Why childbirth education?

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Joy

By Lindsey Rupp, CD(DONA), CLS, PCD(DONA)

When you think of childbirth education, what do you picture?  If you’re like most people, you probably imagine a room full of couples practicing their “hee-hee-hoo” breathing patterns.  But childbirth education is so much more than that!  It’s smart to attend a class or two (I suggest the 8-week series!) in the prenatal period so that you feel prepared for babe’s arrival.  Yes, you’ll gain loads of information, but the benefits don’t stop there.  Check out some of the other perks of signing up for childbirth education:

You connect with other parents-to-be.

You may be thinking, “Wow. I’m going to be a parent!?”  It’s a role that is hard to identify with at first because it’s new, unfamiliar, and maybe even a little bit intimidating.  But guess what?  When you walk into your first childbirth class, it will be filled with other expectant parents thinking the same thing!  You’re all in this together.  Another plus?  These people will have kids the same age as yours.  Play dates and new moms’ groups will help you adjust and socialize in the postpartum period (support networks are so important!).  It’s true that many of these relationships blossom into life-long friendships.

You learn more about yourself as an individual.

Asking yourself questions like, “What do I want?” and, “What’s important to me?” will help you navigate through this new and exciting chapter.  Tapping into intimate, inner thoughts will give you strength and help you adapt while coping with change.  Many women feel empowered when they find their voice and can confidently express their wishes.  Learning about the normal labor and birth process also helps expectant mothers listen to their bodies and know what to expect in labor and birth.

Your relationship with your partner grows.

Feeling well supported in labor and birth makes for a desirable experience, for both mom and her partner.  In our childbirth education classes, we practice comfort measures and coping techniques for labor, discuss parenting styles, and more—providing the perfect opportunity to get to know your partner better and bond as a couple.

You learn to be an informed decision-maker!

Did you know that women rate their birth experiences, not based on how much pain they felt, but how they were treated in labor and birth?  When women feel like they are listened to and a part of the decision-making process, they feel more satisfied with their birth experiences (Hodnett 2002, a systematic review).

At BABS, we want to provide you with information that is evidence-based.  We understand that every family is unique and parents’ choices will vary.  The best way we can serve our growing community is by presenting research evidence and then letting you decide how you want to use it.  By educating yourself in the prenatal period, you and your partner will make the right decisions for your family.

 

Photo source:  Flicker

Posted in Childbirth Education | Leave a comment

A Wish List for Our Chidlbirth Education Clients

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Georg'ann Cattelona

I’ve been teaching childbirth education classes for BABS for about 20 years. Like most educators, I have a list of things that I hope our clients will get from the experience of taking class. We’re focusing on childbirth education this week in the BABS blog, so it seems like a good time to share these goals.

I wish that everyone could get from childbirth education the following:

1. That the body works. I know that it doesn’t always do what we want it to, and that perfection is not really available to anyone, but I so want first-time parents, especially the mothers-to-be, to approach their birth experience with confidence in their own innate ability to give birth. Our culture emphasizes so much what can go wrong, and I try in class to create an atmosphere of confidence and trust in the body and the process.

2. That what happens in late pregnancy sets up a trajectory that continues through the first couple of weeks postpartum. This is a message I especially want the first-time parents to receive, as they have no way to know how much what happens in pregnancy sets up what happens during the birth – and that sets up what happens in the immediate postpartum. And by this, I do mean the things that we DO have control over – like food, exercise, creating the space for rest – all things that can affect how well we can face whatever we are handed in birth. This is why we recommend taking extra good care of yourself at the end of pregnancy – resting, eating as well as you can, doing things that make you happy (raise those oxytocin levels!). To put it another way, a tired pregnant woman who is stressed out about work and life may have a harder time with labor and that can get the postpartum period off to a rougher start. Certainly, all things that can be overcome and dealt with, but why make things harder if you can make them easier?

3. That skin-to-skin time with the baby fixes many things. It doesn’t fix everything, but it sure is pretty amazing. The stabilizing effects of skin-to-skin work for the parents as well as the baby!

4. That there is a community of people available to help you if want or need it. By having guest educators and bringing in a variety of people from our wonderful community, we hope to show you that there are many resources out there for you. Even if you don’t come back to our office for help and socializing after your baby comes, we want to make sure that you know that you have many options for finding help.

5. That you are not alone in your journey and it is good to be surrounded with other people who are doing the same thing. This is a core value in our organization – we human beings are not meant to parent in isolation. This is why we have group classes, and why we have a series of classes so that you can get to know the other people in class. It is why we have opportunities for you to come to our space and hang out with others. I distinctly remember being out with a new baby at the public library, and how parents that I didn’t know would stop and talk to me. And I would do the same with them. None of us were experts. None of us had special knowledge. We were just hungry for contact with somebody else who was doing the same thing – someone to compare notes with, to observe, to talk to.

Posted in Childbirth Education, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

Wandering Around Town

Posted on May 17, 2013 by caela

One of my favorite things about having a toddler and a preschooler is that we can go almost anywhere and it is exciting to them. Lately I’ve stopped trying to dream up super-exciting things to do and just started taking them random places in town to let them wander about. Some of the things we’ve loved doing lately, in no particular order:

  • Riding the glass elevator at Fountain Square Mall (and just wandering that whole big building)
  • Going up into the rotunda at the County Courthouse
  • Watching planes at the airport
  • Eating our snack in the cafeteria at Bloomington Hospital (Nurses! Doctors! Other people in uniforms!)
  • Visiting the fire station
  • Stopping into random churches and looking around (P.S. Love to watch cars from the gated-in courtyard at Trinity Episcopal on Kirkwood)
  • Going into the salon and watching people get their hair cut
  • Stopping by the post office to people watch

My kids just enjoy being anywhere “new” and want to talk about what they see. We love to wander aimlessly with no real agenda. It feels very relaxed to me and I think they sense that I am not stressed. It’s just fun. I would love to hear about places you’ve taken your young kids that aren’t typically thought of as “super fun” but have turned out to be really interesting for these little people.

Posted in Parenthood, Things To Do, two or more, Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Discover the Joy of Hooping

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Joy

hoopsBy: Sue O’Rourke, founder of Joyful Hoops

I remember what it felt like to play as a child, to be free and joyful and fearless. Somewhere along the way I lost that sense of wonder and courage to explore life to its fullest…until I started hula hooping. That sparkly round hoop drew me in, and now it’s something I do religiously as part of my “take care of me” time. It’s my stress relief, my center, my fitness, and my community.

As my active lifestyle slowed and I pushed towards the big 40, I started looking for activities to keep healthy and fit. I found that I (still) hate running, swimming was inconvenient, spinning made me gasp for air, pilates wasn’t my thing, and country line dancing was a total train wreck…lol. And then I found hooping. I couldn’t believe that you burn 300-600 calories per hour having so much fun!

I was never able to hoop as a child, but after one class I was mesmerized and returned faithfully for my weekly dose of hooping. Not only did I give my heart a great workout, I found that hooping toned my tummy, thighs, tush, and even that little jiggly spot under my arms. Two years later, I loved it so much I pursued certification as a Hoopnotica instructor and now teach my passion.

Join me and connect with other mamas for an hour of “take care of me” playtime and laughter. New to hooping? No worries! I will get you moving and laughing with ease. We will celebrate our bodies of all shapes and sizes. Class hoops provided. (Feel free to bring your infant and take a break whenever you need to nurse or sooth your baby.)

Learn more about me and my Joyful Hoops journey at www.joyfulhoops.com. Curious about what to expect in your first Joyful Hoops class? Check out this video for a brief introduction http://youtu.be/0jX1xeB7IM8

Free Sample Class:  Monday, July 1, 5:30-6:30pm

Class Series: Mondays, July 8 – July 29, 5:30-6:00pm (4 weeks)

Costs: You may use a class pass

Registration is required for both the Sample Class and Series. Please register by calling (812-337-8121) or stopping by the BABS office.

Posted in Classes, Health, Things To Do | Leave a comment

Free Discussion At BABS

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Joy

achesPregnant? Do you have aches and pains? Looking for a way to ease those discomforts? There is a way!

Come spend time at BABS learning ways to handle pregnancy-related pain though body work. Dr. Mandy Smith will be leading a discussion, answering questions and performing mini-treatments.

Thursday, May 23rd from 6:45 – 8:00PM at BABS

This program is a free program, with preregistration requested in order to plan accordingly.

Dr. Mandy Smith DC, MSc has become an expert in musculoskeletal care and treats all activity levels as well as all ages.  Dr. Smith specializes in working with athletes, women with pregnancy-related pain and pediatrics.  She is full body certified in Active Release Technique.

Dr. Smith was born and raised in Washington, Indiana where her love of sports first began. As a volleyball and basketball player, she was able to see first-hand how injuries can affect an athlete’s life. After high school, Dr. Smith attended Indiana State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Life Science.  She went on to attend chiropractic school at Logan College of Chiropractic in St. Louis Missouri where she received not only her Doctorate in Chiropractic but also a Master’s in Sports Science and Rehabilitation and her specialization in Pregnancy-related back pain.

Some testimonials:
“Dr. Smith first treated me for an ankle injury and went above and beyond to make sure I became a healthy runner and could strive to meet my full and half marathon goals.  Then, when I became pregnant, Dr. Smith helped me with my sciatic nerve issues and gave me exercises to help keep me working and prepare my body for labor.  I credit prenatal yoga at BABS, massage, and Dr. Smith for a healthy and successful pregnancy.”
-Jessica

“Dr. Smith was my lifesaver throughout my pregnancy but even more when I was on the verge of having preeclampsia. My body was retaining water like it depended on it to the extreme of cankles that could have won a contest. It was the beginning of summer and my OB/GYN prescribed me TED hose. That was when I called Dr. Smith to get help. She is amazing and saved me from having to wear those crazy hose. She would work her magic every week and I left my appointment with great confidence in the care I was receiving. She was very committed to me and preparing me for my labor and delivery. She walked me through everything she did and explained it in a way I understood. Then came the big day when we met our little man. Within days of being born we had him at his first appointment with Dr. Smith. She was so great not only with our little man but with me, the first time mom. She explained each step as she adjusted him and did so with him laying on my chest. She was able to find his sweet spots and he was always sound asleep as she was finishing. It was always a great experience and we look forward to each visit we have.”
-Shani

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Posted in Education, Health, Information and services, Pregnancy, Special Events, Things To Do | Leave a comment