I like the idea of doing both and comparing.

We are spoiled for choice in Melbourne. Rhea Dempsey, the International College of Spiritual Midwifery, Di Diddle, Choices for Childbirth with Maternity Coaltion, BaBs, Birthready, Lina Clerke, and LifeKeys at Careforce Church in Mt. Evelyn do a course, too.

I agree with you Kelly about the birth videos. Our culture has changed - these days, many women never get see another woman giving birth before they do it themselves. Now, if I was up on the bridge over that scary river in New Zealand with people hollering, "Just jump!" at me, I'd sure want to see someone bunjee jump a few times first before I hurled myself onto the great unknown myself. Women used to be around birth more in the days of yore. So we become dependent on the media for images of birth. Not much help there - we get bombarded with fairly negative images of birth on TV & in films. So you'd hope that birth classes would show something more realistic and positive images. Yes, some births are difficult and scary - but where do you go to see images of the masses of women who give birth safely, confidently and joyfully? If you only get exposed to the negative, you get conditioned to thinking that's normal. When you see the positive videos, then you become aware of what's truly possible.

I found YouTube quite the education. You can see examples of hospital births, water births, homebirths etc.