You know in response to all of the "offense" taken about the lack of *need*
for childbirthing and other classes, I just want to say, there is a huge
difference between bogging a woman down with facts about birth models and
empowering a woman/listening to and comforting her fears.  I teach a class
modeled after the Birthing From Within concept.  It empowers women to give
birth, it doesn't dwell on the mechanics of it, it has them reaching inside
themselves to find answers to their greatest fears, which are usually
parenting related as much as adequacy, worry about the feared c/s, etc.  We
cover a lot about nutrition and then we talk about the other "meat" involved
in having a child.  We spend far LESS time on the mechanics of birth as I
have found that women don't really care about what stage of labor they are
in when they are in it.  In fact one of the biggest things that brought me
to this conclusion was my last birth.... one of my dearest friends and
former CBE (Bradley), whispered in my ear "honey, I would guess you are in
transition" and I clearly remember my response being something profane along
the lines of not caring I just wanted to be done.   So I don't even dwell on
such things.

I DO think we can teach women into medicalized births with too much
information, but I also think there is a need for some women (certainly not
all) to have some sort of guidance, motherly guidance maybe, from someone
who has been there and felt the joy and can help them through their fears.
I am speaking purely of private practice CBE's, only because when you are
affiliated with a hospital it's a whole new ballgame.

Melisa
~*~*~*~*~
Counselor to women in the areas of breastfeeding,
midwifery, and other health matters.
www.nurturingmama.com

Mom to Harry who changed my life,
Jacob who changed my spirit, and
Elleanor who changed my soul.

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