Our Preparing for Childbirth class was yesterday and, surprisingly, the birthing videos were not the worst part. The class started off with intros from all the couples - names, due date, boy or girl? (9 girls, 5 boys and 3 unknowns), plan to go unmedicated or want an epidural? (9 unmedicated, 4 epidurals and 4 undecided) and what do you think of when you think "birth"?. Lawrence said when he thinks of "birth" he thinks of finally getting to use the nursery he's been working on for so long. To this the instructor said "well, don't get too excited because you won't be using it for 6 more months." We were both like, "whatever do you mean?!?!" She continues on to say that in the Newborn Care class we will be taking (in late May), they teach that babies should sleep in the parents room (not in their bed, just in the room) for 6 months. This is apparently the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics because it lowers the risk for SIDS and allows for a closer bond between child and parent along with being convenient for breastfeeding. Well, we're calling BS on this one. How will the baby learn to comfortably fall asleep in her own bed and bedroom if we're 3 feet away all the time? Call it a difference of opinion, but we're NOT planning to follow the advice of Kaiser and the A.A.P. on this one.
The instructor went on to give us lots of useful information on birth, along with showing some not-so-graphic videos of the whole process. I actually felt more comfortable with the whole process after taking the class, and am thinking I might be able to do it without drugs (although I'm leaving the option completely open in my mind). The instructor "broke it down" for us regarding contractions. She showed us how in each stage of labor, the actual contraction time is far less than the rest time. When you think about it that way, the actual pain time is pretty short - it's not like 20 hours of constant pain (or at least not usually). I started thinking of it like a triathlon. When I'm doing a 2-and-a-half-hour triathlon, I'm in pretty constant pain the whole time, and I get through it by telling myself I have x hours left in the current sport before x hours in the next and so on. And when I'm training for triathlons, I'll often do interval training where I push myself really hard for a minute and then rest 2 minutes, and so on. In labor I should be able to get through by saying I only have a minute of pain before rest, just like in interval training. Of course I don't do interval training for 15 hours straight, so that part will probably be really hard. But at least I feel a little better about it. And maybe I'll get lucky and have a 2-and-a-half-hour labor :) Lawrence was really supportive, too. He said if I'm strong enough to do triathlons all the time, childbirth shouldn't be too much harder. I guess we'll see in the not-so-distant future!
The last part of the class we practiced the breathing and relaxation techniques we learned (which included massage!). Apparently labor contractions must feel like squeezing an ice cube in your hand because that's what we used to simulate it. I hope they don't hurt much worse than that because it was pretty uncomfortable and the breathing techniques weren't really working all that well for me. By about the 15th exercise, my hand was showing signs of frost bite! Ok, not really, but it definitely wasn't comfortable. Lawrence kept complaining of being too sore (from weight lifting) to massage me - he did it anyway, though, because he's awesome. I told him he's not allowed to go to the gym for the week or two before my due date because a full day of massage was going to hurt a lot more than 1 hour in a training class :) We both made it out of the class feeling better prepared than we started, which I suppose is the goal, so it was a day well spent! And I got a free massage :)
In other news, the rib tickling portion of pregnancy has apparently started. When we went in for our 32 week check up last week, the OB said baby girl was already head-down with her feet up toward my ribs. Some women say their babies are going to be soccer players - well mine is going to be a cyclist. Baby girl now has a habit of "bicycle kicking" at my ribs every night around 3am. It doesn't really hurt - yet - but I have no doubt it soon will. And shouldn't I be saving up my sleep now in preparation for having a new baby at home? Baby girl has different ideas...
Holly Jolly
7 years ago
I claim total BS on the co-sleeping thing too. My birth instructor said nothing of the sort. If you want to co-sleep, then go for it, but don't feel like you *have* to. We only kept Charlotte in our room for the first 5 weeks, but we always tried to put her in her crib for naps.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard about the whole ice cube thing, but I was induced, so maybe it's real... And since I was induced, contractions suddenly came fast and furious. The epidural was a god-send.
Good luck with sleeping. It is kind of cruel that just as you need more rest, the kicking gets crazier and harder.
I have one other perspective for you.... I had NO IDEA how EXHAUSTING pushing would be!!! I pushed for 2 1/2 hours (and they kept telling me I was doing a good job... but who knows!) If I had been trying to manage pain at the same time, I KNOW that I wouldn't have had enough strength to continue. I'm not saying that you shouldn't go into this whole thing with an open mind (I did, and ended up deciding on an epidural) but I know for sure that it was the right call because I got some pain-free sleep (unbelievable, huh?) while in labor, made it through the 2 1/2 hours of pushing and then had at least a bit of reserve to deal with the first sleepless nights of having a newborn. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a great prep class!! I wish you nothing but the best and a very quick labor!!! :)
I agree with Erin about the pushing. It seems like no one ever told me how hard it was (even with an epidural) or really what to expect with it. I think my childbirth class glossed over it in a big way. I can't imagine having to push while being in pain either. I think it is great to go in with an open mind and not be too much in one camp or the other. You'll know what is right at the time.
ReplyDeleteKeith and I did the ice cube thing too. It was in a book we read. Contractions feel nothing like that but it's a good exercise I guess.
I also call BS on the sleeping in your room. I had never heard that so I went to the AAP's website and your instructor is correct. They do say that although they don't specify a time frame that I saw. Colin slept in our room for one night and that was enough for everyone thank you very much. Again, you'll figure out what works for you but like Steph says, I don't like that they made you feel you "have" to.
I too am glad you learned a lot and hope you have a quick and easy labor and delivery!
Thanks everyone for your inputs. It's pretty telling, I suppose, that 4 of the 5 friends of mine who've delivered babies opted for an epidural (Susan being the "natural" one and her delivery was pretty quick). I'm sure it will depend on how things are progressing and many other factors, so keeping an open mind will be important!
ReplyDeleteTotal non-parent here, but I plan on getting an epidural if/when the time comes. I figure we scientists have worked really hard to manage pain, and I'm taking full advantage of the research!
ReplyDeleteAnd the co-sleeping thing seems like BS to me, too. I'd much rather get the baby used to sleeping in his/her own room before the kid is 15 and can't sleep without Mom and Dad nearby... Plus, it's starting to look like SIDS is more complicated than simply the baby being put in the wrong position--parental smoking and genetic factors probably play a role too, and those aren't going to be prevented by the baby sleeping next to you.
I am glad to be hearing about this stuff now, so that I can suppress my urge to argue with the childbirth instructor if/when the time comes :)