: Arranged to fit your schedule. Personalized to meet your needs. Disadvantages: No social interaction, or peer support from other people in a similar stage of life. Generally, little or no practice time. (“Class” tends to be only a few hours, and is mostly about imparting information and answering questions.) May be more expensive. Best for women on bedrest.
Special populations. Some organizations offer
classes aimed at particular groups, for example: non-english speaking students,
teens, moms who are planning a VBAC, those expecting twins, women who will need
a cesarean for a medical reason, Christian parents, etc. This can be helpful
for people to be a part of a group of people “like me”, and can offer valuable
peer support.
Childbirth Preparation Methods
There are several different “methods” that are taught. Some are more aimed at women wanting an unmedicated birth: Hypnobirthing, Bradley, and Birthworks are examples. Some are aimed at encouraging women to make informed choices about all aspects of birth, including pain medication and medical interventions: Lamaze, ICEA, Birthing from Within are examples. For descriptions, click here.
Logistical questions
When choosing a class, make sure you also think of logistical issues. You want to make sure you choose a class that is really workable for you and practical for you. You shouldn’t choose a class that you’ll end up skipping or dropping out of because the logistics are too difficult.
· Can you really make it work for your schedule? Sometimes when students call to sign up for a class, all the times that would be convenient for them to come are filled up, so they take something at a really inconvenient time, thinking “I’ll make it work somehow”, but then end up having to drop out. If the schedule at your chosen location doesn’t work, try checking some other local organizations to see when they have openings.
· Can you bring more than one support person? Can you come alone?
· Where are the classes held? Is it possible to park nearby? Is it expensive to park nearby?
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What do you
need to bring to class?
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What does the
class cost? Typical costs in the
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c. Janelle Durham, 2004