Prepared Childbirth Classes

PURPOSE:

Informing women how to make the most of their pregnancy, birth, and post-partum. Teach the expectant mother what to expect during labor and birth. Also, explaining medical and non-medical pain management. Furthermore, creating awareness and knowledge about post-partum.

This class is six two hour sessions that will include:

Session I

• Terminology used by medical staff such as dilation, effacement and station of the head
• Possible minor discomforts that may be experienced during pregnancy and solutions to alleviate this discomfort
• What to pack for a hospital stay
• How to write a birth plan
• Body mechanics that allow for more comfortable movements and positions
• Kegel exercises to keep pelvic floor or pubococcygeus (PC) muscle in shape
• Relaxation exercises such as shoulder and forehead press, shoulder and neck massage, and breathing

Session II

• Review dilation, effacement & station
• Signs & symptoms of preterm labor and regular labor
• Stage one early and active labor- “What’s Happening?”
• Labor variations; precipitate – 3hrs or less, prolonged – 24hrs plus, back labor, and induced labor
• Video: Wendy’s Birth
• Time contractions
• Back Massage
• Total Body Relax with slow pace breaths
• Video on Breastfeeding and why you should breastfeed

Session III

• Review signs of labor and early & active labor
• Last phase of stage one labor, Transition- “What’s Happening?”
• Stage two: pushing and birth of the baby & the placenta
• Medical interventions: fetal monitoring, I.V. Fluids & reasons, prolonged labor & VBAC, induction & strep B+, medications & med problems, ROM (rupturing membranes)
• Video: Judith’s birth
• Emergency delivery: almost always very fast, easy and uncomplicated
• Labor Practice with clothes pin and modified breathing
• Back massage

Session IV

• Review phases of labor
• Pain sheet scale and pain medication preference; discussion of what it means and how the partner, doula and caregiver help
• Medications available during labor and birth and the affect they have on the entire body
• Discussion of types of drugs, how/when given, duration, purpose, possible effects on mother, baby and labor
• Video: Medications
• Hospital Tour
• Alternatives: Labor Practice- ice, hand and back massage

Session V

• Review medications
• Reason why, the actual procedure, and recovery of a cesarean section
• Video: Just In Case
• Labor Practice- ice, hand and back massage
• Alternative: Hospital tour

Session VI

• Review: C-Sections
• Post-partum, the emotions that sometimes surface after birth, recovery and the restoration of the body back to its non-pregnant state
• Video: Staying Sane
• Ice Cream Cake
• Over all Review: Questions/Situations

Free gift packets and educational information are given out at each session