The disappearing act of the childbirth class.

Childbirth classes were once considered a right of passage into parenthood. This critically important experience during pregnancy has become more of a burden, easily skipped by many expecting parents. It’s no surprise to learn that more expectant parents today are learning about giving birth from television and google. The concern is more than just missing out on the experience. The attendance of childbirth classes is declining, at the same time, the cesarean rate in America is rising. Our cesarean rate has continued to increase 60% from 1996 through 2009, from 20.7% to 32.9%. The World Health Organization estimates that about 10-15% of our cesareans are medically necessary, leaving an astounding 15% or greater as non-evidence-based, unnecessary surgeries performed on pregnant people. The cesarean rate is not the only thing we have to be concerned about in terms of maternal outcomes in America. The maternal death rate has nearly DOUBLED from 1991 to 2015. The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the industrialized world, in fact, it’s the ONLY developed country whose rate is currently rising. To make matters worse, black pregnant people are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women, regardless of education, income, or any other socio-economic factors. While many steps need to be taken to get our maternal healthcare system under control, one thing we can do is educate ourselves. I believe Childbirth Education classes are the first step in taking control of our pregnancy, labor, and birth. Please take a moment to read through my explanation of why taking an in-person, independently taught, group, childbirth class is STILL important!

Alyssa’s 5 reasons to take an independent birthing class from a certified childbirth educator:

Evidence-Based information - This Childbirth class, and others like it, will give you Evidence-based information about pregnancy and childbirth. Not hospital policy, not what your grandmother’s neighbor thinks, not based on what's trendy, and not what your google search pulls up. When you are sorting through the non-evidence-based, sometimes scary information, you can come away from your google search with more questions and fear than before!

Confidence. The right childbirth class will build your confidence! Society acts as though we should fear birth, and let’s face it, sometimes your aunt/cousin/friend’s fear can have a major effect on our confidence during pregnancy. This childbirth class will give you all the up-to-date information and the tools you need to have a confident pregnancy and birth. This class will give you the information to make the right decisions for YOU and YOUR family. 

Connection. Over the course of three weeks, you will have the opportunity to meet others in the same stage of pregnancy. Now, especially while everyone is feeling a lack of connection, it is important to find a community that you can rely on. Relief Parenting offers you the opportunity to meet other pregnant families, and make connections throughout the rest of pregnancy! After birth, you may bump into your childbirth community at our postpartum support groups and baby classes.

Resources. I have personally researched, hand-picked, and worked with every practitioner I recommend during my class. It does not just provide you with information about pregnancy, labor, and birth. This class will help you discover the best, local resources for other services or professionals that specialize in pregnancy and after birth.

Hands-on. We now live in a virtual world. While that may make some aspects of your pregnancy easier (working from home, limited visitors, etc.) it doesn’t mean everything should be virtual. One of the most important aspects of our childbirth classes is the hands-on tools provided. In-person classes give you the opportunity to learn and practice comfort measures, and to give you the chance for hands-on exploration of medical and comfort measure tools.