Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
November 30, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
November 2020 was the eighth consecutive month that I, like many of you, have been teaching all my childbirth classes virtually. I am fully planning that the first half of 2021 will remain virtual. With that in mind, for the November 2020 Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators idea, I thought I would revisit Jeopardy, a fun online game that has been in use as a learning tool for many years. The longtime host of Jeopardy, Alex Trebeck, passed away this month at the age of 80, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jeopardy, the popular game show that requires the answer to be in the form of a question translates very well to a childbirth class activity. For a wide variety of activities , please browse all 66 previous Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators ideas, by following this link.
Read More
October 29, 2020 | by: Mallory Emerson, MA, LCCE, CD(PALS)
This puzzle activity can be a simple icebreaker and an opportunity to build community, or can be used to deliver higher level content in a fun, interactive way. I have done it both ways with great success. The puzzle technology platform that I use is Jigsaw Explorer. It is free and takes just a few minutes to set up. With just a link, you can share the puzzle with class members and invite them to complete it as a group or on their own.
September 30, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, LCCE, FACCE, CD/BDT(DONA), CLE
This month’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators honors the continued necessity and continuation of virtual childbirth classes as the world fights against the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are many challenges associated with offering our classes virtually through a variety of software platforms, there are also some benefits that you may not have considered. Today, I share four ways you can use the home environment to enhance the learning experiences of the families in your classes. To see all the posts in the Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators series, follow this link.
August 27, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza
To close out National Breastfeeding Month in the United States, it is only appropriate to have August's Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators be focused on an activity focused on breast/chestfeeding. Additionally, since many people are still needing to conduct virtual classes due to COVID-19 risks in their communities, I decided to offer up something that can be done either virtually or in person, depending on your own circumstances. Please enjoy this simple and quick breast/chestfeeding quiz that you can share with your classes. To find all our monthly Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators, follow this link.
July 28, 2020 | by: Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)
With so many perinatal classes being moved online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, I have found one rousing tool that makes classes especially engaging: Using video clips from movies to enhance the tedium that can sometimes be associated with distance/online learning. Hollywood movies during class are unusual, and we know learners pay attention to things that are different. Movies can make us laugh or cry, and endorphins show up when we have expressions of emotion. Movies can be nostalgic – and guess what? We know feelings of nostalgia actually help build our mental toughness by providing a boost when we face difficult situations.
Since the goal of our classes is to share information that families will be applying days, weeks, or even months in the future, making things memorable should be one of your top priorities. Here is a handful of some of my favorites – adjust them as needed to make them work for you!
June 30, 2020 | by: Mallory Emerson, LCCE
Many things have changed during life in a pandemic. While connection with my husband and two kids has been at an all-time high the last few months, I have been missing the in-person connection with both my doula clients and families in my childbirth classes. For those families, it also seems that the support of their loved ones during such an important transition as welcoming a baby is very missed. While I have been diligent and thorough about the resources and referrals I share in my virtual classes, I wanted to offer more opportunities for families to connect with me and each other during this challenging time.
To support that goal, I began offering twice-monthly “Drop-in Coffee Chats” for current and past doula clients as well as parents from my recent childbirth classes and new parent support groups I volunteer with through a popular, local organization, Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS). I sent an email to everyone with a recurring Zoom link and a brief description of the purpose of the virtual get-together.
May 28, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Moving birth and parenting classes online has been of critical importance since it no longer became safe to hold classes in person due to COVID-19. Just because classes are delivered through an online meeting platform does not mean that information should be shared only view a slide show presentation. There are many ways to deliver interactive and engaging activities that promote understanding and retention amongst participants in a virtual learning environment. One method that has been very well received by the families taking my classes virtually are quizzes and polls.
April 29, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
April’s Brilliant Activities for Birth Educators serves two purposes! We honor and recognize Cesarean Awareness Month and also share an opportunity to support those educators who are teaching virtually during the COVID-19 global pandemic. When we are teaching virtually, as in person classes are not safe to hold currently, you can use a virtual background behind you that supplements the topic you are covering. In the case of cesareans, you can use an operating room with a baby warmer.
March 31, 2020 | by: Sharon Muza, BS, CD/BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Families worldwide are facing new and unforeseen challenges as they prepare to birth during this world-wide epidemic. Circumstances are changing daily, if not hourly in locations around the world. Many childbirth and parenting programs are now being presented in a virtual format to families. Educators have been scrambling to convert activities to an online format that builds confidence and prepares families effectively for their labor, birth and early parenting time ahead.
February 27, 2020 | by: Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)
It was 78 degrees here in Central California yesterday. I took it upon myself to go and smell in (sneeze out) some spring. That got me thinking about cleaning, and beautifying, and gardening and growing. I wondered what aspects of “spring” I could inject into some of my teaching activities? I took a trip to my local Dollar Tree to find out.
Subscribe by Email
RSS Feed