Nine Tips for Choosing a Childbirth Education Course
I may be biased here, but childbirth education is an important part of preparing for birth and beyond.
Prior to my first pregnancy, I was terrified of childbirth. So terrified that I was pretty sure I never wanted to have children. I remember talking to some of the women in my family about birth at our annual Labor Day picnic. I wasn’t even considering giving birth at that time, so I don’t quite remember how the topic came up. But birth stories were shared. I don’t remember any of the specifics or even if they were at all positive and encouraging or just negative and scary. I do, however, vividly remember my intense and visceral fear. These negative feelings about birth surfaced just about any time the topic was brought up. Birth was something I never wanted to experience. The fear was something I did not think I could get past.
Learning more about the process as I started to entertain the idea of having children and ultimately taking a childbirth education course changed everything. I ended up on the other end of the spectrum actually looking forward to experiencing it all unmedicated.
Regardless of the individual choices you will make for your birth or your current thoughts on it, preparing for the process and for postpartum has immense importance and value. I want you to pick a good one that feels in alignment.
Here are nine tips for choosing a childbirth education method or course.
Find One That Fits Your Needs
In-person childbirth education courses used to be the only option. Now, there are so many other choices, and you aren’t limited by what’s available just in your local area. You can find classes that meet live online, so that you can interact with other people and ask questions in real time. There are also online options that are asynchronous, which allow you to prepare on your schedule.
You also want to choose one that feels aligned. Everyone has biases, which is ok as long as they’re made clear. Different courses will appeal to different people. You actually may want to avoid the ones that try to appeal to everyone. Look closely at how it is presented on a website or sales page. What topics will be covered? What is the main focus of the course? Are there any red flags? Is it a one-day course or does it span weeks? Does it feel like a good fit?
There’s actually a huge spectrum when it comes to options. From courses taught in a hospital setting that focus mostly on medical interventions to those that promise an orgasmic, pain-free birth experience, they’re not all going to feel like a good fit. But hopefully something will stand out to you!
Make Sure the Content is Evidence-Based
There is so much misinformation online when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Make sure you choose a method or course that provides evidence-based information. You can ask the instructor what sources were used in developing the course content.
While decisions don’t need to be made on evidence alone, it’s critical that they are informed by reliable and accurate information.
Check That it Includes a Method for Nervous System Regulation
The birth process is facilitated by hormones. The hormones that help labor progress are negatively impacted by the hormones released by your body’s stress (fight or flight) response. A good childbirth education course will include some type of method for nervous system regulation. This can help you avoid your body’s fight or flight response as you navigate the challenges of labor. Some popular methods use relaxation techniques, breathing exercises, hypnosis, or meditation. Practicing your chosen method in advance increases the likelihood that it will be effective in the moment.
Ensure it Encourages a Healthy Mindset
When it comes to birth and postpartum, it’s really important to have a healthy mindset. While the choices we make in advance help guide how we prepare, being adaptable in the moment is key. You have to navigate your birth (and beyond) as it’s unfolding. Problems arise when people are still trying to navigate an experience they’ve envisioned instead of the one that they’re in the thick of. This can have a negative impact on decision-making.
You want to avoid a course that makes it feel like there’s a right and wrong way to give birth or includes unnecessary fear-mongering when it comes to medical interventions.
Provides More Than Just Passive Education
A childbirth education course that includes actionable tools, hands-on activities, scenarios to work through, and opportunities for discussion is going to be more effective than one that is basically a lecture-only style. Pick one that gets you thinking, moving, and taking action. It will be much more effective in preparing you for birth and postpartum.
Involves Your Partner
Whoever is going to be your main labor support person should be involved as you plan and prepare for birth. They will be much more effective as a support person if they have an understanding of the birth process, how you’ve prepared for it, and what decisions you’ve made in advance, and how to be your advocate.
A good birth prep method will encourage partner involvement, provide opportunities for important to discussion, and help prepare them to support you.
For more on this check out my blog post below:
🔗 Savvy and Supportive: Twelve Tips for Partners
Doesn’t Encourage an Adversarial Relationship With Your Provider
You want to find a provider that you can trust and that respects your role as decision-maker. In fact, this is one of the most important decisions you will make for your pregnancy and birth. Not all care providers are supportive, and the maternity care system is imperfect. It’s so important to be able to identify red flags, reasons to make a switch, and violations of your bodily autonomy. Absent of these, it’s going to be more effective to focus your energy on building a collaborative relationship with your provider.
A good childbirth education course will encourage assertive and respectful communication and informed decision-making with your provider throughout pregnancy as you explore your options for prenatal care, birth, and newborn care.
Here are some tips:
Approach birth planning as a process that happens throughout pregnancy as opposed to a document presented as you arrive at your birth location. You don’t want that to be the first time your care provider has seen it.
Don’t automatically assume the medical advice your care provider is offering is based on them prioritizing their needs over yours. While that is sometimes the case, it isn’t always. Make sure you understand the why behind their recommendations. Ask questions. Get curious. Be a skeptic. However, you don’t want to ignore valid medical advice for the wrong reasons.
Provides Support for Your Questions
If it’s a live class, will there be time to ask questions. If it’s online, is there a way to get support? Lots of questions may come up as you prepare for birth and beyond, and having a reliable person available to answer them is key. You also want to make sure it feels like a safe and comfortable space for asking about whatever is on your mind.
Helps Prepare You for Birth AND Postpartum
Preparing for birth is definitely important, but we sometimes neglect postpartum until we’re in the thick of it. Make sure your chosen method prepares you for birth AND beyond. It’s a time where you’re recovering physically, learning how to care for your new baby, adjusting to your new role, and not getting a lot of sleep. You definitely want to be ready for all of this!
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you now have some insight on what to look for when it comes to choosing a childbirth education course.
Before choosing one, it can be helpful to first figure out what you’re wanting for your own experience. I have a quiz and free resource to help you learn more about how you might want to approach navigating labor and birth. Click the button below to discover and explore your Birth Journey Archetype!