“In 2017, I qualified as a Midwife from Canterbury Christ Church University and trained at the QEQM Hospital Margate. Shortly after that I had my beautiful Daughter, and that is when my antenatal educator journey began. Education was so important to me whilst working with women and their families, and I always got SO frustrated with the fact that those that could afford antenatal education- STILL didn’t have the knowledge to make informed decisions during their pregnancies and labours.
It seemed those families had simply booked classes to make friends, those classes were also supposed to be the ticket to a water birth and a baby that breastfed like a dream. Caring for couples in labour with ideals and aims, is not only disheartening as a midwife, it can be a real struggle. Once a woman is labouring, we know we have very little impact on her coping abilities and knowledge base, then if/when that woman’s birth takes a detour- it can be like fighting a fire of disappointment.
I would witness this feeling of contention amongst some of the midwives that were caring for couples that had been on courses, probably because they knew it was likely that the expectant parents would be measuring their birth success on an ideal and following a strict plan, rather than going through the motions and journey of labour and birth from an informed and open minded perspective. My aim as an antenatal educator, is to change this and stop expectant parents from spending a fortune on classes that don’t fully prepare them for every possible eventuality.
By teaching families about the physiology of birth, the reasons why intervention may be offered and how they can become a part of the decision making process without feeling like a passenger- all lead to better birth outcomes. Positive birth always starts with knowledge.
Not only did I want to teach expectant parents/mums about labour and birth, I wanted to stop the neonatal daze. The face of a mum that is startled by the responsibility of a newborn, not really knowing what she’s ‘supposed’ to do, all whilst fighting the feeling of guilt associated with wanting to do her very best- but not having a clue where to start! During my time as a student midwife, I’d get asked by new mums if they could “take me home with them” because they were just so overwhelmed. I was trying my best to help and send them home with as much information as I could, but like trying to coach a labouring woman, it can be a similar struggle when trying to inform a brand new mum: utter exhaustion, confusion, elation and hormones become the new hurdle.
I love more than anything to be the one to help women to confidently walk into labour and then just as confidently own the new mum title. Knowing what to expect, with a handy mix of tools in her toolkit. Nothing too prescriptive, no pressure, just know-how and it is so rewarding to receive messages from my clients, telling me how “amazing” and how “empowering” their birth was. This all starts with a laid back class environment to teach in, amongst the laughs and the chatter, genuine questions get asked, fears are explored and excitement builds. Seeing families walk in with apprehension and worry, and then walk out after the last class saying that “they are just so excited now”, is TOTALLY priceless!
It’s more than just a class, so come and get prepared with Bumblebee Birth- you WON’T be disappointed!
Love Sam xx
