Nationwide Childbirth Classes Leave Millions of Parents in a Scramble – Guest post by Hehe Stewart

A guest post with Hehe Stewart of The Birth Lounge

Having an online community is more important than ever with the spread of COVID-19. We all know babies don’t stop coming just because there’s a pandemic . Limiting social contact means planned events, meetings and classes are being canceled all over the country. For expecting parents, this includes their childbirth education classes.. A class meant to inform, prepare and reduce anxiety around becoming a new parent, but so many have been canceled without information on rescheduling. Talk about anxiety! Studies also show that postpartum depression becomes much more of a concern if there is a lack of social support after childbirth. This current medical outbreak has taken social support right out the window and new parents all over the country are desperate for connections with other new parents. 

Before COVID-19, HeHe Stewart, founder of The Birth Lounge, wanted to make childbirth education more accessible for families whose time was already limited. She launched the lounge in 2019 and set out on a mission to help women prepare for their birth experience, and create a birth plan. The Birth Lounge gives expecting parents the freedom to learn and prepare for this life changing event at their own pace, but when it was convenient for them. Now, with the widespread cancelation of CBE classes, The Birth Lounge membership is even more beneficial. The Birth Lounge puts a revolutionary spin on traditional childbirth education, all from the comfort and safety of your home, corona free. 

How The Birth Lounge is Revolutionizing Birth

Evidence Based 

The lounge is compiled of the latest research to help birthing parents understand their rights. Members have access to recommendations and statements from large organizations like American College of Obstetrics, World Health Organization, and American College of Nurse-Midwives. The Birth Lounge is not a membership to persuade you to have one particular birth experience over the other, rather a place to find all the current research so you can make an informed and educated choice. If there’s ever a time that you need a #fakenews filter, it’s now and The Birth Lounge is exactly that. 

Broken down into 10 digestible modules 

Birth can be overwhelming and when you think about all the things that have to be done, it can feel like a never-ending to-do list. The Birth Lounge has broken down everything you need to know about pregnancy and childbirth into 10 videos including pain relief, making a birth plan, packing a birth bag, and how to avoid the scary things happening during labor. Members also get access to breastfeeding modules and infant care 101 modules. Parents will walk away feeling confident in their ability to birth and care for their new baby plus have access to experts to support this life transition. 

Prepare you to thrive in the fourth trimester

From sleep deprivation to feeding your tiny human, life with a baby is not an easy thing. The Birth Lounge steps parents through stages of preparation starting during pregnancy so your home can be ready as possible to absorb the changes that come along with bringing home a tiny human. Members have access to newborn schedules and how to properly support your child’s sleep development. 

Live Trainings

Each week, members enjoy a live call with Birth Guru, HeHe, as she teaches the expecting parents tips to stay in control during labor and make the experience quick and gentle. She shares what to do about common issues facing pregnant women like morning sickness, getting sleep in pregnancy, and avoiding a c-section. She also guides parents through postpartum with helpful hints for things like spit up, how to build a milk stash, and what to do about your baby’s gas. 

The Expert’s Lounge HeHe curated a special line-up of experts that guest appear in The Lounge each month. In The Expert’s Lounge, members will have access to recorded behind-the-scenes chats with professionals like Pelvic Floor Physical Therapists, OBGYN’s, women’s health specialists, and mental health professionals. These expert conversations share how women can reduce tearing, decrease postpartum depression risks, and how to have hard conversations with your provider. 

The Community

As comprehensive as that feels, there is still one crucial ingredient required in successful parenting missing. That’s community.  The community in The Birth Lounge is one of the reasons that so many women stay long after their baby is here. The lounge members will share about their feeding journeys, their healing bodies, and struggles in navigating their relationships after baby. This group is active everyday with no post going left unread or unanswered. At any hour, there is always someone awake and in the lounge, ready to support you when you need it most. 

One mom shares one day after her baby is born, “I don’t know how I would have had my baby without The Birth Lounge. This was such a scary time to be in the hospital, but everything that HeHe taught us in the lounge kept me grounded and allowed me to stay in control. I was able to focus on pain relief and breathing even though things were different than I had planned.”

#stayinformed while you #stayhome

Women are terrified to birth in this global climate. It’s left millions of birthing people feeling unprepared and with so many unanswered questions. The Birth Lounge is revolutionizing the way people are giving birth by bringing the most comprehensive online childbirth preparation to user’s computers and mobile devices. 

The goal of The Birth Lounge is to help women understand their choices throughout childbirth so they can calm their fears around birth, learn pain relief for labor, and stay in control of the decisions made about their body.  All over the world, we are seeing hospital restrictions that limit the number of support people and even forcing women to birth alone. The Birth Lounge prepares women for birth by sharing tips and guides to staying in control. Founder, HeHe Stewart, says, “Planning to birth in a pandemic doesn’t have to be the demise of your birth experience. It’s all about how you shift your sails and adjust for these new changes. The Birth Lounge was designed to teach members how to stay in control no matter what and this pandemic is no different.”