Childbirth Crash Course!

On Saturday, Neal and I spent the entire day at the hospital where Camden will be delivered learning about childbirth, breathing exercises, massage (my favorite part!), and taking a tour of the maternity ward. We woke up early (for a Saturday) and treated ourselves to some dough-nuts, because we figured the sugar might help us to wake up. The only thing we knew about the class before we arrived was the time, date, location, and the basics of what the class would teach. We did not know that we were supposed to bring pillows and blankets! Thankfully, the instructor let us borrow some, but I was frustrated that I felt like we came in unprepared. I was thankful that they had coffee, juice, fruit, and pastries to start the morning - Neal especially needed the coffee, because he hit his sugar low when we arrived.

When we all made our introductions, we learned that everyone was due in August or September, and most of the couples were having boys. Some interesting stories about our classmates:

-One lady was 41 when she found out she was pregnant, and she had tried numerous fertility treatments on her own, before she ended up pregnant (the natural way) with her boyfriend of only three months! He even stuck around and was her coach at the class - I was impressed, but also a little worried, because the woman seemed a little high maintenance and hard to handle for long periods of time!

-There was also a teenage girl in our group who was there with her mom (who has refused to be called grandma and looked like a teenager herself), and this girl just seemed terrified of the whole process. I love that both the mom and daughter looked like they share a wardrobe, between the mom's skinny jeans and tight top and the daughter's high top sneakers.

-Another couple (who happened to be the other couple who share the same doctor as we do) is planning on taking their baby to a Rangers game when she is about two weeks old - I'm pretty sure the pediatrician would frown on that, but that's just a guess.

After introductions, we dove right in to the first lecture of the day about each stage of labor and although this was a good review, since it had been awhile since Neal or I had been in a science class, (I guess the teenage girl in our group did have that advantage over us!) we spent way too much time on this! The instructor, a retired nurse from the hospital, described every stage along with a powerpoint, then we watched a video (which basically repeated everything from the powerpoint, but had better visuals), and then we answered review questions that she passed out to the class. Neal said that the one thing that provided a bit of comedic relief throughout this session was the fact that our instructor kept demonstrating/pointing to certain areas of her own body to talk about what would be happening during labor. Let's just say she was overly correct about the areas she would point to so that we knew exactly where each stage was supposed to take place. I will admit that it was awkward to see a 60-something year old woman point to her own female parts when talking about labor and delivery - it just didn't seem to fit! At least it kept us paying attention to what she was talking about! I do feel like I have a better idea of when we should go to the hospital now - I definitely do not want to go up too early, because there are certain things you can't do once you get there, such as a shower or eat or drink anything. I am also really hoping that my pre-labor, etc. will start at home and not at school, I don't want to freak out any junior high students with my contractions!

After an exciting morning of class, we left the room we were in to see the maternity floor of the hospital. There was only one baby in the nursery (I think all of the others were in the postpartum rooms with their families), but it was nice to see where Camden will go right after he is born. Our instructor walked us through each of the areas and described what happens in each room. I was impressed with how nice everything was - it really showed that this part of the hospital had been very recently remodelled and updated. We ended the tour by donning hospital gowns and surgical caps to visit one of the Cesarean rooms. This room was very bright and very sterile. She told us what the whole C-section process would be like, and I just kept thinking the whole time that I really hope we do not have to go with this option. I know that many women get C-sections all of the time, but I am not someone who is comfortable with knowing that I could get cut open. Keep in mind that I have never had any surgery in my life, and the highest number of stitches I have had at any point was about six (I think), and that was for a minor cut. Needless to say, I was really happy when we left that room and were dismissed to go to lunch! One of the other moms in our group was having a tough time in that room, and I saw her having to lean against the instructor when we were leaving. I thought she was upset about seeing the C-section room, but it turns out that her blood sugar was low, and she was feeling weak and on the verge of fainting. She had to meet with her doctor during lunch, so she and her husband had to bring their lunch back to the afternoon session. I was worried that she was going in to labor, because the last time one of my good friends went to a childbirth class with her husband, she ended up in the hospital, because she figured out that her water had broken early! I was beginning to think that these classes jinx people into early labor!

After lunch, we did the fun stuff! Neal and I giggled about the cup of lotion that was put at each our seats, because we didn't know what it was until our instructor pointed it out (we thought it was some type of special ointment that was somehow related to labor and delivery or recovery). We practiced breathing techniques while the coaches (husbands and/or grandmothers) massaged our hands and backs - this was so relaxing! And, Neal and I realized how much I like to have my tummy rubbed, so that has become a new part of our routine each day since our class. I also liked that she had us switch and give the dads hand and back massages, too, so they could experience it! I think that was important, because many times the focus tends to be on me and the baby, and not Neal, so it was good for him to get some TLC, too. We also pretended like we were experiencing contractions during the massages, so we could think about how we could use the breathing and massage to get through a contraction. This was really difficult to imagine, because I have not experienced a contraction before, but it was good to have tools to use for when it does happen. I also got the feeling that this particular instructor really encourages natural births - she did mention that all of her children and grandchildren were born without epidurals. Neal and I definitely plan on practicing the breathing more, so I don't forget it when then the time comes.

After the massages, we watched a video explaining the options regarding pain control, induction, and Cesarean section. I refused to look at the actual needle used during epidurals (needles and I do not get along), but I did look at the cartoon picture of the process, and I learned that the actual needle does not stay in your back, it's not as long as a thought it was, and you can get an epidural later in the labor process than I thought. This actually helped me to feel much more at ease at about this option. I even felt comfortable knowing that I would be okay even if was not able to get an epidural in time. All in all, I came away from this class feeling much more prepared and comforted about the whole process. Now, I keep dreaming about being in labor and visualizing what will happen throughout. This does not mean that I am ready for it to be now, though! I want Camden to stay in a little longer, so he will be healthy when he is born!

That night, we took the dogs for a walk, because we felt really bad about leaving them in their kennel all day, and we met some neighbors that moved in down the street from us in October. They moved in right before they had a baby (who is now 8 months old), and now they are expecting again! They had definitely not planned on having their second that soon, and I could tell that the husband really wants a boy (their first was a girl), and he was kind of jealous of us! They seemed like they don't really know a whole lot of people with little ones, so I have a feeling we will most likely spend more time getting to know them and hanging out - since they are in the same stage of life as we are. On our walk, I also experienced what I believe was my first Braxton-Hicks contraction. There was not really any strong pain, just a lot of tightening of my pelvic area. After it passed, though, I started to feel pain, and it wouldn't go away. I was worried that I wouldn't make it home and kind of freaked out, because I know that Braxton-Hicks are not supposed to last very long. That's when I figured out that I just needed to get to the restroom, so I was thankful that it was nothing serious!

Sorry there are no pictures this time around, but we forgot to take pictures at the hospital - the best would have been us in our hospital gowns and caps, but we were really hungry at that moment, so we were more concerned with taking everything off and getting to Chik Fil-A! Our next appointment is a week from Tuesday, and the nursery is coming along - I hope to have some more pictures of that progress soon!