Childbirth Classes in Bossier City, LA

Today we are excited to introduce one of our amazing instructors! Ashleigh teaches birth classes in Bossier City and Shreveport, Louisiana. Ashleigh is a mother of three gorgeous redheads with three different birth experiences. Every birth matters and we are so grateful to have another passionate and compassionate woman spreading the news that birth is beautiful.

First, could you introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about your own birth experiences and how they influenced your desire to teach birth classes in Shreveport, LA.

When I was pregnant with my first baby girl in 2011, I had a friend who had given birth naturally and she and her mom had told me some of the benefits of it. I had a hard time believing them, because I was so ingrained with the idea of childbirth being this totally awful, painful, terrible experience.

I watched the documentary The Business of Being Born and thought to myself “well, if I have to do this, I better get educated and stand up for myself…I don’t want to be pushed around and end up with a c-section.”

I switched to a natural birth friendly doctor/hospital, had a wonderful doula and supportive husband, but I didn’t do much to prepare myself for birth- especially in the areas of pregnancy nutrition, pregnancy exercise, and making sure to help her to be in the ideal position for birth.

I did end up with an epidural, and it took some time but I regretted it. The side effects and the lengthy recovery were not worth it for me. My second daughter came along in 2013, and (thanks to preparation and dedication!) I had an amazing unmedicated birth, quick recovery, and no trouble with breastfeeding.

I wanted to tell the world, and so began my journey to birth work. The more I learned, the more passionate I became, and I decided I wanted to help other women be educated and empowered for their birth experiences.

What are your particular passions concerning birth?

As cliché as it sounds, I really believe that Knowledge is Power.  

There is so much misinformation out there and so many outdated and non-evidence-based practices going on all around us. I hear of so many moms saying “oh, well I think I want to try to have a natural birth” but they just end up winging it- and winging it doesn’t usually work.

It really is all about becoming empowered, educated and fully prepared, and my passion is to help moms (and dads!) learn about their options, what the evidence is and how to find it, and how to ask questions and advocate for themselves.

There are lots of different birth educator training programs out there. Why did you choose Birth Boot Camp?

When I found Birth Boot Camp, I was impressed. An up-to-date, professional, and thorough childbirth education program- I knew it was what I had been looking for.

The program offers students all of the information they need to know, in a clear and organized way that isn’t overwhelming. I love that the board and the other instructors are in constant communication and support each other so much.

It was reassuring to know that even though I was no marketing or business expert, Birth Boot Camp had thought of everything and provides guidance to their instructors.

Tell us a little about your Birth Boot Camp training experience. Where did you train? What did you like about it?

I attended training in February of 2014 in Dallas, Texas. I was happy that it was pretty close to home and I brought my mom with me to look after my little ones.

It’s always so refreshing to be around many like-minded women, so spending the week with a room full of birth professionals was an awesome experience! It was a great group of ladies and I learned so much from all of them. The childbirth educator training itself was very thorough and I felt totally ready to start teaching.

How is teaching your own birth classes in Bossier City, LA going for you? What do you enjoy most about it?

At first I had to make up my mind to push myself past my introverted tendencies and put myself out there. I was so encouraged when every bit of work I did and every interaction turned out to be so positive.

I’ve made many connections to some amazing women in my community and I can even say that being an instructor has given me more confidence and has changed me for the better.

As far as teaching goes, I absolutely love it! I look forward to every class and am continually improving and making little tweaks to serve my students the best way I can. I love getting to know my students. Seeing them connect as a couple, hearing their birth stories, watching their new life as a growing family unfold- it’s truly a privilege.

To close, tell us how you see natural childbirth education having a positive impact? Why does this work matter to you?

An important realization I’ve come to is that the birth industry is (and should be) consumer driven. A hospital is a business, and doctors are their employees. We hire physicians to help us.  

By being educated, we as consumers can help change the birth climate in our cities and hopefully in our whole country. Interest in natural birth is growing, and it isn’t just a “trend”, it’s us as mothers returning to what we innately know we were created to do.

It’s my hope that my generation can pave the way for more supportive, evidence based maternity care and more access to midwifery care. Because this doesn’t just affect us, it will affect our daughters and granddaughters as well.

Where can we find you?

I’m so happy to teach childbirth classes in my hometown of Bossier City and Shreveport, Louisiana and surrounding areas of North Louisiana and East Texas. More information, class schedule, and registration can be found at www.NaturallyInspiredBirth.com . I’m also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/naturallyinspiredbirth and instagram at bossiercitybirthandbaby.