Childbirth classes are a great way to prepare for the birth of your baby during pregnancy.
A lot of women already think about how childbirth will be even early on during their pregnancy and it can be scary to think about what could happen during labor and delivery when you are a first time mom.
I remember when I was pregnant for the first time with my daughter.
You could say I was pretty much reading all about childbirth to be as much informed as possible before having my baby.
I asked friends how their birth experience was and I wanted to know it all – the good, bad and ugly side of childbirth.
I wanted to hear all the birth stories.
If you want to be prepared as much as possible it might be a good idea to consider taking a childbirth class.
They are usually offered local but nowadays you can also take online childbirth classes.
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Online Childbirth class
Taking a childbirth class online has the convenience of taking the course on your time whenever you have a minute during your busy day and you can take the class in the comfort of your home.
A good childbirth class will leave you prepared with easy-to-understand course material and all your questions answered.
One of the really great options for an online childbirth class is birthsmarts.
The course creator Lindsey is a labor and delivery nurse and besides a great online class, she also offers extra support with a facebook group exclusively for class members.
You can talk to the class instructor and other moms to be in case you have any questions about the course or labor and delivery in general.
Besides the extra support some other highlights of the online childbirth class are:
- It covers every stage of labor, delivery and the first weeks postpartum (most others do not include the postpartum part)
- Postpartum care and postpartum adjustment with your new baby
- Discusses cesarean and induction in case you need it (and of course natural birth)
- Includes a big section on advocacy
- Handouts you can download and print to bring with you
- Dictionary for typical terms used before, during and after birth
- A section for your support person (or birthing partner) to learn how they can be the best support possible for you during the whole journey (so it is great as a childbirth class for partners)
- Offers a payment plan
- Goes over other support you can have during childbirth like a birth doula
- Shows you different Pain Management Techniques
- Different birthing positions (no, you do not have to deliver laying on your back)
This online course about birth can be purchased for $98 and if you use my code “ALLABOUTBABYBLOG” you can save an additional $10 off making it a really great price compared to other online classes.
You can buy the online course birthsmarts here.
I really liked that birthsmarts also shows you different ways of pain relief during labor that are not medications.
Related posts:
– What you need in your hospital bag (with free checklist)
– Genius hospital bag snacks
– Baby names collection (over 2000 names)
– Free printable birth plan templates for first time moms
When to take a childbirth class
or when should you start preparing for labor?
Childbirth preparation can start as early as the first day you find out that you are pregnant.
It does make sense to take a childbirth class closer to birth though.
At around 32 weeks when you also start packing your hospital bag you can start taking the course to make sure you still have enough time until birth but also not too early for you to forget half of the course again.
I always wanted to know as much as possible to be best prepared before things get real.
Benefits of taking an online childbirth class
While in-person childbirth preparation classes can be great because you can ask the instructor right then and there if you have any specific questions – especially during the pandemic many hospitals have not even offered childbirth classes.
So taking an online course to prepare for labor and delivery is a great alternative.
Since online classes are pre-recorded or written down you have more time to really take in the information provided and just go back to a specific part if you want to read it again.
One big benefit of taking an online childbirth class is definitely that you have an expert offering you valuable information.
If you decide to take birthsmarts as your online course you also get access to the facebook support group.
Taking the class online is super convenient as well since you can decide what time and where you take the course without even having to leave your house.
How Much Do Online Birthing Classes Cost?
You can find a pretty big difference in prices for different virtual childbirth classes ranging from about $85 all the way up to around $200 or more.
The price really depends on how comprehensive the class is and how much information you get.
Of course, you can find free classes as well and the most expensive course does not mean it is the best either.
Birthsmarts is in the middle of the price range and offers a ton of class material.
This might also be interesting:
– Signs of labor (when to head to the hospital)
– Best bassinets for breastfeeding moms
– How many clothes babies really need
– Benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mom
What to look for in an online childbirth class
When you are looking around for a childbirth course you should consider:
- Who the instructor is (a qualified nurse, doctor or other medical professional)
- How much information it offers (does it only cover labor but not postpartum?)
- What the price is (you can find free ones or spend over $200 for a course)
- Does it come with handy printouts?
- Do you get extra support? (like a facebook group or access to the instructor to ask more questions)
- What do others say about the course? (It’s always good to look at reviews or ask other people who took the class)
Did you take an online class to be prepared for childbirth? How much did it really help you? Or do you maybe have some more things parents-to-be should consider before buying a specific course?
Let us know in the comments below!
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