How do I decide which childbirth class to take?
Whether you're an expectant parent or a doula looking to expand your reach, read on to uncover a greater insight into which childbirth classes to take (or which childbirth educator training to join)!
You're probably here because you're gravitating towards hypnobirthing childbirth education. Maybe you're confused about the differences between the various programs available. If that's the case, we'd also invite you to check out Hypnobabies vs. HypnoBirthing and Should I attend a HelloBirth training or a Mongan Method training? What's the difference?
But first let's explore some of the more basic questions about birth education to help you better understand what to expect when deciding to invest in a birthing class.
What is a prenatal educator?
Prenatal (during pregnancy) education may happen in a number of different ways. It could be meetings with your doula where you are having an in-depth conversation, getting your specific questions answered in real-time. Doulas offer this support in part because many of the prenatal appointments that folks have with their OB-GYN, or even their hospital-based midwife, can feel rushed or impersonal. Of course there are many excellent care providers available who are doing their jobs well, but the constraints of a broken system may often get in the way of that care reaching the level of excellence that it should. Anyone who's expecting a baby should be able to expect their medical care provider to answer questions thoroughly through the lens of informed consent and shared decision-making. However, what's all-too-common is that questions are answered generally through a fear-based lens. While this may seem appropriate based on risk level, there is a big problem in maternity healthcare: overuse of drugs and surgery.
Let's accept that pregnancy and childbirth carry some risk while also understanding that the standard model of care isn't appropriate for every situation.
The most comprehensive way understand more about these particulars, to become more informed about pregnancy changes, prepare for the birth of your child, as well as for bringing your baby home, is to enroll in a class taught by a certified childbirth educator.
Participants choose a class either at their hospital or outside of it. The hospital-based classes tend to be heavy on the side of orientation so that you will become a "compliant" patient for them, and lighter on the side of choice and consumer awareness.
A class offered independently outside of the hospital and without ties to any medical care systems will typically offer a more nuanced look at the experiences of pregnancy, birth and postpartum and a more comprehensive prenatal education, thereby helping participants to feel fully prepared and confident.
If we're being honest, nothing can ever truly prepare you for what these experiences will feel like in your unique mind, body, and spirit. But classes like HelloBirth will build your confidence in ways you didn't know were possible, offering you and your partner the very best chance to move through this experience feeling supported and informed!
What is a Lamaze LCCE certification?
The credential given to certified Lamaze instructors. If you want to teach at a hospital, this may be what you need. Here's an overview of the steps to become Lamaze certified so you can become fully informed.
What does the HelloBirth hypnobirthing educator certification process include?
It's simple! If you've ensured your attendance at each of the 4 days of the training, all you have to do after that is submit a filled business strategy & hypnosis for childbirth template. You'll receive your final certification right away and will be ready to start teaching. No exams or complicated processes. Instructor FAQs
There isn't a childbirth educator exam with HelloBirth because we don't believe multiple-choice questions are a good indicator that you will be able to facilitate healthy, effective group sessions. We also don't believe passing an exam means that you've learned how to deliver content for all of the major adult learning types on-the-fly. The HelloBirth childbirth educator workshop will teach you all of this and more.
Can you make good money as a hypnobirthing doula or childbirth educator?
Yes, you might be able to! Hypnobirthing doulas on average can make around $300 more for the flat birth doula support fee. So it depends on how many clients you take per month. We dive deep on this topic on day 4 of our HelloBirth training!
How much should I charge as a doula, midwife or hypnobirth educator?
Certified nurse midwives (CNMs) are likely to be the only salaried form of doing birth work. If you are working in a hospital you are more likely to be on staff with health insurance and other benefits. Working as a doula, a hypnobirthing educator, or an out-of-hospital midwife (which is in most cases a certified professional midwife - CPM), will generally require you to set up your own independent business structure. So in short, you may need to charge a lot more than you think if you plan on supporting yourself fully and independently. Our question to you is: are you charging enough? Here's a brief starting point: doulas: $1,800 per birth // hypnobirth educators: $450 per class participant // out-of-hospital midwives: this one is out of our scope but the starting package is probably around $4,000 for providing comprehensive medical care during pregnancy, birth and postpartum.