I’m going to continue using my first few blog posts to share how I got involved in each of the services I offer. Next up: childbirth education!
When I was pregnant with my first, I took the standard birth class offered in our area. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t impressed. It was great for my husband, who had no knowledge about birth and had never held a baby. For me, though, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. The class focused on the very basics of birth, a few comfort techniques, and some newborn care, but sprinkled throughout and dominating a lot of conversations was hospital policy. I wasn’t interested in hosp
ital policy. I wanted to know my true options, not just what was the norm where I was birthing. I ended up doing a ton of research on my own.
Jump ahead a few years to my birth doula training: childbirth education for doulas is a segment of the training and it took the bulk of an 8-hour day. I was in awe. This was the kind of class I had been looking for! It was purposefully interactive, included demonstrations and activities that were hands-on and memorable, and the class was about physiologic birth - birth as nature designed. We discussed how birth is supposed to work when everything is left alone to just happen. We talked about complications that can arise and how they’re addressed. We spent a lot of time on common interventions during birth - and there are a ton these days. We learned pros and cons, and talked about options. This was exactly what I had needed as a pregnant person.
It turns out my doula trainer was also a Lamaze trainer. I signed up for her next Lamaze training, and before the end of that year, I took her course, studied my tail off, took the intense certification exam and early the next year got word that I passed! I was able to start my alphabet-soup-credentials with LCCE - Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. I added the Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator badge to my profiles, I could advertise offering Lamaze birth classes. I had credibility!
What I love about Lamaze is the intense focus on evidence and physiologic birth, but most importantly, helping people make informed decisions. When I do a birth class, I get to talk about how our bodies are intended to birth - the natural process that we were designed for. I get to share about interventions and different tools that are used in birth, and what comes along with the use of those tools - good or bad or anywhere in between. I get to share some of my favorite activities, do crazy demonstrations, spread accurate and evidence-based information, dispel myths and alleviate fears, and help families prepare for one of the biggest days of their lives.
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