The Importance of Prenatal Education

By Mali Schwartz

There are many prenatal programs that have been developed over the years to help women cope with childbirth.  The first childbirth education programs in America were conceived by men such as Dr. Fernand Lamaze, a French Obstetrician who introduced The Lamaze Method in 1951 through observing birthing techniques in Russia.  Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, introduced the idea of childbirth as a natural process whose book “Childbirth without Fear,” was published in 1933.  Dick Read’s work helped spawn the natural childbirth movement in the 1960s.

As childbirth became influenced by more advanced medical technological advances and the cesarean section rate rose in the 1980s, a number of grassroots organizations were formed to help educate the public about their birth choices.  BirthWorks International was created to educate women about the viability of having a VBAC – a vaginal birth after a cesarean.  BirthWorks International is one of the most comprehensive prenatal education programs available today.  It offers a holistic approach that focuses on the whole person. 

The prenatal education a woman receives through BWI not only helps her to understand proper nutrition and learn about the physiology of birth, it also includes topics that more standard prenatal education programs don’t even touch upon.  For instance one area that BirthWorks focuses on is healing past emotional pain in preparation of birth.  If a woman can heal emotional scars from her past – which may go all the way back to childhood, she has an opportunity to clear out negative energy fields that can hold her back from having an optimal birth experience. 

One example of how deeply held feelings manifest in the body is when a woman may experience bad headaches, feelings of numbness and depression.  These symptoms are related to holding anger and resentment, but she hides these toxic feelings behind a smiling, cheerful demeanor that she shows to the outside world.  In order to understand why she holds such anger, she must first explore and look for hints that lead to an understanding of what is happening.

Emotions allowed to flow freely in the body invariably change.  Using anger as an example, anger that is held typically remains anger.  But anger that is felt and allowed to move typically changes into other emotions, often fear, sadness, or pain. 

As an integral part of her training to become a BirthWorks International educator, a trainee must enroll in a three day workshop where she is led through a series of exercises to help release any deeply held emotional pain she might hold.  This will help her to act as a facilitator for her students to help them clear their own emotional fields. 

For instance exercises that ground and bring energy down through the legs and feet as well as working with the breath, the body, and the energy fields, is a way to clear out dead energy.  This allows for a basic sensation of feeling and a sense of grounding.  Simple exercises that help to open the energy centers on the bottom of the feet by standing and rolling one foot and then the other on a small rubber ball, stretching the toes and soles of the feet, squatting and straightening out the legs until there is a strong sense of the legs, helps a woman to feel more connected to her lower torso and feet.  This in turn gives her a greater sense of solidity and balance. 

Even though some women may not even be aware that their bodies are holding negative energy patterns, a perfect time to clear out these stuck patterns is before they actually give birth.  By clearing emotional blocks, an expectant woman will have much more energy to birth her baby into this world. 

Enrolling in a BirthWorks International childbirth education class give women the latest cutting edge childbirth information as well as helping them to delve into the essence of their being. 

BirthWorks 5K Fun Run!

BirthWorks International will be hosting its first fundraiser, the BirthWorks International 5K Fun Run at Freedom Park in Medford, NJ.   The walk will be preceded by a free yoga class and registration.  After the walk, the rest of the day will include fun activities for the family, a mini pelvic bodywork class, vendors and much more!

The run will take place at Freedom Park in Medford, NJ on September 8, 2012.  The park is located at 86 Union St. in Medford, New Jersey.   The event will occur between 9am and 3pm.  There will be a free yoga session at 9am, taught by Tricia Heiser of the Yoga Sanctuary of Medford followed by the 5K Fun Run/Walk at 10am.  Cathy Daub, the president and founder of BirthWorks International, will teach a free pelvic bodywork class for expecting mothers at 12pm.  Furthermore, the event will hold various children’s races and activities.  Prizes will be rewarded to all winners.

BirthWorks International embodies the philosophy of developing a woman’s self-confidence, trust and faith in her innate ability to give birth.  BirthWorks seeks working relationships with other childbirth related organizations, striving together to help birthing families make more informed and safe choices for birth.  It is our mission to train childbirth educators and doulas that in turn provide evidence-based, current information to birthing families through a unique experiential approach that is based on human values.  All proceeds from this event will fund programs that help educate and empower women and families around the world about safe birth practices and natural birth options.

            

    Being an international organization, we are aware that many of our friends and colleagues are unable to attend this event on September 8^th; however that should not discourage anyone from helping us raise the funds necessary to provide these programs and research to birthing families and enhance their knowledge and experience during this special and important time in their lives.  Please join us as a virtual walker.  By registering online at www.active.com/running/medford-nj/birthworks-international-5K-run-walk-2012, you can support BirthWorks and its philosophy by asking for sponsorship and donations from family, friends or co-workers.  Thank you and good luck!  

"What led you to BirthWorks?" 24 Hours in communication

If you're like so many future parents and educators, you delve deep before
making a decision to entrust your education - and in some instances, your
child with an organization. This intrigued the staff of BirthWorks
International and led us to ask one question - "Why did you choose
BirthWorks". This question, posted online on our Social Networks, for 24
hours led us to hundreds of responses.

Answers like "because my mother told me that VBACs were a thing of the past"
and "because my OBGYN told me that using a midwife for a home birth is no
better than having a back alley abortion." were some of the most mind
boggling responses ever.

Some answers like "because I was denied entrance into other organizations
because of my need to have an epidural" and "because I was removed from
another organization because I had a cesarean" were absolutely appalling.

An answer like "because after being an instructor with another organization
for seven years, I was dismissed an stripped of my income because of my
mandatory cesarean" nearly brought us to tears.

We even received answers like "because BirthWorks encouraged me to make
educated decisions instead of letting someone make them for me". Answers
like this one, is exactly why we do what we do at BirthWorks.

Some answers were quite honest, "because BirthWorks was the only
organization - of its kind, to have a clear and informative website".

However, in all of our 117 responses, eleven stood out because they had a
powerful message. They weren't prolific responses, written by noted doctors
and educators, but they were simply women - women that came from all walks
of life and were searching for an organization like our own. And their
answer, written in four short words, was loud and clear - because
"BIRTHWORKS CHANGED MY LIFE".

The answers we received from our past participants and current members, are
the reason why we love what we do. Like us, our Members understand that
BirthWorks thrives because our members succeed and like excellent customer
service - it's ancient.


Written by:


Jamia "Mia" Bell

Program Director

BirthWorks International

We encourage you to answer the question "What led YOU to BirthWorks" in our comments section below

We Have A Winner!!!!!

The winner of the BirthWorks T-shirt is (drum roll please):

Celeste!


Congratulations Celeste, you have won a BirthWorks T-shirt. Contact me at kathleenr@birthworks.org to claim your prize!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this giveaway. We will be having more giveaways in the future, so be sure to keep following us!

Workshop Review: Raleigh, North Carolina

The is a lovely review, written by Lauren Farnsworth, of our 2006 North Carolina Childbirth Educator workshop.

The BirthWorks weekend retreat was nothing like I had experienced before. Through guided exercises, we explored feelings and philosophies about birth, discussed our relationships with our mothers, identified feelings of blame and guilt and released grief over past birthing experiences. Unlike other childbirth education workshops, BirthWorks uses emotional exercises and discussions to lift fear and empower the inner voice.

Over three days, I experienced incredible healing. In any other setting it would have taken more time to merely touch the surface of my feelings. By isolating blame and guilt, I was able to work through issues with my daughters birth. I realized that my birth was intended to be what my mother was denied with her children. I felt lifted after expressing grief over my mother's passing as I now explore what it means to be a mother.

Our views about and experiences with childbirth represent so much of who we are. By delving into the emotional realm of birth, I was freed to relinquish pain and hurt that may limit my ability to grow and blossom. The birth of a baby is our re-birth, and how better to enable the metamorphosis than to trust our ability to create.

-Lauren Fransworth