Information on Child Birth Class Evaluation

Home >> Parenting & Families >> Child Birth Class Evaluation

Child Birth Class Evaluation

The normal process of moving a baby from the womb to the outside world is called- 7 for a reason—it's work. One reason so many women were heavily sedated during childbirth a few decades ago is that few were adequately prepared forwhat would happen once labor started. As the contractions of the uterus becamemore uncomfortable, fear and anxiety would multiply the pain until virtually allcontrol would be lost. In 1944 the groundbreaking book Childbirth without Fearby British physician Grandy Dick-Read introduced the concept that a womanwho understood what was happening during labor and learned how to workwith it could have a calm, controlled, and far more comfortable birth experience.

Over the next several years, a variety of prepared childbirth approaches andtechniques were developed as the goal of having a "natural" childbirth gainedpopularity and acceptance. Some advocates of natural childbirth campaigned forlabor and delivery completely devoid of any medical intervention, at timesputting expectant parents who subscribed to these ideas at odds with their physi-cians. In response, many doctors complained about "natural childbirth fanatics"who challenged every detail of the hospital routine. But over time, physicians ob-served that well-informed couples working as a team had a much better experi-ence—and usually had an easier time from a medical perspective—than terrified.unprepared patients who spent the entire labor and delivery in a state of panicand uncontrolled pain.

Childbirth classes are now considered a routine component of prenatal care.They come in all shapes and sizes and may be presented in hospitals, homes, orcommunity centers. Instructors may emphasize one or another school ofthought or blend ideas from several sources. Needless to say, some classes will bemore organized and detailed than others. The leader should be a certified child-birth educator. Your doctor will probably have a referral or two, but you wouldbe wise to ask some parents who have recently experienced childbirth for theirrecommendations as well.

Some hospitals or large medical groups also offer early-pregnancy classesdealing with nutrition, exercise, and general self-care. If available, these are wellworth attending.

Normally you will begin childbirth-preparation classes during the sixth orseventh month of pregnancy, with a goal of being finished two weeks before thebaby's due date. Most meet one evening per week for eight to twelve weeks,though in some communities late starters can take a crash course in One or twoweekends. Childbirth preparation is intended to be a team effort of the motherand another person who will be available for the entire course, including thebirth itself. Usually this team will be a husband-wife pair, but in some situations(especially with a single mother), a relative or close friend may be serving as theteammate.

The following areas should be covered as part of the curriculum:

What happens during pregnancy and childbirth: basic anatomy andphysiology, including the development of the baby, changes in themother, and the stages of labor and birth.

Basic self-care: nutrition, exercise, sexuality, and maintaining a healthylifestyle.

Managing the contractions: relaxation, breathing, and pain-controltechniques; positions during labor; and the final pushing stage.

Details of the birth setting: when and where to go, what will happen inthe labor-and-delivery area (or birth center), how the labor will bemonitored, possible interventions, and pain-medication options if andwhen needed.

Possible problem areas and their treatment: failure to progress, fetaldistress, premature labor, prolonged rupture of membranes, or cesareansection and its aftereffects.

Preparing for the first days of baby care, including feeding techniques.

The approach most commonly taught in childbirth classes is the Lamazemethod or some variation of it. This method was introduced by French obste-trician Fernand Lamaze in his 1958 book Painless Childbirth. In America,Lamaze's techniques have been called psychoprophylaxis (literally, "mind pro-tection"), and the organization that accredits its teachers is the American Societyfor Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics, or ASPO. Along with other information,ASPO/Lamaze teaches a technique of distracting the mind from pain by usingspecial breathing patterns and actively focusing attention on an external object.

Another widely utilized method was launched in 1965 when Denver obste-trician Robert. Bradley published Husband-Coached Childbirth. Along withstressing the involvement of the mother's husband as a coach (a term men couldrelate to), the Bradley method teaches deep relaxation techniques rather than fo-cusing attention away from the body. Of these two approaches, the Bradleymethod tends more to discourage pain medications and other interventions.

Some childbirth educators teach their own homegrown blend of both ap-proaches. Regardless of the method you choose, the object of your preparationshould not be to become a walking encyclopedia, reform the entire health-caresystem, or nurture unrealistic expectations of a problem-free childbirth experi-ence. Training should combine a broad base of general knowledge, adequate timeto practice pain-reducing techniques, reassurance that you can handle both nor-mal and unexpected developments, and a healthy dose of reality.

If you truly desire an unmedicated childbirth but find that you can't managethe pain, accepting medication is not a moral failure. If you forget some of thefiner points of your breathing technique during the heat of the moment, you'renot the first to do so. If an uneventful labor suddenly takes a surprise detour atthe last minute, you need to be ready to ask intelligent questions, weigh the op-tions, make an informed decision, and remain calm if things don't turn out theway you expected. Remember: A healthy baby and a healthy mother are ultimatelymore important than a perfect childbirth experience. You want to be as prepared aspossible, and you should work diligently toward a controlled labor and joyousdelivery, but you're not going to be graded on your performance.

Other Parenting Artcles:

Home :: Contact Us :: About Us :: Privacy Policy :: Terms of Use :: Site Map