Birthing From Within

We took a Birthing From Within class from Wise Woman Birthways. It was led by Jill Gerken & Kelli DeFlora.

When we were done we took a survey.

More pictures below:

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Parent Evaluation of BFW Mentor and Holistic Childbirth Classes

Facilitated by Jill Gerken Wodnick, BFW Mentor and Kelli DeFlora, yoga instructor

Dates- May/June 2003

I am an:  expectant mom          expectant dad               observer/auditor

This is our  1^st  baby. (1^st, 2^nd, etc)

             I)      Rate your mentors on the following qualities on a scale of 1-7 with 1 meaning  poor and 7 meaning excellent.

·        Engaging and Approachable                                            1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Explanations were clear and understandable                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Inspired self confidence in my/ my wife’s body                 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Facilitated ideas about labor                                            1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

           II)      Rate how you felt your mentor taught the following topics or exercises, using the same 1-7 scale above.  Please use NA if not applicable.

·        Breathe Awareness                                                         1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Non Focused Awareness                                                1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Theraputic Touch/ Roaming Body Check                        1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Using Voice in Labor/ Gorilla pushing                              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Labyrinth Walk/ Labyrinth drawing                                  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Having a Spiritual Cesarean Birth                                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

·        Making and learning with birth art                                    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  NA

         
III)     

·        Did your attitude or expectations of labor pain change during these workshops?  If yes, how?

Yes, I became more aware of my underlying fears and that helped to lessen them.  Now, I also expect that my body/mind will be able to handle labor even though it will be very painful.

Yes. I wanted to be more involved.

·        Describe how these workshops influenced your husband/wife’s attitude toward labor and your relationship…..

My husband will be involved in the actual delivery (catching the baby),when we first became pregnant neither one of us had thought about this as an option.

I think my wife became more comfortable with what her body is capable of without medical intervention.

·        These workshops lead us both to feel more of a sense

Of empowerment in the birth of our child, we both see the experience as a right of passage into parenthood.

·        What I had trouble relating to in this workshop was…..

The practice of yelling.

I did not appreciate the drawing exercises or the “spiritual” aspects (though I recognize that others did). Also many of the figurative statements detracted from the message for me. Such as great love and great courage (cesarean experience) and the rainbow colors flowing between people.

·        One thing I thought our mentors could have done better of that would have enhanced my feeling of being prepared for labor was…..

Having everyone respond to the questions posed by the mentors, rather than waiting for people to choose to answer a question.  I think I would have benefited from hearing more about how others in the group were thinking and feeling about their birth experiences and pregnancies.

Also, talking about nursing and infant care a little.

I feel comfortably prepared for my wife’s labor. This question may be better answered after labor.

·        One thing my mentor did that created a “shift” in me or us was……

Watching natural child birth videos, seeing a non-medical approach to birthing .

Show us the birthing videos.

·        The videos and images of birth were…..

Very powerful, extremely interesting and provided me with a sense that I could have a birth more similar to what I was witnessing.

The best, most educational and enlightening parts of the class. They demonstrated to me more than anything else how natural labor can be.

·        I feel the handouts and articles were…..

Informative, especially the ones about the stages of labor and different birthing positions

Some were better than others.