Birthing Class

So Chris and I went to a birthing class today... all day. But it was fun and educational. Which was nice. We started our day at 10am and ended it at 5pm, so it was a long day. There were 7 couples, and according to statistics 2 of us will have unplanned C-sections. We were one of two couples due in February, but we were definetly the furthest along (though I didn't think I looked as far along as some). We had the first due date. A lot of them were due in March, so for further readers and such... go two months before, not the month of. :) Because they're all going to the same classes we are, but not being as hard pressed for time as we are on things.
But we learned a lot of valuable information. It was definetly for those not wanting an epidural, which made some of our questions a bit harder to ask. It went through things, like positions for delivery and such, that were only able to be done if you didn't have an epidural. It did cover getting one, and what you can do during that time, but not as much as if you don't get one.
So now I'm in debate. Everyone keeps telling me "right when you walk in, ask for an epidural." Which made me think that that's almost exactly what I'd do. I was actually planning on seeing how my pain held up. I figured I can't get one until I'm at 4 cm, so if I ask for one between 4 and 6 cm then give it to me. The cut off it after 8 cm. But if I'm not asking for one before then, then I should be okay... right?
Anyway, this class made me rethink things, just a little. I really want to try and hold out and see if I can handle everything. I like the idea of being more awake, as well as the baby. But I understand the main benefit of not feeling the pain. I mean, why bother with it if you don't have to, right? But there's always the other side of me nagging that I should try without drugs because women have been doing it for centuries without.
Anyway, the class went over a lot of good information. We covered labor and birthing positions, when to go to the hospital (not until my contractions are 5 minutes apart and lasting 1 minute each, or my water breaks), what to do to ease some of the pain, trial of pain threshold, what to bring, etc.
We all got massages from our husbands, which was nice. We went through different types of massages. There were one or two that I really liked, and one or two that I really did not like. It was good to find out ahead of time to eliminate those as choices when the time came.
It also talked about early labor, which was good to hear. Because they don't want you to just go right away to the hospital. They want you to be confortable in your home for as long as you can (until the 1 minute every 5 minutes thing). So you should rest, eat lightly (because you might throw it up later), and relax as best you can. Taking showers was a big thing, and can be done in the hospital as well. She called it the "poor man's epidural" because it really helps with the pain somehow. I know that I hop in the shower a lot more often lately anyway just because it feels really nice, and I can't soak in a tub for as long as I can stand in the shower (water starts to get cold when it's not moving).
But it's really motivated me to get crackin on stuff like packin! Chris and I have set out the bag we're going to use, now I'm just finishing up the last bits of laundry for what we want to take. We've even got snacks for him, and some popcicle things for me set aside for then. Our phone chargers are packed, and I've got a little bag of hygene stuff for when I get there.
Did you know you're not supposed to use chapstick at the hospital? I did not know that! They don't want you to have chapped lips and everyone tells you to bring some sort of chap stick, but you have to watch the ingredients apparently because if it contains petrolium, petrolatum, or mineral oil then if you have to be given oxygen it'll burn your lips! So they told us to go out and get Burt's Bees lip balm because it doesn't contain any of that. I'm glad they told us, too, because I totally had some Vasolene lip balm in my baggie.
At the end, after the massages, they had our husbands slightly abuse us. For real. We practiced contraction exercises all day, like breathing, walking around, slow dancing, etc., to the different timing of contractions. But she wanted us to see what the creshendo was like. So Chris had to grab the meaty part of the back of one of my arms very gently at first, and then over a peroid of 1 minute increase the grasp, and then at the end of the minute lay off slowly. It wasn't horrible, and I could handle it. But then she had them grab hold of us real quickly (like a pinch buth with the whole hand) at the same intensity as the highest part of the creshendo. He had been holding me a lot harder than I thought! It really hurt, I wanted to turn and slug him, but resisted the urge... this time. (Watch out, Chris, labor could bring the bitch out).
Oh! That reminds me! One thing she told us was to not go "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" really high pitched, but to do "Open! Open! Open!" because you generally say that in a lower pitch. The difference is the way the muscles react to how you're doing the words and pitches. High pitches hold the body tight and push the baby back up. The low pitch "opens up" things and helps relax the muscles. That was a really cool thing they told us about.
But it was cool. We had a slideshow presentation that had some videos in it. We went over pre-labor signs, when to go to the hospital, practice contractions, stages of labor, the coach's job, how long it takes to get an epidural, and other fun facts.
Like, did you kow that only 5% of women have their babies on their due dates?
Anyway... it was good. I reccomend the class to anyone about to have a baby. Except you might not want to take it all at once. They do offer them over a few evenings.