Birth Boot Camp: Class 6

Class 6 – Supporting Arms: Mom’s Most Important Ally Supporting Arms: noun – weapons systems employed to support forces. Dad is mom’s most important ally. By Week 6, Birth Boot Camp has given you both a good foundation. You have been working together week by week. In Supporting Arms, Dad will learn very practical ways to help Mom during labor. This is his most important class! Moms will also learn some very effective – and unique — techniques in coping with the challenges of labor. Anyone who is part of your birth team is encouraged to sit in on this class as well.
We actually skipped this class and had to make it up online. This was the last week of school and Bobby and I were both exhausted and frustrated, it was just a rough day. So we decided to spend some time together instead of going to the class.

This is a class for Dads to help them be as supportive as possible.

The Top 10 Tools for Dad:

1. Remind her to eat/drink water
2. Observe her muscles, is she relaxing or tensing up
3. Pay attention to her "rhythm"
4. Does she sound 11 months or 7 months pregnant
5. Help her keep her "sound" low
6. Get her in the water
7. Keep it interesting: different positions, movement
8. Baby steps
9. Talk her through contractions if needed
10. Be aware of the laboring environment

Laboring Positions and Their Benefits this link has good information about laboring positions.

Notes from our instructor: 

Class six covers some of the helpful things mom and her birth team can do in order to have a more joyous labor and birth. Silly though it may seem, birth affirmations are a wonderful and confidence building drill you can do to prepare for a terrific birth!

This is a list of 12 affirmations to help prepare for a great birth.

This link has 10 ways to think positively about your natural birth.

One of the partner’s most important roles is preserving the space around mom so that she feels safe and able to labor.  This brief article talks about how to do that.

 Relaxation Exercise: The Beach

Incorporating all the senses in your relaxation exercises will make them that much more enjoyable. The imagery of the waves is comforting to many laboring women as they often compare contractions to riding a wave. While the beach is a warm and peaceful place to many couples, feel free to get creative with your relaxation exercises. Make it your own. You might enjoy talking about hiking in the cool, crisp mountains or sitting around a crackling, warm, glowing campfire.

10 Questions to Ask When You Are Interviewing a Doula
1. Why did you become a doula?
2. What training or certification do you have?
3. What backup arrangements do you have in place in the event that you could not attend my birth?
4. How long have your been a doula and about how many births have you attended?
5. Discuss the type of birth you are planning then ask the doula if she has experience in helping couples achieve this goal.
6. How often will we be in touch during my pregnancy?
7. How many times do you recommend that we meet prenatally?
8. Have you previously worked with my hospital or care provider?
9. How do you involve my partner in the birth experience?
10. Do you have training in lactation and will you assist in breastfeeding?