Going Independent...

Okay, so I have made the decision...I am going to give independent childbirth classes a try - again. I am currently teaching in a hospital setting - which is not as bad as many would think.  We have autonomy to some degree but at the same time our classes are 4 weeks long and it just never seems like enough time.  I will continue with this because I do feel I make a difference.  But...

Over the past year women have been approaching me asking for...more.  They actually believe our classes are too basic - and they are right.  We spend a whole hour on a tour that is also given two times a month independent of the classes.  Why can't they go on one of those?  I think of that hour as redundant time - time where I could be teaching them coping skills.

Many say that women are not interested in learning all this - that they just want to know when they can get an epidural - and while I do believe that many women attend class wanting to know the answer to that question, I also believe there are women who give up in labor and accept an epidural because they don't know how to cope - don't know what to do.  And neither do their support people.

I do an little exercise in class - the first night - pregnant women in one line - support people in the other.  Right now in my classes the vast majority are dads.  They come in not having a clue how to help.  They leave knowing that after the mom they are the most important person in the room during the birth.  They relay race to a flip chart sheet and write all the things they know about what to do in labor.  The first time we do this they don't do bad - but, I repeat it the last class and they walk away confident.  It isn't just this exercise - we talk about topics that help them learn - how to trust - each other - the baby - the body - the process.

I am excited to be doing this and it will take a while to put it all together.  In the meantime if you know anyone who can benefit from an old fashion childbirth class where people attend to learn to take responsibility and make choices - send them my way!