Birthing Class- Part 1

Yesterday we had our birthing class. I was so excited and ready to learn! I had registered for the class online, and was told that is was Sunday from 10-4. Kevin and I woke up early, got dressed, went and had a nice breakfast, then headed to the hospital. When we walked into the classroom, there was only one other couple and they looked like they had already started (even though we were 10 minutes early!) After talking with the instructor she told us they have been having problems with the online registrations, and we actually signed up for a class in Anchorage!

Thankfully the class we showed up for was from 9-5, so we only missed the first hour. Since it was such a small group, she back tracked a little to help get us all caught up. We also found out that this class is actually broken up into TWO different days, not just one. And to be honest... everything that I was REALLY excited about learning wont be covered until our next class, which isn't until March 6th!

Regardless, she went over a lot of really good material and was really good about repetition. If something was important, she would repeat it throughout the class to make sure that it stuck in our minds. The class was offered at the hospital and is supposed to be one of those that doesn't lean more or less towards medicated or natural delivery, but our instructor was VERY pro-natural. She told us her birth stories and how she delivered all 3 of her children (who all weighed over 9 pounds) naturally. She didn't really get into the medications or c-sections in this past class (that will all be covered next time), but I am feeling much more confident about trying for a natural birth after hearing what she had to say.

First of all, our hospital is very small. Come on now... we live in Kodiak! The room that I labor and deliver in, is also the post-partum room. There are only THREE of these rooms in the hospital! There is also not a nursery. We will not have the option to send baby away to get some sleep (not that I would have wanted to), and everything that is typically done in the nursery is done in the room right in front of us. They are a very low intervention hospital. They will not induce until you are 10 days past your due date. She also talked about how it is a really good thing that the hospital is low intervention, because anything you request, they will almost always allow. Such as wearing your own gown, having music playing, changing the lighting, etc. They also really encourage MOVEMENT. Even if I were to have an epidural, they will change my body position every 30 minutes to help get the baby into the perfect position.

We are still working on our birth plan at this point, but I am really excited about trying to go as naturally as possible. There is a birthing tub that I have a feeling I will be using ALOT. The biggest thing to me is the fact that I want to be able to move around. I want to get up to go to the bathroom, I want to be able to walk around if I want to, to change positions if I get uncomfortable, etc. Plus I don't want to be hooked up to an IV or monitors the entire time. I want to be able to figure out how to get myself comfortable. Saying this... once things really progress I may say screw it- give me the drugs, and I'm okay with that too.

We went over a lot of breathing and massage techniques, which I made Kevin practice last night before bed! And let me tell you... I slept SO good last night, and don't feel nearly as much pain in my lower back and hips as I was before. She showed up labor positions as well, and I practiced those, since they were more like stretching. They were positions that really open up your hips, and take so much of the pressure off of them. It was amazing! It really goes to show that our bodies are amazing things, and are MEANT to do this!

Oh, and how could I have almost forgot!! My favorite part of all! Once Kael is born, we will get immediate skin-to-skin time. They actually wait to weigh the baby and do all of that until he has had his first feeding! Those first few moments after birth are so important for bonding and the fact that they will wait on us before they scoop him away is so special!

Overall, I am actually REALLY excited about labor and delivery now. I feel much more comfortable with the thought of it, mainly because I feel like I have a lot of tools in my belt now. I am really excited about our next class because we will take a tour of the hospital, have the lactation consultant come in and talk to us, and go over all the medications and options.

And Kevin did pretty good through the class as well! He only looked like he was going to pass out when we watched a video of the birth itself. He actually looked away when the baby was crowning and started to come out, but eventually finished watching it. The part that had ALL of us making gross faces was when we watched the placenta being delivered! I thought Kevin was going to throw up all over the table!! haha!! But the videos did help get the shock out of the way for him, and now he is actually wanting to cut the cord. And another little funny tid-bit on Kevin... the ONLY question he asked all day was "where does his pee and poop go right now?" Which we learned, the pee is in the amniotic fluid and he is just swimming around in it, and he doesn't poop yet. Kevin was pretty thankful that he wasn't having to swim around in his own poop...