Do Childbirth Preparation Classes Need to Be Redeveloped?

I did not attend childbirth preparation classes. Not to say I did not do an extensive amount of research and preparation prior to the arrival of Juno, I did, but did not feel that attending such classes would be of much benefit. In large part this was because I had chosen my mode of birth (csection) and that there were no classes geared towards maternal request csection moms, so I felt any such course would be of limited use to me and would just open my decision up for even more criticism. Further, of the inquiries I made to other parents about the usefulness of childbirth preparation classes - many parents seemed to indicate that they really weren't all that helpful, that the networking was useful but aside from that, there was little value.

I've come to the conclusion that perhaps its time for childbirth preparation courses to be redeveloped to reflect the current evidence on the topic, to balance the natural birth and pro-breastfeeding bias, to help women develop better (and more dynamic/useful) birth plans, to have more information on infant care and more information on the available local resources.

If I had felt that such a course would have provided me with truly useful information and an environment that would be supportive of individual choices that best meet the needs of specific mothers and babies, I likely would have attended.