5 Reasons Child Birth Classes are a Game Changer

Child birth classes are an amazing way to become informed about your options during birth as well as the physiological process of birth. When we understand what is happening to our body when birthing a baby, we are less likely to feel fearful. This prevention of fear can keep you from entering the ‘Fear Pain Cycle’ where because you are afraid, you feel pain more intensely, then because you feel pain more intensely, you become more afraid, and so on.

The Importance of Child birth classes

There are several reasons why I feel child birth classes are so important for families that I included it in my doula contract under ‘Client Obligations’. Some of the benefits of birth education classes are:

Increased confidence for labor and birth among parents who attended classes
Higher likelihood of breastfeeding success
Improved communication between parents and their care providers
Decreased need for analgesic medication (epidural) in labor
Increased satisfaction with birth
Families who attended child birth classes are also significantly less likely to have a cesarean surgery.

(Chalmers & Kingston, 2009; Enkin et al., 2000). The significant difference in the cesarean surgery rate among those who take birth education classes and those who do not is nearly 20% among first time parents! While hiring a doula onto your birth team is a fantastic way to increase your odds of the benefits listed above, the educational responsibility of becoming informed about birth cannot be removed because of doula support.

Why Do I Strongly Recommend Families Take Out of Hospital Birth Classes?

Research has shown that US hospital child birth classes use various methods to “socialize parents to comply with hospital routines and expectations” and may fulfill institutional rather than individual needs (Armstrong, 2000, p. 583). Basically, these hospital classes are teaching you how to be a ‘good patient’ and how to have a birth that is typical in a hospital setting. Many of my doula families are preparing to have spontaneous, unmedicated, vaginal births which is unfortunately very much not the norm for a hospital birth.

What Classes Do I Recommend?

There are several options for child birth classes both online and in-person! For my most suggested online classes Click Here. For in-person classes or one-on-one classes with a child birth educator, you can search your local area via google or ask your doula for a list of upcoming classes that fit your family and birth goals.

Jenni Jenkins – Sekine is an Oklahoma Bereavement, Birth, & Postpartum Doula and Child Birth Educator who serves her Central Oklahoma community. She is also a midwifery assistant with Holistic Birthing Services and began her journey as a student midwife with the Midwives College of Utah in 2022.

Jenni is also the creator & facilitator of the Kaleidoscope OKC LGBTQ Family Support Group & the Nurture Oklahoma Live Interview Series.

To learn more about Jenni, please click here.