Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
November 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Talking about difficult subjects in a childbirth class requires both sensitivity and thoughtfulness. Various unexpected outcomes, including experiencing an unplanned cesarean, may cause anxiety and fear for both the pregnant person and their support or partner. Using visual aids that accurately and effectively demonstrate the surgical component of a cesarean can diffuse anxiety and make way for understanding. Using this video of a cesarean surgery, that is recreated using play-doh, is an effective way to present this topic without increasing (and quite likely decreasing) the anxiety that class members might feel around this topic.
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October 28, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea suggests an effective and fun way to help pregnant families learn about the baby’s position in utero, and consider ways that their actions and movements can influence those positions. It incorporates an ingenious tool created by Andrea Lythgoe, longtime Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and easily can be applied to both virtual and in-person classes. For free access to all the Brilliant Activities for Birth educator posts, please follow this link.
September 29, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
Whether you are using Zoom, WebEx, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams or any other virtual meeting platform, the chat function found in your chosen software can be a valuable tool for families. The chat box adds extra enrichment and engagement during class and even offers take-aways that can be referred back to long after classes have ended. The chat feature is an easy way to invite even the shyest, most hesitant participants to engage in a safe and non-threatening way. From the very first minutes of a new class, to the final closing activities, using the chat box enhances learning for the families you teach.
August 26, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
In perinatal classes, it is important to provide information and present bodyfeeding as a normal event that occurs ideally within the first hour after birth and continues for as long as both parent and baby desire. In reality, I often say that bodyfeeding is the next big challenge after birth. We know that while “natural,” it is often something that a new baby and a new parent need to learn as a dyad and there can be challenges during the early days and weeks.
Some of those challenges require the use of specialized equipment or tools, while other situations may arise where new parents find it helpful to have some things on hand to help things go more smoothly. Many of these items are completely unfamiliar to parents especially those having their first baby. Families appreciate the Lactation Station activity and leave with more familiarity about what items might be handy to have around when lactation is getting started or facing some hurdles
July 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
You simply cannot teach a birth class without addressing the pain associated with labor and birth. Frankly, it is the elephant in the room, even if no one mentions it. People arrive to a childbirth class already having heard from multitudes of friends, family and even strangers, how much (or rarely - how little) giving birth hurts. If they have not given birth before, they are left wondering how bad it might be, and are they going to be able to handle it. I find that addressing this head on and providing tips to reduce pain throughout the class or class series helps normalize it and also helps families to understand that they have options, both non-pharmacological and medication, to help reduce the pain. Consider this Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea the next time you teach this topic.
June 24, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
One of the favorite traditions I have celebrated over the years of teaching childbirth classes is the class photo of all the pregnant families together at the last class and then a reunion picture with the families all holding their babies when we meet again. Of course with classes being moved to virtual platforms, things have had to change, but we have found a way to celebrate the end of class anyway, which all the families appreciate.
May 29, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea is something that can be done both in person and in a virtual class format. As things begin to normalize in the United States and some other places around the world, educators may be dipping their toes back into an in-person format and looking for new ideas to introduce in to the classroom. I have even heard from a few educators that they are offering both in-person and virtual in the same class. That really levels things up! This Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators activity works for whatever format you are holding your classes and helps to create awareness and nurture decision making skills in expectant families. To find all the free Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators’ ideas that have been published on the blog, follow this link.
March 31, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
As I write the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post for March 2021, I am both stunned and not totally surprised that much of the world continues to be heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual perinatal classes are still the norm. I am curious and unsure when it will be considered safe to once again hold in-person classes for those families expecting a baby. I do believe that even once in-person classes return, there will continue to be a consistent demand for live, virtual classes as well. Today’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post is all about having a meaningful way to end your virtual childbirth class. You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators posts in the series by following this link.
February 27, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
As we are staring the one year anniversary of the COVID-pandemic in the face, this month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators post once again focuses on ideas and tools that the virtual childbirth educator can use in their online classroom. Today I will share some benefits of using a “virtual background” in your online teaching platform and provide you will some templates that you are free to use and modify to suit your purposes. To browse all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators, click here.
January 30, 2021 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Welcome to 2021 and the continuing global COVID-19 pandemic. For most of us, we are one month shy of a full year of conducting virtual childbirth classes. Hard to believe I just typed that statement, but it is true. I have tried to seize on the advantages that have come with having the families in my classes participating from the comfort of their homes and incorporate that opportunity into our class time together. This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea builds on that statement and offers you something fun and quick to do with your families no matter if you are meeting with them once or over a series of weeks. I hate to waste even a minute of learning time with the classes I teach, whether in person or virtual. “So much information, so little time” drives me make every second count for the families who are getting ready to meet their babies! I ask families to bring an object from their home to class that they share virtually with others when we first start our time together. Read more to get some ideas on how you can do this too! You can find all the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators posts here, for lots of creativity and ready to use teaching ideas to make your classes fun and exciting to teach and to take!
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