Curriculum Topic: Group Activity, Student Demonstration, Practice
Activity Type: Healthy Birth Practice 1, Anatomy, Pregnancy
Time Needed: 30 min with discussion
Supplies: Empathy Belly Or, make you own using a Backpack and labeled bags of beans or rice in these weights:
Maternal stores: 7 pounds
Breasts: 2 pounds
Body fluids: 4 pounds
Blood : 4 pounds
Uterus: 2 pounds
Baby: 7.5 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
Placenta: 1.5 pounds
Instructions:
To reinforce to the partners in the class what it feels like to carry around extra weight, have decreased breathing capacity, and experience pressure on the bladder, some instructors like to use the Empathy Belly.™ It can be used for demonstrations of body mechanics, sleeping positions, and exercises. You can “build your own belly” by adding weights (bags of beans, rice, etc.) to a backpack as a parent-to-be has it on himself/herself backwards. This simulates only the weight gain. To make your own pregnant belly pack, use either a back pack or a canvas bag with long straps. Dried beans or rice may be used to represent the various components of the pregnant body which account for weight gain during pregnancy. Bean bags or rice socks can be made, then a permanent marker used to label the “organs.” If you have a creative flair, they can be color-coded or made into appropriate shapes. Have one of the partners in your class put the straps around his shoulders with the pack to the front. Place different “weights” in the pack explaining what each represents. Pass the pack to each of the partners so they may experience how much extra weight the pregnant woman/pregnant person is (or will be) carrying. With a partner wearing a “Belly,” have them perform activities as suggested by the class. (Tie shoe, roll over on “bed,” pick up item, etc.)
Set-Up:
Arrange all of the contents for backpack on a table
Talking Points:
Weight gain according to ACOG (use beans or rice in these amounts): Maternal stores: 7 pounds Breasts: 2 pounds Body fluids: 4 pounds Blood : 4 pounds Uterus: 2 pounds Baby: 7.5 pounds Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds Placenta: 1.5 pounds
Reference: Adapted from the Lamaze Toolkit
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