I didn't want to attend this class. Steve made me go. Deep in my heart, I knew it would be helpful and useful, but it was also 8 hours on a Saturday! And, a part of me wanted to keep the whole labor and delivery part of pregnancy unknown...I don't fear what I don't know. I asked some people if they had thought the class had helped them before their first baby, hoping they'd say no so I would have some backing in my desire not to attend, but everyone said it had been very help. *deep sigh* I tried not to show my lack of enthusiasm to Steve but he knows me too well. He promised to take me for pie afterward. It helped me feel a little better.
There were about 15 couples in the class; quite the assortment of people. Most were young couples, all of our were first-time parents. One couple was expecting twins and Steve and I thanked the heavens we're not. One young gal was with her mom, who is also going to be with her during delivery. I'm hoping that the dad can't be here for some reason, like he's deployed in the military or something, but Steve's guess is probably more likely - that he got her pregnant then scrammed. Either way, so glad she has a supportive mom! Two couples were...interesting. Kind of trashy. One of these women, who looked slightly older than me and was fairly overweight AND 37 weeks pregnant, wore white shorts that barely covered her bum! Oh dear.
The first half of the class was my favorite part. The instructor, a super sweet nurse who has worked Labor & Delivery for 20+ years, talked a lot about how to be comfortable during this point of our pregnancy and even instructed our partners on how to give us great massages. Steve was a quick learner and it felt wonderful! Since the class, he's practiced a couple times, to my delight. During this part of the class, we also learned about signs that labor is beginning and things to watch for that mean "get yourself to the hospital asap". It was very informative and went by fairly quickly.
We then took a tour of the hospital's maternity ward. This was also very helpful as neither Steve or I had any clue where to go once I was in labor. Nor did we know that between 10pm and 5am, we should go to the ER as the other hospital entrances would be closed. We weren't as excited about the rooms. Not that they were bad or anything, they just looked like any other hospital room. Other couples were much more interested. Who know, maybe they haven't spent much time in hospitals. It probably didn't help that I was hungry. I don't function well when I get hungry. Our instructor took most of our class to the NICU but Steve and I skipped out and went to the cafeteria since I was getting light-head and irritable.
Lunch was so-so but the cherry crisp I had for dessert was so delicious!! I kept going on and on about it; it made Steve laugh. Oh, and I got a coke to drink. I don't like cola but lately I've been craving soda, especially colas. Fortunately, I don't have many opportunities to drink soda, so I'm staying healthier by drinking water.
After lunch, the class was still good and informative but less so than the first half. There were a lot of videos to watch and I started getting really uncomfortable sitting in the chair. My body was getting tired! We watched a couple natural births, a couple with epidurals, and one c-section. They gave the benefits and risks of each; it was good. Then we watched a few more videos about post-delivery (what they do with the baby and the mom) and on how to take care of a newborn. Again, informative, but way too long and it would have been better if not in video format.
It felt great to leave the hospital after the class finished. Aaaahhh. Fresh air! Steve fulfilled his promise and bought me dinner and a slice of pie. It was yummy!
Like I said, it was good to have gone to the class. And, I'm glad it's over. Unfortunately, Steve also had me sign us up for two other classes, Breastfeeding and Baby Care
There were about 15 couples in the class; quite the assortment of people. Most were young couples, all of our were first-time parents. One couple was expecting twins and Steve and I thanked the heavens we're not. One young gal was with her mom, who is also going to be with her during delivery. I'm hoping that the dad can't be here for some reason, like he's deployed in the military or something, but Steve's guess is probably more likely - that he got her pregnant then scrammed. Either way, so glad she has a supportive mom! Two couples were...interesting. Kind of trashy. One of these women, who looked slightly older than me and was fairly overweight AND 37 weeks pregnant, wore white shorts that barely covered her bum! Oh dear.
The first half of the class was my favorite part. The instructor, a super sweet nurse who has worked Labor & Delivery for 20+ years, talked a lot about how to be comfortable during this point of our pregnancy and even instructed our partners on how to give us great massages. Steve was a quick learner and it felt wonderful! Since the class, he's practiced a couple times, to my delight. During this part of the class, we also learned about signs that labor is beginning and things to watch for that mean "get yourself to the hospital asap". It was very informative and went by fairly quickly.
We then took a tour of the hospital's maternity ward. This was also very helpful as neither Steve or I had any clue where to go once I was in labor. Nor did we know that between 10pm and 5am, we should go to the ER as the other hospital entrances would be closed. We weren't as excited about the rooms. Not that they were bad or anything, they just looked like any other hospital room. Other couples were much more interested. Who know, maybe they haven't spent much time in hospitals. It probably didn't help that I was hungry. I don't function well when I get hungry. Our instructor took most of our class to the NICU but Steve and I skipped out and went to the cafeteria since I was getting light-head and irritable.
Lunch was so-so but the cherry crisp I had for dessert was so delicious!! I kept going on and on about it; it made Steve laugh. Oh, and I got a coke to drink. I don't like cola but lately I've been craving soda, especially colas. Fortunately, I don't have many opportunities to drink soda, so I'm staying healthier by drinking water.
After lunch, the class was still good and informative but less so than the first half. There were a lot of videos to watch and I started getting really uncomfortable sitting in the chair. My body was getting tired! We watched a couple natural births, a couple with epidurals, and one c-section. They gave the benefits and risks of each; it was good. Then we watched a few more videos about post-delivery (what they do with the baby and the mom) and on how to take care of a newborn. Again, informative, but way too long and it would have been better if not in video format.
It felt great to leave the hospital after the class finished. Aaaahhh. Fresh air! Steve fulfilled his promise and bought me dinner and a slice of pie. It was yummy!
Like I said, it was good to have gone to the class. And, I'm glad it's over. Unfortunately, Steve also had me sign us up for two other classes, Breastfeeding and Baby Care