| You know that it's important to prepare for | | | | to your body. But beyond that most hospital |
| childbirth. That was becoming common knowledge | | | | classes are designed for one purpose - to teach |
| even when your mother was giving birth! But just | | | | you to be a good patient. |
| why is preparing for your baby's birth so | | | | Look for private classes or home-study classes. |
| important? What are the "childbirth skills" you need | | | | These classes teach you to be a consumer - and |
| to have? And what does it matter if you have | | | | that you have the right to advocate for the birth |
| them or not? | | | | you want for yourself and your baby. They'll give |
| Our culture looks at birth through a filter of fear. | | | | you all the facts you need in an unbiased manner. |
| Childbirth is held up as some mysterious happening | | | | With real facts about medications and procedures, |
| that really needs the hands of "experts" to show | | | | you can decide what you want for your baby. |
| you through. It's presented as some sort of | | | | You'll know when you should accept interventions |
| torture that's possibly very dangerous to you and | | | | and when you shouldn't. I recommend Bradley |
| your baby. According to our culture, you | | | | classes if you want to take a class with other |
| desperately need a doctor and drugs to even | | | | couples. If you'd prefer a home study course, |
| have a hope of surviving the ordeal! | | | | look into Birth Outside the Box for complete |
| This false picture of birth is one of the biggest | | | | childbirth education. |
| reasons you need to learn more about it. It takes | | | | What are birth skills? Birth skills are actual |
| time to understand that what you've been told | | | | techniques to help you during childbirth. By learning |
| about birth since you were a little girl is wrong. It | | | | birth skills before birth you know how to deal with |
| takes time to start realizing that you can be in | | | | any pain or discomfort. More importantly, you |
| control of your own birth - and you can have a | | | | understand your body and you understand how |
| good birth (even a natural birth, if that's what you | | | | to help your baby come out - which often means |
| want.) | | | | your baby comes smoothly, easily, and with less |
| Where do childbirth classes and birth skills fit into | | | | work for you or for your baby. Birth skills include |
| all of this? | | | | breathing but go beyond it. It's truly learning about |
| That depends. If you're thinking about typical birth | | | | your body and how it works - and being able to |
| classes at the hospital, they don't fit into anything. | | | | give birth to your baby how you want to... no |
| You may learn the stages of birth, which can be | | | | matter where you're giving birth. |
| valuable to understanding what's going to happen | | | | |