Are Childbirth Classes Necessary?

Are childbirth classes REALLY necessary?

The answer is a little complicated. 

No, you don’t have to take a childbirth class in order to have a successful birth or a healthy baby. You will have this baby with or without a childbirth class.

And yes, it’s still helpful to take one.

• While birth is a ‘natural’ process, that doesn’t mean it FEELS natural in the moment. When something is happening to your body that doesn’t make sense, it becomes easy for adrenaline to increase. Adrenaline actually isn’t your BFF during labor. Knowing what’s happening, at least in a general sense, can allow your body to relax, which give more space for your REAL BFF Oxytocin to step in.
• Every birth is going to look a bit different, but they all follow a similar process. If you have a full understanding of the process, you’re less likely to get discouraged when your body is doing exactly what we expect it to do.
• You may have an idea of whether you want an epidural or not. And- knowing all the potential interventions that could be a part of your birth allows you to make the best decisions in the moment. Every intervention has risks and benefits. None of them are morally right/wrong, good/bad.

Yes, all of these things can be explained to you during labor. Will your brain be in a position to take the information in at that point? Maybe not so much.

Can you just look it up online? Sure. While the internet is a wealth of information on all things pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting, it can also be overwhelming, filled with conflicting opinions, and often hard to navigate

It’s similar with the newborn care aspect of childbirth classes.

Before issuing a driver’s license, most states require at least the following: a driver’s education course; supervised experience behind the wheel; vision, written, and driving exams; fees and official documentation. With having a child, they just load you up with information in the hospital when you’re too exhausted and overwhelmed to take any of it in… and then hand you a child to take home.

Most childbirth education classes are a general overview of what to expect.

They typically cover:

• Biology of labor
• The labor process and what to expect from providers
• Comfort techniques and pain management options
• Interventions and their risks/benefits
• The role of the partner or other support people during the labor process
• Epidurals 
• Cesareans
• Breast/chestfeeding
• Newborn care 
• Postpartum recovery

But perhaps the most important aspect of childbirth education is the opportunity for you to feel prepared for what comes next. To have the knowledge to make informed decisions, so that at the end of the labor and delivery experience, you feel empowered in making the decisions that are best for your body and your baby. 

Childbirth classes allow you to have a little space and time to consider what is most important to you during labor, what comfort measures you might like, and feel a little more confident about your ability to care for this sweet little one once you’ve returned home.