BirthWorks Childbirth Classes

BirthWorks offers childbirth classes to any woman with any birthing history i.e. new parents and parents with prior vaginal and/or cesarean births. Our classes are innovative and experiential in design. They help women gain confidence in their ability to birth, and help birth companions become aware of ways they can make labor safer and more comfortable. The classes are interactive and provide both a physical and emotional preparation for birth. Our program is suitable for parents planning a hospital, birthing center or home birth.

To find a BirthWorks Educator or Doula in your area, click here.

BirthWorks is a process, not a method. It recognizes that there is no one right way to labor and birth. BirthWorks does not teach breathing patterns, but instead encourages slow deep breathing as one of many ways to promote relaxation and facilitate labor.

Families are encouraged to take BirthWorks early in pregnancy, or even prior to pregnancy, as this is an optimal time for identifying and exploring beliefs about birth, interviewing caregivers, and choosing a birth place that feels safe.

BirthWorks Class Outline

BirthWorks classes are based on the philosophy that every woman is born with the knowledge about how to give birth. Therefore, birth is instinctive and what is instinctive doesn’t need to be taught. BirthWorks helps women to have more trust and faith in their body knowledge that already knows how to give birth. This is a completely different approach to prenatal education--an approach that is empowering and transforming in nature. The classes are interactive and experiential, providing both an academic and an emotional preparation for birth, because we believe that when information is learned in an emotional context, the impact of learning goes deeper. A unique aspect of BirthWorks childbirth education training is that of pelvic bodywork, which helps women understand how the position of the pelvis either helps or hinders the ability of the baby to move into optimal positions through the pelvis for birth. Activities that encourage creative thinking and confidence building, films of birth, multi-sensory visualizations, music, and small group work make our prenatal classes a fun place for in depth learning about what really matters in birth and for forming positive experiences. The general order of topics covered in the eight-week series is listed below but the presentation is flexible and responsive and may vary depending on the instructor and the needs of her antenatal students.

First Class:

The first class focuses on expression of feelings about birth and goes to the heart of where fears and anxieties lie. The beliefs of a pregnant woman will profoundly influence her birth. Exploring beliefs heightens self-awareness, serving as a catalyst for positive change. Women and their partners are encouraged to express their birth-related feelings in a safe setting and are taught ways to release fears and replace them with confidence and peace. Philosophies of BirthWorks are discussed, including the influence of the media on birth, exploring myths, and providing accurate and current evidence-based information in support of the body's ability to birth safely. This class lays the foundation for the course and explores many of the emotional aspects of pregnancy and birth that are essential in preparation for labor, birth, and parenting.

Second Class:

Pelvic bodywork with breath awareness, directed breathing, nutrition education, and toning takes place in this class. The importance of good nutrition is seen as essential for a healthy baby and mother and is discussed through the principles of Common Sense Nutrition. An emphasis is placed on the practice of principles learned in class, including the presentation of healthy snacks. Exercise, choosing a birth team, the value of doulas at birth, and finding a place to birth that feels safe are explored in practical ways. A discussion of human values in birth shows how their practice, known as educare, helps increase self-confidence for giving birth.

Third Class:

Pelvic body work exercises connect the mother's awareness to the pelvis in preparation for normal, intuitive birthing. Birth is explored in the greater context of culture. In an interactive discussion, medical procedures and their risk/benefit ratios and alternatives are explored. Seeking a balance--using interventions only when the benefits outweigh the risks--is a key aspect of the BirthWorks philosophy. Participants are encouraged to accept more responsibility and to take an active role in planning their births. Discussion of common guidelines and indications for cesareans, uterine dependability, and VBAC as a safer alternative to routine, repeat cesarean are also part of this class. A discussion of medical training, as well as the economic, financial, and legal pressures that are driving birth trends toward the use of increased technology helps participants understand the ethics and politics of modern birthing. Informed consent is presented and explained.

Fourth Class:

In pelvic bodywork, bones of the pelvis and their special functions in birth are explained and demonstrated. The diameters of the pelvic outlet are shown. The use of obstetrical drugs with their risk/benefit ratio and appropriate times for use are explained. Birth physiology is introduced and the physical and behavioral properties of hormones and how they influence the birth process are discussed. Personal and cultural belief systems about pain, variations in experiences of labor contractions, and the concept of healthy pain are included within an experiential context. Comfort measures for birth are discussed and the risks of using ice as a coping strategy for pain in childbirth classes is explained.

Fifth Class:

The four principles of optimal pelvic positioning are demonstrated in a way that the mother will process optimally and be able to draw upon during birth. Positions advantageous for easier passage of the baby through the pelvis are identified and practiced. In this class the focus is also on identifying personal beliefs about birth. Birth is a part of life and helping women pinpoint ingrained beliefs leads to an understanding of how their births might manifest. Birthing families are taught how to change beliefs that do not feel compatible with positive birthing through the use of affirmations.

Sixth Class:

Participants discover which positions help to increase the horizontal diameter of the pelvic outlet. Birth related losses are identified and participants are given an opportunity to grieve, commencing with a healing visualization. This class powerfully demonstrates the influence of the mind and emotions on our physical bodies. Participants will understand how faithfully our bodies respond to our thoughts and beliefs. Once we are aware of these influences, we can begin to make changes, if desired. When the mind is relaxed, the body will follow. This class takes great strides towards facilitating normal and natural birth.

Seventh Class:

In pelvic bodywork, the thrilling movement of the sacrum is experienced. Mother/child relationships are examined and ways to improve these relationships are explored. Because a pregnant woman who doesn’t have a good relationship with her own mother does not have a positive role model for her relationship with her son or daughter, BirthWorks classes uniquely address parent/child relationships and the five human values: truth, right action, peace, love, and non-violence. Also in this class, the auditory simulation of labor is carried out which provides an opportunity to define labor terms and to explore how women work with contractions, use comfort measures, and vocalize to be in harmony with the intensity of birth. The concept of conscious birthing is explored and followed by a multi-sensory visualization.

Eighth Class:

In the last class of the eight-week series, the postpartum period is discussed. Special importance is given to the concept of the innate fetal agenda. The primary need at the time of birth is for mother/baby skin-to-skin contact and suckling. This is a process of sensory integration that forms an emotional language, affecting limbic brain development and fetal brain maturity. It is also seen as the precursor to the development of speech. The nutritional value of colostrum and breast milk is presented along with the physiological effects of breastfeeding versus bottle feeding. Issues surrounding multiple births are explored. This class may include the visit of new parents with their babies for a fun question and answer segment and the sharing of birth stories.