Do You Need a Birth Class if You Plan to Get an Epidural

If you think that birth class is mainly to get you through the pain of labor — do you really need it even if you’re planning on an epidural? Great question — today I’m going to explore exactly what a birth class can, and can’t do — and what your next steps should be.

While we’re here — you clearly have some birth plans, but have you written them down? Grab my Birth Plans Made Easy series right here (it’s free):

Important Things To Know About Birth Classes

If you’re thinking about this question — I need to reveal two truths about birth classes

Before I share them, let me remind you I’ve been at thousands of births in my 20 years of bedside L&D nursing — so I really know what you need to know!

1. Every birth class should include some natural pain management. I think it’s important — and we will talk about why.
2. A birth class should cover much more than just natural pain management. If it only covers that — you aren’t prepared for birth.

Ok, let’s talk about why these things are true?

Why does everyone need some natural pain management techniques?

Yes, even those planning on an epidural, or even those who are planning for a cesarean — I think all of us need some natural pain management coping skills.

Why? I’m glad you asked….

100% of births (and/or pregnancy) have some pain associated with it.

That could be:

• Before you get an epidural (especially laboring at home for a bit before the hospital)
• Ligament pain during pregnancy (I can vouch for those sometimes being worse than contractions)
• Pain during the cesarean
• After-birth pains of your uterus cramping back down
• Managing the pain of healing your body after pregnancy & birth

Natural pain management helps you to not tense-up around that pain.

I think most of us tense-up naturally around pain, but often tensing-up around pain makes it worse. When you learn to breathe through it, relax, maybe not panic — it makes it better.

While I wish there was a pill that could take away all the pains during this period of our lives, there is not.

And I also have to give a plug for nonpharmalogical pain management when it works. The more narcotics you take, the more like you are to get addicted, you can’t drive, and it adds to your already sleepy state.

That isn’t to say that pain pills are bad, but when they can be avoided I think it’s a win.

SO, with this — no matter how you’re planning on having your birth (or how you end-up giving birth) having some pain management techniques is smart.

Want to know more about birth — check out these posts:

• YOUR Birth Priorities: How to make them clear
• How To Have A Natural Hospital Birth
• What a Birth Plan Can ACTUALLY Do For Your Birth?
• What do People Wish They Had Known About Before Birth?
• Alternatives to Hospital Birth Classes

Birth Often Doesn’t Go to Plan

So, you’re planning on an epidural, but labor goes fast and suddenly — you don’t have time to get one.

Let’s say your baby has been breech for months but suddenly you go into labor, you go into L&D and they’ve switched to head down. You’re having a vaginal delivery and it hurts.

I really think it’s important to prepare for all types of birth, because you really just don’t know what type you will end-up having. That includes:

• Cesarean (for real — I think everyone should have a basic understanding of it and what to expect)
• Inductions
• Non-medicated birth
• Epidurals

And yes, I do recommend a birth class that includes all of that (this one) — we’ll talk more about it in a bit — keep reading!

What Else Should a Birth Class Include?

I think most people envision a birth class that just includes you on the floor with your partner breathing… but that isn’t what the majority of a birth class should include.

In fact, like physical therapy — a birth class should teach you how to manage it, and encourage you guys to practice it on your own — not include hours of practicing it with you.

In fact, in a recent study they showed that most birth classes only included “planned” things — like the stages of labor and natural pain management — but did not included those unplanned things — and that did NOT do the couple any favors!

In addition to what we talked about above, your birth class should also cover:

• Common 3rd trimester testing, and what it can mean for your pregnancy moving forward (and making choices based on the results)
• How to labor at home for a while
• Common interventions in the hospital like 3 nurses running in and turning you
• How to know something is going wrong in your recovery and where to seek help

Most birth classes just don’t cover these things — honestly because they sometimes make you a more “difficult” patient to deal with at the hospital (not just going along with the doctor’s orders).

But also the people who teach people how to teach about birth don’t cover these things, and those people don’t tend to know much about them because it takes an expert to know about them. Frankly, someone like a nurse.

So, yes — I do recommend The Online Prenatal Class for Couples.

It does have a natural pain management bonus video that will give you lots of ideas and tricks to try for that.

It also goes over what to expect in labor, the stages of labor and the “natural progression” of labor (and how it may feel quite unnatural).

But it also goes over all those things we’re not thinking about — like I mentioned in here.

The reason it can do that is because it’s taught by a very capable labor and delivery nurse who really cuts down on fluff, and really just shares what you need to know.

The reality is that most people who are traumatized by their birth have it happen because they weren’t prepared to make choices in labor. They end-up feeling “bullied” by the labor staff when they could have easily learned to speak up for themselves.

Learning about birth isn’t hard, but it can’t be done just through random articles (although I’m glad you’re here), or watching a few social media posts — it needs to be purposeful. That’s why I recommend this class.

Can I also give a shout-out for a class that doesn’t think there is a right way to birth. You want one that is evidence-based, prepares you for whatever kind of birth you have, without the extra birth of guilt. No one needs that. This one definitely fits that bill.

Ok, so have you taken a class yet? Do you feel more prepared for all of this? Tell us in the comments!