pregnancy – Doula Group of Evansville

3 Things I Wish I Knew

Learning the hard way has always kinda been my thing. I have a kid who takes the same approach to life, and it is soo incredibly frustrating to witness. Looking back, there are several things I really wish I knew going into my first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I really tried to inform myself as much as possible, and honestly I maybe read too much–partly reflected in the B I got in one of my grad school classes the semester I found out I was pregnant–though all the vomiting & napping surely didn’t help that either. Some of these hindsight observations might surprise you!

Approach Matters

I wish I knew the difference between the obstetric & midwifery approaches to prenatal care. While my friends were getting 5-10 minutes with their OBs, I was getting 30 minute talks with my midwife about all of my worries so that they had a whole picture of my life and not just some measurements and numbers in a chart. My friends who had family practice doctors for their care had much more similar experiences to mine with the midwives too, and for low-risk pregnancies some family practice doctors are amazing. Finding a provider that you’re comfortable with and who you don’t dread seeing is probably the most important part though, regardless of what model of care they practice.

Expectations?

I wish I knew that giving birth inside a hospital could be an amazing experience. I read and heard ALL the horror stories about getting run over by the system. I walked into my birth fully armed with all the information and ready for a fight to get the birth I wanted. I ended up having the most supportive team around me including my amazing nurse, my midwife, my doula, and even the supervising OB who stopped by for my whole pushing stage and whose words frankly got me through to the end. I will fully own my privilege and say that being a middle class presenting, white, fairly attractive & fit person (at the time anyway)–all of those things signaled different things to the people in the room on how to treat me. But I didn’t expect everyone to be so kind and supportive of my plan to give birth without medication or intervention in a hospital whose reputation is a “baby factory” known for high intervention rates in the area. The support afterwards with lactation was also so great. I wish more people would talk about their GREAT experiences too.

Right Way?

I wish I knew that there was no one right way to do all of this. My first time around, I was searching for what the RIGHT way to do things was. The lesson I continually come back to with parenting and birth and all of it, is that there is no one right way. I would have spent so much more time thinking about what was right for me and my family and my baby and the situation we were in at the time regarding finances, location, information, ability, capacity, etc. I stressed myself out to the point of exhaustion trying to find the “right” way, when I truly wish I had spent more time focusing inward and figuring out where & who to ask the questions when they came up later.

When you look back on your pregnancy, birth, & postpartum, what did you learn through hindsight? Are there things that you would do differently? If this is your first time, I urge you to take the 20 years perspective and think about how important some things that you might be fighting for right now, might actually be in the grand scheme of things too. As a doula, I can say that how you remember this will stay with you for the rest of your life. Your experience matters, so find what is important to you and surround yourself with people who share your values and approach to things. What would you add?

If you are wondering where to get started in your journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, we have a resource just for you! Grab our free EBook written to help take the worry out of the beginning. Ready to talk about adding a doula to your team? Book a FREE 30 minute call to talk about who on our team might be the right fit for you. We also offer a FREE Biweekly newsletter with ideas, news, & resources open to anyone. We truly do want our experience to help improve yours!

Childbirth Education Promotes Partnership

A quality childbirth education class can help you have a more symbiotic relationship with your chosen birthing location.

In Finding Nemo, Marlin explains to his son Nemo that rubbing his body on the sea anemone that is their home helps make sure that the anemone won’t sting them when they go in and out of its tentacles. The anemone usually stings its prey before devouring it, but has a symbiotic (friendly) relationship with the clown fish that uses the anemone as their home. The clown fish get protected from other predators and the anemone gets some essential nutrients from the clown fish, all because they come together to change each others’ skin microbiome (read more science-y stuff here). What does this all have to do with learning about giving birth to human babies in childbirth education courses? I’ll tell you three ways!

1. Expectations

Knowing what to expect, especially from something that could sting you, really helps you be more satisfied with the process. Going into birth without knowing what to expect can set you up to get shocked by all the things that can and do happen. No matter where you are planning to give birth, setting your own expectations for how things could go is going to help you be better at going with the flow of birth. Taking a quality childbirth education course helps you and your partner work together better on the big day, and helps you partner with your provider because you anticipate what is coming next. Being knowledgeable about the process eases anxiety for some people too, and that’s a great thing.

2. Needs

The clown fish and anemone each give something needed to each other in their partnership; it benefits them both. Understanding the needs that you will have in labor and how the people around you can help meet them is part of any great childbirth education class. How do you like to be touched during stressful times if at all? How do you communicate your needs to your partner when you can’t speak? What are the needs of your hospital/birth center/birth team when you arrive as far as paperwork, blood work, exams, etc? Knowing before you go or before your team arrives to your house for your delivery, helps everyone be on the same page. The better the understanding of needs for everyone in the room, the better the partnership. An excellent childbirth education course can help everyone get their needs met when it comes to the big day, and even afterwards

3. Learn from Others’ Experience

How do clown fish learn to rub themselves on the anemone to not get stung? They learn from other fishes experience. (Though clearly someone had to be the first fish to figure this out and also first human to give birth, but I think you get what I’m trying to say here.) Certified childbirth educators are experienced not only in teaching childbirth education, but also in adult learning principles and techniques. Having taught both children and adults, I can say that without a doubt, they are NOT the same! Learning from an experienced and independent childbirth educator means that their content is not only evidence-based but they can also teach you about ALL the options, even those that aren’t as common (or even offered) in different birthing locations or with different providers.

When you are expecting a baby, taking a quality childbirth education course is a real must. Taking a childbirth education class promotes a lovely symbiotic relationship & helps you know who to navigate the twists and turns of labor and delivery together. In 2024, the Doula Group of Evansville will be offering in-person childbirth education courses again!! I’ll be announcing dates soon, so be on the lookout!!

Your Feelings Matter for Birth & Postpartum

Your feelings during labor and delivery make a difference not only on the big day, but also in how you remember your birth experience.

Our thinking brains like to imagine that our hearts and feelings don’t influence the way our body or brain works, but it is so wrong. Your emotions affect so many things, and keeping that in mind when you are going through pregnancy, labor, delivery, & all throughout postpartum can be a little daunting. For me, protecting my emotional health during that time felt like one more thing that I didn’t have time to worry about really. First, let’s talk about why your emotions matter and a few things that may challenge you during this time. I promise, this blog post is going to end with some helpful ways to keep your peaceful mindset, because we all need some extra tools to handle this whole wildly human experience.

Because of Hormones

Your hormones are little messengers that run around your body telling it what to do. They are really important for pregnancy, labor & delivery, & postpartum for so many reasons, but I’m going to outline two big ones here. The first thing they do for you in labor and postpartum is they keep things going. Anxiety & stress produce hormones that make your labor slow or even stop, and does the same for your milk production. The giant flood of hormones you get during labor and early postpartum also means we remember MORE and in greater detail. Seriously, ask anyone who has given birth about their story, and they will share far more details than you can even imagine even MANY years later. There are all kinds of evolutionary reasons that our bodies have adapted to do this by the way, because we’re mammals. Anxiety & stress produce these hormones because if we were an animal giving birth in the wild and a predator started stalking us, then we would WANT our bodies to stop labor so we could get up and run away. (Also a reason for animals to eat their placentas–to hide the evidence.) The distinctly human part of this is that our anxiety & stress can be triggered by all kinds of things, including just thoughts inside our amazing brains or even just a sideways look from someone.

Challenges

There are all kinds of things that can increase our likelihood of our anxiety and stress being triggered in labor, delivery, and early postpartum. Things like a lack of privacy & interruptions in your flow can inhibit your ability to relax and for your body to make the hormones to keep your contractions going. People with a history of abuse, assault, or other trauma can really feel their stress hormones escalate in labor and delivery, which is another reason that trauma informed care is sooo very important. Bright lights, strange noises, & smells can all bring those stress hormones whooshing around our bodies. No matter what your specific challenges are to keeping calm and relaxed, developing the tools you need before you have to use them will help you meet any challenges that might arise!

Tools to Help

Don’t be shy about asking for what you need to feel better during labor and postpartum. Keeping the lights low in your room can be really helpful for decreasing anxiety & making a space more cozy. Some people bring twinkle lights to hang up or a tapestry to hang to make the space more their own too. You can even bring a sleep mask and earplugs if they help you. I always suggest packing your own pillow and blanket to make the space smell and feel more like home too, and keeping your partner close definitely helps some people relax more. You can make a sign for the door to remind people who enter to please use hushed voices and respect the energy in the room. Nothing ruins your flow more than someone walking in and talking loudly while you’re just trying to get through your contractions or trying to get your fussy baby to latch. Protect your space and communicate your needs, and if you need some help with that, a doula might be someone to consider adding to your birth or postpartum team.

You can’t live in a bubble, but you can hold space for yourself for this profoundly human experience of bringing a new baby into the world. Developing tools such as breathing techniques, body awareness, meditation, self-hypnosis, & grounding techniques can help you not only stay calm for labor and delivery, but also for postpartum. Psst, these techniques even work for parents to teenagers—ask me how I know. With 20 minutes a day of calming practice, you can learn to bring your nervous system back to calm and keep those good hormones flowing. Your feelings matter!

#ExpectingEVV Giveaway!

There are few things that I honestly love more than a great massage, and a FREE massage is even better. We’re giving away a prenatal massage to one lucky pregnant person near Evansville. If you are currently pregnant and living within driving distance of Evansville, IN, this giveaway is for you! The other awesome point of this giveaway is to help expecting parents in and around Evansville connect via social media. We want to help put the social back in social media & to help expecting parents feel less lonely too. Sound interesting? Read below for the rules to enter!

Why Massage?

Self-care is incredibly important all the time, but especially when you are pregnant. Growing another human is hard on your body, and not just because of the kicks to the internal organs. Massage is an excellent way to not only care for your body, but also to help turn your mind away from your worries and the demands of your life. Massage can help you connect with your body and the present moment too. The benefits of a massage with a skilled practitioner for a pregnant body are honestly phenomenal. We’re giving away one 60 minute prenatal massage with the marvelous Christina Renock (who also happens to be one of our amazing postpartum doulas). Christina has been practicing massage therapy for 10 years! This massage is an $80 value & you could get it for FREE just by entering our giveaway!

How to Enter

Follow us on Instagram
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Post a picture or reel of yourself on Instagram using: #ExpectingEVV

Complete these 3 steps by 7am Central on Thursday 8/31/23. We will have a live drawing to select the winner on Friday 9/1/23 on Instagram.

Ideas

-show off your bump
-show us your favorite place in Evansville
-pregnancy announcement
-favorite place to shop for clothes & baby things

Get creative! We are so excited to connect with all the amazing expecting families in our area & hope you are too.

P.S. If you are a previous client, we are also doing a special private giveaway just for you! Check your email for more details.

Postpartum Transition

All Birth Doula Packages with Doula Group of Evansville now include one postpartum planning session, because we think your postpartum transition is that important!

No matter what type of postpartum transition you are facing, we want you to feel prepared and supported. We talk to all kinds of parents about their worries and excitement and plans for postpartum, and while each situation is unique, so is our support. Beginning in 2021, all of our birth doula packages will now include one virtual visit with Kristyn, our postpartum doula.

Kristyn Tromley, postpartum doula at Doula Group of Evansville

We believe that postpartum transitions can be such an amazing time in a family’s life, and honestly think that an ounce of planning can head off many issues. We also know that having a postpartum doula can help ease that transition, even just to have someone to call and check on you and give you unbiased information based on evidence and experience, as Kristyn does for her virtual clients. Postpartum transitions are beautiful liminal periods full of growth, learning, appointments, hormones, diapers, spit-up, and so much more. We are passionate about helping all our clients’ postpartum transitions be less fraught with stress and more full of confidence and support.

First time parents facing their first postpartum transition, often have many questions, and not just about which structured carrier is our favorite. (Though of course we’re happy to tell you what we used and liked!) Sometimes first time parents don’t even know what questions to ask a postpartum doula, or why one might be really helpful. I think that a visit with our postpartum doula Kristyn is so important for first time parents facing that first postpartum transition. She can really help new parents think about some thing obstacles that might be thrown in their path and how to plan ahead.

Once you have one kid, you know it all right? WRONG! Sometimes that second or third postpartum transition can be challenging in ways that you didn’t encounter the first time. Sibling interactions are usually the biggest worry after the first baby, but there are plenty of other things that a postpartum doula can help discuss too. Meal planning and logistics also loom large in subsequent postpartum transitions, with more mouths to feed and car seats to wrangle comes some shifting of responsibilities. Kristyn recently learned about this second postpartum transition herself, when she had her 2nd baby in October 2020, so she definitely has a fresh perspective.

So whether this is your first or eighth baby, we would love to talk to you about how we can help your postpartum transition be a little easier. We know just how important the 4th trimester is!

Restless Legs in Pregnancy

***This post contains affiliate links, and we will get a small fee if you click through & make a purchase. This is not our plan for getting rich, rather a small reward for referring you to awesome products that we love and highly recommend.***

Restless legs syndrome might sound like some annoying made-up thing for selling drugs, but it is actually a common problem in pregnancy. So what is it exactly? How many pregnant people does it actually effect? Is there anything you can do about it? I’m here to tell you that there’s hope for help, even if this is just a transient pregnancy annoyance.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Up to 34% of pregnant people get it! People describe it as feeling like their legs are itchy, creepy-crawly, or even burning and the only way to make it go away is to move them. It often happens in the middle of the night, waking you from sleep, which is why it really stinks in pregnancy. The reason it happens is not entirely clear, with theories ranging from deficiencies in iron or folic acid to imbalances of dopamine or estrogen. Whatever reason it happens, it is honestly just not fun.

Personal Perspective

My husband gets restless legs, especially after he has a soccer game! His legs jerk so hard that it shakes the bed, and I honestly have contemplated getting twin beds like 50s sitcoms sometimes or making him sleep somewhere else on nights that he has had soccer games. After doing a little research about things that can help RLS, I FINALLY convinced him to start using this unscented lotion on his legs before bed. It has made such a difference! I am a much nicer person when I get my sleep, and my husband is happy because we still get to keep our Queen sized bed (for now).

8 Sheep Organics

Beyond just lotion, 8 Sheep products like their sleepy lotion, “unwind” pillow mist, & organic bedtime tea all can help your bedtime routine for settling down at the end of a long day. There truly is something about a routine that trains our minds that it is time for calm and rest, and your olfactory senses are the most effective triggers of memories. These smells can trigger your brain to relax and know that it is time to chill.

If you aren’t pregnant, but are looking for a sweet gift for that pregnant person in your life, they also have this Sweet Slumber Gift Set that includes all of the above 3 products at a discounted price. This is a sweet reminder for the pregnant people in your life that they are also important!

So if you or someone you know is having symptoms of restless leg syndrome, trying out some of this lotion might be a great help. I have 3 samples of this lavender scented lotion to giveaway if you want to try it out, so please message me if you are interested! Send us a message and we’ll get you a sample! It smells great and might just help you get a little more rest.

Pregnancy Loss Support

Just because pregnancy loss is common, does not make it easy.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and a time for remembering the smallest footprints on our hearts. Pregnancy loss isn’t something that we regularly talk about in our culture, so the regularity of it is often hidden. Everyone should know that one in four pregnancies ends in a loss.

Grief is a nebulous complex journey, and you don’t have to go it alone. Locally we have Emalyn’s Angels which is an outstanding organization dedicated to making sure parents don’t have to travel the path of grief alone. Speaking the names of their names and remembering them can be especially helpful for parents too.

I have also been so thankful for Chrissy Teigen & John Legend speaking out about their pregnancy loss. What a blessing they are to share their raw and real emotions. They are surely helping end the stigma of talking about pregnancy loss. We have been following their story and sending our love there way. They are so great at using their platform and images to push for change and acceptance. Speaking of photography: Did you know that there is a company that will send a free specially trained photographer for your baby born sleeping?

The complicated feelings that follow loss can be so challenging to navigate. That’s why one of the complimentary services we offer is Miscarriage & Stillbirth Support for both prenatal and postpartum. If you are facing a delivery knowing that you won’t take your baby home with you, we would be happy to meet with you to talk about your expectations and walk you through your options. Want to know what it could be like and what you can ask for? We will walk through it. We also offer postpartum support to help you find resources, talk about your experiences, and explore comfort techniques that might help during your grief especially. Please reach out to us if this is something you are interested in for your family.

I will never forget the brief lives of Ruby Grace and Desmond Truman. They were gone too soon, but most definitely left impressions on my doula heart. For all the beautiful births of babies that I get to attend, there are always those phone calls that break my heart too. When I know that a client is experiencing a pregnancy loss, I know that there is truly nothing that will bring them comfort in that moment. But doulas hold the space for pregnancy loss too, because that is what we do.

Online Learning Options

Evidence-based online courses for learning about childbirth, feeding your baby, and postpartum planning.

Everything might feel upside down right now, but learning what you need to know when you are expecting doesn’t have to be a scramble! In the past few years, there has been a wealth of information for expecting families that has moved online. I know that online learning isn’t everyone’s preferred method, BUT it can be really great, not just for times when we are in the midst of a pandemic. Online learning can be a great way to work around busy schedules. It also allows you to learn about things privately that you might not want to discuss in front of a group of strangers. Learning about what to expect is a great way to mitigate fears.

I have searched the internet and found some great online courses for learning that I am honestly excited to recommend to you. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will definitely get you started in looking at online courses. (Full disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you click through and buy things.) I am only posting links to evidence-based courses that I am happy to send my clients. I will try to keep updating this list when I find more great online classes too!

Childbirth Education

Lamaze has 6 different online courses for expecting parents:

FREE Labor Confidence with Lamaze Course here
Safe & Healthy Birth: Six Simple Steps here
Labor Pain Management: Techniques for Comfort and Coping here
Breastfeeding Basics: From Birth to Back to Work here
Bringing Home Baby here
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC): Informed and Ready here

If you are looking for a great overview, you should check out Alice Turner’s FREE class Birth A to Z here. This is filled with videos about all kinds of topics that you might not find in every birth class.

The Birth Nurse has an entire Lamaze course already online, if that is something you have been searching for. She also co-teaches a live class called Fearless Birth, Delivered where you get a fun box of tools in the mail and live instruction. You can save money on both these courses by using the coupon code: BIRTHGEEKS. Mandy’s YouTube Channel is chock full of information too!!

If you are looking for a more comprehensive online learning class with a natural focus, you should check out the Giving Birth Naturally Courses here. I have also had clients rave about Mama Natural’s online childbirth education course that you can find here.

Thinking about trying out hypnosis for labor? Check out this course by the Positive Birth Company here. This class is inexpensive and includes printable content as well as downloadable tracks to listen to in labor.

Supporting Your Partner

Adriana Lozada, of the Birthful Podcast fame, has this great course that promises to take partners from clueless to “I got this!” Check out The Birth Partner’s Ultimate Labor Support Toolkit here.

If you loved Birth A to Z with Alice, you should definitely check out her course just for partners called Supporting Her here. She’s even added a new labor practice module recently due to the pandemic!

Feeding Baby

Bonnie Holt Logsdon is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant that I know in Louisville, & she has some great new online courses to check out here. These include a FREE 2 hour breastfeeding basics class, as well as low cost classes on back to work pumping & starting solids too.

Lactation Link has some great classes too that you can find here on brestfeeding basics, hurdles & how-tos, & pumping and storing breast milk too. You can get 15% off their courses when you use this coupon code: doulagroupofevansville15.

If you want to learn more about feeding your little humans, first of all you should go follow the Feeding Littles pages all over social media, because they are great for information! But if you want to learn more about feeding babies and toddlers the healthy way, check out their online courses here. You can use our coupon code for $10 off the courses too: DOULAGROUPOFEVANSVILLE

Postpartum

Oh yeah, there are courses for that too! Adriana Lozada has a postpartum planning worksheet that you can get just by giving her your email address here. She also has a great class called Thrive With Your Newborn: Postpartum Prep Course that you should check out here.

Online learning options have come so far recently. I hope you will consider checking these things out, especially if your planned class got cancelled recently due to COVID-19. Preparing for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum helped ease my anxiety and take some of the worry out of it all. I hope that these classes will be able to do the same for you.

If these online learning opportunities still leave you wondering how they compare to our local options, I would love to talk to you! As a doula and childbirth educator in Evansville since 2014, I am a professional at helping people navigate the local birthing scene. Happy learning!

COVID-19 & Pregnancy

Keep Calm! Wash Your Hands! Make a Plan. I am too.

You might be worried. Wash your hands. Maybe you are freaking out and wondering what is coming. Wash your hands. Who knew you touched your face so much? Wash your hands! We don’t need panic, we need to have plans for what to do. I have some advice for you, and want to tell you what I’m thinking about as a doula. Also, if you see me, give me an elbow bump!

Keep Calm

What we know is that it seems that pregnancy and birth doesn’t seem to be a big risk factor with regards to transmission of this virus. Special precautions may need to be taken to avoid contracting the virus, so take this time to stay home if you can and be very health conscious. It’s not a bad idea to socially isolate & generally stay away from huge groups of people.

Wash Your Hands

This may seem like a no-brainer, but seriously, do it, and do it well. Test out some new songs to sing for 20 seconds or more. Be thorough & keep your hands away from your face as much as you can. Wash your hands!

Doula Concerns

There are currently no restrictions in place at local hospitals with regards to a doula’s presence at births that I know of, but there are elsewhere. I have contacted all clients close to their due window about this. I have contacted my local professional contacts at the hospital to let them know about my concerns with COVID-19. Doulas should NOT be considered a visitor, but I can’t control if they let me in or not. Pregnant people need to contact their providers and birthing locations. My certifying organization has put out a toolkit for dealing with this COVID-19 issue for doulas. It includes a letter for hospitals & links to other important statements, like this one from the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses on 3/11/2020.

I will be doing my normal precautions for staying healthy. I am certainly open to being extra cautious when I go to a birth. Some doulas have had to wear masks, hair nets, gowns, shoe covers, and gloves. I would be fine with that. I will support clients virtually via Zoom or something else if necessary, but I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.

Bottom Lines:

Keep calm. Keep growing that baby. Make some contingency plans, and hope you never have to use them. Wash your hands!

The Importance of Childbirth Education

Inform yourself and know your options!

An excellent childbirth education class is worth your time and money! Learning about the path that many have trodden before you is a GREAT thing to do. Evidence-based childbirth education classes help parents prepare for labor and birth by teaching pain-management strategies, while also providing information on informed consent for the pre-labor and labor processes. Classes can help instill confidence in parents’ abilities to cope with labor, which is pretty priceless! Childbirth education helps lower fear and anxiety regarding labor and birth, and has been shown to be a critical factor in reducing early elective delivery by induction. Don’t just take my word for it, read the policy brief that my certifying organization wrote. Not all childbirth education classes are the same, which is great because not everyone learns the same way or needs/wants to know the same information.

January 25th-31st is International Childbirth Education Week

2020 is the very first year of celebration for International Childbirth Education Week. I am so very proud to have helped start this movement & to be one of the first endorsers of this important week. Childbirth educators are special people that love to talk about the pelvis and cardinal movements. We love to dispel myths about childbirth and set the record straight when we hear or read people spreading misinformation. My style is more to pull the listener to the side to say, “you know that’s not really how that works,” and then explain what I know, rather than trying to correct someone’s grandma who just told them to rough up their nipples with a towel. (That’s totally not something you need to do BTW!)

I LOVE teaching childbirth education classes!

Those little A-HA moments are priceless. I love helping students know all their options. Helping people grow their resource list for who to ask and where to go is great too. A skeptical student converted when they try a double hip squeeze is awesome! There is nothing like the faces of satisfied students who feel more confident. Their emails with baby pictures and birth stories touch my heart.

Upcoming classes

I am currently only teaching private childbirth education classes that include 6 very full hours of instruction in my office space or your home. A 96 page binder full of information, handouts, & worksheets is included. Relaxation techniques, massage, movement, positions, & how to use tools will of course also be covered. I promise we’ll practice the breathing techniques that everyone seems to expect from Lamaze too. You can find more information on pricing and contact us here if you are interested.

If group classes are more your thing, in 2020 we have 4 group classes scheduled for “Natural Coping Techniques for Labor and Delivery.” This is a 3 hour class where we focus on how to deal with contractions without pain medication. This is not a “tell you what to do” kind of class. This is more of a “give you some ideas” kind of class. Importantly, it also includes snacks & is only $30/couple. Here are the links to sign up if you’d like to join us for a Saturday in 2020:

February 8th 9am-noon here (2 weeks from today!)
April 4th 9am-noon here
July 11th 9am-noon here
October 3rd 9am-noon here

Taking a childbirth education class is something that everyone should try. Even if you hate it, at least you and your partner will have something to laugh about on the way home. There are a ton of online options too if in-person isn’t you thing, and FREE ones too. Here is the Lamaze FREE class on increasing labor confidence and here is my friend Alice’s FREE online class Birth A to Z! No matter what kind of childbirth education classes you choose, INFORM YOURSELF!! You will increase your confidence even just to ask more questions, and that’s a good thing!