2011 - Talk Birth

Six Healthy Birth Practices Handout (2011-05-17 10:41)
Lamaze’s [1]Six Healthy Birth Practices are one of my favorites resources when discussing birth plans in my
classes. I find that some materials about birth planning on the internet are unnecessarily cumbersome (while
simultaneously being very ”cookie cutter”). As I tell my clients, the Six Healthy Birth Practices provide an
absolutely phenomenal ”basic” birth plan and concisely cover each element of a healthy birth. I suggest using
them as a foundation for any birth plan the client plans to write. For use in my own classes, I created a
one page handout briefly summarizing the practices: [2]Six Healthy Birth Practices. At the bottom of the
handout, I also include my own even simpler summary of the information. I just love them and think they
should be the core of any class that serves women planning hospital births. Seriously, what women deserve
in a birth environment can be summed up in six, clear sentences! How practical.
I also absolutely LOVE the video based on the practices that is [3]available from Injoy. It is extremely
affordable (I actually own three copies of it!). It is very concise and clear (just like the practices themselves)
and I love [4] how it shows women in a hospital environment, getting their needs met and
having satisfying births. While I personally choose homebirth for myself and am a big advocate of homebirth,
at least 90 % of my clients are planning hospital births and deserve information and resources that
support healthy, satisfying births in the environment they have chosen. I have a variety of great videos in
my library, but many of them focus on homebirth and I think the message this sends to clients is—”good
birth = homebirth.” While that feels personally true for me, it isn’t actually the message I want to share
with my clients—I want to share my enthusiasm for birth, period, and to help them discover resources and
plans for having a beautiful birth in any setting. I want to communicate to them that they deserve access to
these healthy birth practices in the hospital and I hope we can create a birthing world in which all women
can expect to have access to these practices in any setting. So, I like how this video shows women getting
their needs met within in a hospital setting.
Additionally, the videos are available for free, practice by practice, on the [5]Mother’s Advocate site, which
also includes a variety of accompanying handouts to print.
And, again, here is my own handout for use during birth classes: [6]Six Healthy Birth Practices.
I know I sound like a ”commercial” for Lamaze’s Birth Practices and though I am a Lamaze member, I
am actually certified with other organizations (ICEA and CAPPA). I think it is important that childbirth
educators not limit themselves only to the materials and information provided by their own certifying organization
and instead seek out excellent materials from a variety of the wonderful organizations that exist to
support birthing women!
1. http://www.lamaze.org/ExpectantParents/HealthyBirthPractices/tabid/251/Default.aspx
2. http://talkbirth.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/six-healthy-birth-practices.pdf
3. http://www.injoyvideos.com/product.php?proid=109&page=Healthy_Birth_Your_Way
4. http://www.injoyvideos.com/product.php?proid=109&page=Healthy_Birth_Your_Way
5. http://www.injoyvideos.com/mothersadvocate/
6. http://talkbirth.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/six-healthy-birth-practices.pdf
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