This morning felt like freshman year of college all over again! That, or our weekend at Engaged Encounter (the weekend long class we had to take before being married in the Catholic church). We had our very first childbirth/care class today. It began at 9am and went until 1pm. Thank goodness we were allowed to bring snacks and drinks. I ate 3 snacks during that 4 hour window of time! I wont starve, that's for sure! We also had bathroom breaks every hour. That was kind of funny because at the end of each hour, all 12 pregnant moms were running to use the restroom.
We have two more of these classes and one breastfeeding class. We have to bring two pillows and a blanket to each class. We are supposed to wear sweat pants or comfortable clothes, which is perfect for me!
Today's class was interesting and we are so glad we signed up. We learned a lot in just one day. Today we learned about the stages of labor and breathing/relaxation techniques. My favorite part of the whole day was laying on my blanket with both pillows, and having Matt massage my back. It was so relaxing! The instructor taught all of the Dads how to read Mom's body. I had to tense up a part of my body and Matt had to find it. We are supposed to practice this so that during labor, they are able to read our minds/bodies! Ha! Imagine that! The instructor told the Dads that they are supposed to learn what we want before we want it. I like her way of thinking!
We also learned how to use a stability ball (aka "birthing ball"). That is definitely going on the list of must haves for the hospital bag! It releases so much tension in your back. My other favorite part of the class was breathing techniques. We sat on the floor with our husbands behind us, and we practiced breathing in and out. We did counts of 3 and counts of 4. The counts of 3 worked well for me. It was so relaxing!
We learned how to use music to calm the senses. I think we are going to start playing spa music at night before bed, and condition my brain to relax when I hear it. You can use any kind of music that you want, I just happen to be a spa kind of girl!
Now the only part we didn't enjoy was the real life video of a natural birth. YUCK! We were cringing. They showed everything. And I mean, EVERYTHING! We saw the crowning, the baby being delivered, the placenta being delivered, and the worst, the placenta being inspected in a little tub. It was not what we wanted to see first thing in the morning. I don't think anyone should see that. There are some things you just don't want to know. That was one of them!
Next week is our breastfeeding class. Wish us luck! I will be sure to update you! Next weekend, not only do we have class, but it is my family baby shower! I am so excited that I can hardly stand it!
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