Frequently asked questions
1. How are Birthing From Within prenatal classes different from other prenatal education classes?
Birthing From Within recognizes birth and early parenthood as a significant rite of passage, and aims to ease your transition through the birth and welcoming of your baby. Through practical information, experiential learning, creative process and dynamic discussions, your mentor will help you get in touch with your deepest questions around birth.
Birthing From Within classes focus on helping you to build a mindset that will help you throughout labour, birth and early parenthood. In each class, time is spent on deepening the mindset. Many couples share that the mindset they develop together during class proves to be useful long into their parenting experience.
Birthing From Within classes are built around participant involvement and interaction. Your questions and concerns are welcome and encouraged in a nurturing environment that fosters connection between all the couples present.
Birthing From Within classes include celebration for your journey, and many couples express that the class helped them feel closer and better able to work together during birth and parenthood.
2. Are Birthing From Within prenatal classes designed to prepare for a certain birth outcome such as home birth or natural birth?
As a non-outcome focused approach, Birthing From Within is excellent preparation for any birth choices. Whether you are aiming for a nonmedicated birth at home or in hospital, or you know that a caesarean birth may be required, Birthing From Within will help you to build the mindset you need to be committed to doing whatever it takes to birth your baby- no matter how your birth unfolds.
3. I'm not an artist- will I be able to do the art components of the class?
The art processes in a Birthing From Within series are often met with curiosity and uncertainty- many class participants have not experienced art since childhood and may even feel they can't "do" art. Often participants are surprised to re-experience art under new circumstances, which do not include a set outcome for any art process. All art exploration is process-focused, and not outcome focused, meaning that your final art need not be shared or discussed in class. You may, however, find yourself surprised at how revealing the experience might be for you personally as you prepare for birth.
No art experience or skill is required for any of the art components during the classes.
4. My partner wonders why we should take a class to prepare for birth?
Many couples wonder how classes will help them prepare for birth. Couples who have taken my prenatal classes share that they feel the classes have brought them closer together in the experience of pregnancy, preparing for birth and anticipating new parenthood. I often hear that couples feel the classes were a very connecting experience- a unique time together during the busy time leading up to birth.
Partners often report feeling more confident to deal with the uncertainties of labour and parenthood. They share that they feel more able to cope with however birth unfolds and feel empowered by their greater understanding of the experiences their partner will go through during birth, postpartum, breastfeeding and in general. Some express that hearing from other couples about their concerns, plans and expectations helps them to prepare for their own experience.
5. What is the difference between a doula and a midwife?
A midwife is a highly specialized care provider for pregnant women. Midwives provide comprehensive care during pregnancy, labour and birth and in the first 6 weeks postpartum. Their care is completely covered by Medical Services Plan for BC residents. Midwives care for women seeking home or hospital births, and work alongside other professionals such as nurses, doctors and OBs as needed. A midwife's primary concern is for the physical wellbeing of the pregnant woman and her baby.
Doulas work as professional support for birthing women and their family. Doulas work alongside a woman's care provider to ensure her optimal comfort during her labour, birth and postpartum. A doula is a woman thoroughly trained and experienced in birth and postpartum. Her main roles include providing physical, emotional and educational support before, during and after birth and providing support in the home following the birth. Doulas are experienced with breastfeeding and infant care and development and can greatly ease a family's transition to parenthood.
There are two kinds of doulas- Birth Doulas and Postpartum Doulas. Birth doulas support women during labour and birth, and postpartum doulas provide in home support following the birth of a new baby. Some doulas are trained and certified as both birth and postpartum doulas.
6. My partner/mother/sister/friend is going to support me during my birth- would I benefit from having a doula present as well?
Some women find that having a trained and experienced professional support person provides additional benefits even with other supports present. When close family and friends are supporting a birthing woman, the doula's role most often becomes one of providing encouragement, support and suggestions to other support people, and providing much welcome breaks during the long work of labour. Family and friends often report feeling more confident and able to provide good support with the reassuring presence of a doula.
7. I've heard doula support can reduce the likelihood of all kinds of interventions in the labour and birth process- is this true?
It has been shown by a number of good studies that the presence of a doula can reduce the use of interventions and need for medication during labour. It is well known that to give birth women need to feel safe, secure and supported. Having a doula present- whose sole focus is the comfort and emotional wellbeing of the birthing woman- is a significant factor in increasing the woman's sense of her own ability to do whatever it takes to birth her baby. Furthermore, the doula supports the woman's partner in his role during the birth, providing encouragement and suggestions which also positively impact the birthing woman.
However, hiring a doula does not guarantee the avoidance or achievement of any particular outcome. Your doula may prove to be a very valuable asset, should interventions become a necessary part of your journey to birth. Your doula can often help you to understand your options if your birth takes a surprising turn, or she can be present to you and your partner with your questions or concerns. Many women report that their experience of birth was positively impacted by the presence of a doula, even when unwanted interventions became a part of the journey.
8. How can a postpartum doula enhance my initial postpartum transition?
Postpartum doulas specialize in the needs of the newly born family. Whether you are welcoming your first child or your fourth, professional in home support can ease your transition in the initial postpartum period. Postpartum doulas can provide support with breastfeeding, meal preparation, light house keeping, education on infant care and development, and general emotional support. Normalizing common concerns and experiences and providing companionship can greatly impact the first experiences of a family with a new baby. Often new mothers feel reassured just knowing that an experienced, understanding doula will be coming to help once or twice a week for the first few weeks. Traditionally, a woman's mother, sisters, aunts or other female family members may have provided extensive support in the postpartum period. These days, often family is unavailable or lives too far away to provide the kind of support that helps a new mother and baby to thrive. The professional support of a postpartum doula can fill this gap, assisting to create a smooth transition into parenthood for the new mother, father and baby.
9. What special skills and qualities do you bring to your work?
I feel I bring a continuity of services to accompany you through your journey from pregnancy into birth and early parenthood. I practice with a gentle, non-judgemental and encouraging attitude which is very family-centered. As shared throughout my website, I view birth as a journey. As such, I aim to help women and their partners to build the mindset necessary for their upcoming journey- no matter how it unfolds. I have extensive experience supporting families throughout the whole journey- from preparation, through birth and into early parenthood.
Professionally, I have extensive training and experience in my field:
Trained and Certified as both a Birth and Postpartum Doula through (DONA)
Birthing From Within Mentor with Advanced Training
Breastfeeding Counsellor (through Douglas College)
Creator and Coordinator of Nanaimo Doula Collective
If you have questions that have not been answered here, please feel free to contact me.
