Yes, our birth classes started last week! Can you believe it?! (They don't let you take those until you're "so" far along!) Well, I can't believe it's that time already! (Not that I'm complaining, I can see the finish line and it looks lovely!)
There are so many classes you can take when becoming a new parent, I had to control myself. I love taking classes. I love learning about things that I don't know. And I especially love feeling prepared. And as with a new baby, there is only so far preparation can go, classes are the one thing you can actually do that feel like you're preparing! That being said, I had to remind myself that I have spent a lot of money on my little man already and could not break the bank taking a class every night just for the fun of it! So we decided on 3 classes. (Though I was really interested in the doggie meets baby class, but since you aren't allowed to bring your dog to class -- Grr.. stupid hospital rules!-- I decided it was not worth it!) We are taking Great Expectations (the birth class), an infant CPR class (i think the most important), and a newborn baby class (though we still have to sign up for this one -- but as Scott and I are both kinda clueless on how to bathe an infant we think it will just give us a better peace of mind to have at least practiced some of these antics with a professional around).
Great Expectations started last week. It basically covers everything you need to know to get from the start of labor to the end, including hospital specific stuff like "don't drop off your in labor wife on the Chicago Ave. side of the hospital after 7pm, the doors are locked and she wont get in!" Good things to know! We saw a lot of our parents friends this past weekend and they all were like "oh, is that your Lamaze class?" and I gotta say, it's super funny. They like don't "teach" you breathing at all! They teach you how to get through your early labor at home (so they don't have to send you home), then they teach you how to say yes to an epidural! Seriously, I don't know how many of you reading this have had an epidural, but the video showed the in labor girl *sleeping* for 6 hours while her cervix opened and the nurses woke her up and literally said "it's time, push!" Now that sounds like the kind of labor I want. Me + pain = no good. My tolerance ain't so high! (And I know they say all women are stronger than they think they are when it comes to labor, but this girl still doesn't think that my strong enough is enough!) I was all like "yep, shoot me some drugs!" As long as it's safe for the baby, its good with me!
That was until we talked about epidurals! Now I'm super freaked out about that too! (I've done a *stellar*, if I do say so myself, job of totally ignoring the fact that I have to give labor in a few short weeks -- as most of you already know, or can fill the rest in on, I have been waaay freaked out about labor for many years. It played a large role in me not wanting to get preggo for a long time. I freaked out a little bit early on when we first found out like "omgod this means i have to get it out!" But since then, I kinda just shoved it to the backburner and figured it was best not to stress about it, I mean what can I do, baby's already cooking and I really really want to meet him -- and stop being nausea -- so he's gotta find some way out! But I knew that going to birth class, would mean I'd have to start facing the music.) So here we are. I've heard epidural is the way to go, you don't feel so much pain, so let's do it. Till last night! Last week at class we watched the "natural" birth video. All the girls I went to high school with were so lucky as I to get to view our health teacher's homemade birth video, but this was like the entire labor process. Naturally I was like "oh thats all fine and dandy for those girls, but I'll take the drugs." So this week, we talked about the drugs. And of course they threw in the fine print. You have to "sign off" on an epidural. Which means its "risky." Which means I now get to spend the next 7.5 weeks stressing over the anesthesiologist accidentally hitting a nerve and paralyzing me forever. Yep, a "possible side effect." I was getting used to the giant needle in the back thing, mostly because it's in the back so I can't see it. But all of the scary side effects-- the 4-7 day headache, the chance it "may not work", the fact that the last time I got anesthesia I was super sick for 3 days, the possibilty of paralysis, and yes, still the giant needle in the back! -- have now made me terrified of an epidural. I'm hoping still not terrified enough to say no over natural childbirth but ya know, it gave me one more thing to let my imagination run wild with!
But still, no big breathing exercises. We learned some comfortable positions for early labor, what to do to "speed" labor along -- or "slow" it down if it starts before 37 weeks! -- but no "ooh ooh eeee" type of stuff. Just controlling yourself, and controlling your breathing so baby isn't stressed. And they focus on teaching the partner to "remain calm and cool for your wife" -- Scott's big obstacle. He got uptight during the drive thru tonight because he couldn't find 40 cents in my wallet! Eek, calmness love. :) (No I'm just playing, I think when the time comes he's gonna be awesome at keeping me calm(er). Esp since now he knows you can valet park your car at the hospital and he doesn't have to worry about that! This was one of his biggest -- and legit -- concerns!)
So next week we get to finish off the class with a hospital tour, taking us from the beginning of our visit to the end :) And then we just have to wait a couple more weeks to run the real deal!! We're getting close!! But don't worry, not too close, the baby is still curled up nice and high in my ribs at the moment :)
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