Choosing a Childbirth Educator
An Interview with Penny Simkin,
Founder of Doulas of North America

by Jillian Hanson

---

"A lot of women have no idea what they want, in childbirth, before they start classes. And they are assuming they are going to learn that from their teacher. And a lot of people aren't aware that there's a tremendous amount of bias in education, and there's very little true neutrality on the part of most childbirth educators, as well as caregivers. That's kind of a shock to expectant parents, I think. They sort of assume that the doctor is the expert, knows what to do, and will give the safest and best care, and have little expectation that they have a tremendous amount of choice in where they're going to give birth, what kind of care they're going to get and even the choices that are made during the labor.

I think it would be important to try to find an educator who does present those options. And who has some independence. If her salary is being paid by a group of physicians, or a hospital, it's harder for her to offer a wide range of choices and an unbiased point of view. So I think an expectant parent should ask questions such as, what options do you think are viable? If they are interested in learning about natural birth, or whether there are harmful side effects to epidurals or narcotics, or if they are interested in water birth or midwifery, they should ask the educators whom they interview if those things are discussed in class."

As an educator, Simkin had this to say about her own teaching style, and other birth education methods, such as Bradley and Lamaze. "I started out teaching a method called the Erna Wright method, and then switched over to Lamaze, back in about 1970. Those methods (Lamaze and Bradley) are okay, but neither one is suitable for everybody. And to be honest, at the time, there was a huge rivalry between those two groups over exactly how you should be breathing, and trashing any other way of breathing.

"I observed women coping, tried to figure out what they had in common, and that's what I've tried to emphasize in my teaching." - Penny Simkin

"I bought into that for a while, and then I realized how ridiculous I was [for] insisting on the Lamaze chest breathing. If you can believe it, I used to try to get people who were abdominal breathers to breathe with their chests. And then I finally realized, she's relaxing, what difference does it make?

I've gone to hundreds of labors, and there's nothing more humbling than to go with a woman in labor and realize she's not doing anything you taught her but she's still doing well. And so I loosened up a lot. I observed women coping, tried to figure out what they had in common, and that's what I've tried to emphasize in my teaching."

Simkin's students are the beneficiaries of that "loosening up." "She's a fountain of knowledge," says Jill Seymour, an expectant mom and one of Simkin's students. "And she's open to whatever methods work for a woman in labor, she doesn't just teach one way of doing things. She really makes that clear. You can ask her anything, she's not afraid to give you real information, not just what she thinks an expectant parent might want to hear. I really appreciate that."

Penny Simkin is a physical therapist, childbirth educator, author, and doula. She is highly regarded both nationally and internationally in the field of childbirth and labor support and has published several books for expectant parents and childbirth professionals promoting woman-centered childbirth. Simkin, an unassuming woman, is humble about her success and passionate about her work. She is also a one-woman force for woman-centered labor and childbirth practices. In 1992, Simkin founded Doulas of North America (DONA), an international organization that certifies doulas (trained labor support people) and provides its members with support and continuing education. At "almost 60," she is still going strong: writing, teaching, traveling, lecturing, and counseling expectant mothers who are survivors of sexual abuse and women who have had disappointing birth experiences.

About the Author: Jillian Hanson is a freelance writer and mother living in western Massachusetts.

Penny Simkin: Birth in the water, birth at home Penny Simkin: Choosing a Childbirth Educator Penny Simkin: Mother-friendly trends Penny Simkin: Why Hire a Doula? Meet our Doula Experts Doulas of North America Books by Penny Simkin The Birth Partner: Everything You Need to Know to Help a Woman Through Childbirth Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn: The Complete Guide Easing Labor Pain: The Complete Guide to a More Comfortable and Rewarding Birth