My friend and former student Simone just sent me these awesome labor pics from her first birth and I couldn’t wait to share them with you all (with permission, of course). Just look at how she moved and grooved through … Continue reading
You may have heard of Lamaze childbirth classes. “It’s that breathing method class, right?” “My mom took those classes when she was pregnant with me.” “Those are only for people who don’t want epidurals, right?”
The short answers to the above are, no, probably, and absolutely not! It’s true that Lamaze has been around for many years — 55 to be exact — but the Lamaze child birth classes of today are not what they were when your mom or grandma took them. The underlying message remains — that women deserve to be informed, prepared, and given choices for childbirth. But Lamaze classes today teach from 6 fundamental principles that help increase a woman’s chance of giving birth in the safest, healthiest, and most satisfying way. These 6 Healthy Birth Practices (see image below), along with additional information for breastfeeding, parenting, and postpartum, guide the content in your Lamaze class. Do you still learn about breathing during labor? Yes! But breathing (of which there are many ways to do so) is not a “method” but rather one of several ways to help cope with the pain of labor.
Lamaze classes teach about the “normal” process of birth (how birth can happen all on it’s own and how your body supports this process), as well as variations of what can happen during birth; the complete range of comfort measures, including those for “natural” birth and epidurals; how to choose the best team to support you in labor; and key information to plan for after the baby arrives, including how your body recovers best and breastfeeding information. Lamaze childbirth educators are known for their ability to present evidence-based information on pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and breastfeeding, and teach the information without judgement of choices made.
You can find Lamaze classes in a variety of settings and formats, including private, hospital-based, group classes, weekend classes, and 6, 8, or 12 week series. You’ll find that most Lamaze teachers aim to teach classes in a fun and interactive way — who wants to sit through hours of lecture after lecture?! Lamaze classes are hands-on, multimedia, and entertaining in addition to informative. Families come away with practical information they can use to prepare for their birth experience and beyond.
Want to learn more about the Six Healthy Birth Practices that today’s Lamaze education is based on? See the image below, and head over to the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices information page to read more and watch short, informative video clips on each practice.
Want to know more about what’s in a Lamaze class? Start here!
Cara Terreri, CD(DONA), LCCE, is a doula and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator at Simple Support Birth in Myrtle Beach, SC, as well as the community manager for the Lamaze parents’ blog, Giving Birth with Confidence. She is a doula and teaches private Lamaze childbirth classes in Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas, and is an active member of the Coastal Childbirth Collective, which brings resources and support to families in her community. Cara also lives a full life with her husband, three kids, dog, turtle, and 2 cute tree frogs that live on the back porch.
With Tropical Storm Erika — potentially soon becoming a hurricane — making its way to the Southeastern US, it’s a good time to talk about emergency preparedness considerations if you are pregnant and/or about to give birth. Of course, all of the standard Hurricane Evacuation Plan still apply, like knowing the hurricane evacuation route, having an exit plan, purchasing non-perishables, keeping medication on hand, etc. But if you are pregnant, and possibly approaching or near your due date, take additional precautions to ensure safety and comfort.
Have you every experienced an evacuation due to weather, or a similar weather-related emergency? Please share tips and stories in the comments!
Cara Terreri, CD(DONA), LCCE, is a doula and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, as well as the community manager for the Lamaze parents’ blog, Giving Birth with Confidence. She is a doula and teaches childbirth classes in Myrtle Beach, SC, at Simple Support Birth, and is an active member of the Coastal Childbirth Collective, which brings resources and support to families in her community. Cara also keeps a full life at the beach with her husband and three kids.
If you think taking a Lamaze class is something only your mom did, think again. Childbirth classes, whether they are Lamaze, Hypnobabies, Bradley, Birthing From Within, or otherwise, provide education and confidence that is invaluable to your pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and early parenting. But as you might imagine, not all childbirth classes are created equal. As important as it is to take a childbirth class, it is equally important to make sure the class you take teaches comprehensive (learning about all options) and evidence-based (credible, up-to-date, and using current research) information. How do you go about finding such a class? By following a few simple steps before choosing a class (the standard hospital childbirth class may not be your best option — it depends on who is teaching and what is being taught), you will increase your chances of having a helpful and enjoyable childbirth class experience.
One of the most common reasons expectant parents give for not attending childbirth classes is lack of time. You may be surprised to find out that childbirth classes are often offered in many different lengths and formats. For example, I teach a variety of length of Myrtle Beach Childbirth Classes. Depending on your educational needs and availability, I can tailor my classes to meet your unique needs. And consider this — how you give birth can impact you and your child for the rest of your lives. Are you willing to invest some time to prepare for that day?
Cara Terreri, CD(DONA), LCCE, is a doula and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, as well as the community manager for the Lamaze parents’ blog, Giving Birth with Confidence. She is a doula and teaches childbirth classes in Myrtle Beach, SC, at Simple Support Birth, and is an active member of the Coastal Childbirth Collective, which brings resources and support to families in her community. Cara also keeps a busy but beautiful life at the beach with her supportive husband and three active kids.
Unless you’ve been living on a deserted island for the last few months, I’m sure you’re well aware that there will soon be another “royal” baby in the UK. After another severe bout with hyperemesis gravidarum, Kate Middleton began making regular public appearances again and appearing in tabloids and internet blog posts the world over sporting a beautiful baby bump and her signature glowing smile. Most recently, sources reported that she shared her spring due date. Princess Kate was quoted as saying:
“I’m due mid-April, to the end of April. Not long to go now.”
To this I say, GOOD FOR YOU, Kate! In our culture, the notorious “When are you due?” is in the top three questions for anyone who is pregnant, along with “Boy or girl” and “Is this your first baby?” The problem is, pregnant bodies don’t come with deadlines or expiration dates (trust me, I searched high and wide for them during each of my three pregnancies). Each pregnancy, including the length of said pregnancy, is unique. And while, yes, we have come up with a general average (40-42 weeks), there is no scientific method for determining when your baby will decide to be born! And yet. Yet care providers give us a due DATE. A single day upon which many family members, friends, spouses and partners, and especially very pregnant women hinge on when nearing the end of the third trimester.
One of the tricks, which Kate clearly has learned, to avoiding the barrage of questions, harassment, and impatience from others, is to never share an actual due date, but rather a time frame. In my third pregnancy (third time’s a charm!), I told everyone that I was due sometime in August. No dates, just a month. Not only did it cut down on the inquiries from others, but it reframed my own thinking to know that I could give birth sometime — anytime!– in August.
When I counsel pregnant families as a doula and childbirth educator, I encourage moms to toss aside their due date, and instead focus on what they will do around the time they are due. I have a nifty little “Celebration Menu” for them to keep and fill out, but you can check out this article to help you plan your due date celebrations.
Some don’t know it’s an option, others are afraid of “rocking the boat,” and still others don’t know how it could benefit their pregnancy and birth. I’m here to tell you: changing your OB or midwife during pregnancy could be … Continue reading
Often overlooked and seldom understood is the role a partner — be it spouse or significant other, male or female — plays during a woman’s pregnancy and birth. It’s easy to see (literally) why an expectant mom is the focus during pregnancy and birth. It’s her body with her baby physically attached! But dads and partners are also having their own special experience right alongside mom during this time. It just looks a little different, which is why it may be hard to appreciate and can lead to a disconnect in your relationship. While you will never be able to fully know each other’s experience, there are things you can do to connect and share in this awesome time together.
Attend prenatal appointments together. I know it’s not always possible, or may be really difficult to both attend a prenatal appointment, but doing so will allow your partner to take a more active role in your prenatal care. Plus, it’s helpful for your partner to get to meet and establish a relationship with your care provider, and ask any burning questions about pregnancy or birth.
Take a childbirth class. Wanna know a secret? Childbirth classes are really for dads! Ok, so that’s not exactly true. But. Taking a childbirth class can provide huge benefits in the way of providing pregnancy and birth information to the person who is not pregnant as well as the expectant mama. It also gives partners an opportunity to ask questions without fear of ridicule. There are no stupid questions!
Invite dad to feel baby kicks. Mom has the luxury of feeling baby kicks all the time, which provides a constant reminder of pregnancy. For most moms, feeling baby kicks and movement is one of the best parts of pregnancy. Inviting your partner to feel your belly when baby is particularly active helps make the experience more real and establishes a bond with baby.
Talk about non-baby-related things. Over the period of 40-42 weeks, pregnancy, birth, and babies can take up the majority of your conversations together. Be sure to spend time talking about other parts of your lives together. Balance goes a long way toward creating harmony.
Go out on dates. Creating a regular date night before baby comes helps you stay in the habit once baby is on the other side. Life with a baby is different, no doubt. But it’s not so different that you can’t maintain some of the same routines and rituals you had pre-baby. Focusing on your relationship as a couple will bring you closer and help you work better together through the new parents phase.
Hire a doula. A doula doesn’t replace dads or partners — a doula’s role is to compliment their support during birth. The best doula makes a woman’s partner look like a hero! Dads who have experienced birth with a doula report a sense of relief and reassurance that someone — besides him — will be there to look after mom and remember all the information from childbirth class and books. Most dads are positively enthusiastic about their experience with a doula.
Give yourselves a break. Pregnancy and the ensuing early parenthood time can be a difficult and stressful time for moms and dads alike. It can help if you lower your expectations and demands for yourselves and each other. You’ll get back to normal — or at least, a new normal!
By now, you probably know that not all doctors are created equal. Some provide you with lots of detail about your health, some don’t; some greet you warmly and make you feel comfortable, some don’t; some invite you to be an active participant in your health care, some don’t. But beyond attitudes and bedside manners, care providers also vary widely in how they practice medicine, including birth.
So, what can you do to be sure that your care provider is the best care provider for you? Ask questions. Lots of questions. The following questions are meant to serve as conversation starters during prenatal appointments or as part of your care provider interview in early or pre-pregnancy. Choose questions that best fit your needs and preferences. Check your care provider’s answers against evidence-based standards for maternity care, most of which you can find at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and Childbirth Connection. Take note of how you feel about your care provider’s answers — do they align with your idea of a healthy birth? Also, observe how your care provider responds to your questions. Is she receptive to answering your questions? Does he give you detailed answers? And finally, never underestimate the power of your gut instinct — if you feel like your care provider isn’t the best choice for you, find someone else who is.
For another great care provider interview resource, check out this article at Giving Birth with Confidence by Lamaze.
I would love to hear from you — what kinds of questions would you (or did you) ask your care provider?
In her syndicated “Can I Afford It?” segment, renowned personal finance guru Suze Orman was asked by a caller: “Can I afford a doula?” After reviewing the woman’s financial situation, Suze says yes and adds, “I consider doulas a ‘need.’” … Continue reading
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