Birth preparation for what?

We are very pleased that from now on the midwives Maria & Klaudia and the pediatric nurse Daniela will be writing for you about pregnancy, birth preparation, birth and natural baby care.

In the first article, Maria explains why birth preparation is more than just sitting on exercise balls together. A self-determined birth - the term is currently very popular - is only possible if women know what to expect. If something does happen, this knowledge can be used to make good decisions even in exceptional situations.

We hope you enjoy issue 1 of the “Naturkind midwife consultation hour”!

PS: Do you have a topic that particularly interests you? Then send it to us at: hebammensprechstunde@naturkind.com

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“It’s a natural occurrence anyway! You don’t need any instructions.” We midwives are often confronted with statements like this. So what is the point of a birth preparation course?

What is it about us as midwives?

Birth is indeed a natural event and the process of giving birth has been similar since the dawn of humanity. However, humans and the environment are constantly changing, leading to major changes. Therefore, it is useful to know about these changes and the current process of giving birth.

Nowadays, we midwives are often confronted with women and couples who are struggling with great fear, panic or even previous mental illnesses. But as we all know, fear is not a good advisor! For this reason, one of the main goals of the birth preparation courses is to overcome these fears by providing information about the birth and to give the couples a feeling of security for the rest of their journey.

However, this information must be well-founded and come from first-hand sources. Since midwives are exclusively responsible for the field of birth and the phase of life associated with it, we can report in detail about our daily work. This exchange is one of the most important prerequisites for a successful birth preparation course.

Unfortunately, couples - especially pregnant women - are often confronted with half-knowledge from various would-be experts and are often unable to judge which of these pieces of information and reports are true. Because every now and then, sensationalism takes over and the stories surrounding the birth experience are embellished a little afterwards. However, only someone who deals with the subject on a daily basis can judge what the right course of action is in an individual case.

The aim is to give you a plan

With a plan in hand, you can go into the birth and the time afterward safely and without fear. The following topics are important for every pregnant woman:

• A structure for the time of the nuclear birth in the delivery room.
• An answer to the question “What do I do during labor?”
• A basic preparation for the big event.
• Measures, possible medications (painkillers, etc.) and the possibility of assessing these.
• Everyday life with a baby and the questions “How does a baby tick?” and “What does it need?”
• An answer to the question of how we as women can emerge from the events of pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period healthy and fit again – from the pelvic floor to the psyche.

Self-determined birth – what’s behind it?

These two keywords are often expressed by pregnant women as a request to us midwives – but at the same time, birth preparation is laughed at.

But how can pregnant women be responsible for decisions about a self-determined birth if they have no idea about it? How can you decide whether a measure is a good idea or whether it could end in disaster?

Of course, we midwives are present during the birth to support the parents-to-be in their decision-making process. However, you must have understood certain things beforehand in order to be able to participate effectively in shaping your own birth.

During a birth preparation course, you use the hours given to take time for one of the most important events in a person's life - to think about it, reflect on it and discuss any thoughts and questions that arise with a specialist .

Birth preparation is just as essential as the diving course if I want to give birth successfully and to my satisfaction!

It turns out that the form of the course is not so important. Group courses (usually between 10 and 14 couples), small group courses (from 7 to 8 couples or less) or individual birth preparation courses are offered.

During the Corona crisis, many midwives have also discovered the possibility of online courses . From my own experience, I can report that this has worked really well. These online courses are of course only held in small groups in order to ensure intensive and individual engagement with the couples.

I really hope that I have been able to inspire you a little bit about good birth preparation!