Post by sarahck on Oct 3, 2017 7:53:19 GMT -5
Sessions 5 and 6 are when we cover labor and delivery. BUT FIRST – a check-in on goals.
I really like the opener suggested in the Facilitator’s Guide of having people say something that they know about their own birth. There are some fun stories out there.
GOALS
The Facilitator’s Guide suggests having patients divide into small groups to discuss how they’re doing on goals and report back to the larger group. I have never done this, but suspect this would work well.
My favorite way of doing goals is using a continuum on the floor:
I have 3 sheets of paper – one says “Often,” one says “Sometimes,” and one says “Never.” We put these cards on the floor in a continuum and have people stand where they should according to these statements:
For discussion, I use Peg Dublin’s method of applying Motivational Interviewing to group discussions. I do this with these steps:
NOTE: I do not ask people in the “sometimes” or “never” group why they’re there instead of in “often,” for two reasons. One is that I don’t want to stigmatize. The second is that I want to motivate them by figuring out what would help them move up the continuum. Keep it positive and aspirational – not dwelling on what makes these things hard.
LABOR
A new thing we've done is to start with Labor and Delivery Mad Libs (attached below). We use this for a laugh, but also to make a couple of points:
1. People tell you all sorts of really weird things about their labor stories, and you have to take them all with a critical grain of salt (because of exaggerations, misunderstandings, having been on heavy drugs at the time, etc).
2. People only ever tell you the outlandish and/or disastrous versions of labor stories. I don't know why nobody ever tells pregnant women about their difficult-yet-empowering and ultimately happy labor story.
To be honest, we usually watch a video at this point. It can be 20-30 minutes. Mostly we use either this or this.
A WORD ABOUT USING VIDEOS
Videos are not very “Centering” – they are not interactive or engaging. They don’t give patients an opportunity to contribute what they already know or think. In the case of labor and delivery, they can be helpful, though, in the visuals that they use to get across all the information about how labor happens. I really think this is the only appropriate use of videos. IMHO.
CHI’s Facilitator’s Guide is full of great activities for this session. You have an abundance of options!
A WORD ABOUT THE WIND BLOWS GAME
I never use it. In addition, I totally hate this game. It stresses me out. Also, I have a lot of patients who are struggling with weight and mobility issues and they usually end up in the middle multiple times, and it’s embarrassing for them. But, other facilitators swear by it and say they never miss it because it’s SO MUCH FUN. To each their own!
I really like the opener suggested in the Facilitator’s Guide of having people say something that they know about their own birth. There are some fun stories out there.
GOALS
The Facilitator’s Guide suggests having patients divide into small groups to discuss how they’re doing on goals and report back to the larger group. I have never done this, but suspect this would work well.
My favorite way of doing goals is using a continuum on the floor:
I have 3 sheets of paper – one says “Often,” one says “Sometimes,” and one says “Never.” We put these cards on the floor in a continuum and have people stand where they should according to these statements:
- I exercise at least 20 minutes every day
- I eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day
- I drink at least 8 glasses of water each day
- I can rely on a good support system from my family and friends
- I get along well with my partner / baby’s father
- I floss every day
- I smoke or am around smokers
For discussion, I use Peg Dublin’s method of applying Motivational Interviewing to group discussions. I do this with these steps:
- I ask the people in the “often” group how they do – what helps them make it happen
- I ask the “sometimes” group what it would take for them to move up into the “often” group
- I ask the “never” group what it would take for them to move up into the “Sometimes” group
NOTE: I do not ask people in the “sometimes” or “never” group why they’re there instead of in “often,” for two reasons. One is that I don’t want to stigmatize. The second is that I want to motivate them by figuring out what would help them move up the continuum. Keep it positive and aspirational – not dwelling on what makes these things hard.
LABOR
A new thing we've done is to start with Labor and Delivery Mad Libs (attached below). We use this for a laugh, but also to make a couple of points:
1. People tell you all sorts of really weird things about their labor stories, and you have to take them all with a critical grain of salt (because of exaggerations, misunderstandings, having been on heavy drugs at the time, etc).
2. People only ever tell you the outlandish and/or disastrous versions of labor stories. I don't know why nobody ever tells pregnant women about their difficult-yet-empowering and ultimately happy labor story.
To be honest, we usually watch a video at this point. It can be 20-30 minutes. Mostly we use either this or this.
A WORD ABOUT USING VIDEOS
Videos are not very “Centering” – they are not interactive or engaging. They don’t give patients an opportunity to contribute what they already know or think. In the case of labor and delivery, they can be helpful, though, in the visuals that they use to get across all the information about how labor happens. I really think this is the only appropriate use of videos. IMHO.
CHI’s Facilitator’s Guide is full of great activities for this session. You have an abundance of options!
- Comfort during labor SAS – dividing into groups and discussing how certain comfort measures might help. I’ve never done this but it sounds great.
- True vs False labor – the guide suggests using “Wind Blows” (see note below). Again, I’ve never done this but it sounds useful.
- The Stages of Labor cards – easy and helpful. I like these.
- Ice cube – I looooove this one. The difference between the first time they do it and the second time (when you’re guiding them through relaxation and breathing) is always so impressive. Highly recommend.
- Breathing measures – like Session 3, there are some that are great at this and some that are not.
- What to expect at the birth facility & Early labor/when to call
A WORD ABOUT THE WIND BLOWS GAME
I never use it. In addition, I totally hate this game. It stresses me out. Also, I have a lot of patients who are struggling with weight and mobility issues and they usually end up in the middle multiple times, and it’s embarrassing for them. But, other facilitators swear by it and say they never miss it because it’s SO MUCH FUN. To each their own!
