Parent education at Christchurch Women’s

Press, 16 July 1987, Page 16

Parent education at Christchurch Women’s

Hospital attitudes to birth must have changed a great deal since I had my first child 14 years ago in London. Then, I was regarded as a crank for taking natural childbirth classes, and my husband was banished from the delivery room. I remember feeling like an awkward cog in a medical machine. Now, according to Gina Stanton, one of the midwives responsible for parent education at Christchurch Women’s Hospital, not only are expectant fathers welcome to be involved in the birth, but older children can be present too, accompanied by a support person, such as their grandmother. She says women are encouraged to consider “active birth,” and are allowed to give birth to their babies in any position they want, so long as it is deemed safe for both mother and baby. Although water births are not permitted, there is a birthing chair — much in demand since it arrived at Easter — and bean bags to lean over if squatting proves uncomfortable. The labour ward is being altered so that it will no longer be necessary to move from one room to another. It is also being given a facelift, with pretty wallpaper, a hot drinks bar, and the invitation to "bring your own music.” “I think birth has become very humanised here,” says Gina Stanton. She and Caroline Nye share the job of parent education, running a wide range of courses, visiting people after their babies are born, and generally being available to offer information and advice. Their courses are free of charge, and there is generally no need to book. This may be one reason why the eight-week evening course attracts so many women and their partners. "We avoid referring to ■husbands’,” Gina Stanton says. "We always use ‘partners’ so that people don’t feel uncomfortable.” Even though a lot of unmarried couples are

proud of their status, if an old-fashioned tutor lets a “husband” slip out, she notices some nervous fidgeting in the room. The last thing the parent educators want is to put people off coming.

The basic course covers various aspects of pregnancy and birth — including tours of the hospital — as well as baby care, feeding, and safety. The tutors are mainly health professionals and representatives of organisations such as La Leche League, but one of Gina’s favourite evenings is on Becoming a Parent. Here a couple does role playing, the man acting out the “female” things, the woman the “male” ones. This provokes some lively discussion about expectations of parenthood, she says.

Other optional classes on sexuality and communication, and contraception and family planning are less well attended than the basic course.

“I think a lot of people can’t see beyond the baby,” she surmises. "Or perhaps it’s that people are taking more responsibility for themselves these days, so possibly they know what they are going to do.”

She regrets that with as many as 70 to 90 people attending the course, the parent educators cannot get to know everyone per-

sonally, but they do make an effort to visit all who have done the course after the birth of their babies. They are also aware that formal courses may be off-putting to young women without partners. An informal Friday-after-noon group covers similar ground to the basic course, but uses the women’s own concerns and interests as a springboard. They also run refresher courses for people who already have children, and include a session on sibling acceptance given by a child psychiatrist. Having children of nine and 2 and a half years, Gina Stanton feels she knows at first hand how useful this knowledge can

A special group is held for people interested in Caesarian delivery. Those who attend include women who have had a Caesarian section in the past and have been told it may be possible to have a vaginal delivery this time. In fact, there is only a 30 per cent chance, Gina says. Caesarian sections may also be advised if the woman has a vaginal infection, to protect the baby from picking up the disease. But even Caesarians are becoming more humanised, she points out. With epidurals, it is now possible for the woman to be conscious and her partner to be present at the birth.

At present the parent

educators’ work starts when a woman registers at the ante-natal clinic, but they would like it to start from as soon as she finds she is pregnant. A new course they are keen to push is a two-hour evening session on early pregnancy, at which a panel including a general practitioner, a dietitian, a midwife, a dental nurse, and a physiotherapist offer advice and answer questions. People are invited to come from 12 weeks into their pregnancy. “By the time they come to the eight-week course, they are 26 weeks pregnant, and the period of morning sickness and heartburn is probably over. Often they don’t know that they could have done anything about it,” Gina Stanton points out. Similarly, many women do not realise the effect of diet and smoking on their baby.

“If we talk to them early enough, it could be they feel so guilty they stop smoking at 16 weeks.”

She is sad to see how many mothers are still smoking in the ante-natal and post-natal wards. ' Learning about pelvic floor exercises and breathing techniques also gives the women a head start, and if they are concerned about abnormalities, this is also an opportunity to talk about scans, tests for mongolism, and so on. The earlier in a pregnancy that people are well informed, Gina Stanton feels, the better it is for both their and their babies’ health.

How to prepare for parenthood, whether to have the baby at hospital or at home, how to take an active part in labour — increasing numbers of parents are wanting to make informed choices about the birth of their child.