Did you know that Bluegrass Doulas offers private birth instruction? We offer a variety of class formats and wanted to explain what a private class is like from a client’s perspective.
Meet Brandy, a first time mom who is sharing how a one day labor class helped her and her wife feel more prepared for birth.
What format class did you take and who was your instructor?
We took an 8 hour 1 on 1 private class, it was really helpful to do it all in one day because my wife and I are super busy so our schedules don’t allow for a lot of flexibility as far as what we can fit in aside from the things that are already standing.
What was the most important thing that you remember from the class?
“I think the most special thing that I took away from the class that we took with Rebecca was just a clear understanding of what to anticipate. I say anticipate instead of expect because there is a big difference and I think we all know you never know what to expect. For us it was about learning what kinds of things we could anticipate happening.”
How did the class make you guys feel more prepared for childbirth?
In particular I think it was really important to us as a same sex couple to talk to Rebecca about some of the practices of the hospital and some of the practices of the midwives and to get her take and understanding of how we would be received. This is always an unknown factor for us in our lives and we were really reassured by Rebecca.
The class was super empowering for me because I was able to understand and learn about positions and understand what I felt the strongest in. It definitely made me more prepared in a lot of other ways too. The class helped my wife and I open up lines of communication and better understand what we both wanted and why. For example, I knew I wanted to try for a natural birth and my wife didn’t fully understand why until we were able to talk through it during the birthing class. I knew my wife was a little worried about a natural birth and wanted a medicated birth, but I didn’t know why. It was great being able to discuss her concerns and Rebecca was able to quiet our fears and calm our anxieties.
Is there anything you’d like to say to expecting parents who are considering classes?
I would tell expecting parents who are thinking about classes that it’s worth it. For us it was empowering, gave us an opportunity to ask questions that neither of us knew we needed to ask and worked so well with our schedule.