The Importance of Birth Education

I think my favorite saying in the birth world is, “if you don’t know your options, you don’t actually have any.” When moms find out I am a doula they almost always start telling me their birth stories. And it’s usually a version of “I didn’t know what I didn’t know.” So often families say they didn’t know better or they wish they had prepared more, taken a birth class, or even read a book. It’s like the first baby is a trial run and an opportunity to learn things the hard way; but it doesn’t have to be like that, and that’s why birth education is so important.

Taking a birth education class is crucial for expecting parents. It can literally make the difference in the type of birth you have and how you experience it. A study from 2020 showed that families that took a birth class prior to delivery had fewer interventions, including inductions, more vaginal deliveries, and less use of anesthesia. What a win!

But taking a birth class isn’t just about outcomes. Childbirth education gives you tools, connection, confidence, and trust.

Tools

Taking a birth class will help you build a toolbox of techniques to help you feel supported during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. You and your partner will get hands-on, practical training, no matter the type of birth you are planning for. You’ll learn coping strategies, comfort measures, effective labor positions, and what to expect in the labor process. This gives you a variety of ways to move through your birth experience.

Connection

Taking a birth class is also about building a deep sense of connection. You are laying the foundation between you and your baby, you and your partner, and you and your body. A birth class is intentional, focused time where you can grow that bond with each other and connect to how your body was designed to give birth. You and your partner will get on the same page about your birth preferences and learn to work together as a team.

Confidence and Trust

Most people have fears about giving birth. And while that’s normal, we shouldn’t stay there. A birth class will give you confidence in how you want to give birth. You will be empowered to trust your body, your baby, and the team around you. You will get informed on what choices you have and how to advocate for your family. Being part of a class will remind you birth is natural and can be a gentle and even holy process (that sometimes requires medical assistance). Learning about birth and how to trust the process is the best preparation for a growing family. Giving birth should be your greatest accomplishment, not your biggest fear.

Taking a birth class sounds pretty important, right? So why don’t people take one? Sometimes it’s resources, and I get that. It takes both time and money to commit to a class, but I can tell you you will never regret investing in your birth. Another argument I hear is that a mom knows she wants an epidural, so she doesn’t need a birth class. This couldn’t be further from the truth because a birth class should teach you what to do before you get an epidural, when to get one, and how to work with your epidural. There is so much more to birth than pain medication. My “favorite” reason is a family who says they want to go with the flow or that they trust their doctor. (Insert me making crazy eyes) The truth is that going with the flow during birth will likely lead you down a path of complications and interventions, and your doctor isn’t coming to save you. That’s like signing up for a marathon, showing up without preparation and hoping someone will be there to carry you to the finish line. It’s easy to make excuses of why you may not take a birth class, but you are ultimately responsible for your birth.

I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of families experience birth in a positive way through education. In our time together, they not only gain my wisdom from the last ten years of birth work, but they also gain tools, connection, confidence and trust. This work is my passion and my joy and I truly believe that birth education is life changing. Birth is powerful, and you should enter into it feeling prepared and full of hope.

All that to say, don’t skip on the birth class.

P.S. I know a really great one.