Prepared Childbirth Class Info ...

[SC RN, RN]

I teach Prepared Childbirth classes at my hospital ... I'm fairly new to this and have just started my fifth session. With each session, I learn more and more and have adapted my teaching style appropriately. It's so much fun and I look forward to seeing my parents each Tuesday night!

My question is this ... what do you feel that your patients "miss" or "misunderstand" from childbirth classes? What one thing (or more) do you wish they knew about when they walk through your doors?

Our curriculum is WAY outdated and I'm working to change that since I work in L&D and see some of these patients from start to finish. I want to add postpartum depression to the classes and a few other things so that ou parents have a well-rounded education before they go into labor.

Please share all of your thoughts and ideas ... I know you've all had days where you've thought "didn't they learn/teach this in childbirth classes"?

Thanks!

[midwife2b]

I worked in a busy Level III L&D; our births have doubled over the past 10 years. We have lots of different childbirth education programs; some are Lamaze-based, Bradley-based, and "doctor based" (meaning there is a lot of emphasis on things the docs want the patients to know and "how things are done by their doctors').

I guess my biggest frustration is the "forgetting" about breathing and relaxation. Our patients are all told they have options while in labor: walk, chair, shower, knee chest, etc. but they often forget this and just hop in the bed and stay there. OR they have their hearts set on an epidural so "I didn't listen to the breathing part", therefore didn't hear that they have to be in some labor and about 4 cm. dilated before they can get an epidural. (Always some exceptions, but basically this is the way it is for 90% of our clients.)

Sometimes Bradley is talked about in a bad light but they do focus on the process and the control a woman can have and that seems to empower the couple. And we WANT them to feel like they had a say in what goes on!

I personally don't care if my patients have an epidural or not. But there is something to be said about having some personal control that can be learned through breathing and relaxation.

We have a couple of educators who tell the couples that if everything looks good on their admission NST, GET OUT OF THE BED and help get that baby in position. An epidural or intrathecal can be had up till the time of crowning here, so they should'nt be afraid to try to make themselves comfortable and facilitate that babies engagement position and descent while they are waiting for that moment. In my experience, women feel better having contractions in an upright or sitting position vs. lying in the bed.

So I guess if I could advise you... focus on the process of labor and how the family can feel empowered. Stress that asking questions like "what can I do to get my baby in the best position"! That fear/tension/pain cycle is a reality!