The Holistic Midwife’s Guide to Home Birth: A Childbirth Education Course

Jan 15

We are so excited to announce that North Texas Midwifery is now offering The Holistic Midwife’s Guide to Home Birth course to all of our clients!

What this means:

A free childbirth class taught by an experienced midwife is now automatically part of your care! We are so thrilled about this because we want all clients to have this knowledge to have the most empowered birth possible. Through supporting families and attending births, we have found that the more someone knows before they go into labor, the more relaxed and prepared they feel. They also feel more empowered to voice their desires for their birth and have more tools to process their experience postpartum. Research has also shown that when childbirth classes are part of someone’s pregnancy, they are less likely to have a cesarean or use epidural anesthesia. They also report less stress!
The Holistic Midwife’s Guide to Home Birth course will be structured to include interactive conversation, games, videos, and plenty of time for questions and answers!

What is included in the course:

Anatomy and Physiology of labor
Mental, Physical, and Practical Preparation for Labor
The Partners Role at Home Births
Expectations of Labor
Stages and Signs of labor
Timing contractions
Ways to Progress
True vs False Labor
Positions of baby- how does it affect labor, can you do anything about it?
Pain Management
Positions, comfort measures, and Relaxation Techniques
Normal birth sounds- ways to give birth, coping looks different for everyone.
Tools to have for labor
Eating and drinking in labor
BRAIN discussion
What if I had/have a traumatic birth?
Choosing Your Birth Team: Doulas, Friends, and Family
What happens when plans change (transfer)
Review of All Interventions

IV
Antibiotics
Cervical checks
Perineal massage
Epidural
Narcotics
Nitrous oxide
Vacuum/forceps
Pitocin
Episotiomy
C-section
Continuous monitoring
AROM

What If? - Complications During Labor and Birth

Anterior lip
Posterior baby
Failure to progress
Shoulder Dystocia
Neonatal Resuscitation
Postpartum Hemorrhage

If you have to have a hospital birth
After The Birth:

Preparing for Postpartum
All the Changes
Breastfeeding
Newborn care
Immediate postpartum
Postpartum Emotions
Postpartum Sex

When it is happening:

Every month from now onward! NOTE: This is a one time class where you choose which Saturday works for you, NOT a series of classes where you need to attend every month.

To register: Used this link to view upcoming dates and secure your spot!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will snacks be provided? Yes, snacks and water will be provided. If you have food intolerances or allergies, please feel free to bring your own snacks.

Can I bring my children? If you plan to have older children at your birth, please feel free to bring them. Please only bring children that can sit quietly and listen for the entire course of the class. Some of the course content can be considered adult content so please take this into account if you are planning to bring your children to the class. If you need further resources for helping your young children learn about birth, please ask your midwife and check out these resources here.

Can I bring my support team? Yes, if your doula has not attended this class, please bring her! If you plan to have a friend or relative at the birth, we highly encourage they attend as well. Please let Becky know when registering how many will be attending the class with you.

Do I need to attend an additional childbirth class? Please review the Partnership in Care agreement, whether you are a first time mother, first time natural birth mother, or mother of many. Krisha Crosley’s Train for Birth class is recommended for everyone and a comprehensive Bradley course is recommended for all first time parents.

About the Teacher:

Becky Thorp LM, CPM is from Sun Valley, Idaho. Being born at home herself, midwifery was a familiar subject in her family. Becky has always had a love for babies and a heart for serving women and families. She is a licensed midwife in Texas, a Certified Professional midwife (certified by the North American Registry of Midwives, and a certified doula and childbirth educator (certified through Charis Childbirth). After graduating from high school in 2009, Becky completed the Ecola Bible School one year program in Cannon Beach, Oregon. In 2012, she attended the birth of her nephew and knew then, that midwifery was her calling. She enrolled in Charis Childbirth midwifery program 2014 and began attending births as a doula for friends and family. In March of 2016, she moved to Grand Prairie, Texas and began her clinical apprenticeship at FBS. Becky married her husband Nate, finished her training and academics, and became licensed in 2018. Becky's style is marked by conscientious focus and putting a priority on clients' emotional and physical well-being. She believes in evidence based care and true informed consent to empower families for shared decision making. Her love for children often comes out in the way she interacts with and includes the siblings of the new baby in their mother's prenatal and postpartum visits. As a certified childbirth educator, she also enjoys teaching childbirth classes and educating women and their families. Becky currently lives in East Fort Worth with her husband Nate and two sons Elliot and Andrew. When not doing birth work, she enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, and rock climbing, as well as making pottery, cooking, reading, and being involved in her church.