What Are The Different Types of Childbirth Education? And How Do I Know Which One is Right For Me?
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Kaely Harrod 0:01
Hello, welcome back to Kaely Daily. Today's question is, what are the different types of childbirth education? And how do I know which one is right for me? This is Kaely Daily, the Bi-Weekly Podcast about all things Doula Tips and Tits, where we answer one question about pregnancy, labor or postpartum or lactation, in order to have your journey in this parenting world be just a little bit more informed and filled with consent. Hello, and welcome back. If you have been here for a while, you know that it is not unusual that I don't ask one. But actually two questions on one episode. So today's core question is, what are the different types of childbirth education? And then the second sort of part of that question is, how do I figure out which one is the right fit for me? Now, I am not going to even pretend to know every single possible form of childbirth education, that is not what I'm talking about here. I'm not able to list out for you like every class that exists and every person who's ever made a childbirth class, I want to give you a general idea of what kinds of childbirth classes there are, and how help you kind of have some tools in choosing what would be a good fit. So generally speaking, there are online self paced classes. So if you've been around again, you've heard me talk about the birth prep blueprint. That is the class that I made that I created, that is available, all of my clients go through it. And so that is an online self paced class. Now it's considered comprehensive childbirth education, meaning that it really covers everything about birth, okay, I shouldn't say everything. I hear my mom in the back of my head like everything. Are you sure there's not one single topic? I love my mom dearly. If she listens to this episode, she will laugh at this. And so it encompasses all the information about birth, some information about pregnancy, then birth, then like a whole section on comfort measures and tools and stuff like that. And then a section on interventions like what it like, what's an induction? What's the Syrian? When is that necessary? When is it not necessary? What's an emergency versus not. And then postpartum information both about the baby and about the person who gave birth, and some feeding information. And then there's kind of a small portion for partners. Now the whole class is also for partners. But there are three short videos that are specifically for the person who's supporting someone in labor. Okay. So one of the one of the parts of that kind of class is that you can take it at your own pace. A benefit of that is that you get to break it down in a more digestible way for yourself, if that's what you need. If you're not a person that wants to sit all day, Saturday, or Sunday and Saturday, or whatever, to really like learn eight hours worth of childbirth Ed, then you can take this class in small chunks, you can also go back to it. So if you're like, you know what, we watched that labor module, but I don't remember it right, then you can go back and watch it again, which I think is really helpful, because I do think if you're brand new to this information, it's a lot to take in all at once. Okay, so so like self paced, virtual classes are one thing, right? Um, some of them are like mine, very comprehensive minus, like 10 plus hours worth of content total, broken into smaller pieces, right, comes with handouts, comes with guides comes with checklists, like all the different kinds of things. You have some bonuses in there, like all of that stuff. Some online virtual classes are quicker, shorter, more kind of the nitty gritty or like the basics of birth or something like that. And those are still usually self paced. If they're like a pre recorded class, you usually have access to them for a while. So you can go back and watch the modules and that sort of thing. They're not taught live while you're on the call. Okay, so that's kind of what I'm talking about. There's another form of education, that's just any kind of virtual Ed, that's kind of the basics of birth, that typically is between six and eight hours worth of information. That usually covers all the same topics I mentioned for my virtual class, but in less detail, right so it's kind of condensed down. Every class is a little bit different. We call those things like childbirth basics, childbirth Express weekend childbirth class, like those are the the ways that those
Kaely Harrod 4:59
are named typically, then if you're kind of going towards the more unmedicated side, there's a handful of different resources. One is any kind of like natural growth class. Lamar is Bradley method. And there are others. There's various forms of Hypno birthing. Hello babies is a local one here in DC. And so there's lots of different ones that are geared more towards having on medicated tools, it doesn't mean that you can't take those classes if you do plan to have an epidural. But those classes tend to be more geared towards not having an epidural. Right. And again, I can't say, the exact framework of every single instructor of whatever method ever, right. But I can say like, generally speaking, this is kind of the culture of those classes. Most of those more in depth classes are series. So they run consecutive weeks, maybe three weeks, maybe five weeks, maybe six weeks, sometimes eight, okay, there are a few classes that are 12. So if you want more comprehensive tools, some some better hands on practicing time, some maybe some like really solid breathing techniques, then you want to look for a class that is a set of series, okay? Now, if it is a series like that, you also need to plan out when exactly you're going to take that. So you should look into that kind of class, before you're really far into the second trimester. I really think starting those classes in the beginning of the second trimester is the perfect time because you want time to finish them before you give birth. Right. But also, they're usually taught in like a group setting, maybe virtual, maybe not depending on COVID, you know, but because of that, they don't just start on the day that you want to start them, right, they start on particular days. So you also have to do some research in your area, what's available, and when it's available. Now, I will say because of COVID, or maybe not, because maybe before COVID, but especially in the midst of COVID-19, there are more virtual options than there used to be. And so I know some really lovely series kind of classes geared more towards natural birth, that are completely virtual. So if you're looking for that kind of thing, then you can take those from anywhere. Right. So the ones I know are in East Coast time. But I'm happy to point you towards a variety that I'm familiar with, that I really love and trust, regardless of where you live. So So So I think those are kind of the types of childbirth classes now. What kind of class you choose, I think matters about like, is dictated sort of by two factors. One is what is your overall GamePlan for birth. So if you're planning a home birth, for instance, if you're planning a birth center birth, you're planning and
Kaely Harrod 8:09
an unmedicated hospital birth. All of those are situations where you need more tools, and more comfort measures in your toolbox, so to speak, right? So you want to look for a slightly more comprehensive class, or a completely comprehensive, like six, eight or 12 week series class, right? Like you really want some solid education to go into that experience, especially if it's your first time giving birth. If you're like, you know, birth kind of freaks me out, but I feel like I should take a birth class than the shorter maybe self paced ones are a better option for you. Now, every class is a little bit different when you just talked about like childbirth class that's not like Lamaze or Bradley method or things that kind of have a an overall like philosophy behind the method so to speak. If you're just taking like a weekend childbirth class or like a hospital, childbirth class or a childbirth Express, then one thing to think about is whether that class is taught inclusive of all different desires in birth. I have had clients that like plan a hospital birth with an epidural and they take a childbirth Express class with someone who only talks about unmedicated birth and really talks down about epidurals. Well that is very unhelpful if that is your plan, right? Because it's actually more helpful to have like factual, practical information about the risks and benefits of an epidural, and why and when someone might choose to use one, rather than being shamed about a decision to use one right? On the flip side, if you're planning an unmedicated birth, or a home birth, and you take a class taught by someone Who thinks that homebirth is dangerous, or unmedicated birth is crazy, then you're going to also leave with a lot of very unhelpful information. Right? So, one of the factors is what your plan is. The other factor is kind of where are you in terms of time and anxiety. So, if you're like about you're doing the day you're about to give birth, you need a virtual self paced class because you need to be able to do it in your own time, right? If you're really anxious and you want to be able to take it in small chunks. I also think you need a virtual self paced class. Okay. Um, but especially if you are like, thinking I want just like the basics and not like a ton of information, look for the basics. You do not have to have 10 hours or more of childbirth education, it's not a requirement. Okay. I do think you should have something and you know that already, if you've been around here at all, you know that I think that I think that's helpful to everybody who gives birth, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming or scary for you. Okay, so, on that note, this is the last episode of season one of Kaley daily, doula Tips and Tips. And I am just super pumped about how this first season went. I first of all want to thank you all because you all my awesome listeners are the reason it went so well. It's been really humbling and awesome to see people like binge watch or listen to a bunch of episodes, hear feedback from people. And that has been super rewarding to me and also been really helpful for guiding where this show should go. So um, we're going to take about a month off. I'm trying to really enjoy my kiddos before they head back to school and things like that. And then we will come back for season two. So I plan to start season two backup in the fall. In September, you should start hearing from me again. And at that time, I also hope to have another childbirth offering that I cannot wait to tell you about so if you've not already gone over to Instagram and connected with me there, please do that I would love to connect with you. My Instagram handle is Herat doula. And if you go over, you can also send me a message of what things you would love for me to cover in season two, because I would love for you to get on the timeline of questions that we're going to dig into. So in the meantime, of course, like always, I wish you consent filled, well informed, beautiful, wonderful for the experiences.
Kaely Harrod 12:50
These episodes are edited and produced by Kaely. Harrod rod, as I'm sure you can probably tell, and our amazing music is credited in the shownotes as well. So we look forward to seeing you on the next episode, and in the meantime, have a wonderful and consent filled birth.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Childbirth Education or a Birth Class is an important step in your preparation for labor and birth. It not only helps a pregnant person understand what’s happening during labor in their body, but also helps them decide what things are important to them or what factors matter for them in the birth and postpartum period.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Types of Birthing Classes:
Hypnosis-based classes
Longer Series Natural-Birth Approaches
Express Classes or Weekend Classes (covering basics and usually focused on hospital birth and epidurals)
Virtual or Self-Paced classes like The Birth Prep Blueprint below
PREVIOUS EPISODES TO LISTEN TO:
When Should I Take a Childbirth Class?
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/kaely-daily-podcast/when-should-i-take-a-childbirth-class
Do I need Childbirth Education?
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/kaely-daily-podcast/episode-3
RESOURCES
FREE OXYTOCIN GUIDE:
6 Ways to Increase Oxytocin for Labor Progression
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/free-guide-6-oxytocin-tips
CONNECT with Kaely on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/Harroddoula/
This podcast is hosted by the Birth Prep Blueprint - comprehensive Childbirth Education for expectant parents to feel calm, prepared and confident about labor and birth. Podcast listeners (that’s YOU!) get 10% off! Use the link below to get that great deal!
https://thebirthprepblueprint.com/offers/884d5a56-9089-4482-a944-6bb7c26c9b04
If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @harroddoula
Kaely Daily is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
It is sponsored by The Birth Prep Blueprint Childbirth Class
Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
