birthing class

Kiki119

Hey June 2015 Lovelies...

 

Have you all thought about birthing classes??? when are you thinking to take them?? any special type of classes?

My hopsital offer midwives classes every month.. I just don't know when I should sign up...

 

ohiodoxiemama08

I took them with DD, I found it very helpful. Even if you're not planning a natural birth it is very informative. I also took a breastfeeding class which was helpful as well.

If you are planning a natural birth you may want to think about the different kind of classes that are offered such as Hypnobirthing, etc. 

We took our class about 2 months before DD's birth I believe.

sordidvolition

I went with a friend to her hypnobirthing class. NMS but it was very informative and interesting. I took the hospital class the first time around and it was surprisingly more geared toward unmedicated birthing than I thought it would be. You can get the Bradley book from amazon as well if interested. The classes are expensive

crikit83

I'm thinking a class is actually gonna be a lot more helpful for DH than for me. I like to read, but he really prefers to be told information, or watch a video.

Also, as much as I'm planning on a medicated birth (my birth plan is just a slip of paper with DRUGS on it), sometimes those interventions don't work out, and you have to deliver unmedicated. So having that information and those techniques will be really helpful, even if I end up not needing them.

erbear84

I'm signing up for one in April or May. We signed up for a baby care basics class in March, and we're also going to take a prenatal breastfeeding class in that time, too.

ajgerber

We did a class at the hospital that was very generic.  It was helpful to at least get a detailed tour if you are not familiar with the hospital and their policies.  They showed the delivery rooms, C-section surgery area, patient rooms, nursery, etc.  Explained various procedures.

We did some practice breathing which was not all that helpful since most people were giggling too much to benefit (us included).  You probably need a specialized class if you are interested in that so that it is more of a focus.

It was a few hours on a Saturday and overall good for a FTM.

carolyngrace

The birthing center I plan to be at requires a birthing class, breastfeeding class, and newborn care. They offer all 3, but we may do the birthing class through a local doula agency instead, as DH knows the woman who runs those classes and is really comfortable with her. 

We're doing the classes in early March, due to DH's spring work schedule, but I think April is ideal (2 months before your due date). 

babybean9

I'm planning on hypnobabies, which is at home. That in addition to Ina May's Guide To Childbirth has me in a great mindset.

blu-eyedwife

I did these first time around and found them really really helpful, however, in speaking with others who went I discovered I also got really really lucky.  So just know it could be hit or miss.

We took every class offered because insurance covered all of them. Basically we went to one a week 2 months before the baby was born:

Infant/child CPR: pretty self explanatory.  We learned CPR, Heimlich, and how to operate an AED.

Breastfeeding: Hands down this was the most beneficial class I have ever taken.  But again, I got lucky.  The hospital I deliver at is amazing with breastfeeding.  Every nurse is a certified lactation consultant.  There is a lactation boutique connected to the hospital with a 24 hour helpline, free weighted feedings, discounts on nursing gear, weekly breastfeeding groups at various times for both SAHM and working moms.  The class covered everything.  From how much you should be feeding, to introducing the bottle, to pumping, to when to buy nursing bras.  It went over every possible complication you could run into and how to handle it.  And they gave us this amazing reference book which was invaluable to me because in the middle of the night you could flip through to figure out exactly why the baby was crying, if he'd had enough wet diapers, why there was a weird bump on your breast.  It was so helpful, that when a friend of mine had some difficulties after coming home from the hospital, I gave her my copy and it answered all her questions.

Birth prep: This was really helpful because it taught me a lot about my hospital and what to expect.  They went over the birthing tools provided by the hospital (baths, birthing balls, squat bars) and secrets of what to bring (clear liquids only during labor...unless you bring your own otter pops).  They went over labor, transition, how to cope at home, when to come in, natural techniques, the various pain medications.  But most importantly, they went over everything that could go wrong.  What to expect if labor wasn't progressing, if baby wasn't tolerating labor, etc.  They made us go around and talk about our expectations and what we would like to avoid, and strategies to help us with that if possible.

Newborn Care: This was good for DH and I because neither of us had any experience with babies.  So diapers are pretty self explanatory, but swaddling was a new one for us.  My hospital focused on Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block, so we focused a lot on those techniques.

willowprincess

I never took any classes. I figured everything I would learn I could research on my own. My best friend took the class and pretty much said it was a waste. We both learn by researching on our own though. If you will feel better going over things in a class format, then by all means go for it.

NoeliaV

We did the Bradley classes with DD, and I recommend them if you are at all interested in a med-free or low-intervention birth.

This time around, I'm thinking about picking up a 2nd hand hypnobabies home study. 

I did not do a breastfeeding class. I think having a pre-birth consultation with a lactation consultant would serve better.

leenziepops

Kiki119 said:

Hey June 2015 Lovelies...

 

Have you all thought about birthing classes??? when are you thinking to take them?? any special type of classes?

My hopsital offer midwives classes every month.. I just don't know when I should sign up...

 

My hospital also offers a class so I will go with them. I think my MW suggested April but I don't have the booklet here with me right now. I think 3rd tri is a good time so the information is fresh but don't go so late either. It's only two sessions over two Saturdays. I think it'll be something fun for me and DH to do together and meet other mums too. 

trapdoorsteph

I didn't go to all the classes but I found the class about pain meds to be very informative. I already knew all the options etc but it was great to see the epidural needles and tubes in person and step by step of how it would go down. They also showed us cathadar tubes and other equipment. I like to see things first hand.

Bednarova

we took an all-day class at a Lamaze Center in our town. It was not Lamaze like you remember from 80s movies. It was helpful in identifying the most important things to me during childbirth (healthy baby) which really helped in cutting down on any sort of regret or sadness in how labor and delivery actually went. (and it did not really go to my ideal plan). But DS is awesome, and I'm was satisfied with my child-birth experience. I'm also a huge micromanager of everything, and the class helped me realize I can't control all details of labor.


DH is an MD, so, he didn't really need to learn much. But he came anyway.

tiffbot1985

The only thing I wish I took was a breathing class, DS was early, hospital was overfull and we delivered not in a delivery room, and the anesthesiologist was overbooked, my labour was fast, and never got around to giving me an epidural so I went med free which was not what I planned on, but really the bedside nurse held my hand and coached me through the whole time anyway, but probably would have been nice to have some ideas going into it.

Everything else just learned as we went!

Apollo11235

We're signed up for a Bradley class. Initially, we were going to have to take it January through March (12 weeks) since there's only one class every few months in our area, but she just opened one starting 2/10, which will go til the end of April.

AmberC311

Definitely taking the happy baby, breastfeeding, care of newborn, hospital tour and hopefully some kind of lamaze but am having trouble finding that one. As many of you are, I'm a FTM so I want to learn as much as possible. I totally don't mind doing research on my own and reading up on certain topics but I feel like the classes will give me at least some framework for things I want to learn more about. And I'm pregnant so what the hell else am I going to do I am a couple days past 14 weeks so I am on the later end of the spectrum but I will probably start classes in February.

DolphinLover2002

We took the generic class my hospital gave. It included telling us about the different kinds of births, breastfeeding, preterm labor, breathing and labor itself. It was 4 Thursdays, starting 3 months before your due date. They ran about 2.5 hours each. We got in free because DH works at the hospital.

I liked the classes. They were very informative to me. I especially liked the breastfeeding night. The only thing we both wish they would have covered more is after baby is born. We knew taking care of a newborn would be hard, but dang! They could have prepared us a little more for everything we'd have to go through after labor.

sammyca

DH and I went to the hospital course when pregnant with baby#1 around the start of the third trimester. It was pretty general and tried to cover all the choices you can make when giving birth.
With baby#2, the best birth prep I did was reading a book called Birth Skills.
If I had my time with baby#1 again, I would have done the general course and something more specific like CalmBirth classes. No way did I feel prepared enough when actually in labour.
With baby#3 I think I'll reread Birth Skills but doubt I'll be able to fit in a course.