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?

But here’s what all of those reasons look like in reality:…

12 Weeks Pregnant

Let’s look first at what is going on in your body. The first trimester is ripe with those early pregnancy hormones and lots of physical adjustments to this new growth. Usually in second trimester, we’ll see your nausea and breast tenderness subside a bit. We also will start to see a bit more of that pregnancy belly now that your uterus is filling your pelvis and rising up into the abdomen. For many, you can still get by with wearing a good bit of your pre-pregnancy clothes (though you likely have to use a hair tie to get those jeans to button).

Four Weeks Pregnant

Pregnant Together!Katherine MorrisJanuary 28, 2022Pregnant, pregnancy, doula, fertility, labor, childbirth, first trimester

Let's be pregnant together!*

…So, in addition to our regular content, we’re going to take our followers on a little journey. Starting with your first week of pregnancy and ending the year in the “fourth trimester,” adjusting to your new life with a little one, we’re going to take all of 2022 to try to help our clients, followers, and friends feel a little more prepared for what’s to come. We won’t post updates every week, but at the milestone moments. We’ll have little snapshots on social media, with more in-depth explorations on our blog.

Amanda Dowd, Head of Birth Doula Services

So, hello! I’m Amanda, and if you’re reading this as a potential or current client, I am so thrilled to be supporting you. I will probably shed a few tears at your birth (I usually do!) and I will always have chocolate on me if you need a little pick-me-up post delivery. I promise to hold space for all of your fears, hopes, and dreams, and I promise to honor you and your family exactly as you are. I promise to educate, empower, and uplift you, and I promise to support your choices without judgement.

Welcome to Terra Cotta Perinatal. Kat and I are so excited you’re here.

Terra Cotta Perinatal Services

I am excited to get to continue supporting our clients as Terra Cotta Perinatal Services grows. For those of you that have asked, yes, I will continue to attend births, but at a lesser rate as Amanda steps into heading up our birth doula services! In the meantime, I am taking a half-step back, working to develop our educational offerings and client resources, continuing to teach classes and even receive more training, myself, to expand our perinatal mental health services.