Lamaze classes form locally; first group class Nov. 8

For women in the Delmarva area, finding lamaze classes can be quite a challenge. Sussex County women have been traveling to Harrington, Dover or Salisbury, Md. to get their birthing education for several years.

Now, for many women seeking birthing classes, the wait (and the drive!) is over. When Marylou Carrico Tietz moved to Bethany Beach, she had no idea the need for her services would be so great, but she looks forward to providing lamaze services for expectant mothers in the community.

Lamaze Certified as a Childbirth Educator since 1979, Tietz has been learning and sharing her craft for over 30 years. She’s certified as a doula/labor support specialist as well as being trained in hypnobirthing.

“I’m a firm believer that birth is a normal physiologic experience, not a pathological event fraught with the potential for disaster as it is so often depicted.” Tietz enjoys partnering with women to help them achieve the positive birth experiences that they envision.

Tietz’s classes provide a detailed explanation of what a woman can expect when she goes into labor, as well as how her partner can support her. Lamaze is not just about breathing, she stresses, but also about empowering women, and their partners, with practical pain management tools that will enable them to find their own inner strength.

She covers a wide range of the process from anatomy of the pregnancy and birth, to the signs and stages of labor, relaxation, massage, breathing and birth positioning. Tietz also covers the hospital basics, including the risks and benefits of pain relief as well as ways to naturally accelerate the labor, and reduce the chances of cesarean sections.

She offers group and private classes for her clients, where she gives them personalized attention and addresses all of their questions and concerns. She forges a personal relationship with her mothers and couples, and her quiet confidence immediately puts new mothers at ease. Her classes generally include two sessions of about three hours each, but she stresses that she takes her time with everyone and if more education is needed, she is keen to provide it.

She also offers a bed ‘n breakfast option which includes the Lamaze instruction plus an overnight stay in her beach home coupled with breakfast and lunch.

Tietz is currently forming her two local group classes Nov. 8 and Jan. 3, 2015 in the Bethany Beach area. Class will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. Snacks will be provided. Classes are $90 per couple.

To learn more about her services, contact Tietz at 240-602-5539 or go to beachbirthclass.com.