Childbirth Education- Do you really need to go to class?

This is a guest blog from my dear friend Kathy Bradley - her expertise has helped countless families have the best birth possible.  Now she shares her thoughts for your clients!

Kathy Bradley
Founder, Childbirth Concierge

Often times I hear pregnant moms say “I don’t need to go to childbirth class I am going to use an epidural” and it is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about childbirth class that exist.  Before the electronic era and wide spread use of pain medication for pain control, the common way expectant parents could learn about what was going to happen to them during birth was to attend a childbirth class.  Over the years the childbirth education classes have seen a decline in attendance, yet  a lot of people spend more time and resources researching how to remodel a bathroom or kitchen than learning about bringing a baby into the world.

Today offers a lot more options.  With YouTube and the internet, one doesn’t even need to leave their home or put down their hand held device to get advice and information on giving birth. And it is true that babies will come into this world without their parents taking a class on “childbirth”, after all childbirth classes didn’t exist 100 plus years ago as we know them and babies still arrived.  Fast forward to a very busy society where 80% to 90% of laboring patients use epidural and c-section rates are the highest they have ever been across the United States. 

Learning from a childbirth expert what you can do to increase your chances of a positive birth experience is worth your time and money.  Most hospitals offer some type of class, but it is also very popular to see other classes offered in the community.  For those with busy schedules, private classes are the perfect option and are not as expensive as you might think.   Most classes whether group or private cover when to got to the hospital, what to expect, stages and phases of labor, basic terminology, comfort measures, interventions.  Some classes include newborn care and breastfeeding. The hot topics usually are pain medications.  In my 24 years of experience there are generally three types of thinking when approaching pain control;

1. I definitely want an epidural.

2. I will wait and see if I need one.

3. No thank you, I do not want one.

There is no right or wrong answer, only you can decide, but I also encourage you to stay open about options.  For example if you are planning on an epidural learning about when the better time to get an epidural can help you to decrease your chances of a C-section.  Most moms don’t realize that the number one way to decrease their chances of a C-section is to wait until active labor to come to the hospital. We call this the 511 rule - contractions at least 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute long, for at least 1 hour.

If you are planning on not having an epidural, have you thought about what it takes?  Do you have good labor support?  Have you thought about hiring a doula?  Key to laboring without an epidural is movement, use of hydrotherapy and comfort measures, and understanding all the ins and outs of labor.  Do you understand when an epidural can be beneficial? Yes, even for those “natural” mamas, sometimes interventions can be helpful in unique situations. Being prepared and not afraid makes a world of difference.

Birth planning and birth itself is not 100% black and white.  The more you are educated and understand the value in good communication with your nurses, midwives and doctors the more satisfied you will be even if the need arises for a C-section. 

Your childbirth educator is the expert that you can ask all kinds of questions to and bounce things off that you have read or heard. 

It’s is your birth, and education is key!

For additional information contact Kathy Bradley, IBCLC at 321-213-1112 or Kathy@childbirthconcierge.com

Kathy Bradley, CD, ICCE, IBCLC has been involved with perinatal education and health care since 1989. As the founder and executive director of the former Childbirth Enhancement Foundation, she developed partnerships and training programs for community based doula programs with 14 hospitals.  She is owner of Childbirth Concierge and holds a degree in Communication and Public Relations. As an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula, and she serves on the Council of Licensed Midwifery for Florida Department of Health. During her career Kathy has made numerous appearances on TV programs focused on women and children’s health as well as developed many training programs for para professionals and health professionals.  She worked with mom and babies at Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando, FL for 14 years and has been in private practice since 1991.