Birth Boot Camp Statistics, 2015
Keeping statistics is and has always been an important part of Birth Boot Camp childbirth education. We believe in being both accountable and transparent about our classes and if they are helping students meet their birth goals.
How does this work?
Every time someone takes a Birth Boot Camp childbirth class, we check in with them and ask how their birth went. For our online classes, we have a staff member who reaches out to everyone and asks them some facts about their birth.
For our live classes, their instructor reaches out and communicates with them, then reports back to corporate.
Students are asked a variety of questions, from if they had medication for pain relief, to where they gave birth, and even if they employed a doula or chiropractor as part of their birth team.
Answering these questions is always voluntary. Students may answer some and not others, depending on their comfort level. We do not ask for names or any other identifying information.
Why do we keep statistics?
Students taking a Birth Boot Camp childbirth class are most often planning a natural birth. We want to know if our students were helped in accomplishing their birth goals by our childbirth education. This helps us stay up-to-date and makes sure that we are giving them the necessary information to get what they want from their birth.
We want to give our students the best; keeping statistics keeps us accountable and helps us give our students the best curriculum available.
What do we find when we gather statistics?
Interestingly enough, year after year, our statistics have stayed about them same. For 2015, Birth Boot Camp students had a 15% cesarean rate. This is less than half of the national average. We truly believe that childbirth education makes a difference and can help lower the cesarean section rate!
Of those students who have a vaginal birth, 78% have a birth without pain relief medication.
All birth should be an honored, sacred experience. We are thrilled to know that those who take our classes are very likely to have the type of birth they planned.
We also ask our students for some other information, if they are willing to share.
Circumcision-
62% left their baby boys intact. Our classes openly talk about the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative and discourage routine infant circumcision.
Birth Location-
66% birthed in the hospital, 19% in a birth center, and 15% birthed at home. We did have a few who birthed in “another” location! Car birth happens!
Doulas-
59% hired a doula. We encourage all students to hire a doula for their birth. Doulas help!
Care Provider-
36% birthed with a CNM (certified nurse midwife)
34% birthed with an OB (obstetrician)
29% birthed with a CPM/LM (licensed midwife)
1% birthed unattended
There are many factors that go into having an amazing birth. We feel so honored to be part of each and every one of our student’s birth journey’s. Birth matters, and so do your birth wishes!
Why aren’t you asking for their satisfaction rates? Isn’t that as important as the modality if birth?
The satisfaction with their birth is absolutely important! And, since our students are specifically taking this class in order to achieve a natural birth, we feel this is a great way to measure if we helped them get what they wanted. Birth matters and their birth desires matter, to us and to them.