Why is prenatal education important?

    * Having a baby is a major, life-changing event. Childbirth education helps you feel more prepared for your labor, birth and life with your new baby. Knowing what to expect will help ease your mind and can make everything more enjoyable!

    * Every parent has the right to make their own decisions about what is best for their family during pregnancy, labor and birth. Knowing the pros and cons of each decision will help you make informed choices.

    * Childbirth education is important whether you’re planning to use pain medication or have a natural delivery. Although coping with labor pain (through natural methods or with the help of medication) is important, the birth of your child is so much more than just the pain of contractions!

    * Pregnant couples have many options in birth--many of which most people don't even know about! Knowing these options is the best way to help you and your baby achieve the healthy, safe, and satisfying birth experience you both deserve.  Knowledge is power!

Why not take the hospital childbirth class?

Unfortunately, the content of some hospital birth classes can be dictated by the hospital administration. For example, a hospital may not allow their instructors to fully explain the risks associated with certain "routine" obstetric procedures. Childbirth is a very lucrative business for most hospitals, so oftentimes any class discussion that might reduce the hospital's overall profit would be discouraged (i.e., the hospital makes a larger profit on a highly medicated, or cesarean section, birth than it does on a natural birth). Taking a childbirth class from an independent 3rd party will allow you to get more complete, unbiased information.

You might be encouraged to take the hospital childbirth class so you can get a tour of the labor and delivery ward. You don't need to take the hospital childbirth class to do that; it is always possible to take a tour separately!

Topics Covered:

    * Labor and birth anatomy and physiology
    * Rethinking pain in childbirth: where does it come from? what is its function? what can I do about it?
    * Comfort measures for labor and delivery
    * Nutrition and exercise during pregnancy
    * Pros and cons of interventions (drugs or techniques that change the natural course of labor)
    * Writing a birth plan
    * Postnatal recovery for mama and baby
    * Breastfeeding basics
    * Newborn care
    * Keeping a partnership strong after having a child
    * Guided relaxation practice

These classes are provided in a series and it is strongly recommended that you attend each class in the series.  Check our Calendar of Events for the next available series.  The price of each series is $150 per couple. Please email us through our Contact Us page or call 720-988-3725 with questions.

Instructor: Kathy Dano

About the Instructor:

Kathy lives in Arvada, Colorado, with her husband and two beautiful children (1 and 3 years old).

Kathy is a natural birth advocate, who believes that if more women knew the risks associated with many "routine" birth interventions, natural birth would be much more common in our society.

Kathy decided to become a childbirth educator when she realized that most women she knew had very little knowledge about what a normal birth could and should be. Fear of labor and birth is so prevalent in our culture and she wants to help pregnant women overcome this fear and help them achieve safe, satisfying birth experiences.

Kathy received her certification in childbirth education from CAPPA in the summer of 2008. She received her certification (also with CAPPA) in lactation education in the fall of 2009.

Kathy is a member of the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, Colorado Midwives Association, La Leche League, and Colorado Doulas Association.