The time has come and I must make a decision.
No fancy birthing plans- I'm planning to do an epidural, if everything works out of course. It would cost us about $90 for the class. I do read A LOT, so I'm not clueless.
Any advice from the moms out there?
Birthing class?? Who needs that?! Just watch these and we should be good to go
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYR9xX6DvpM
Yes I do read your blog. We took a birthing class the first time around and I have always been glad we did. I have used that knowledge with all 3 births. There is a lot more to the classes than funny breathing. When with my 3rd child the epidural did not work and I was in horrible pain I was able to rely on some of what I learned 8 years before. You may be in quite a bit of pain for a while before you can even get the epidural so be prepared for everything and expect nothing.
ReplyDeleteAmen to what Jo said. You could be in labor for so long that you might want some pain management techniques. Or, on the flip side, you could deliver quickly enough that they won't give you an epidural. Either way, having some tips on managing excruciating pain just might come in handy sometime in your life.
ReplyDeleteOh, and another tip from someone who wishes she gotten this tip: stash any materials they give you so can refresh yourself if you are ever knocked up again.
I didn't take the classes. I knew where to go and what to expect. I did just fine. Labor was actually really fun for me. All I did was nap and joke around with Tron and my mom. But I had read about things and talked with a bunch of people on their pain relieving techniques just in case. (I clearly had an epidural) I also know people who went and were totally freaked out. Some are comforted by the videos and some aren't I think it's all on you. :)
ReplyDeleteLet's be honest. You married a Sparks. The class is not so much for you. They'll just review a bunch of stuff that you've already read. However, it will enlighten your nerd-brained husband and teach him how to support you through the experience. I found it worth the money. Ryan learned a lot, however, he may or may not have refused to watch the video on the actual birthing process. That's fine. You don't need to see everyone else's goods. Just be prepared to see your wife's. A lot.
ReplyDeleteClasses cant hurt. I didnt take a class but my first baby was kind of a bad experience... my nurse was new... I wish I had known a little more. Whether the class would have helped, I dont know... but it cant hurt!
ReplyDeleteI bought a DVD of birthing classes before my first child. It was a lot cheaper than a class and really informative. I agree with what your friends Ryan and Alicia said. The birthing classes with just confirm what you have already read. It's the man who really needs to be informed! =)
ReplyDeleteI didn't go to the classes. I didn't want to spend the money, we didn't want to waste a Saturday with an 8 hour class, and we also ran out of time. As I got closer I was nervous that I maybe I should have taken the classes, and maybe I wouldn't know what to do. But everything went well. I read a lot, and I felt like that prepared me. Also, my nurses had done it a bazillion times and told me what to do and when to do it. I am glad I didn't spend the money, but everything did go smoothly for me. Maybe if there were complications I would have wished I knew more.
ReplyDeleteSeth and I both are glad we took the class. It was 100$, 8 hours on a Sat and 2 hours on a Monday evening. At times it was dorky and dumb but that's why we took it together, so we could make snarky comments to each other. To me the benefits of the class included:
ReplyDelete- more understanding of the unexpected= waaay less anxiety
- We felt prepared. I felt like I knew what was coming= waaay less anxiety
- Pain comes way before epidural. We learned some pain management techniques that I hadn't heard of before that made 100% the difference.
- I wanted all the support, info, and ideas about breastfeeding. Invaluable to me.
- We read the books and blogs and articles and websites too. After the class we felt totally satiated with info but we felt like we were ready for this crazy thing.
- Seth loved getting tips on how to help/support me. When I was in pain I didn't always know what I needed but the class helped him to not feel so helpless.
We talked about it, and while 8 hours was a little excessive Seth and I agreed that it was the best choice.
We didn't take one because I didn't want to spend the time or money. I did some reading and we watched a movie or two about pain management. It worked out fine for us.
ReplyDeleteGet as much information as you can, you'll be happier for it. Don't just take a vaguely named "Childbirth prep class". Take something like lamaze if you want to take a childbirth class. If not, just get as much information as you can otherwise. It'll hurt even before epidurals.
ReplyDelete