A teacher at my DH's school asked me to come in for her Anatomy & Physiology class and teach about pregnancy and birth. I explained fetal development, changes in the mother, how labor begins, why vaginal birth is safest, how the baby comes out (using pelvis and doll), how the hormones work, why there is pain, a little bit about breastfeeding, etc, etc. I only had a little over an hour but managed to squeeze in a lot.
Good questions from the kids too. "Is homebirth safer than hospital birth?" I had just explained what evidence-based information was and how we should question what a book or professional tells us to make informed decisions. So the one student who knew I'd had a homebirth put two and two together
Talked some about how culture forms our views of birth. Explained birthing in an upright position. Talked about myths surrounding birth. Of course that got me the question (after class), "So is it safe to have sex while pregnant?" Wow I'm glad I made them feel so comfortable!
I highly encourage those who do birth education to see if you can volunteer to teach or be a special speaker in an area like this. What a great way to expose kids to normal birth!
Good questions from the kids too. "Is homebirth safer than hospital birth?" I had just explained what evidence-based information was and how we should question what a book or professional tells us to make informed decisions. So the one student who knew I'd had a homebirth put two and two together
Talked some about how culture forms our views of birth. Explained birthing in an upright position. Talked about myths surrounding birth. Of course that got me the question (after class), "So is it safe to have sex while pregnant?" Wow I'm glad I made them feel so comfortable!
I highly encourage those who do birth education to see if you can volunteer to teach or be a special speaker in an area like this. What a great way to expose kids to normal birth!
