South Florida Childbirth Education Class with Midwives
Last night was part one of the virtual Childbirth Education series with midwives Gelena Hinkley and Sandra Lobaina of Natural Birthworks Birth Center in Margate, Florida.
Let me just say….
I have SO MUCH FEEDBACK for you mamas AND birth workers out there.
If you have never taken a child birth education class: I highly encourage you to sign up ASAP.
If you have taken a childbirth education class in the past…
(at your local hospital for example)
I highly encourage you to check this one out.
This childbirth education series is not only cost efficient, but the information is well-encompassing of both the medical, the emotional and the midwifery care model, which covers so much more than the typical medical-led class.
Click the N.B.W. Logo below to go directly to the Natural Birthworks website to sign up or learn more, or click here:
So what did I think about the first Childbirth education night? My REAL non-sugarcoated opinion?
I absolutely LOVED it and took an entire page of notes just for myself, as midwife Gelena was navigating through the evening, it motivated and ignited my thought processes and I realized I had increasingly more questions for her.
Child Birth Education Series Review
By
A Birth Worker who has attended 150 births
A mother of two cesarean born babies
A birth trauma survivor
My review of the Natural Birthworks Childbirth Education series is coming to you from my personal opinion, as a birth worker who has attended 150 births over six years, as a mother of two cesarean born babies, and a birth trauma survivor.
As we made our way through the class, I was typing up notes in my gmail, (I type way faster than I write).
At one point midwife Gelena asked “are there any questions so far?” And I raised my hand and said “I actually have a bunch” through gritted teeth, I wasn’t sure if I was making things more complicated for all the couples, asking questions probably only a birth worker would be thinking about, but midwife Gelena at no point made me feel self conscious. She answered my questions clearly and tended to each one.
So first, let’s cover the basics of what I personally thought about the course as a mom & birth worker:
Midwife Gelena provided a thorough understanding of a woman's anatomy for childbirth
Understanding your body and what is happening physically during labor and birth is critical for feeling empowered during your labor, or even if you are attending someone else’s birth as a friend or birth worker. You MUST know what is happening at each stage, in the woman’s body and in the baby’s body to truly be present and connected. In the uterus, the cervix, the pelvic bone, everything. Not only that, but Gelena actually addressed how important education and awareness of anatomy contributes to being empowered during childbirth. Tying in the physical, the intellectual to the emotional. Birth should always be a three part component in this way. This is another reason why I love midwives Gelena and Sandy. They get it: They get that birth is not just a medical process like getting your appendix removed. It’s a transformational journey, for the mom, for the dad, for the baby, for the midwives, the doula, everyone.
Vocabulary
Let’s be real. Giving birth (and even being pregnant) requires you to learn SO MUCH as a new parent. Not just as a new parent, but I’ve got families that are still learning new vocabulary with baby #4. Midwife Gelena went over all the crucial vocabulary you will be hearing during pregnancy, labor, birth and post partum, so you can feel empowered and understand everything that is going on.
Diet
Hearing diet during pregnancy discussed in a Childbirth education class was quite unexpected for me. I did not realize what a vital role a well-balanced-diet plays in not only a healthy pregnancy but also labor and birth. Midwife Gelena emphasized this topic and reminded the couples that during prenatal visits with the midwives, outside of this Childbirth education series, even more guidance is given.
Visuals
The Visual Representation for the cervix, contractions and the baby being born, were top notch and very effective. Sometimes visuals on google can be super unclear or confusing, or even present conflicting information, but the combination of photos and videos that midwife Gelena included in the pregnancy and childbirth portion of this Childbirth education series were very clear, easy to understand and incredibly helpful in clarifying any confusion anyone may have had about any of the stages of labor and birth.
The three top things I learned from the First Night of the Childbirth education series as a birth worker and mom of two kids:
This was such a pleasant surprise to me, because I absolutely LOVE learning new information every time I speak with midwives:
The cervix is a muscle.
Did you know that the cervix is a muscle? Isn’t that fascinating?? Not only is it the contraction that pushes the baby’s head into the cervix that helps with dilation, but also the softening and relaxing of this incredible muscle helps with dilation!
Station 0
I learned that it helps to get a “head start” and have your baby’s head engaged at station 0 when labor begins, and while not every woman starts labor at station 0 (that’s ok, labor just may be a bit longer if baby’s head isn’t as engaged), I learned that an estimated majority of women’s babies heads are at a station 0 when they go into labor.
Anterior Cervix
During pregnancy, the cervix faces towards the back (towards your butt) that is called posterior, but during labor the cervix shifts towards the front and becomes anterior and this gives baby more space to be delivered.
Midwife Gelena reviewed numerous topics during the childbirth portion of this Childbirth Education Series that kept the entire class of couples engaged in conversation ranging from what your midwives do if baby is not in the right position by 28-32 weeks of pregnancy (third trimester), the anatomy of baby including discussing the multiple sac layers, ruptured amniotic fluid during labor, signs of labor, and so much more.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this first night with Midwife Gelena and highly recommend everyone signs up!!!
I cannot wait for the Breastfeeding and Newborn Care segment with Midwife Sandy next week! Stay tuned!!!
