Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
September 02, 2020 | by: Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE
Better Childirth Education By Design Series: Andrea Lythgoe discusses an easy to follow template for writing clear and useful "terminal" learning objectives. Your first step in design is to decide what your overall goal for your classes is. Instructional designers call these “terminal objectives” as they are your end goal. It is important to write your objectives about what the STUDENTS will come out of the class with, so that your class remains focused on meeting their needs over what you do for the class.
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August 27, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza
To close out National Breastfeeding Month in the United States, it is only appropriate to have August's Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators be focused on an activity focused on breast/chestfeeding. Additionally, since many people are still needing to conduct virtual classes due to COVID-19 risks in their communities, I decided to offer up something that can be done either virtually or in person, depending on your own circumstances. Please enjoy this simple and quick breast/chestfeeding quiz that you can share with your classes. To find all our monthly Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators, follow this link.
August 25, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
In the United States, August is National Breastfeeding Month. The last week of the month is observed as Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) to raise awareness of the importance and celebration of breast/chestfeeding for Black parents and babies. If you are not sure why such a week is needed, you can read this beautifully written and informative post by Kimberly Seals Allers that effectively answers that question.
August 18, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As National Breast/Chestfeeding Month continues in the United States, there is a very positive update to the just released Healthy People 2030 goals. The Healthy People 2030 (HP2030) project "sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade" for residents of the United States and updates the 2020 goals. These newly released objectives include two lactation goals for new parent/baby dyads: Increase the number of infants who are exclusively breast/chestfed at 6 months and increase the number of infants who are nursing at 12 months.
August 13, 2020 | by: Molly Giammarco, MPP
In partnership with the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC), Lamaze hosted a webinar, Evidence-Based Childbirth Education: A Critical Strategy in Improving Birth Outcomes & Reducing Maternal Health Disparities, in July to discuss the growing role childbirth educators have in reducing maternal-health disparities. The webinar featured U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (North Carolina) and Lauren Underwood (Illinois), BMHC Co-Chairs; Tara Owens Schuler, M.Ed., LCCE, FACCE, Lamaze Diversity + Outreach Committee Chair; and Melissa Harley, AdvCD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, CLC, FACCE, DONA International President.
August 11, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just launched a new campaign called HEAR Her. The mission of this new effort is to reduce the number of people who die during pregnancy or the first year after giving birth, currently estimated at over 700 individuals annually in the United States. Research indicates that over 60 percent of those deaths are preventable. Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) disproportionately die at higher rates than their white peers. Often, Black and Indigenous parents’ concerns are disregarded, minimized or ignored and situations that could be addressed are left untreated until it becomes a matter of life and death.
August 06, 2020 | by: Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE
The first thing you should do when you start planning a new class offering or updating a previous one is to take some time and think about what you have to work with, so that any plans you make will work well.
August 04, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
A childbirth educator is responsible for providing families with evidence based information on lactation and infant feeding. Many people assume that this information is collated in the “last class” of a series, or the last topic of an abbreviated learning session. The reality is that teaching expectant families about the importance of human milk for their newborns and how to meet any challenges that may arise is not a topic for the end of the learning experience. It is something that should be woven through the entire learning experience from the first moments that a family begins to participate in a perinatal learning opportunity.
July 30, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
There is something that all of us can do that can support Black doulas and midwives as they train to serve families. It is called the Doula Book Project. The concept is simple, easy to participate in and supports Black perinatal professionals. Black doulas and midwives make a “wish list” on Amazon of the books they need in order to continue their training. Once they have created their list, they can be added to the Doula Book Project website. Individuals who would like to support the program simply choose a doula or midwife, peruse their public Amazon wish list and purchase the book(s) that are need, which get shipped to the individual promptly. Simple, easy and effective.
July 28, 2020 | by: Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)
With so many perinatal classes being moved online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, I have found one rousing tool that makes classes especially engaging: Using video clips from movies to enhance the tedium that can sometimes be associated with distance/online learning. Hollywood movies during class are unusual, and we know learners pay attention to things that are different. Movies can make us laugh or cry, and endorphins show up when we have expressions of emotion. Movies can be nostalgic – and guess what? We know feelings of nostalgia actually help build our mental toughness by providing a boost when we face difficult situations.
Since the goal of our classes is to share information that families will be applying days, weeks, or even months in the future, making things memorable should be one of your top priorities. Here is a handful of some of my favorites – adjust them as needed to make them work for you!
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