How Independent Childbirth Classes differ from Hospital Childbirth Classes
From Independent Childbirth: The majority of women ask their care provider's office for a birth education contact. Since the majority of births take place in hospitals the birth education contact is likely to be someone representing the hospital who in turn has approved the care provider for practicing in their facility. At first glance this seems entirely appropriate. However, today the health care industry is experiencing a critical eye for quality and standards today. Maternity care is one field whose levels of care are being thoroughly examined by parents, consumer watchdogs and health care advocates. Women around the world are coming together via the internet and local birth information circles to begin researching their birth care options independent of the birth caregiver and birth place regulations. The idea is to exercise freedom of choice as women now determine the care they want and choose their care providers accordingly.
One of the incredible results of this movement is the growing awareness of birth as a healthy and normal event, not a medical situation unless it becomes one. Independent Childbirth educators are experts in teaching women and their partners how a mother's body gives birth normally without complications. In doing so, independent childbirth educators help mothers identify various ranges of complications that can be handled via alternatives to medications and surgical deliveries where possible. Upon discovery of the body's ability to birth in a variety of situations typically considered needing intervention (i.e. large babies, prodromal labor, incompetent cervix, long labors, back labors) mothers also discover that there are birth settings much more conducive to supporting their mental and emotional awareness in birth.
As Independent Childbirth educators we take our knowledge of the birth process and add to it our passion for encouraging women to create the birth of their choosing. For some women it will be in a birth center. For some women it will be at home. For some women it will be in a hospital but one that gives them not only the medical care they desire but also the labor support environment of their choosing such as birth tubs, low intervention rates and one that welcomes doulas. For some it will be some variation of these. There are so many and we know them well!
We will provide you with credible birth information free of bias. We preserve every mother's right to full access to birth information regarding every option in her community and how her community compares to the rest of the world! We aren't solely hired for what we already know, we're hired to keep learning! We are current on the healthiest normal birth care guidelines as well as the restrictions and conservative actions currently taking place. We research the validity of guidelines across all birth care provider options including obstetrical, midwifery and self-supported birth care.
Every mother will be secure knowing she's made her choices based not on bias but on well-researched knowledge regarding physical, mental and emotional labor and how she, as an individual, chooses to make this physiological journey and whom she chooses to bring with her on the journey.
Most importantly, we have a passion for bringing enjoyable birth to a true realization. Mothers report back a greater satisfaction with their birth experience even when their births did not go as planned and/or medical intervention was truly indicated. Those mothers experiencing interventions were more comfortable with the use of interventions when they chose how and when to allow the interventions to be used because they were knowledgeable of the proper use of interventions through a fully comprehensive Independent Childbirth educator's birth preparation series of classes. www.independentchildbirth.com
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