Prepared Childbirth Class

e.g. "Prepared".

So, P and I got us at the ass-crack of dawn (ok, not really, but it sure felt like it for a Saturday!) to make it down to the Medical Center for the 9am start time of our class. We discovered that it takes 35 minutes minimum to get to the Hospital where I'll deliver, and that is if you are going 80 because you think you're late and there is ABSOLUTELY ZERO traffic. So, yeah, I'm sure that's gonna be super fun when I'm in labor.

Got there, signed in, grabbed a seat near the back, much to P's annoyance (Who would have thought P was a participator? Not me. I used to drag him to classes when I was at UT, but he just sat there, but he was actually raising his hand and speaking out - it was weird. And a little annoying, I'm not gonna lie. Especially when what he was speaking out about was how annoying preggo-me is.)

Anyways, we started with a "why your newborn will look funny" video. Then introductions, how far along everyone was, etc. Then pregnancy symptoms/advice. Then a break (well needd - about an hour is as much as I, and it seems most 3rd tri women, can do).

Then birth. What I gleaned from this section was how to time a contraction (start to finish, duh), how to time between contractions (start to start, not what I expected), and that when your contractions are 5 minutes apart and lasting at least 1 minute for at least an hour, that's when they want you to go to the hospital.

Then lunch and a hospital tour. Pretty pleased - my hospital only has private rooms - no weird roomie like P got when he had his VAD! Also, I'm allowed 3 "guests" during delivery.

Then a long discussion about medical interventions. Here is the point at which, and I can't believe I'm about to type this, I decided that I think I want to have a natural delivery. I'm not against the drugs, per se, and I won't be heartbroken if I end up taking them... but... I just think I should try to do without, you know, if I can. "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..." My reasons are thus: people have been doing this as long as there have been people, and they have only been doing it with drugs in the past few decades; potential side effects; chain of medical intervention; and the same reason I don't take anti-inflammatories BEFORE running, which is, how do you know when your body is going past its limit if you can't feel it? To each his own, but I think I'm going to give it a shot.

Finally, the day ended with breathing techniques and postpartum resources.

So, worth it? I'd say yes. I think even more worth it for P than for me, since I've been doing a lot of reading/research ever since I found out I was preggo. But even for me, I learned some stuff. So, yes, worth it. If we ever have a 2nd kid, though, not again!