This class is designed for experienced parents who have taken childbirth preparation classes in the past, and would like to take a refresher course.
It is an interactive class, where parents are encouraged to share the story of their prior birth(s), discuss the ways this birth may play out differently, and explore what they can do to aid labor progress and have a satisfying birth.
You may also be interested in our Working With Labor Pain >> and in Sibling Preparation >> for your older child.
Class Topics
Class discussion focuses on the issues most important to class participants. Topics typically include:
- a refresher of the stages of labor, and the ways in which a typical labor process is different for women who have given birth before than for first time mothers
- updates on hospital procedures, or learning what to expect at a birth center or home birth
- re-examination of pain medication options
- information about how to advocate for your own needs within the medical setting
- exploration of effective methods for labor support and comfort techniques for coping with labor pain, with time for hands-on practice
- VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)
- breastfeeding and sibling issues
Logistics
Class is three hours long. Please see the registration page for price information. Scholarships available upon request.
We ask that you leave your children with a babysitter to allow focus on class discussion.
The class is held every 6-8 weeks at the Parent Trust classroom in the Rainier neighborhood of Seattle.
The class is taught by Janelle Durham, MSW, Great Starts’ Professional Trainer. She is a social worker, co-author of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn as well as author of The Simple Guide to Having a Baby, and several blogs. She is a birth doula, a lactation educator, and a certified childbirth educator (certified with Great Starts, ICEA and Lamaze), with years of experience facilitating a variety of groups. She uses a variety of teaching techniques to help students understand and integrate what they learn. She has 3 children, and has had 2 successful VBACs.