HBAC – Homebirth After Cesarean
Homebirth after Cesarean: The Myth and the Reality by Amy V. Haas, BCCE “Homebirth after cesarean” is a phrase that garners mixed reactions—most of them negative. “Why?” or “Are you insane?” they ask. The people who make these comments, however, usually have no idea about the realities of birth in the US. My phone rang one afternoon. It was a woman looking for a care provider to attend the birth of her next child at home. I offered to send her the midwives list. “I won’t go back to a hospital unless I am unconscious,” she told me. I gave her the name of the one midwife in the area who...
Read MoreParenting Tips for Raising Small children
The Educated Parent: Tips for raising YOUR Kid By Amy V. Haas, BCCE Parenting is a tough job. It is daunting to be responsible for raising a new human being! When asked recently for some information on parenting I really had to stop and think about what has worked for me and my kids, and what has not. If you attend Bradley classes you will receive some basic parenting and breastfeeding information, but that may not be enough. If you haven’t attended any sort of childbirth class that includes parenting/breastfeeding information then you may be at a loss as to where to find good information...
Read MoreHomebirth
The Educated Parent: There is no place like home! By Amy V. Haas, BA, BCCE Once upon a time a woman sat down to have lunch with her best friend. “I’m pregnant!” she said, “and we’re planning a homebirth!”. “Congratulations!” said her friend, “But are you insane!?!”. “Nope” said the mom to be, “Homebirth is just as safe, if not safer than hospital birth, and it’s much more comfortable”. Smart woman. Sounds like she’s done her homework. The controversy over home vs. hospital birth has continued to rage over the last 80+ years, as the miracle of birth began to move from the family home to the...
Read MorePreventing Gestational Diabetes
Don’t Risk Yourself Out of a Homebirth: Prevent Gestational Diabetes By Amy V. Haas, BCCE It’s the third class in my childbirth education series – the time when I encourage my students to ask about prenatal testing – and I’ve started to dread some of the questions about glucose tolerance testing. Most of the time, when someone asks about glucose tolerance testing, I discuss the history and refer them to Henci Goer’s book, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth. Typically, at least one person in the class decides they don’t want to be tested. That’s totally their right. But what happens...
Read MoreCultural Diversity in Childbirth Education
Cultural Diversity in Childbirth Education Amy V. Haas, BCCE I had just started a new class and as I looked around the room I wondered what surprises these families would hold for me. How could I best help them find what they need? Most important, what would I learn from them? As a childbirth educator (CBE) of 15 years I have learned to tailor my classes to accommodate the needs of different families. Just because I live in a suburb of a small city in upstate New York does not mean I will only have white, middle-class students. The area where I live is actually quite diverse, mimicking the...
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