I became a childbirth educator in 1980. And to this day, I love what I do. I have expanded my role from childbirth
educator for expectant parents, to educating via social media, educating those
new to the childbirth profession, and as a leader in childbirth educator
organizations. For three + decades, I
have devoted my professional life to sharing and encouraging the embrace of the
evidence and facilitating informed decision-making.
And it only took three “easy” steps.
Step one was to decide that this passion was also a career
choice. It is one thing to be excited
about something shortly after the birth of one’s child. It is quite another to take the proverbial
bull by the horns and see it through the good times and the challenging times. Some of my most fierce challenges included
completing my certification through Lamaze (which included typing my six week
curriculum on a portable typewriter with carbon paper), seeing the ramped used
of epidurals in the late 1990s, and too-early elective induction/cesareans
which necessitated the need for more NICU space. Some of my peers quit during any one of these
challenges. I knew there was a proper
way for birth – a physiologic way for birth to happen – and my passion kept me
going.
“Cesarean surgery is
the quintessential issue that distinguishes the medical and physiologic models
of care.”1
Stepping into social media and the “computerized age” seemed
daunting however, I embraced Step Two - always educating.
Always loving gadgets and how things worked, everything from cell phones
(remember the bricks?) to my first Apple IIc computer became a way to extend my
passion. Oddly, what seemed so
Through all of the certifications, recertifications,
continuing education, conferences, organizational
politicalness and perceived hiding of the evidence surrounding physiologic
birth, I never lost the focus (Step Three) that physiologic birth is best for
mother and baby. Many authors have
studied it, written about it and shown the evidence to be there – if we clean
up our maternity care act, our maternal/infant morbidity and mortality rates
with improve. As we saw an increase in
chemical pain relief, we also saw a decrease in breastfeeding rates.
Anesthetics cross the placenta and reach the infant quickly and also target the
mother’s sensory nerve tissue. Early
induction predicates cesarean sections, with associated risks. Yet knowing all
of this, we still hesitate to do skin-to-skin during the immediate postpartum
because it may interfere with continuing medical procedures; ignoring the fact
that skin-to-skin supports normal thermal stability, stabilizes newborn blood
sugars, releases milk to the newborn, and promotes gastrointestinal motility
and digestion in the newborn (just to name a few of the benefits)2.
Clearly we do not focus on the evidence which
leads to physiologic birth which leads to optimum labor/birth outcomes.
But I digress.
Yes, the three easy steps of becoming a childbirth educator:
passionate career choice; embracing
technological change to find and promote research; and staying focused on the evidence for positive outcomes. To be called to this profession is a humble privilege. To sustain in this profession, takes a
passionate focus.
It is indeed my pleasure.
References:
- Romano, A. and Goer, H. (2012) Optimal Care in Childbirth: The Case for a Physiological Approach. Classic Day Publishing.
- Smith, L. (2010) Impact of Birthing Practices on Breastfeeding, 2nd Edition. Jones & Bartlett Publishing.
