Using the official lamaze guide in childbirth education classes

Normal birth has long been promoted by Lamaze International in its mission and vision statements and by the Lamaze Institute for Normal Birth. The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence, a book by Judith Lothian and Charlotte DeVries, can be used by birth educators to alter the focus from learning what to expect when one fears the worst to empowering women to understand that birth is usually a healthy, normal process. In this column, the author suggests ways in which childbirth educators can use The Official Lamaze Guide in their classes.     

Birth stories: a way of knowing in childbirth education

Birth stories have a lasting impact on expectant mothers. The purpose of this paper is to recognize the influence of birth stories as a key component of informal communication of knowledge about childbirth for expectant mothers. The review of literature and research is related to childbirth education, anthropological thinking, and applied learning theory with foundational concepts from Vygotsky, Bruner, and Bandura. Implications for childbirth educators are included.     

The lamaze certified childbirth educator: standards of practice

A student in a Lamaze Childbirth Educator Program expresses concern that some Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators (LCCE educators) do not teach classes that reflect Lamaze standards. In this column, the ethical and professional standards of the LCCE educator and the challenges the childbirth educator experiences while practicing in the current maternity-care environment are presented and discussed. Lamaze International's Code of Ethics for Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators provides guidance when dealing with these challenges.     

Confidentiality in childbirth education

Protecting the confidentiality of the personal information that childbirth educators receive from their clients is crucial. Without this respect for privacy, educators will not be able to get the information essential to meeting their objectives. Childbirth educators who work in schools may come under federal law that protects individual student records (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA). Childbirth educators who are employed in a health-care facility may come under federal law that protects individual health information (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA). All childbirth educators must be thoughtful advocates of the rights to privacy and self-determination of expectant parents.     

Promoting and implementing evidence-based, best practices in childbirth education

Childbirth educators have a duty to promote and implement best practices. Best practices are individualized and evidence-based, using quality research to optimize outcomes. This requires addressing change. The childbirth educator must model evidence-based practices by systematically engaging in activities to improve his or her own changing curriculum. The childbirth educator is also a professional in a core position to play an active role as a change agent in the system through evaluation and dissemination of information to parents, fellow childbirth educators, and other professionals on the health-care team. This information provides the basis for important health-care decisions for self and others.     

Raising standards in mathematics education: values, vision, and TIMSS

This paper examines perspectives on values, purpose and methodology in mathematics education in schools in the light of the Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) and current debates on standards. It argues that standards of attainment in school mathematics are closely connected to belief systems regarding value and purpose; that these systems do not always collectively offer a credible and coherent vision for mathematics education which can be effectively implemented in school classrooms; and that this coherence of vision is what to a large extent characterises the higher performing TIMSS countries. The paper forms part of a wider investigation into the processes of change in education, with a particular focus on mathematics.This revised version was published online in September 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Randomized impact evaluation of education interventions: experiences and lessons from a reading to learn intervention in East Africa

This paper presents the experiences and lessons learnt during the design and implementation of the randomized impact evaluation (IE) of a reading to learn (RtL) intervention in early primary grades. The study was to assess the impact of RtL on literacy and numeracy among pupils in low-performing districts in East Africa. The intervention was designed in a way that in each country one district implemented an intervention package that included teacher training, and teaching and learning materials; while the other district implemented this same package with an additional parental involvement component. Baseline data were collected in mid-2009 in Grades 1 and 2, and in 2010 for the incoming Grade 1. The endline data were collected in mid-2011. A total of 119 treatments and 110 control schools participated in the study. The randomized design provided an opportunity to attribute causality and also qualitatively establish pathways through which the intervention impacted on learning. The paper provides lessons learnt and demonstrates how the challenges faced during the evaluation were addressed. Additionally, the paper shows how IE was utilized to provide robust evidence of what works thus enabling policy-makers to make decisions on sustainability and scale-up of education interventions.     

"Pinklining" and childbirth education

Domestic violence in a family is often found to have begun during a pregnancy. "Pinklining" is denying insurance to victims of domestic violence. Both domestic violence and pinklining are concepts with which the childbirth educator should be familiar, including the relevant laws and resources.     

Revisiting the classics in childbirth education

In celebration of Lamaze International's 50th anniversary, reviewers share their thoughts on some classic Lamaze resource materials and how their content relates to today's viewpoints on birth and childbirth education. Although some of the material may be outdated, all of the resources offer timeless insights as well as a unique view on the history of childbirth education. The following topics are addressed: past cultural views of birth; advocacy for change in birth practices; Lamaze method; pioneers in childbirth; importance of childbirth education; and birth advocacy.     

Implementing coteaching in childbirth education classes

In response to the article "Innovative Service: Quality Perinatal Nursing Education Through Coteaching" [Journal of Perinatal Education, 8(4), 27-35], the author of this column conducts an interview with two Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educators who share their experiences as coteachers.     

Back to Africa: Tracing Dyslexia Genes in East Africa

A sample of Swahili-speaking probands with reading difficulties was identified from a large representative sample of 1,500 school children in the rural areas of Tanzania. Families of these probands (n = 88) were invited to participate in the study. The proband and his/her siblings received a battery of reading-related tasks and performance on these tasks was recorded and treated as phenotypic data. Molecular-genetic analyses were carried out with 47 highly polymorphic markers spanning three previously identified regions of interest harboring susceptibility loci for reading difficulties: 2p, 6p, and 15q (DYX1–DYX3). The analyses revealed the involvement of these regions in the development of reading difficulties in Swahili. The linkage signals are especially pronounced for time (compared with error) indicators of reading difficulties. These findings are easily interpretable because in transparent languages such as Swahili deficits in reading are more related to the rate/speed of reading and reading-related processes than to the number of errors made. In short, the study incrementally advances the field by adding an understudied language and an understudied population to the variety of languages and populations in the field of molecular-genetic studies of reading difficulties.     

Addressing sexuality and pregnancy in childbirth education classes

A positive, nonjudgmental, and informed approach to sexual health during pregnancy promotes acceptance of the normal functioning of women's bodies. It also encourages the development of close and supportive relationships that are so essential during pregnancy and birth. Common concerns do not need to become problems. Concerns include issues of libido, positioning, and preterm labor or fetal health, as well as myths and cultural attitudes. Childbirth educators can use tools such as the PLISSIT model to approach the topic of sexuality during pregnancy. In addition, opportunities are available in every childbirth class to acknowledge or ignore sexual issues. Perinatal educators who take responsibility for addressing this often-taboo topic can enhance women's feelings of safety and their confidence in normal birth.     

Contemporary dilemmas in american childbirth education: findings from a comparative ethnographic study

In this article, we examine key dilemmas childbirth educators experienced as they made crucial decisions about the content and format of their classes in the current U.S. maternity-care context. This ethnographic study demonstrates that childbirth education is a cultural phenomenon with deeply embedded values regarding the nature and importance of information, scientific evidence, and consumer choice. Articulating how culture shapes the presentation, content, and format of childbirth classes is an important step in understanding and increasing the relevance of this experience for birthing women.