Calm Birth Classes

[Loula]

Due to my anixety and things i am really considering this as an option prior to the birth of our first child, i hope DH will gain knoweldge in how to support me too, as all he is saying at the moment is 'well you'll just get an epidural' (a friends wife did and they are so positive about it)

I will if and when i need to but do not want to go in with that as a irst option IYKWIM??

so can you tell me your experiance with calm birth or any recomendations

Thank you

Lou

[LionsandBears]

No experience, but I've enrolled in a a calm birth class. I'm also doing Hypnobabies home study course (CDs & books) in order to prepare.

Have you spoken to your DH about the possible risks/escalations that can occur with an epidural? Would he want someone going near his spine with big needle? Not bagging them if needed, but if you want birth one way and he overrules that in the heat of things, then you may end up resenting him.

Rhea Dempsey's class is also receommended. I've seen her and she's very good at spelling things out.

[Loula]

Thanks Tash,

can i asked what did you look for in the class, midwife backgroud? there are so many out there.

[LionsandBears]

We met the women who run the one we're doing at a BB birth workshop last year. I picked their brochure up somewhere recently. They are a couple of doulas. My midwife described them as pretty radical, but we like them and as I'm aiming for a homebirth, I don't mind radical Also, the course is close by and run over 2 Sundays, which works for us (as opposed to evening courses).

[briggsy's girl]

lou, Pandora and I did a calmbirth course through Shel at Gentle Beginnings. she was fantastic. she went through a lot of stuff about the birthing process (mechanics behind it all), why intervention spiral occurs, ways to calm yourself and how DH could support me. she was really good with the anxiety stuff (looking at triggers) etc. if you google gentle beginnings it should come up - happy to talk to you more on msn if you have any q's hun

[Megan]

Lou, we went to one in Upper ferntree gully which is run by a doula. It had DH all excited of me having a natural birth by the end of it, and I was confident that he was as prepared as he could be!! Although I ended up with a c/s, the techniques and knowledge we both gained from it were invaluable.