Antenatal classes/education

The topic of antenatal classes is just about doing my head in at the moment. Too many choices. I'm tossing up between hospital classes, private classes, calm birth, hypnobirth, active birth, no classes and just lots of reading and talking to my Ob & doula, ABA breastfeeding classes, etc.

What is everyone else doing? Or what did you do with your first pregnancy?

I'm leaning towards Rhea Dempsey's classes after several recommendations but still really unsure. I've just about made my mind up about hiring a doula but have yet to confirm things officially. The cost and time commitments all add up quickly so I worry I'm overdoing things.

I believe independent birth classes are the best option. You get the education without being sucked into the hospital policies. Rhea Dempsey is fantastic and I recommend going with her.

What you'll learn with her is that people who do not prepare and just go with the the flow are more likely to end up with interventions than those who actively prepare. Yes, things can still go against your "plan", but the better prepared you are, the more you are an active participant in decision rather than someone that things happen to.

We went to a session in our first pregnancy that included Rhea and Pinky and a couple of doulas. With DS1, I did hypnobabies. I also tried hypnobirth but didnt find it as helpful as hypnobabies. Lots of women do though. One of the best events was DH going to a Beer and Bubs class. We also read stuff, but it was him hearing Rhea talk that really convinced him of how he needed to help me.

We also did an ABA breastfeeding class - i totally recommend men going to that as well.

They can all add up. If you had to do only one thing, I'd recommend Hypnobabies home study course.

I also wouldnt birth without an independent midwife or experienced doula who is also a lactation consultant.

I'd definitely recommend an ABA breastfeeding education class. You will receive an ABA membership with the cost of the class. Membership is $65 on it's own so you end up paying just $20 or 30 I think for the class, really, if you look at it like that! :D

A lot of people don't think about what happens after the birth - the BEC is a really great way to focus beyond the birth on what happens when you get home!

As for antenatal classes, I just did the hospital one. It was ok, but if I didn't have the internet, bellybelly and a bit of research under my belt, it would not have been enough, IMHO. I'd look at something else, like L&B mentions above.

Just subbing... I've been thinking a lot about this too, k4t, as much for my DP as for me. I suspect my options in Perth are somewhat more limited, though. :)

So far I'm planning to do the classes at the hospital, partly so that I know what their policies are and therefore know where we might have a disagreement, and also the couple class (One three hour session) run by my pg yoga teacher.

ETA: And a ABA breastfeeding class.

I have absoloutley no idea what I'm going to do!! Argh.

But, I'm in a homebirth program, planning to waterbirth and meeting my midwife today, so I'm sure she'll go through all that. I would like to prepare. I most certainly do not want intervention if I can avoid it.

ETA I'm also doing prenatal yoga so I'm sure that counts for something? (Anyone?)

I did the hospital classes. While they were informative and the midwife answered any questions asked, I found that during labour I had no idea what was going on. Now having read and researched, reading birth stories on here etc, I feel much more prepared for what is in store. If I was going to do it again, I'd probably choose something other than the hospital classes.

if you are going to birth in hospital, doing the hospital course is a good way to get information on hospital policies. For birthing information, you will need an independent class or reading books. Gaining information on the physiology and psyche of birth plus information on where you have chosen to birth are needed.

We are doing the hospital classes which we have both found really good. The middie is honest about the hospital policies and has even suggested a few ways of getting what we want that we would otherwise had no way of getting round. For instance my hospital only allows the hospital Tens machines to be used. This means you have to have attended an appointment to learn how to use them with the physio dept. You can't just turn up with your own or use the hossy ones with having done this.

I have also read every single one of the birth stories (yep over 40 pages worth) on here and have been researching and trying to learn as much as possible on my own. Now I have found out I have GD so will go back and do more researching as to how this may change my plans so far.

I guess what I am saying is do what ever seems more comfortable to you, and read read read :)

BuubaT - just out of interest, which hospy are you going to? I've always used my IM's TENS.

Pholi - There's a Beer & Bubs in Perth

I did the hospital classes and the ABA BEC. Aside from that I did a stack of my own research, heaps of reading on here, and books, and I made DH watch One Born Every Minute with me, so he was pretty clued in and asked some great questions during antenatal classes, and was awesome during labour.

You definitely need something. If you have access to good independent classes, I'd go for it. There wasn't a lot round here at the time I had DD, so I did it on my own, and won.

L&B I am going to Monash. Apparently all of them have to tested and tagged by the hospital electrician now so the only allow their own to be used. They won't even let me use a heatpack fir pities sake.

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Pholi - There's a Beer & Bubs in Perth

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Good to know, thanks!

Wow. So many replies so quickly. Looks like I'm not the only one confused/anxious about this.

I should disclose that my husband and I are both doctors (but not anything close to obstetrics) so that is also coloring my decision. And although I feel I know a lot about the physiological side of things myself, I'm not really sure my husband remembers much from med school obstetrics classes. I don't know how receptive he's going to be to being lectured to IYKWIM. (Another male doctor friend who went to the hospital midwife led courses did nothing but complain about all the details they got wrong which stopped him taking away any of the useful messages and I think my DH will be the same.)

I'm going to try and convince him we should go to Rhea Dempsey's weekend workshop. I think I'll just do a tour of the maternity hospital and grill them and my Ob about hospital policies. Plus ABA class and maybe an extra active birth yoga class on top of regular prenatal yoga.

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I did the hospital classes. While they were informative and the midwife answered any questions asked, I found that during labour I had no idea what was going on. Now having read and researched, reading birth stories on here etc, I feel much more prepared for what is in store. If I was going to do it again, I'd probably choose something other than the hospital classes.

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Totally agree!! With DS1 i had no clue. I struggled with the birth, and with breastfeeding (who knew it was so hard!!). With DS2 things were much better and i researched breast feeding so much, that it was an awesome experience for me this time!!

Def an ABA course!! Good luck! J.

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L&B I am going to Monash. Apparently all of them have to tested and tagged by the hospital electrician now so the only allow their own to be used. They won't even let me use a heatpack fir pities sake.

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TENS are battery operated so no need to be checked and tagged.

As for the heat pack its because they are a fire risk and are banned from all hospitals in melb, they can still make a hot back thought for you.

I recommend doing hospital ones if birthing in hospital and ABA ones.

Bumping

Just at the stage where I need to confirm with the hospital to attend the classes.

I have been looking into the options available, but noticed that the private doulas, midwives, and birth educators tend to be very $$. Making it not very accessible for some who would like to know their choices, and have a great birth but become slightly disadvantaged by not being able to afford a private birth educator.
I have read a lot if birth stories on here, watch OBEM, and generally trust my body. But as its my first baby and birth, I just feel I'm not so sure about the hospital classes.
I have a relative who is a recent graduate midwife, we'd be happy if she could just run through it with us but she has expressed she's not yet 100% confident in 'teaching' us.

So I guess I'm asking, better to go with hospital classes at $110, or try to find a private educator under $150??

Whatever you choose I'd highly recommend reading Ina Mays guide to childbirth. It helped shape our beliefs about birth being empowering and being informed and that my body is built for birth.
We did
Beer and bubs,
Doula,
Calmbirth,
Private LC class
ABA class
And lots of reading and research and it was worth every dollar for the amazing birth experience we had.
I think it's worth doing the hospital classes so you understand how the hospital operates etc. calmbirth is worth it too if your budget will cover it.

The hospital classes are good for scoping out their policies, but i don't know if this is worth $110. If i had to pay for a hospital class, i would want info on what they were going to cover. I went to a hospital class, and i would have felt ripped off if i paid that much.

The benefit of private educators is that they often offer post class assistance and you have more opportunity to ask questions.

Has your relative worked at the hospital that you are booked into? Do you know anyone else who has birthed there? Does the hospital have info on their website?

Good luck with your decision. It can be hard to work out where to focus on, when money is an issue. It is great to have faith in your body, i believe you also have to have a great researched birth plan for all circumstances, and faith in your support people to help you tell the health care professionals what works for you and your baby.

I also love Ina May Gaskin books, also Henci Goer.

We did the hospital classes and private classes with my Physio which focused on drug free, kinda calm birthing techniques. Both were well worth it first time round. I can't remember how much either of our classes were but I think the hossi ones may have been around $70 and that was for 8 hours (2 hour classes over 4 weeks) and included snacks and drinks each week. It was a private hospital. I would have paid more, the classes were excellent IMO.

Our hospital classes focused more on the medical side of things plus hospital procedures, pain relief during labour, life with a newborn (the first week - what to expect), etc. The Physio classes were all about labour and techniques to assist labour and avoid intervention and drug free pain relief. We also learnt about how Physio can help post birth too.

I'd highly recommend doing both (or something similar) especially if your 'type' of labour is important to you ie you want drug free, low intervention, etc.

Here's a birth education article of mine which is hugely popular and has been printed in magazines.

9 Reasons Why You Should Choose Independent Birth Education

No-one does birth classes like Rhea Dempsey. She's my birth teacher, part of the birth attendant class is attending her birth education class. Felt SO ripped off what those couples learnt compared to what Rhea taught. Very much so.

Rhea has great classes on working with pain and great info for partners. Its opposite of calmbirth which focuses away from the pain. Both work well for people, some people fly through with calmbirth, some get overwhelmed and it doesn't work for them then they have no other tools for coping with pain. Just what I have observed. Then again I am no calmbirth expert, I am not trained in it, but have attended a class. They are both great, but my thought is the more tools you have in your arsenal, the better. I'm not great with meditation or relaxation so Rhea's classes are more up my alley - and I do love the power that comes from working with pain :) Beer and Bubs is great for dads too.

Definitely with the ABA class too (and a subscription) as you'll have loads of questions and/or issues when it actually happens. I found when I had my first way back when, I wasn't as motivated with breastfeeding classes, both because I had no real example to base it on and I was more focused on the labour.

Your doula should have books for you to borrow - The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth and Ina May all the way :) New Active Birth is a bare basics must too.

I know independent options can be 'expensive' but they run small groups and don't take on lots of clients, and need to feed families too - you can't work full time and work in birth - you need to be available all the time, and often have children about that need last minute care. The hours you put into births too - if you break it down by hour, we don't get that much - especially if you only end up with a couple of births a month. Just sharing our side of the fence :) Many of these things you can pay part payments too - not all at once. Or just ask - we always try to accommodate financial issues.

I've not even been offered classes by the hospital!!! Maybe because its my second child and they presume I don't want them?

With my first child I just did the free classes run by the hospital. They seemed good at the time but only focused on a vaginal birth with minimal complications. I ended up being diagnosed with pre-eclampsia (on the day I was being induced!) which meant being strapped to the bed with the drip and catheter. That meant all the pain management stuff I'd planned on using went out the window because I couldn't move. The induction failed, then I had an emergency c, failed to breast feed or bond with lil one and had severe PND. NONE of this was I even remotely prepared for.

I think I might start looking into some private classes for this one......