Is Paying For A Birth Course Necessary?

Have you thought about taking a birth course but just have not felt compelled to pull the trigger?

Or, maybe you’ve taken a birth course at the hospital you are planning to give birth yet and wondering if that is enough.

Mamas, if this is you, we are going to go all in on this post for all things birth course!

Do I Need To Take A Birth Course?

If there is ONE thing you need to do to prepare for baby, it is taking a birth course.

It is NOT getting the nursery ready.

It is NOT sending out your registry.

It is NOT planning a baby shower.

All these things may be fun to do and think about, but they will not shape as a mother like your birth will.

And while birth is natural, it does not mean that birth comes naturally.

You can NOT have the mentality “women give birth all the time, so I do not need to educate myself”.

How Much Does A Birth Course Cost?

Birth courses can vary in price depending on the method of instruction and length of the course.

Typically, I see birth courses ranging anywhere from $50 to $500.

What A Good Birth Course Should Teach You

The purpose of a birth course is to educate the mother and the birthing partner on what to expect at each stage.

I often see birth courses broken down into sections: before pregnancy, pregnancy, labor/birth, and postpartum.

Conception/ Before Pregnancy

The conception section often focuses on how baby is made and how mama can prepare her body.

This usually looks like some basic nutrition information that could be helpful to mom, such as foods to boost fertility.

It can also cover other topics, such as benefits of exercise and how to get your body in shape to prepare for a pregnancy.

Birth Course Section One: Pregnancy

This section will also cover nutrition, but it will focus more on how to sustain a healthy pregnancy as opposed to how to get pregnant.

Along with nutrition, this area of your birth course should cover the stages of development for baby, what may be happening to your body each week, and how to prepare your body for labor and delivery.

This section can also cover some tests you may have to do (such as the glucose tolerance test, which I wrote about here), and what to expect during checkups.

Birth Course Section Two: Labor and Delivery

The labor and delivery section of your birth course should educate you on the general progression of labor. A lot of first-time moms think that birth is unpredictable, but there actually is a predictable pattern that happens!

The best courses are not only going to educate you on what to expect but will also teach you how to work with your body. This may look like different labor positions and calming techniques. It will go over different possible scenarios that can happen, such as if you’re experiencing back labor or if your labor stalls.

It may touch on baby’s involvement during birth as well. Believe it or not, your baby is actually working a LOT during birth. You two are a team!

A birth course can also teach you when to go into your birthing location if you are birthing outside of your home. Oftentimes, interventions arise because mom arrived too early to her birthing location.

Understanding Your Options

Even with a semi predictable birth pattern, there are always unexpected things that can happen during your birth.

Because of this, a good birth course should teach you all your options along the way so that you know you have options to begin with!

When things don’t go according to your birth plan, you’ll want to know what events are actual medical emergencies, and what events are just variations of normal.

For example, an umbilical cord being wrapped around baby’s neck is not always a medical emergency.

It is important to understand what your options are so that you are empowered in your choices when you accept or refuse a treatment.

Birth Course Section Three: Postpartum

There are a LOT of decisions that you need to make once baby is born. The postpartum section of your birth course should cover all the decisions you can make for your baby.

For example, it may go over topics such as circumcisions, delayed cord clamping, the vitamin K shot, and erythromycin ointment (the eye ointment).

I find this section particularly important for your birth partner to pay attention to. Depending on how your birth went, you may be incredibly focused or really out of it.

Therefore, you’ll want your partner to be educated enough to be able to advocate your birth plan on your behalf.

What To Expect In Your Hospital Birth Class

A hospital birth class is going to be vastly different from the birth courses I was just describing.

The class will most likely be taught by a nurse who works on the labor and delivery floor. They will start by going over hospital policies.

Some questions they may answer are what happens when you go into your hospital during labor and what a routine birth looks like to them.

By routine, what I mean is that hospitals are bound to certain policies because of insurance purposes or liability purposes, and not necessarily what is best for mom.

As an example, some hospitals may require you to have a vaginal exam before they admit you. If you aren’t dilated enough, they may have the option to turn you away.

So, if you are a mama who is looking to opt out of vaginal exams completely, you’ll have to think about whether or not that location is the right fit for you.

Some other routines they might go over are logistics, such as where to park, what floor of the hospital you go to. This is usually accompanied by a tour of the birth space.

If you happen to get an excellent hospital birth class (I personally have yet to come across one that I would recommend), they will give you a basic overview of labor and birth.

To put it simply, a hospital birth class is more about what is going to happen to you and what to expect going in. It is not so much about education on birth.

Questions To Ask At Your Hospital Birth Class

If a hospital birth class is the only class you can afford, I highly recommend going into it with questions.

Here are some that I would suggest asking if you have not already had them answered by your provider in your one-on-one appointment:

1. What is the hospital’s C-section rate? What is the hospital’s C-section rate for a woman like me (ex: older, different race, multiple births prior, history of C-section)? What is the C-section rate for my specific provider, or the collective group of providers (if there is more than one provider)?
2. How often are women induced?
3. How far past your due date can you go?
4. What are the rates of Pitocin administered to moms?
5. What are the rates of epidurals/pain relief administered to moms?
6. If my water breaks but I am not having contractions, will I be pressured to come in?
7. Can I move freely during labor? Do I have the option to eat/drink during labor? <-if you’re looking for what snacks are best, I wrote a post about that here!

The reason why you want to come into the class with a list of questions prepared is because your hospital may not be open to discussing these topics unless you ask.

They may not willingly share this information with you

Is A Hospital Birth Class Enough?

“My hospital provides a free birth class for expecting moms who are planning to birth in the hospital. Is this enough?”

I hear this a lot, and I understand the logic. Especially from a financial perspective.

After all, you are already paying for the hospital bill, the checkups, and all the things for baby. Do you REALLY need to buy a course on top of all of that?

My answer to that question is a resounding YES.

All the purchases I just mentioned were for baby. But the birth course is for you and your partner specifically.

And while I do suggest that you take advantage of all the things your hospital has to offer, I find that there almost always needs to be supplemental information.

Disadvantages Of A Hospital Birth Class

A birth course provided by a hospital is usually not as comprehensive as other birth courses. Typically, I see classes that are about three hours or less in length.

Mamas, hear me when I say that there is NO WAY you are getting all the information you need to feel prepared for labor and delivery in three hours.

There are also more restrictions placed on providers when they are teaching a birth course within a hospital.

For example, your hospital may not want mama to move freely during labor. So, they may not educate you on how to move to change baby’s positioning during labor.

Above all, the biggest con of a hospital birth class is that they do not usually address how to overcome the fear and anxiety surrounding birth.

Because of this, a hospital birth class will normally lack information on how to prepare you for birth. It will do a poor job preparing your birth partner on how to advocate for you.

Conclusion

When it comes to birth, ignorance is not bliss. Education is bliss.

Birth can be unpredictable at times, but it is important to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools you need to carry out the birth of your dreams.

Further Research

Interested in reading my birth story? Click here!

For more information about why you should take a birth class, you may want to check out this post by Wilder Midwifery!