When you find out you’re pregnant for the first time, there are so many things to think about like finding out the gender, choosing baby equipment and decorating the nursery. But don’t forget about the most important event – the birth.
Many women are nervous about labor. One of the best ways to help calm those fears is to take a childbirth education class to help you prepare and know what to expect during labor and learn about some of the different childbirth options available.
Jade Elliott sat down with Kathy Credille, RN, MSN, with the Intermountain Healthcare Learning Network on this episode of the Baby Your Baby Podcast to discuss the childbirth classes and options  available for busy moms-to-be.
Why childbirth education is so important
Becoming a parent is such a transitional time, there are so many changes and there’s so much to learn. Our bodies are made to give birth. Knowing how to navigate that and work with your body is empowering. Childbirth education classes help decrease fear and increase knowledge. They also help prepare you to care for your newborn, which can be overwhelming.
Childbirth education classes can help you understand the changes your body makes while pregnant and informs you about the labor and birth process. More knowledge about the birth process can help you make decisions as they arise.
Every labor is different
Learning about the labor and birth process helps you understand not only the common path that labor typically takes, but also the variations in the labor process and how to prepare to be flexible when your labor doesn’t go as planned. It can be helpful to make a labor plan, but you need to keep your mind open and be flexible. You can’t control everything.
The classes also address the mental health aspects of this role transition time and be aware of peripartum depression and mood disorders. The classes also explains the process of your body returning to a non-pregnant state so that you have realistic expectations for that.
Childbirth education classes help especially if you’re hoping for a non-medicated childbirth or low-intervention childbirth
If you want to learn how to manage the pain and contractions of labor without medication, the classes are especially helpful. But even if you’re opting for an epidural, they help you understand and prepare for the labor process.
The Baby Your Baby program provides many resources for all pregnant women and new moms in Utah. There is also expert advice from the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Healthcare that air each week on KUTV 2News.