Summary of the child birth class
The birth class attended was made up of eight women with each woman having a partner accompanying them to the session. The instructor always insists on the pregnant mothers coming with a trusted friend or husband to the class sessions. The instructor was called Mrs. Claire Williams. She had been with the class from the beginning where she had six out of the eight women in her class that day. The class was two hours thirty minutes long where she talked about a topic for half an hour with breaks in between to help the mothers relax. The instructor is a senior midwife in the facility with a bachelor’s degree in midwifery. She has a vast experience in the field as she had been a midwife for the past twenty years in different health facilities across the country.
The people attending the child birth classes were of different characteristics. Half of the women in the class were aged between 22 years to 34 years. There were three women ages 20 and one aged 36. Only one of these pregnant women was a single mother to be as the rest were married and came with their partners to the child birthing classes. The single woman came to the class with her best friend whom she said would be present during the birth of her child. All the pregnant women in the birthing classes were in their third trimester of their gestation period. The instructor told me that some the women started their birthing classes in their second trimester with some beginning the classes as early as their first trimester. The socioeconomic status of these women fell in the category of middle-class income earners. These women were working and had an average income. They were in a position to pay their medical bills and buy most of the things the newborn would require. The pregnant women were also able to provide for themselves independently and with the help of their partners.
Topics discussed
There were various topics covered during the birth class. One of the topics was the importance breastfeeding immediately after birth. When discussing this topic, the instructor told the mothers the importance of breastfeeding immediately after birth. This session was mainly to discuss the benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and child. These included the creation of a bond between the mother and the child immediately after birth. The instructor also touched on proper breastfeeding positions for the mother and child that would ensure maximum comfort for both of them. The other topic under discussion during this session was the choice of birth method for the mother. The instructor provided various scenarios where the mother had the choice to determine the birth method she wanted. However, she also pointed out that there were emergency cases that took this privilege of making the choice from the mother. She also talked about the role of fathers in the whole process of birth; before, during and after birth. The instructor emphasized on the value the presence of the father helped in the process of giving birth and the bond it created in the family (Larsen & Plog, 2012).
Missing topic
In my opinion, I believe that the instructor should have stressed on the issue of proper feeding on nutritious food. The nurse talked a lot about the importance of breastfeeding, proper positions and so on, but she did not mention the role of nutritious food and exercising on the health of the mother and the child (Hotelling, 2013). As she was talking about breastfeeding, I expected her to stress on the importance of the mother ensuring that she takes a balanced diet to ensure that the child gets all the nutrients required. It does not only apply after the child is born, but even during the last stages of the gestation period where the mother requires all the energy she can reserve for the labor. Nutrition is an important part of the gestation period, where the mother requires more nutrients from the food she eats to provide to her child than she does when she is not pregnant. This applies to the time after birth, when the mother needs sufficient energy from the food she eats to give her the strength to recover and provide enough milk for the child.
Nutrition is important for the mother and child and the nurse should have taken this into consideration when preparing the topics discussed that day. This encourages patients to focus on proper diets before and after delivery (Guszkowska, 2013).
Importance of nutrition Handout
Here at St. Johns Hospital, we are committed to providing quality child birth classes for all mothers and their children.
Importance of nutrition for the mother and child
- Do you know proper nutrition and exercise practices you should put into practice as a pregnant woman and mother of a newly-born baby?
- There are many feeding habits that one may adapt during this time, but not all of them provide nutritious food for the mother and child.
Figure 1: fruits and vegetables
- Nutrition is important for the good health of the mother and baby: at this time, the two of you are in dire need of nutritious food that will give you all the nutrients they need.
- You as the pregnant mother should ensure that you eat a balanced diet
Figure 2: Mother taking nutritious food
Figure 3: Healthy mother and child
- This also goes hand in hand with exercising for the mother in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Drinking hot fluids is also important for you and your child as it provides the two with the nutrients required and increases the availability of breast milk.
- For more information visit:
<http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CDEQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.childbirth.org%2F&ei=wIctVObYHYmtPKrEgKgC&usg=AFQjCNEgpiijt3kkJdqnSE1JezVKCp3Fwg&sig2=awEUBS57QH9XYKePFWOQ1w>
- http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/childbirth-education-classes/
- https://www.google.com/search?q=images+of+a+pregnant+mother+taking+a+healthy+diet&client=firefox-a&hs=l4M&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&imgil=oSZbjggqXSquqM%253A%253BKG-kjJuDwj3UXM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.organicfacts.net%25252Fparenting%25252Fpregnancy&source=iu&pf=m&fir=oSZbjggqXSquqM%253A%252CKGkjJuDwj3UXM%252C_&usg=__SmFXNeXRaIxrjry_a97vK5V1JU8%3D&biw=1024&bih=497&ved=0CDsQyjc&ei=pKA6VMvYMMGSaLjSgpAH#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=oSZbjggqXSquqM%253A%3BKG-kjJuDwj3UXM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.organicfacts.net%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2013%252F05%252FPregnancy1.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.organicfacts.net%252Fparenting%252Fpregnancy%3B550%3B367
References
Guszkowska, M. (2013). The effect of exercise and childbirth classes on fear of childbirth and
locus of labor pain control. Anxiety, stress & coping, 30(4), 1-14.
Hotelling, B. A. (2013). The Nocebo Effect in Childbirth Classes.The Journal of Perinatal
Education, 22(2), 120-124.
Larsen, R., &Plog, M. (2012). The Effectiveness of Childbirth Classes for Increasing Self-
Efficacy in Women and Support Persons.International Journal of Childbirth, 2(2), 107-
114.
