COVID-19 Offerings: Free, Online Childbirth Prep Resources
I love sharing great resources with my community and nowadays, more than ever, it feels like we are being showered by so much generosity from small businesses. Some of this generosity has come in the form of free, online childbirth prep classes. The resources I am sharing below are some of the better ones I have found out there. Feel free to check them out!
Evidence Based Birth- Birthing in the Time of COVID-19
Evidence Based Birth is a top resource for all things evidence-based and birth-related, from the evidence on newborn procedures like the Vitamin K shot, to the evidence on the safety of water births. EBB recently put out a short, 5-video series on childbirth education that I have found to be really well-explained and to the point. Rebecca Dekker uses lots of props to help make her demonstration clear and simple.
The five videos include the following topics:
- The Hormones of Birth
- Stages of Labor- Stage One
- Stages of Labor- Stage Two
- Obtaining a Birth Ball
- Options During COVID-19 (Hospital births, out-of-hospital births, informed consent and refusal)
The program includes a relaxation mp3 and always updated site that discusses the latest evidence on COVID and pregnancy, birth and newborns. They also recently added an Informed Consent Form for Refusal to Separate Newborn and Birthing Parent. Check out the entire resource page here.
Free Online Childbirth Education Series by a Group of 9 Birth & Postpartum Experts
This series is an excellent resource that I came upon because one of my doula trainers, Taylor Davis, of Doula Trainings International, is one of the contributors. It brings together an amazing group of doulas who have provided really high quality workshops on so many different aspects of childbirth preparation, as well as postpartum nutrition, breastfeeding basics and newborn care. I highly recommend taking a look at this series! There are 9 different videos; and I’m sure at least one of them will be of interest to you. Some of the topics include:
- Planning for Postpartum
- Stages of Labor and Comfort Measures
- Decision Making and Advocating for Yourself
- Postpartum Nutrition and Repletion (with great ideas for ideal postpartum foods/ingredients)
- A Quick Intro to the Use of Herbs During Pregnancy and the Postpartum
- Basics of Newborn Care
- Breastfeeding
- Considering Hospital to Home Birth Plan During Covid-19
- VBAC and Family-Centered Cesarean Prep
Express vs Comprehensive Childbirth Prep
Finally, while I find these videos and brief classes to be excellent resources, I wanted to put in a note that they are by no means comprehensive. They are presented by some of the most qualified professionals in the field, and they will help you dip your toes into the pool of info, but there is always so much more to be learned and guided on.
If you are looking for a comprehensive childbirth education class that you can choose to learn on your own through a self-study option, or that you can attend as a group class option (all being offered virtually nowadays), check out one of my favorites- the Hypnobabies online self-study course.
If you prefer a virtual, live class, I offer express and comprehensive virtual childbirth prep classes suited to fit your time and budget needs. Give me a call today!