Hospitals all over the country offer childbirth classes to expecting mothers. However, these classes are rarely worth attending, and the information they provide can range from biased and minimal to detrimental to a new family’s well being.
For this reason, it is generally recommended that expectant mothers skip the hospital birth classes. However, this is not to say that all classes should be avoided. In fact, there are a number of childbirth classes that have a lot to offer. These classes are of the independent variety, and even though you may have to pay a fee to attend, they are well worth both your time and money.
Here are six reasons why independent childbirth classes are valuable to expectant mothers, and what you might expect to get out of a high-quality class.
Reason #1: Informed and Passionate Instructors
This is the number one reason to pay for private childbirth education. A passionate and educated instructor can make all the difference when it comes to a birth class by making it more engaging, inspiring, and informative. This is a far cry from the dry and dull classes usually offered by hospitals, and of course, being informed is always better than going into the process completely uneducated.
Additionally, having a baby can cause an awful lot of questions to pop up. Therefore, having an informed instructor who is in love with what they do and happy to answer questions can mean the world to a nervous mom-to-be.
Reason #2: Increased Pain Management Options
Independent childbirth instructors generally specialize in one childbirth method. Learning one or more of these methods in-depth can help give you a wide variety of pain management tools and positions.
For instance, the hypnobirth method uses self-hypnosis. This method is one of the very best around for training your body to cope with the intensity of labor. By having these coping methods at your fingertips, you are setting yourself up for success during labor and delivery.
Reason #3: Opportunities for Partner Involvement
Unfortunately, a pregnant woman’s partner often gets left to sit on the sidelines during labor and delivery. This can be upsetting to new dads who might feel left out of the process.
Instead of leaving your partner hanging out with nothing to do, why not attend a high-quality independent birth class together and learn what he can do to help? A good number of the private birth instructors out there help new daddies learn how they can be present and actively helpful during the birth of their child. This is something that most couples will agree is quite important.
Reason #4: All Birth Options Presented
Hospital-run birth classes are…well, run with the hospital in mind. Therefore, those who attend the class will not necessarily be presented with all of the options they may have during birth. They may also be presented with biased information that is beneficial to the hospital rather than the new mother.
Privately run birth classes, on the other hand, present expecting mothers with ALL available options. They avoid half-truths and biased information, and put the health and well-being of new moms and their babies before all else.
Reason #5: Birth Preparation Techniques Taught
While most people probably think birth classes focus solely on what happens during labor and delivery, this is not always the case.
Many independent birth class instructors focus on caring for the whole body—as well as the mind—throughout pregnancy in preparation of childbirth. This approach takes the whole being into consideration, and because it encourages the mother to prepare her body and mind by staying mentally and physically healthy throughout her pregnancy, can help improve the labor and delivery experience immensely.
One such method is Birth Boot Camp. This class focuses on every aspect of having a baby from nutrition to mental health to the delivery room and beyond, making it one of the most comprehensive classes around.
Reason #6: Birth Shown in a Positive Light
Every expecting mother is nervous to some extent. Because of this, it is very important that new moms surround themselves with positive thoughts and people. Unfortunately, there is a lot of negativity surrounding the topics of pregnancy and birth in our society, and much of that very negativity is found in the hospital birthing classes.
Instead of subjecting yourself to the negativity found in a hospital birth class, enroll in one of the many private classes in your area. These classes put birth in a positive light. They focus on the beauty of childbirth and offer encouraging and supportive words.
Conclusion
Clearly, independent childbirth education is something every pregnant woman deserves to experience. If you would like more information on childbirth classes here in Oklahoma City, please contact us today at Thrive Mama Collective. We would be happy to help you find the perfect class for you and your partner.
