What to expect when you are expecting
Pregnancy Education Week campaign highlights the important role of childbirth education and hormones for a healthy pregnancy and birth
‘The Perfect Dance of Birth Hormones’ is the theme of Pregnancy Education Week which runs until Sunday, in which childbirth educators and hospitals around the country team up to highlight how knowledge empowers expectant parents.
Locally, professional childbirth educator, registered nurse and midwife Evonne Hutton of Babes N Bumps is supporting the awareness event and sharing her experience, spanning over 30 years with her community.
After retiring in February, 2015, Hutton wanted to continue her contribution to society and embarked on her venture ‘Babes N Bumps’ Centre, which offers holistic services covering breastfeeding, post-natal care, immunizations, developmental assessment, antenatal classes , home-based palliative care, ailments and wound care.
She continues to offer advice and share her knowledge on social media and is planning a session next month with expectant women who cannot afford the antenatal sessions, but who have many unanswered questions.
Hutton encourages expecting women to ensure their healthcare professional has the necessary background and experience in the field.
Meanwhile, Lynne Bluff, national co-ordinator of the Childbirth Educators’ Professional Forum, says antenatal classes can help facilitate an understanding of the interplay of hormones before, after and during birth.
‘Our hormone system prepares us in the final weeks, days and hours for an efficient labour; they help manage the pain and stress and ensure a safe birth.
‘Hormones also give us a feeling of intense reward and pleasure as we meet our baby for the first time.
‘For all this to happen in harmony, the birthing hormones need to work together in perfect synchronicity.
‘At childbirth education classes, parents learn these intricate steps.
‘Four hormones star in the show – oxytocin, endorphins, catecholamines and prolactin, and each brings its own style to the dance of labour.
Oxytocin takes the lead, guiding you with love and connection, while catecholamines excite and energize you.
‘Endorphins help you navigate through the daring twists and turns and nurturing prolactin will be there at the dazzling finish to welcome your baby,’ said Bluff.
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