Happy National Midwifery Week! We thought we would share why Birth Boot Camp supports midwives in and out of the hospital setting!
Birth Boot Camp’s childbirth education includes detailed information on midwifery practices. Families are now utilizing midwives for home births and birth center births even more so since 2020, and the restrictions Covid brought to the US maternity system. And even in the hospital, low-risk mothers are opting for midwifery care.
While having a midwife as a care provider helps with the goal of a natural physiological birth, it’s still really important to be properly educated about birth BEFORE the birth. Many midwives believe that if you don’t receive that education, you are more likely to get exhausted in early labor, and either increase your chance of a transport to the hospital or increase the use of drugs for pain-relief in the hospital, which overall does increase your chances of a cesarean birth.
I began to require that all my primips (first time moms) and women birthing outside the hospital for the first time take a childbirth class. While something was better than nothing, I didn’t necessarily notice a significant difference in outcomes for my clients who took a short class (4-6 weeks).
However, I did notice that clients who took a longer Birth Boot Camp class did often have very different outcomes. Women were less fearful and more determined. They participated in their care and were making informed choices. Dads were providing excellent, confident support throughout pregnancy and, noticeably, in labor. Moms who would have otherwise had epidurals or C-sections, were having unmedicated births.
– Melody Morrow, CPM, LM
How Birth Boot Camp Supports Midwives
It promotes and affirms the midwifery model of care.
The Birth Boot Camp curriculum is based on the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative. What we teach aligns perfectly with how midwives practice.
It gives parents 10 weeks of intentional education.
This enables parents to make appropriate decisions for their care and increases their ownership of responsibility. In short, more families “own” their birth choices.
The live classes promote peer support, encouragement and determination.
Think of these couples meeting for weeks learning about birth with other like-minded people and a dedicated instructor. They are supported and positive about their birth and having more of their emotional needs met.
Someone else, besides you, is encouraging the same things you want them to hear.
Good nutrition, exercise, positioning, and much more are all things they are learning about OUTSIDE of your visits, not just during them. Your clients are more likely to be intentional in caring for themselves when they are given directed information, statistics, etc. and discussing these things with their partner and other birth workers.
Dads become more confident, involved and less fearful.
A confident and involved dad really helps with mom’s well-being. Many clients will become even more passionate and appreciative of the choices they are making, even if they don’t have their desired outcome.
Birth Boot Camp Doulas are specifically trained to support your couples. This further helps the partner and lessens his fear during the time of birth making everyone happier about the birth experience.
It is contemporary.
Birth Boot Camp classes are current and interactive. The topics concerning birth and interventions are always up to date. Things that you want all of your clients to know about but may not have time to fully teach them. Their class will connect them to resources that I might not be able to.
It forces couples to stop and focus on their pregnancy in this fast-paced world.
Couples connect with their pregnancy and with each other. They discuss issues and they come to an understanding. They appreciate their baby and the experience together.
Knowledge is power.
This means less confused, fearful phone calls and false labor runs for you.
In short, when my couples access the kind of quality childbirth education provided by Birth Boot Camp they have a better birth experience, my job is easier, and if things don’t go as they planned, they are comforted in knowing that they did all they could. This kind of childbirth education truly makes a difference.
