Effective childbirth educators know that offering families many different ways to learn during class is important. We all work hard to have an assortment of activities to engage and interest all the learners who join us for classes. I know I have lots of different ideas that I would love to implement, especially if money was no object. Unfortunately, I do have a supplies budget and it doesn't stretch far. That is why I love finding and curating free videos available to me on the internet that help me to have interesting and effective teaching points to reinforce with the families in my class. I am sharing some of my favorites today, here with you as well as some suggested by LCCE colleagues Deena Blumenfeld, Robin Elise Weiss, Angela Garvin and Jessica English.

I certainly need to start with the six short but very useful Lamaze International Six Healthy Birth Practices videos. These videos support the evidence based birth practices that are the fundamentals of of a safe and healthy birth. You can refer parents to the Lamaze International parents site here, or catch them on the professionals' side here.

Sometimes, families need to have a cesarean, whether planned or unplanned. Cesarean births can still celebrate the moment and families can request and experience a family friendly cesarean. This video out of the United Kingdom highlights what it means to welcome a baby during a gentle cesarean.

Families often laugh when I demonstrate some of the helpful noises that laboring people can make. I like to show this video, also from the United Kingdom, which offers a wide variety of noises made by people as they birth. Some are unusual and this video offers an opportunity for great discussion after viewing.

This short video was prepared by a group of doulas and demonstrates so many wonderful positions that a birthng person can be in if they are laboring in bed. Creative and effective, I like sharing this with my classes.

The esteemed Penny Simkin has many videos that I enjoy showing. One of my favorites has to do with encouraging families to sing to their babies in utero. Connecting with the baby in this way has many benefits and the song becomes familiar. When sung after birth, it can help calm a baby down and reduce the stress hormones that may be present during unpleasant experiences. We covered this topic in a prior two part Science & Sensibility post here and here.

For the young people birthing today, they will enjoy these two videos showing some well known contemporary dance moves - The Twerk and The Whip and Nae-Nae. Movement is so good for promoting labor and who doesn't like to dance? What these laboring people shake it to help promote labor and birth.

This video from Italy is a bit edgy, as it discussed how sex might work (or not) under the conditions that we require people to birth under. It does show a simulated lovemaking scene, but there is nothing inappropriate about it. You know your audience best, but I think it is very effective in talking about selecting a supportive health care provider and location.

This collaboration, Everyday Miracles, from Mother's Advocate and Lamaze International shows several people birthing in upright positions and demonstrates the emotional and physical work that happens during labor and birth. It always brings a tear to many who view it.

Research shows over and over the importance of being in an upright position to birth. This animation from a birth stool company clearly demonstrates through great graphics the benefits of getting off the sacrum and letting gravity aid in the process of labor and birth.

This is one of my longtime favorites from Lamaze International. Push for Your Baby! is a super video about self advocacy and being flexible during a labor and birth. It profiles seven people's stories and sets up your class for some great discussions.

Late last year, I reviewed some commercial videos available for purchase from the Healthy Children's Project. There is also a short but beautiful trailer available for free online from the same organization. Happy Birth Day is a simply wonderful not quite three minute video that leaves viewers warm and fuzzy as well as demonstrates many best practices such as movement in labor and immediate skin to skin.

What are your favorite free, public videos to share in your childbirth classes. I would love to have you share them in our comments section so all the blog readers can curate their own collections. What are the videos you cannot live without as an educator?

Published: January 24, 2017

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