In December of 2018, I completed the training program and qualified to teach the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class! I taught my first Childbirth Class series starting January 13, 2019, and at the time of writing this blog, I am halfway through teaching my first series. Here are just some of my favorite things:

• The content! The EBB® Childbirth Class is jam-packed with tons of high-quality information! You can trust the information on the physiology of birth, the tips on staying comfortable, communication skills for partners, risks and benefits of common interventions, and all the bonus EBB® material because it’s been curated just for you by a large team of experts in childbirth.

• The learning environment! The flipped classroom allows for learning when you learn best, and in your free time, on your own schedule. Class time is reserved for digging deeper, answering your questions, getting clarification, and reinforcing what you learned. I serve as a mentor and a guide through your learning journey.

• The format! The class is not just focused on comfort during birth, it’s a comfortable class too. The first in-person class is geared towards reinforcing the material you learned prior to class, and getting to know your classmates. Classes 2-5 are scheduled around the class members’ schedules, are shorter because we’re discussing what we have learned during the week, and are online from the comfort of our own homes. No travel time, no sharing germs during cold and flu season, and you can wear your pajama pants and fuzzy slippers. Then class 6 is also in-person, putting all the advocacy skills and comfort measures you have learned into practice.

• The incentives! Some people do very well with internal motivation, they commit to complete a class and the learning is the reward. For many others, they need some more external motivation to stay on task, which is why the class incorporates a point system and prizes! You earn points for completing your weekly homework, including things like giving and receiving a back massage, relaxing, sitting on a birth ball, and completing your class videos and reading assignments. At the end of the class you turn your points in for fun prizes, a sweet reward to supplement the fantastic education you have just completed.

• The partners experience! Many birth partners want to be a lead or supporting cast, but they feel more like an extra. They know they are important, but they don’t know what they should be doing. This class gives birth partners clear tips, practice, and a cheat sheet on communicating and team-building with the healthcare staff and supporting the birthing person well.

• My support team! I feel confident that my feedback is important to the EBB® team, any issues are always addressed quickly, and I have a voice in future updates to the class.

There’s my top favorite things about this class! If you want to learn more, you can contact me using my contact form, EBB® at evidencebasedbirth.com, or register for an upcoming Childbirth Class using the links at doulajoyce.com/childbirth-class.

Not in the Lincoln, NE area? Find an Instructor and a class near you at www.evidencebasedbirth.com/events