I should be packing my bags for Australia and the CAPERS conference, but I
wanted to address a previous concern that was posted .....
do childbirth classes prepare a woman for a 24 hour event, only?
Hopefully classes are farther reaching than that.  It's my firm belief that
classes should let people know about getting your needs met within the
healthcare system (whether that's prenatally or once you're working with
pediatricians)....how to advocate for yourself and your children (whether
that be in clarifying your birth plan or dealing with a school
system)...how to be a wise consumer (whether that be sorting out all the
media mixed messages about birth or understanding the marketing message of
formula companies) ...to clarify what you want in birth, in parenting (what
your dreams and wishes are)....to practice communication skills with
partner, family, health care provider...how to relax in the stressful world
we live in (whether that be breathing slowly when you want to panic in
labor or breathing slowly when you're losing your temper with a toddler in
a grocery store)...what proper nutrition is for yourself and your family
(ketchup never counts as a vegetable in pregnancy or parenting)...trusting
your body to birth a baby, to produce breastmilk....I feel a quality
childbirth class is a great opportunity for life skills, not just coping
with labor pain skills.  It is however an opportune time  for folks to
reach out for help because they are generally motivated ( a lot by
fear...women fearing they won't survive birth and men afraid they'll never
have sex again if they don't come to class with her....just kidding!)
Anyway, if people are teaching classes that only prepare folks for the
birth...there is a lot missing.

I know I'm going on a bit but I am also concerned when breastfeeding is not
addressed in a regular series of classes and folks are encouraged to take a
separate class focusing on breastfeeding....group dynamics are important,
after being together for several weeks with the same instructor, a bond is
usually made.  The group will be more trusting of each other, trust their
instructor more and be more likely to be involved with the information...as
opposed to starting over with a new group of people whom they don't know
and a new instructor they'll only know for a couple hours as opposed to the
twleve they spend with their childbirth educator.  Just my .02.

And finally, the day a woman gives birth to new life, is not just another
day to quote from Penny Simkin.  Her studies show that woman can recall
small details from that day even 20 years later, which is amazing as I
think most of us would have a problem remembering what we did 7 days
ago....but we have a clear picture of what happened as our babies were
born.  Childbirth education is not preparing a woman for just another day
in her life, it's so much more.

Off the soapbox,
back to packing,
Teri Shilling, MS, FACCE, CD(DONA), IBCLC