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Pregnancy 101: Childbirth Education Classes

If you are an expectant mother, one of the many things on your To Do List is to enroll in a childbirth education class. As you'll discover in this Pregnancy 101 report, it not only helps prepare you for the unknown, it also helps you decide what kind of birth is best for you.

Reporter: Serese Cole

Email: serese.cole@wowt.com

Pregnancy 101: Childbirth Education

Jennifer Memolo and her husband Sean are less than a month away from their delivery date. The first-time parents are taking a 10-week class to get ready.

Jennifer says, "When it comes to childbirth, you only see things on television and it's usually this horrific experience where people are screaming or yelling or some comedic experience. So this kind of helps you realize what really goes on and what your body goes through."

Certified Nurse Midwife Marilyn Lowe says not only do the classes get parents mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for labor and delivery, they ease some of the fear. Parents choosing natural childbirth also learn relaxation techniques and ways to cope during labor.

Marilyn says, "Birthing balls, walking the halls, position changes, the tub - there are so many things that we can use."

Whether you choose to have a natural childbirth or not, medical experts say every mom should have a plan detailing exactly what they want from their birthing experience.

"We have a large continuum from nothing over here to an epidural over here," said Marilyn Lowe.

Jennifer's plan is to experience the delivery medicine-free.

"It has been described as this beautiful, magical thing," Memolo said. "So I want to have the opportunity to see if that's actually true."

She also knows if she changes her mind, that's OK, too, "because," as Marilyn told us, "the ultimate goal is a healthy mother and a healthy baby."

Recent Comments

  • Posted by: Carrie
    As a birth doula I have been lucky enough to attend many births and even luckier that I got to witness two hypnobabies births. The women were amazing in every aspect, from coping from the birth waves (contractions) to pushing their baby out. They were nothing like what you see on tv. No screaming, no obscenities, just birth in its purest form. I myself used the Bradley method. I trusted my body, my husband, my sister (doula) and my midwife to support me through the experience without any interventions. The fear that the media put in us can be conquered by educating yourself and learning how to use the tools that your body and mind were built with. I completely recommend the Bradley method and Hynobabies to any women that wants to see and feel how strong she really is.

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Posted by: Carrie
As a birth doula I have been lucky enough to attend many births and even luckier that I got to witness two hypnobabies births. The women were amazing in every aspect, from coping from the birth waves (contractions) to pushing their baby out. They were nothing like what you see on tv. No screaming, no obscenities, just birth in its purest form. I myself used the Bradley method. I trusted my body, my husband, my sister (doula) and my midwife to support me through the experience without any interventions. The fear that the media put in us can be conquered by educating yourself and learning how to use the tools that your body and mind were built with. I completely recommend the Bradley method and Hynobabies to any women that wants to see and feel how strong she really is.