Disclaimer: this is directed at families who are natural birth-minded. It is not intended to spark debate nor am I insinuating that the way you may have chosen or are choosing to give birth is inferior. This is simply a product geared toward natural birth to help those that desire to have a natural birth, or may be curious about it, to support them in that decision.
Calling all our pregnant followers!!! First, I must say I know how tired you are. I have four babies of my own (and two little angels). So I completely understand that the last thing you may want to do is put on some jeans and get to a birth class.
However, as a pro-natural birth advocate and mother who has given birth, I must tell you that a birth class, no matter how many babies you've had, is so empowering and supportive to the parents-to-be.
Birth Boot Camp is a great way to get support and education on natural birth because you can take the classes online! There are also live classes to attend for those that desire the support of other mommies due around the same time and to really develop a relationship with your educator.
So Donna, the wonderful and amazing creator of Birth Boot Camp, sent me a code to try out the classes for three days. I wasn't able to watch all 10 of them in that time but I picked a few of them to watch. Each class is about an hour long and the idea is to watch one a week, starting around 25-28 weeks.
However it is never too late to take a class. If you are 35 weeks and interested you can watch a class every other day. I am a firm believer that nothing is too late (I switched from an OB to a midwife at 37 weeks pregnant with my third baby!).
What you receive when you sign up:
-10 Classes that you can view anytime during 3 months.
-A Breastfeeding DVD that will be sent to you for you to keep!
-A "Field Manual" that is 130-pages for you to go through and fill out as you go through the childbirth class.
-Relaxation audio files.
A little background about me real quick - I have given birth four times. The first two with epidurals, in the hospital, the third baby was born in a hospital but I had her epidural-free by choice (and oh my goodness I cannot even describe how amazing it was!) and my last baby who will be turning 1-year-old in a couple weeks was born epidural-free at a birth center. I wanted to have a natural birth with my first two girls and thought I could just go in and "give it a try" without any support or information about what to expect. I wish I had had something like Birth Boot Camp back then, that is just how empowering it is to have support and knowledge.
The classes I did view for this review were full of information, up-to-date statistics, wonderful tips and ideas and even birth videos and client videos. The videos are not live-streamed so you can login to your account and watch whatever class you'd like to watch with the click of a button. Don't forget to grab your Field Manual while you watch to jot down notes and answer the very thought-provoking and deep questions to learn more about yourself and birth style. The manual itself is really amazing and put together professionally on nice, thick, glossy paper. There is plenty of space to write notes, lots of questions to get you thinking about what you really desire. And let's not forget that birth is not just a physical event but a mental, emotional and spiritual event as well. The manual and classes really work to meet all of these needs and not just provide the biological information on the birth process.
How I felt while watching the classes - I felt myself nodding about everything and getting really involved with what was being taught. I love Donna's Texas accent and she just has this sweetness about her. You can tell she really wants you to have a positive birth. Again, I wish I had had something like this when I was having my first baby because it empowers you and educates you, while being enjoyable and informative at the same time.
The entire program parallels boot camp, with the book you receive being called the Field Manual and classes having titles like "Defining the Mission: Why Natural Birth" and "Setting up Camp: Choosing Where to Birth", "Chain of Command: Who is in Charge of Your Birth" and the final class being called "Life with a New Recruit" (cute!).
The Cost: $295
Now this is when most dads, and sometimes moms, might question taking the class but I must tell you that every penny is worth it. This isn't a class to learn to make cupcakes. This class is preparation for the most important day of your life: the day your child is born into your hands.
Right now you can get $24 off the price using the coupon code GIRLYGIRL at checkout at
Birth Boot Camp!
One final note: there is a childbirth educator program so you can provide live Birth Boot Camp classes to families in your area!
I am not affiliated with Birth Boot Camp. I was given a free sample of this program in order to provide a review. It did not influence my opinion.
