Amanda Mitchell – Childbirth Educator

I was certainly reluctant to take any «natural» childbirth class thinking that if it is «natural» you do not need a class. Well, after having the pleasure of taking Amanda’s class, I can honestly say I am happy to swallow my ignorance. Amanda provides a casual environment where everyone is made to feel comfortable and speak his/​her mind. For you queasy fathers-​to-​be, Amanda also eases in to some of the more visually disturbing parts of pregnancy. Amanda Mitchell proved herself extremely knowledgeable in the Bradley Method and brought in guest speakers that touched on other subjects such as cloth diapering and breast feeding. At no time were my wife and I made to feel wrong if we did not share some of her viewpoints or scolded if we were unable to attend a class. And although I hate to set a precedence for future classes, I and the other fathers were able to sample some of her husband’s home brew a few classes.

This course should be required for anyone expecting, and Amanda should be the instructor. We went into the course planning on a natural birth, and came out prepared for a home birth, But also having the information we needed for a hospital assisted birth as well. One of the best things about this class, and Amanda for me is that as the father these classes were equally for father and mother to be. And the stressing that we were a «Birth Team» and I was the «Birth Coach» (Card carrying :)) really helped to set the tone for our labor/​birth. We were strong as a team, and I feel that we worked together to welcome our little girl into this world. Thank you Amanda for preparing us for this live changing event. See you at the next reunion. :)

Amanda is truly an amazing, understanding, and open minded teacher. I signed up for her Bradley class and attended the three month series with my husband. I wanted to have a natural birth and went into the class without a ton of knowledge. Amanda clearly tells her students about the pros of trying for a natural birth, how to manage the pain without medication, and most importantly how to maintain a positive outlook if for some reason a natural birth doesn’t work out for you. Most of the other couples in our class were able to have their children without pain medication — and say it was a wonderful experience. Amanda was always available outside of class to answer any questions or to discuss personal issues — which most emotional pregnant women can appreciate. She kept us informed of events going on in the community, recommended books to read, introduced us to other experts in the field, and shared a lot of personal stories from her experience with birth. I would highly recommend Amanda for anyone who is having a baby — whether you think you want to try to do it naturally or you aren’t sure, she is a great teacher for all couples.