[IrelandsMama]

Ladies I need some advice. I'm feeling really excited and also a bit unprepared to take over a CBE class my midwife was teaching but now has no time for. I've sat through this class twice and I have the curriculum for it but I'd like to tweak it a bit and compare it to some things other ladies are doing out there. I know typically the company that you certify through helps you do this, but I don't have time for that right now, this class must be taught in Oct/Nov. So, here I go.<br><br>
We have a decent curriculum but I'm thinking about showing BoBB in one of the classes, good idea or bad? Anybody doing this why or why not? I'm not sure though. Or anybody else suggest some other good birthing videos?<br><br>
Do you ladies ever compare curriculums and give each other a run down of what topics you cover and in what order? Anyone willing to do that with me? I'd like to see if what we have been doing is lacking anything major.<br><br>
Thanks,<br><br>
Sav

 

[SalmonBayDoula]

...benefits you and the students. You really "OWN" it when you put it together, you tweak it as necessary and you feel comfortable with presenting the material in a manner that suits your style. As long as you are meeting any objectives that might be in place (as a required by midwife, for example) I wouldn't think there is any problem.<br><br>
Go to town, and make it your own! that is the fun of teaching!<br><br>
Sharon

 

[Veritaserum]

What type of students are you teaching? Hospital birth? Birth center? Home? Mixed?<br><br>
I just got BOBB and haven't watched it yet, but from what I've heard I think I'll still prefer Born in the USA as a "here's how birth is approached differently in hospitals vs. birth centers vs. home" video.<br><br>
I teach a method (Hypnobabies) so my course is all laid out for me and I only show birth videos rather than documentaries. I've had good results showing Born in the USA at birth support groups, though. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[courtenay_e]

I have a bunch of movies and show a LARGE portion of BoBB, as WELL as large portions of Born in the USA. Too, I show parts of Gentle Birth Choices as well as Special Delivery.<br><br>
I did my work with ALACE, who gives you a curriculum, but suggests that you include your own material, as well. So--I do! I reorganized the way they lay things out, and focus the first few classes on first being well during pregnancy to better facilitate being well during labor and birth, and then on putting yourself in the best possible situation to meet your expectations as pertaining to birth professionals and place of birth...this includes both choosing and then connecting with the practitioner (or connecting with and then choosing!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">). THEN we get into the meat of pregnancy, testing, labor, interventions, stages, etc. In my class we talk a LOT about how pretty much everything that happens is a choices, whether offered as such or not. This includes the midwifery model of care! The pros and cons of interventions need to be understood, and a way to connect with care givers while discussion of those interventions ensues, is important, in my opinion, to meeting the woman's expectations for her birth.<br><br>
Because of this, I DO think it is important to show the BoBB, as well as Born in the USA. I like to show the juxtaposition of birth space and energy in the homebirths in BoBB vs the hospital and even birth center births in Born in the USA. I also like to use the very medicalized birth in Special Delivery...especially because the couple went into the birth fully expecting to do it COMPLETELY naturally, ended up getting an epidural, and coming very close to having a cesarean (she was shaved and ready to go!), as well as the natural birth turned cesarean in Born in the USA...and generally a very good discussion ensues about what the women in the class would do differently.<br><br>
Special Delivery and Gentle Birth Choices are both dated in clothes...but in general, the births are births, and they speak to women, no matter when they were filmed--I think so, anyway!

 

[JessicaE]

I own The Business of Being Born, Born in the USA, and Orgasmic Birth. I find them far too long to show in class -- I prefer our time together to be used discussing and engaging, not quite such a large chunk for actually WATCHING (My Body, My Baby, My Birth is the longest we watch in class together, that's in class one, then after that the next seven classes are individual birth story videos).<br><br>
However, the three I mentioned are all helpful films and I bring them to class and offer them out to my students for loan. They watch it one week, then bring it back the next week for someone else to borrow. Toward the end of my eight-week series, enough of them have watched each of them that we start to have some informal discussions about them.<br><br>
I have also seen an instructor assign one of these films as homework over a two- or three-week period (so everyone gets a chance to see it), then they get a list of discussion questions to consider.<br><br>
I think you're on the right track with making the curriculum your own. I taught Bradley for a chunk of time, then developed my own curriculum. It was helpful to start with a set curriculum, for sure! It helped me to get my footing, and then as I taught for a longer period of time (and saw what my students responded to and what didn't work for them), and as I attended more and more births as a doula, I started to really get a handle on my own teaching style, what I thought needed to be included in a curriculum, etc. I've been teaching for almost three years now and feel like I'm on really good footing.<br><br>
You'll grow, and change, and improve after every class. You might want to survey your students periodically throughout your series, and also after their babies born r.e. which elements of the class were most helpful to them. You'll also just know, you can see when they're connecting and really getting it, and when you're starting to lose them.<br><br>
I hope it goes beautifully for you!

 

[MamaRabbit]

I took the curriculum from my CBE agency and tweaked it too. As for BOBB, who are you teaching? Women who are already planning a homebirth/birth center with midwife? Then they don't need to watch BOBB to convince them that it's better than hospital birth. Instead watch videos that show good homebirth.

 

[IrelandsMama]

Thanks for all the responses I'm finding them all helpful. There are some things I feel are missing for sure. I don't think people have a good idea of what they are going to encounter in our local hospitals just to mention one thing.<br><br>
Our class is a mixture of hospital birthers and one homebirther. I only have three couples registered at this time. We advertise our class as a natural childbirth education course.<br><br>
I'm thinking it sounds like I need to invest in some videos and show clips of a couple. Great! Cause I don't really have any money (only charging $25 for the class per couple) and I don't own any videos as of right now.<br><br>
So, ladies if I were only going to invest in one video to show, what should it be? I think I can get BOBB online still for free though.<br><br>
Sav

 

[SalmonBayDoula]

...I would buy The 3 R's by Penny Simkin.<br><br><a href="http://www.pennysimkin.com" target="_blank">www.pennysimkin.com</a><br><br>
Short, 15 minute film showing women coping in a variety of ways, all without pain medication, birthing in several varied positions.<br><br>
I find that couples benefit from seeing this more than once, they got a little bit more/different take-aways each time.<br><br>
Penny also has supporting information on the women on her website and a teaching guide included in the dvd. I think it runs $50.<br><br>
I am curious what others recommend. I am always looking to increase my video library!<br><br>
Sharon

 

[IrelandsMama]

I think I will start with the three R's, wish I had extra money laying around right now so I could order it today. I'll have to save and order it soon so I can use it for this class!<br><br>
Sav