There’s a saying: “You don’t know what you don’t know,” and this is especially true when it comes to preparing for childbirth. If you are not informed about the different options for your birth, how can you be expected to make the most informed decisions regarding your birth! Today we’re going to dive into the key differences between a hospital-led childbirth education class and an independently-led childbirth education class.
In this episode of Yoga | Birth | BabiesI’m joined by Ceridwen Morris. Ceridwen is an author, childbirth educator, and doula who has supported thousands of expectant parents in New York City for over twenty years. She is the author of How to Give Birth (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2025), forthcoming. Morris served on the board of directors of the Childbirth Education Association of Metropolitan New York for five years and directed the education program at Tribeca Pediatrics for ten years. She has taught at Real Birth, City Births, NYC Birth Prep and Prenatal Yoga Center.
As you listen to this episode, I hope it inspires you to ask questions of your healthcare provider to explore how the birth experience can be tailored to your preferences, instead of having to comply with childbirth policies and protocols. the hospital. Enjoy this informative episode!
In this episode you will learn:
- About Ceridwen and what led to her giving birth
- The benefits of taking a CBE course and what they typically cover
- To what extent Ceridwen noticed that hospital protocols were different from place to place, coming from a doula background working as a doula for the past 20 years
- How these protocols impact the choices people have during childbirth
- The biggest differences between a hospital-led CBE class and an independent class
- Parts of an independent CBE course that may demonstrate a different approach or encourage a conversation with a healthcare provider, as they are not necessarily consistent with hospital protocol (but are evidence-based and beneficial to the person in labor)
- How the information in a hospital CBE course could be more restrictive and biased towards interventions
- Some topics that tend to be explored in depth or practiced in a stand-alone CBE course compared to a hospital course
- One final tip or advice Ceridwen would like to offer to new and expectant parents.
- Where to find your job
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About Ceridwen:
Ceridwen Morris is an author, childbirth educator, and doula who has supported thousands of expectant parents in New York City for over twenty years. She is the author of How to Give Birth (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2025), forthcoming. Morris served on the board of directors of the Childbirth Education Association of Metropolitan New York for five years and directed the education program at Tribeca Pediatrics for ten years. She has taught at Real Birth, City Births, NYC Birth Prep and Prenatal Yoga Center. She is also deeply involved in the arts, having started curating emerging artists in the 1990s. As a photographer and writer, her commitment to the arts continues. She mainly works at night, in hospital rooms across the city, helping people give birth.
Connect with Ceridwen:
Website: CeridwenMorris.com
IG: @ceridwenmorris
Discover similar Yoga| Birth| Babies episodes:
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