Childbirth Education Class 2: Coping with Unmedicated Birth
At Sacred Roots Birth and Wellness Center, we offer four different classes on childbirth education for our families.
We talked about our first class on Labor and Birth in a previous blog. While that class was about giving you a general idea about labor and birth so you know what to expect, the second class focuses more on unmedicated, natural birth and how to cope with it.
Why is it important to prepare for an unmedicated birth?
When you’re opting for a natural birth at a birth center, you’re stepping away from the safety net of medical and surgical interventions available at a hospital. The whole idea is to be confident in your ability to give birth without any medicines or instruments to assist you.
The idea can be daunting for some mothers, especially if it’s their first time delivering outside of a hospital or their first time having a baby. The class helps them get a better idea of what an unmedicated birth is all about.
It helps them understand why it’s important to partake in practices that help them build their body’s strength and ensure that they are taking the nutrients that will help them be stronger and help their baby be healthier as labor and delivery approaches.
The awareness around this decision helps families prepare for it in a better way, without the anxiety of a lack of information or misinformation.
What happens in the class?
During a class, we’ll talk about different topics relating to unmedicated birth and what you should expect from it.
We also have some demonstrations of natural coping techniques that we employ for comfort and pain relief during birth. For example, we will have partners place their hands on the pregnant person’s bellies and hips to learn how to help them cope with labor pain.
What do we talk about in the class?
There are several topics that we’ll cover during this class
- We’ll talk about the anxiety you may feel before giving birth without medication. A lot of mothers are scared about the dreaded labor pain before it even begins. This can lead to heightened anxiety which can sometimes worsen the pain for a lot of people.
- We’ll talk about how your emotions affect your laboring body. Knowing that you can’t get epidurals or strong painkillers can be intimidating. However, if you’re practicing beforehand and are relaxed, it will be easier for you to get through labor.
- We’ll talk about how your emotions influence your labor pattern. Anxiety and fear can exhaust you physically, more so than you’d think. This can hinder your labor and cause it to be longer than it would be otherwise.
- We’ll talk about how your natural endorphins can help your labor progress smoothly. Endorphins are released from your brain every time you feel relaxed. This can be when you listen to your favorite music, smell your favorite essential oils, or are simply surrounded by people who love you. Endorphins can help decrease the feeling of discomfort and pain, making you feel more energetic. This, in turn, helps your labor progress more smoothly as you can push effectively and with more strength.
We believe that when families are empowered to make informed decisions about their health, they offset a whole dynamic of empowering others – leading to a healthier and more emotionally functional community of people.
We believe this starts with the education, care, and advocacy provided by great care. If you want to learn more about our classes, send us a message!
