In this 3 week childbirth education series, you will have the opportunity to practice useful skills in preparation for labor, as well as receive information about the benefits and risks of, and alternatives to the many options you may have along the way. Information will be presented in various formats, and there will be opportunities to move, explore, interact, and engage with the material so that you do not spend the entire time sitting and listening.
All those who attend this workshop, expecting parents and support team alike, will be encouraged to accept responsibility and take an active role in birth. Personal and cultural belief systems about pain will be identified, as will personal belief systems and attitudes about birth, in order to reframe those that are not conducive to positive birthing. Common comfort measures for birth will also be addressed, as will the importance of doulas, labor companions, choosing a birth place that feels safe and a birth team that is supportive and understanding.
You will learn practical tools to support your physical and emotional comfort throughout labor (such as positioning, movement, breath, hands-on support from a birth partner, etc). There will be time to reflect on and discuss how you feel and act in times of discomfort so that you can explore the comfort measures that may work best for you.
You will learn how to use each of these tools as a means to ease both body and mind. We will also discuss how these simple comfort measures can contribute to the progression of your labor, and minimize the amount of time you may spend in pain and overwhelm. We will also discuss how particular comfort measures may or may not fit into your intended labor and birth plan.
Learn about the differences between receiving care through an OB, versus a midwife; hospital birth, versus birth center, versus home birth; the stages of labor, and common interventions at each stage.
Your partner, your friend/family member who may be supporting your labor, or your doula is welcome and encouraged to join you for this learning experience. This independent childbirth education series can be an excellent supplement to other courses you may be taking at your hospital or birth center – while some of the information may overlap, much of it will be different and presented in a new way.
+ $220 per birthing person (welcome to bring up to two birth partners with you each session i.e partner, friend, family, doula)
+ workshop runs for three Wednesdays - October 23rd, 30th, and November 6th
+ pre-registration required (a minimum of three attendees needed to hold workshop)
+ instructor: jenna brown