A top-notch resource

Click immediately to this site and soak up the great resource that Andrea Lythgoe has pulled together - thank you!

Understanding Research - the Birth Professionals Guide to Reading Research

She has done a great job of taking something that is usually overwhelming and made it logical, accessible and simple. She has provided written guidance in such a way that it's a lot like having someone very wise sitting on your shoulder, providing gentle support and occasionally whispering "try this" or "look here" in your ear. Before you leave the site, leave her a comment and thank her!

So as a childbirth educator how do you keep up on the research? How many hours a week is reasonable for you to spend? Are you a research junkie and look out for new studies like a blood hound or do you want somebody to spoon feed you? (I have been at both ends of the spectrum!)

Gave me a chuckle

see more Fail Blog

Have you found that a lot of people come to childbirth class and want to learn how to breathe? The clipping from "Fail Blog" made we chuckle.

Maybe childbirth educators could grab a headline:
"Childbirth educators agree that breathing during labor and birth are good for mom and the baby (and the partner and the care givers..)"

Joking aside, I think childbirth educators need to make sure people in their programs leave feeling confident that they know how to breathe! While most programs have gotten away from teaching prescribed breathing patterns, it is still important to talk about the value in slow paced breathing. It's important to talk about the importance of rhythm, no matter what pattern they choose. We should highlight that often breathing becomes part of the ritual for coping with contractions. I also talk about how our bodies do a good job of bringing air in, but sometimes we don't completely exhale. So I do talk about focusing on the exhale or sighing out for a tension release.

What do you teach in regards to breathing?

Garr slides

I know I tend to go on and on about how presenters need to step up and stop making PowerPoint presentations that are actually handouts on slides. I have been inspired by Presentation Zen and here are some great examples of wonderful ways to be more effective. It's not a presentation but a collection - even with no narration I know you will get the point!

Sample slides by Garr Reynolds

View more Microsoft Word documents from garr.

It's also worth checking out his Mkrus Blog Post for more inspiration. And another wise post by Bobgable

Listen...

Thought you might like to listen to a discussion about the role of pain!



And let's talk about the role of podcasts and the childbirth educator... do you have a podcast on your website - what would be a great topic? - if people could hear your voice, might they be more likely to sign up for your classes?

End of attention span

This ad illustrates a point that I make in seminars. When people are at the end of their attention span, they can go off on mental tangents similar to the one this guy does! It's so important that we as learning facilitators, do our best to honor short attention spans and bring them back!

The example I use in seminars comes from Michelle Deck. "Imagine you are going over the risks/benefits of Cesarean birth. Some one at the end of their attention span hears Cesarean and drifts off to ponder if the name comes from Cesar and then wonders if Cesar salad is named after him. And then recalls the last time they had a Cesar salad and how they were having lunch with Joe. And how Joe is getting a divorce and may be selling their house. And how they are having a baby and need a bigger house, and should call Joe. Meanwhile you as their childbirth educator have gone on and on about Cesarean birth and they are buying real estate!"

So make a commitment to not go on and on and allow every one to reach the end of their attention span... trust me, it happens less if you involve people to be active in their learning.

Next time you are in a lecture as a listener, time yourself. How long until you drift off and think of something unrelated to the speaker? What brings you back?

What to expect to go wrong

Yesterday I blogged about the importance of reaching women before the pee dries on their pregnancy test, when they are making those important decisions about where and with whom they will birth...well, I am not convinced this book will be promoting choosing providers and places with low interventions. And the sister book that has been around forever about "what to expect to go WRONG during pregnancy", has never been my favorite. I use to ask my childbirth classes who has read it...now I ask how many copies people have. It amazes me how it continues to outsell books that have a healthier message. If I could add a sound effect here, it would be a big exasperated sigh!

TIME review: What to Expect Before You are Expecting

by Bonnie rochman

An Excerpt:
"You're either a fan of these sorts of let-me-give-you-the-worst-case-scenario books or you're not. While there's no doubt Murkoff's tomes are brimming with well-researched information, they're also packed with implausible situations that serve only to ramp up maternal anxiety. To wit: super-frequent flyers could risk excessive radiation exposure from the sun at high altitudes, so if you're pregnant, Murkoff says you might consider revamping your itinerary in favor of shorter flights at lower altitudes.

"A book like this is organized around anxiety," says Maggie Little, a bioethicist at Georgetown University and a member of the Ob-Gyn Risk Research Group, which includes experts from obstetrics and gynecology as well as bioethics, philosophy, medical epidemiology and sociology, who mull over risk — both real and perceived — in women's reproductive lives. "It would take a normal person and make her crazy."

Look at the stats!

Wouldn't it be nice if all obstetrical practices were so transparent? I have to admit that my first reaction was questioning if this was real or not. I have put a few feelers out and it seems to be.


Minimally invasive obstetrics

So what would your childbirth classes "look" like if you taught for them....I wonder who does teach their classes. Anyone who reads this?

Previously I ran a poll asking what has the biggest impact on a woman's birth? The clear majority said "her labor support team." More and more these days I am leaning towards her choice of care provider and where she births.

Let me explain: If you wanted a new luxury vehicle, what are you chances if you only shop at "Buy-A-Wreck?" If you wanted a pampered retreat and signed up for a wilderness outdoor challenge course, what are your chances of a successful experience? If you have chosen to go to a care provider who works at a facility that does 95% epidurals, 50% inductions, 40% cesareans .... what are the chances - no matter how confident the laboring mother is and how wonderful her support team is?

Ah the challenges we face as childbirth educators. We have to find a way to influence those early decisions - before the pee dries on the "you are pregnant stick!"

Movement

I have volunteered over the years to be part of the volunteer committee that originally created and now reviews and updates the Lamaze Care Practices that support normal birth. The name has been tweaked to Healthy Birth Practices to change their focus more to pregnant women. There are six and my "baby" is the one about being active in labor. So originally it was titled "Freedom of Movement." Now it is: "Walk, move around and change positions throughout labor."

So when I saw this You Tube movie from Equador, I loved it. (Even though my Spanish is limited to greetings and a lot of head nodding and sign language!)



So here is today's challenge....add up the minutes you teach in a series or a one day workshop. Then add up how much of the time is spent out of their chairs and NOT in horizontal positions on the floor. (not fair to count the breaks) What should the ratio be if you really want to model what you preach to be active and move! And grab the stopwatch and also time those birth videos you show - what percentage are they filmed in bed and what percentage are they out and moving around? What should be the minimum ratio before you will show them in your program?

Great clips re: the Healthy Birth Practices!

How exciting is this! Watch these clips that support the Healthy Birth Practices we have been promoting! Thanks Lamaze!

Japanese historical dolls

I found the pictures at pregnant-dolls-from-edo-period-japan very interesting - these are from the 19th century! (Don't know if you want to explore around this site too much as the ads are...well... the next page is titled Marriage Hunting Bra and previous page is Fact of Life Boom Boom remix!)

But I found the fact that these dolls were used for training midwives and also featured in educational sessions for the public that were held at carnivals to evoke a sense of wonder about a variety of topics. Now that's one venue I have NOT thought about having a childbirth class!

Let's talk about venues for classes - I have taught in a physical therapy room which had lots of options for seating! I've heard about classes being held in Bed and Breakfasts, factory lunch rooms, clinic waiting rooms - where is the most unique area you have heard about?

Breech birth and baby butts and scientific drawings!

Is there anything cuter than a baby's butt? I started to write this blog today about the new Breech Birth study that is being launched. I started to look for pictures of breech babies and all I could see were those cross sectional medical pictures that sparked an old memory of a dad in a childbirth class a long time ago. He was quite vocal about how he didn't like those cross sectional headless legless pregnant lady posters - he didn't want to see his wife as cut in half and a collection of bladder, bones, lungs, intestines. Point well made! He wanted to see her as a whole, beautiful body.

So I went to my source of most of the pictures I use on this blog and in my presentations istock photo and couldn't find a picture of a pregnant woman that would be the perfect picture... but then spotted this cute baby butt and decided we are talking about butt first or foot first and felt this fit the bill! (or at least would get or hold your attention as you "awwwww" and "ahhhh")

But back to the Breech study - Passion for Birth graduate Beth Day has done a great job describing it on her blog - so I am going to send you there