4 Reasons you don’t think you need a childbirth class (are the 4 reasons you should take one anyway)
Here are some real things I hear pretty often as a doula AND educator:
I don’t need to take a class because you (my doula) will be at my birth
People have been having babies since the beginning of time, I’m not sure that I need to spend 6+ hours learning how to do something so natural
I’m planning to get an epidural, so I don’t need a class that teaches me how to cope with labor
When I’m in labor I’m going to forget everything I learned in class, anyway, so why take it?
First off, if taking a class is not right for you for any reason, this is your pregnancy and your birth story. We’re just here to support you along the way! This is not designed to pressure or shame anyone who didn’t/isn’t taking a class.
But here’s what those reasons look like in reality:
Even if you have a trained support person (like a doula) at your birth, they are not able to communicate all the relevant information to you while you are laboring.
Especially if the information they need to be able to convey is bigger picture stuff. Can they help you weigh the pros and cons of a decision? Absolutely. Walk you through coping techniques? Totally. Lower your likelihood of needing interventions while increasing your likelihood of a positive birth? Heck yes! That’s what doulas are literally trained to do. But here’s an important distinction. Not all doulas are childbirth educators. That is in no way a dig on doulas that don’t teach; they still do all of the things I mentioned above (and about a trillion other things). But just because you have a trained support person at your birth doesn’t mean you always have someone who is familiar with all the procedures/interventions/variations/alternatives that a childbirth class would give you information on. Especially if they are newer to birth support and/or haven’t had a lot of experience with circumstances that are specific to you (such as: -birthing location -provider choice -high risk status -level of intervention that has already occurred). And even if, for instance, you have hired a combo like me, we don’t have the time to give you all the information day-of. Often I’ll find myself trying to boil down more complex concepts in between contractions, wondering how much of it is even able to get through.
2. Birth is natural, you’re so right. And yet, especially in hospital environments, it is not treated as a natural occurrence.
It is treated as something that needs to be managed with risks that need to be mitigated. This approach leads to a significant increase in interventions and augmentations. Those are medical procedures that - while we are very grateful for them when they are needed - are decidedly not natural processes. Which means the moment these procedures get added into the mix, there is information to be processed and decisions to be made that fall way outside of the birth experience that we generationally hold in our bodies.
3. Epidurals don’t get placed at the first sign of discomfort. And not all epidurals work 100%. And even the ones that do don’t remove your need to still physically expel a human from your body.
Classes fill in the gaps around the epidural coverage. They give you the understanding of early labor to know when you might consider going to the hospital. They teach you coping mechanisms and relaxation techniques to keep you relaxed and progressing until it’s time to get the epidural placed (and in case there are moments of your epidural coverage not being strong enough, to bridge the gap until you are able to get comfortable again.) And finally, you learn about things like delivery, immediate postpartum procedures and newborn care, which are important to know about and all live outside the epidural space (pun intended).
4. Labor land is real, I’m not going to lie to you.
When you really get into the thick of it, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell me the 3 R’s, or the peanut ball position that would be best for you to try next. But here’s what you do remember: “This is what it’s supposed to look and feel like. I remember that these waves are normal, that this intensity will pass.” Or the affirmations combined with breathing techniques that will help you stay physically relaxed and breathing nice and slow through contractions. Your partner will remember that counter pressure technique that will feel like such a relief. And do you know what else? Everything before and after the most intense part of labor! You’ll know what early labor looks like and whether or not you’re in it. You’ll know what to expect right after you’ve delivered. And most importantly, you’ll know how to ask questions, process changes and make decisions all the way through.
Bottom Line: Childbirth Classes make a difference.
We see a difference in birth experiences between the clients that take classes and those that don’t. We also see lower rates of medical intervention in those births.
In addition, trauma-informed care teaches us that the best thing you can do to lower your risk of psychological birth trauma is to put as many layers of “protection” between you and that trauma as possible. That includes hiring a doula, working with a provider you really trust and who supports your choices and autonomy, and preparing in practical ways for birth through childbirth classes.
Let us know in the comment section below if you took a birth class during pregnancy, and what the most valuable thing was that you got out of it!
Make sure to click the link below to learn more about what’s covered in our classes, and to check out our class options. Feel free to reach out if you have questions! We look forward to seeing you in class.