Category: induction of labour

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5 Things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

5 things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

Want to feel prepared for the birth of your baby (or babies)? Here are 5 things to look for when choosing your childbirth education.

As the birth of your baby approaches, you may have a lot of questions. What does a contraction wave feel like? How will I know when to call the midwife? What kind of breathing techniques can I use? How do I know when it is time to push?

You may also feel a mix of emotions – excitement, nervousness, stress, even anxiety. The good news is that preparing for the birth can ease your fears and build your confidence. Choosing the right childbirth course for you (and your partner) is key: it should give you practical knowledge about the physiology of birth, and tell you where to find practical and emotional support.

5 Things to look for when choosing your childbirth education

1. Does the course agree with your idea on childbirth?

Whether you’re planning a vaginal birth, caesarean birth, waterbirth, home birth or something else, make sure your chosen course supports your wishes and preferences. How you give birth is up to you.

Knowing the general philosophy of the birth course you are considering is essential. The techniques that you’ll be learning should be something that you can see yourself doing and something that you believe in. The techniques should support you to achieve the birth you are aiming for.

2. Which topics are covered during the course?

If this is your first baby, your course should cover everything you need to know about your options and what to expect. If you’ve given birth before, you may prefer a refresher course – and you may also want to prepare older siblings for the arrival of their little brother or sister. Learning about childbirth can ease anxiety and help you make informed choices, but the wrong type of course can increase anxiety, so choose your course and its leader carefully.

3. Who created the course?

Who created the childbirth preparation course? Are they a medical professional or a teacher? Are they an expert in childbirth education? Check their certifications and experience! You want the person and organisation offering your childbirth preparation course to be established and reputable. Ask them to show you proof of their qualification(s).

4. What format is the course in?

Check the format of the course. You may prefer a course which focuses on the birth only, or one that includes practical baby care. If you are interested in hypnobirthing, does the course include hypnobirthing or maybe you prefer a stand-alone hypnobirthing course.

Can partners come along too, or is the course for birthing parents only? Which format would you prefer?

5. Practical things to consider

  • Where and when is the course held? Are the dates, time and venue convenient for you?
  • What is your budget? What are your options at your budget?
  • For an in-person course
    • is there parking available or is it easily accessible via public transport?
    • Is the venue clean and spacious?
    • What are the chair/seating arrangements like? Do you want/need to bring a birthing ball, cushions etc.?
    • Are refreshments included?
    • Accessibility of the venue (where needed)
  • For an online course
    • are you confident in using the platform the course is being offered on?
    • is it a live course or has live elements or is it fully self-paced? – for live elements: are they recorded? If not can you make all the sessions?
    • Is your internet connection reliable?
    • Have you got a pc or laptop to access the course on? This will make your online course a more positive experience.
    • Have I got a comfortable (seating) setup where I can join the online childbirth preparation course?

What type/style of childbirth preparation course you choose is entirely up to you! Use your B.R.A.I.N. acronym when choosing the right course for you:

Brain acronym

What are the benefits, risks (or repercussion), alternatives (for each option)? Trust your gut, your intuition. And think about how you might feel if you do nothing, i.e. you don’t choose a childbirth preparation course?

If you’d like to prepare at your own pace, my fully self-paced online childbirth preparation course includes hypnobirthing, mp3s and much, much more! You can read more about the BRAIN acronym in The BRAIN Acronym for Childbirth.

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now

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Induction for a big baby?

Induction for a big baby – and what does a hamster have to do with birth?

If you follow Dr Sara Wickham, you may already know this one. The 2016 Cochrane review on suspected big babies (macrosomia) found that the difference in birth weight between babies who were induced early and babies whose labour started on its own was just 178g. That’s about the weight of a hamster 🐹 or a medium-sized pear 🍐 (see Sara Wickham’s book In Your Own Time for more!). That should make your ‘big’ baby seem a little less big and scary.

That said, it’s your body, your baby and your choice! If you feel an induction or caesarean birth is the right choice for you, then that’s what you should choose. A good doula or perinatal educator will support you in making the right decision for you and your baby, and support your choice. But if you’re reading this, chances are you feel that an induction (or caesarean) for a big baby isn’t what you want.

How can you decide whether to have an induction for a big baby?

The aim of inducing labour for a big baby is to reduce the chance of the baby ‘getting stuck’ (shoulder dystocia). In most cases, shoulder dystocia doesn’t cause any long-term problems. Here is a printable summary of the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth findings to help you make the right choice for you and your baby:

induction-for-macrosomia-printableDownload

Reasons you might decline an induction for a big baby

If your baby’s size is the only reason for the recommendation, you may wish to decline the induction.

The main reason induction is recommended is the assumption that big babies are at higher risk of shoulder dystocia. In reality, 7–15% of big babies have some difficulty with the birth of their shoulders, and most of these situations are handled by midwives or obstetricians without any lasting harm to the baby. Permanent nerve injury from shoulder dystocia happens in about 1 in 555 babies weighing between 8lb 13oz and 9lb 15oz, and about 1 in 175 babies weighing 9lb 15oz or more.

Interestingly, people with high blood sugar levels during pregnancy have a higher risk of shoulder dystocia even when their baby isn’t considered big. This is because the baby’s weight can be distributed differently: problems are more likely when the baby’s head is relatively small compared with their shoulders and tummy (Kamana et al., 2015).

But can we really tell how big your baby is?

How accurate are growth scans or feeling the bump (palpation)? In short, both are similarly unreliable at predicting a baby’s size.

For scan accuracy, see table 3 in this article (copied below). It shows how accurate ultrasound weight estimates were for scans done within three days before birth, preterm (before 37 weeks) and at term (37+ weeks).

Proportion of estimates within±10%±15%±20%
Gestational age at scan:
<37 weeks69.6%85.6%91.9%
≥37 weeks72.8%89.6%95.9%

To read more about induction for big babies, I recommend:

Online Birth Preparation Course only £35!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enrol now