Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Gwyn.
Hi Claire, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in a house full of birth workers. My mother was a doula and is currently an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Her friends are doulas, midwives, IBCLCs, etc. I never thought anything of birth work until I became an adult. It was always just something my mom did. Anything outside of abortion access activism didn’t appeal to me, but I was also unaware of the intricacies of the field.
I was born at home. Actually, not only was I born at home, but my mom previously had a cesarean with my older brother. VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean) are often frowned upon in obstetrics, but it is not based on evidence. Before someone gets mad at me for this- there can be complications with VBACs, but the rate is very low. Often providers will scare parents into thinking they must birth in a hospital or either they and/or baby will die. They truth of the matter is true time-sensitive emergencies during birth are incredibly rare. Most (I want to say 90%, but that may be off) homebirth or birth center transfers are because the labor is long and the parent wants an epidural to take a nap.
Anyway, back to my story. My nephews were born at home. My friends were born at home. Home simply looked like the best, most comfortable place to birth. When I became pregnant, it was clear that I would hire a midwife and plan a home birth. During my pregnancy, I educated myself and became aware of the injustices and massive amounts of false information provided to pregnant people. I have always been an activist and outspoken about causes that strike a chord for me. Birthrights hit me hard.
I decided it was my duty to share accurate, evidence-based information on sexual and reproductive health to people who can become pregnant and their partners. My hope is that with knowledge on topics like people’s rights during labor and birth that coercion, racism, and obstetric violence leading to birth trauma will end.
My classes are all pay-what-you-wish. Birth was once an event all uterus-owning people would attend. It was not feared of in the same way it is today because it was so normalized. In this sense, information was passed down from generation to generation. I believe every person should have access to this information, regardless of financial status. Every single birther deserves a positive birth experience. I hope to help make that happen.
In addition to classes, I also offer lactation counseling. Unfortunately, these services are not free and are only available in the Austin area. I am working on becoming an IBCLC so I can take insurance in order to be more affordable.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course not. I own my own business, I work full-time for a sexual and reproductive health research group, and I’m a mother to a toddler. Getting people to know I exist and offer this help is difficult. I don’t have much time to do social media outreach or attend networking gatherings. I have a schedule of classes set through June 2023. I’m doing my best, but classes are very thin right now.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Birth Explained?
Birth Explained is an inclusive space for all people to learn about sexual and reproductive health, regardless of where someone is on their reproduce journey. Classes are available to people who are not pregnant but want to learn more about pregnancy, birth and postpartum to help better prepare themselves. There are classes for people who are pregnant and lactating. All classes focused on human rights while pregnant, in labor, and postpartum. Most importantly, all classes are pay-what-you-wish. Take the class for free or not! Everyone deserves nonjudgmental evidence-based information so they can make decisions that are right for them.
Childbirth classes in hospital settings often center around hospital policy or routine, not evidence-based care. For instance, an educator may say that immediately following birth the baby will be take away for a bath. This is a hospital routine – it is not mandatory. In fact, it has been proven that waiting at least 24 hours for a bath helps reduce skin conditions like eczema and increases the chances of long-term nursing. Babies are born with what’s called vernix on their skin. It is a natural moisturizer and helps protect the skin from toxins outside the womb. You can go months without giving your baby a bath; it’s all safe and healthy. There is a long list of things like this and people deserve to know what their options are.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Virtual classes are important. I prefer to hold classes in person because the subjects can get deep, but many of my students are pregnant and getting sick can be harmful to themselves and/or baby. In essence, I allow whatever the student is comfortable with because the safer they feel, the more they will absorb the information.
Contact Info:
- Website: Thisisbirthexplained.com
- Instagram: BirthExplained
- Facebook: BirthExplained
