With Baby C being our first child, Doctor highly suggested taking a baby course. Up until my second trimester, I really didn’t think we needed one. That’s what google is for! How hard could it be? Women have been delivering babies forever, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, right? As I found out at my doctor’s appointments during the my third trimester, there were a lot of terms and procedures that I was absolutely clueless about.
So I bit the bullet, put away my pride, and signed up for a one-day 7-hour “Baby Basics” course with my baby daddy. The class was on football Sunday so I know he was gritting his teeth through the entire process.
When we walked in, there were already a few couples there. 19 couples in total, with every female having a big old bump, and every male on his phone checking scores. Like I said, the class was held on gameday, which my husband considered “sacrilegious”. I considered his claim “bulls***” when a) he can check scores on his phone b) he can record the game and c) I grunted in my loveliest preggo voice “this is your child!”
Needless to say, he didn’t complain after that.
The instructor was actually engaging, and she spoke in a way that didn’t make me fall asleep. From what I can remember, she went in chronological order of delivery: what to do when you’re starting to go into labor, what to do in active labor, and what to do after labor. Of course, what would a baby class be without seeing some deliveries on video? Live, graphic, loud, bloody, gooey deliveries.
—I unintentionally just did a kegel exercise just then.—
Then we moved into some breathing exercises, which hopefully I’ll remember come the day of. Then we tried out different positions to get Baby C in the most optimal position for his exit. This part was actually kind of fun. As the instructor kept telling the men to massage their partners into relaxation. No football Sunday AND a massage = win for me.
The last part of the day was the hospital tour. Reality had set it as soon as we walked through the doors. The hospital I am delivering at is specifically for women and newborns so there were mamas, babies, and families everywhere. We saw the triage area, labor and delivery room, the postpartum room, and the gift shop (of course). If the “I’m going to be a mom” feeling didn’t sink in before, it basically sunk down to the bottom of the ocean now. After the class, I definitely felt more comfortable about my delivery. Will I actually do any of the tips the instructor suggested we do?… We’ll see.
My recommendation for first-time parents is, “YES, you should take a pregnancy class.” WebMD can’t teach you everything.