Childbirth Preparedness Class

Childbirth Preparedness is a one day course offered by my hospital. The class is designed to educate new parents on what to expect during labor, when to come to the hospital, and included a tour of the Birthing Center. Two nurses teach the class- one an NICU nurse and one a nurse recruiter for the hospital. Both were good-humored and well-suited for teaching this type of class, each having many years of experience in L&D.

We learned about the stages of labor- Early, Active, Transition, and Pushing. There are 2 events that should cause you to go to the hospital - contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, for 1 hour (5-1-1) or if your water breaks. If neither of these events have occurred, you are supposed to labor at home. We learned about the different breathing styles through contractions in each stage of labor and how to use props and massage to both put you in a relaxed state and also to help encourage the proper position of the baby in the pelvis.

I went to this class halfway expecting to be bombarded with a bunch of hippie propaganda about being natural and getting through pain just by breathing. There was a big breathing component to the class, Lamaze techniques were discussed in depth, but I really did find the breathing work to be very relaxing. I fully intend to be on the maximum amount of drugs the laws of science and the state of Texas will allow. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that all exercises, weird positions, and massage can actually help labor along in a scientific way. They provide birthing balls (Pilates balls) at the hospital, and encourage you to bring tennis balls, music, aromatherapy, etc to get you relaxed, loose, and ready to do some birthin'.

The part of the class I was looking forward to the most was the tour. I had no idea what to expect from the rooms. The labor room is for laboring (duh), birth, and 1 hour post partum. Once the baby comes and an hour has passed, you are moved to a post partum room that has a cushier hospital bed for Ma, foldout couch for Pa. Both rooms thankfully do not look too much like scary, ultra sterile florescent light-bathed hospital rooms. The lights and temperature can be changed to accomodate each individual room. The labor room has a special bed that breaks apart right before delivery. For birth, the bed is tilted up to a nearly vertical position, and stirrups are put in place to help you make a "C" shape with your body that is optimal for pushing. There is a baby warmer right by the bed that the baby goes on after the birth to help him regulate his body heat.

As you might expect, there are some videos. And they are graphic. One of the most disturbing things about birth is how many women chose to be completely naked for it. That is a little too primitive for me. When I queried the instructor about this odd practice, she said that once the baby is born that skin on skin contact is a very special and natural contact to have with newborns. I think I'll pass. I am finding that nature is pretty darn gross.