What is childbirth? What does it look like? What does it feel like? What are my options? Will I be given these options in the moment? Will my choices be respected if I share them? Will I have to advocate for myself, or will others advocate for me? Will my Doctor/Midwife/Nurse physically support me 24/7? If they aren’t able to, what will that look like? What are some procedures and interventions that I might be offered and how will I know which to choose?

Giving birth isn’t something we do often in our lives. How are we supposed to know what we will prefer in the moment if the information isn’t presented to us beforehand? This class offers a very brief suggestion of what birth might look like, different experiences a laboring parent might have, what bodily autonomy looks like and how your team can support you to (hopefully) have a smoother birthing experience.

Class Syllabus

• – What does “going into labor” look like?
• – Home birth, birthing center birth, hospital birth…what’s the difference?
• – Pain medication that may be offered
• – Interventions that may be offered
• – Patient rights and bodily autonomy
• – Birth Doula support
• – Placenta Consumption
• – Postpartum Doula support