The Importance of Childbirth Education

At Birthly, we aren’t ones to toot our own horn, so we’ll toot the horns of childbirth educators everywhere.

There are many reasons why you should take a childbirth education classes prior to your due date. As you might know, many moms prefer having a vaginal birth. And we don’t blame them because vaginal births actually tend to be better for the mom. Some of the benefits include:

Shorter hospital stays
Lower risk of infection
Quicker recovery

How do childbirth education classes play a role you ask? A 2016 study presented at the Society for Maternal - Fetal Medicine’s annual meeting showed that women who took childbirth education classes or had a birth plan were 25% more likely to have vaginal birth vs. those who didn’t. One of the reasons for this is that fear has a big impact on complications during labor and delivery. Learning a little bit about the process, your body, and what you and your partner can do to enhance your experience can greatly reduce your anxiety and increase your chances of having a satisfactory delivery.

Without a doubt, you are going to be faced with a lot of decision-making throughout your pregnancy. While you should always follow the advice of a medical professional, staying informed with up-to-date information surrounding childbirth can empower you to make the right decisions about your birth when the time comes.

Childbirth education classes not only can provide you with the information and resources you are looking for, they can also give you a framework to help you navigate the process and inspire you to do further research on topics and choices most relevant for you. Perhaps the best thing about learning is building the confidence to know when to ask the important questions to your care team, including your OBGYN, anesthesiologist, or midwife.

While many people think that childbirth education classes are just for first time mom, as practices and processes change, a quick refresher can help instill confidence and manage expectations even amongst experienced moms. By the way, this whole journey is a team sport, so grabbing your partner and going through a class together gets you both on the same page – and that can help make sure you are both speaking the same language and reduces stress later.

By now you should understand why we are such big proponents of childbirth education. Here at Birthly, we believe that everyone should have access to quality educators and interactive learning. That’s why we designed a live online platform, which you can access from anywhere. From comprehensive prenantal bootcamps to tailored bite-sized courses on breastfeeding and newborn care, let us help you get informed so you can anticipate the arrival of your baby with confidence.

Sources: https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(15)01623-3/fulltext

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