Are classes worth it? Looking for advice from Moms!

DisneyIsabelle

Hello!

I'm wondering if you took any childbirth classes and if so, was it helpful?

Near me there are the classes offered by the hospital(a few different options as far as a series of classes or an all day class once, etc), The Bradley Method, and one called Naturally Prepared Childbirth (just one 2 hour class, which I'm not sure would be right for me, as the focus is going med-free and I haven't decided on that yet)

Bigboobsmcgee

I didn't take any classes with either of my kids and looking back I sort of wish I had. I barely made it to the hospital with my second child so there wasn't time for the epidural I planned on and since I hadn't taken any classes I knew absolutely nothing about handling the pain of a med-free birth. I literally didn't know a single coping technique.

In summary, I don't think you'll regret taking classes but you might regret NOT taking them.

cMichelle0423

DisneyIsabelle said:

Hello!

I'm wondering if you took any childbirth classes and if so, was it helpful?

Near me there are the classes offered by the hospital(a few different options as far as a series of classes or an all day class once, etc), The Bradley Method, and one called Naturally Prepared Childbirth (just one 2 hour class, which I'm not sure would be right for me, as the focus is going med-free and I haven't decided on that yet)

I'm a third time mom, DH and I took our first birthing class during this pregnancy. This will be my first med-free birth experience, as well as my first out of hospital. The class we took was geared towards a natural birth and was taught by a couple of local doulas. Even with this being our 3rd LO, I found the class to be super beneficial. We learned about a lot of laboring positions and natural pain management techniques. I'm so glad we took it. We both got a lot out of it. I think if you want to take a class, look into what all they plan to go over and compare it to whether or not it'll fit with your birth plan.

DisneyIsabelle

@Bigboobsmcgee Thanks for the insight. Now, I have to determine what time would be right for me. There's the expensive ones at the more holistic maternity store (The Bradley Method), and the hospital ones. Now, I tend to fall somewhere in between totally granola and not at all. haha

Bigboobsmcgee

DisneyIsabelle said:

@Bigboobsmcgee Thanks for the insight. Now, I have to determine what time would be right for me. There's the expensive ones at the more holistic maternity store (The Bradley Method), and the hospital ones. Now, I tend to fall somewhere in between totally granola and not at all. haha

Not an easy choice!

kyraaD

when it comes to birthing classes, everyone seems to be on one side or the other; either they were really helpful or a waste of time.

i personally signed up for a Childcare Essentials class. it's a 6 week class, once a week for 2hrs. it covers pain management during labour, but also covers breastfeeding & basic childcare. being a FTM who has spent very minimal time around newborns & babies, i thought this would be pretty helpful.

if you're a FTM, i would definitely recommend checking out breastfeeding classes. so far i havent come across a single woman who has taken one & said they regret it or didn't need it. I've actually come across women who didn't take them, & said they really wish they had, so I'm very happy breastfeeding is covered in the class I'm taking

Jules08

The ones offered at my birthing center were either:

(2) 9hr Saturday classes

-or-

(6) 3hr Tuesday night classes

Honestly, I was too lazy to commit to that.  I skipped them.  Was induced, had an epidural around 16hrs in, turned it off as it made me really sick, labored (and delivered) for 10 additional hours pain med free.  I don't regret not going to a class.  There are LC's on staff at my birthing center and it was helpful to meet with them once baby was born.  We will be taking DS to a sibling class to help HIM though.

Bigboobsmcgee

kyraaD said:

when it comes to birthing classes, everyone seems to be on one side or the other; either they were really helpful or a waste of time. i personally signed up for a Childcare Essentials class. it's a 6 week class, once a week for 2hrs. it covers pain management during labour, but also covers breastfeeding & basic childcare. being a FTM who has spent very minimal time around newborns & babies, i thought this would be pretty helpful. if you're a FTM, i would definitely recommend checking out breastfeeding classs. so far i havent come across a single woman who has taken one & said they regret it or didn't need it. I've actually come across women who didn't take them, & said they really wish they had, so I'm very happy breastfeeding is covered in the class I'm taking

YES

0SeaMonkey0

I took two classes, one offered by my hospital and one offered by my midwife. The hospital class was awful, I hated every second of it. It was geared towards people who knew nothing about their bodies or the birthing process and so I found it really boring. It did include a tour of L&D though and an opportunity to ask a nurse questions which was incredibly helpful because it let you find out how things actually work in your hospital.

The class given by our midwife practice was awesome! They treated us like intelligent adults and instead of teaching basic anatomy lessons, they focused on "tricks of the trade" and thanks that you wouldn't be able to learn by picking up any old pregnancy book.

So it depends on what you're looking for.

imakeeff0rts

Personally, I found the all day class given by the hospital to be helpful. They went over what to expect during labor and delivery (and all of the options generally available, and all of the policies specific to that hospital. Knowing their pain management policies turned out to be pretty handy while I was in labor. For that reason, I would recommend it.

I can't speak to other classes, though (pain management, etc.), but I plan on taking some this time around since I'm shooting for an unmedicated VBAC. I do wish that I'd visited a Le Leche League or some breastfeeding classes so I at least had a small idea of what to expenct. I went into breastfeeding that that it would be a breeze since it was natural. I was wrong, and I was not prepared at all.

charmedlifex3

My hospital does things a little differently. Rather than doing classes AND monthly appointments, they meet with us as a group, let the group chat / socialize for the first hour while they pull each woman aside for a ten minute individual appointment. The second hour is a one hour class / group session. They do these AFTER regular appointment hours, (4pm - 6pm) so I only have to take off one hour each month to do both the classes and the appointment. My doctor said they will cover everything from introducing ALL of the doctors in the practice, to diapering, to delivery process.

Since I have an hour each way to get to the hospital, this is wonderful to get it all done at once!

DisneyIsabelle

@0SeaMonkey0 That's what I worry about with the hospital class

DisneyIsabelle

@Allisun85 that's really smart how they do that. Luckily I work from home so schedule wise any option will work for me, just not sure which type of class will be most helpful

charmedlifex3

I said to my husband "It's like.. a IRL version of 'the bump'!!!" (all the women will be the same gestational age in the group!)

Hoping I get some "new mom" friends out of the group!

0SeaMonkey0

DisneyIsabelle said:

@0SeaMonkey0 That's what I worry about with the hospital class

As much as I hated mine, I still think it's important to take a general childbirth class if it's your first time around. For us it's offered free and because of that, you'd be silly not to take advantage of it. If I were paying, I'd want to shop around more.

Also, call the L&D dept at the hospital you'll be delivering at. Most will give you a tour if you schedule it and they're not too busy. Then you can see the place and ask all your questions.

tripledaggerWed95976

I'm a FTM and I have spent very little one around babies so I am taking a few classes through the hospital I am giving birth at. My first class, which starts this weekend, is the breastfeeding class. I figured even if the classes aren't that great, it will still be good to meet some other local moms :-)

FireInWonderland

Allisun85 said:

My hospital does things a little differently. Rather than doing classes AND monthly appointments, they meet with us as a group, let the group chat / socialize for the first hour while they pull each woman aside for a ten minute individual appointment. The second hour is a one hour class / group session. They do these AFTER regular appointment hours, (4pm - 6pm) so I only have to take off one hour each month to do both the classes and the appointment. My doctor said they will cover everything from introducing ALL of the doctors in the practice, to diapering, to delivery process.

Since I have an hour each way to get to the hospital, this is wonderful to get it all done at once!

The military hospital where my OB is located does this, too, they call it 'Centering Pregnancy'. I haven't started yet, they start you around 12 weeks, but it sounds fascinating. They also give you the option not to do the centering program and they offer classes on the weekends and evenings as well. I might do both, because there's no way DH will be allowed to stay an hour during work for the centering, as they happen at 3 pm.

1faceinacrowd

I know every state and hospital is different, but I took mine through a hospital with my first pregnancy and it helped a ton. The nurse that taught it did focus on a med-free birth, and explained some of the potential risks/side effects of having a medicated birth. Honestly, I think it's best to prepare to have a med free birth because you can always decide to get meds, but there's no way to guarantee that you'll be able to get them or that they'll work. My bestie got the epidural and it only numbed one side, so she still felt the pain on one half of her body. For some people, the epidural works GREAT and for others, it doesn't work at all, or as a PP mentioned, you can get to the hospital too late and not be able to receive it. 
Personally, I did med free the first time and will again, but I couldn't have done it without that class. It also helps prepare DH for his role in the labor/delivery process, and they prompt you to ask questions of yourself and your partner that you may not have thought of.

PhoebeJune1984

I didn't. I knew all of the basic terms for if something came up. Other than that, I just went in and called the shots as things happened.

jmknox

Look to see if there are any Bradley Method birthing classes in your area.  They are 12 weeks long and cover all the basics of labor, delivery and breastfeeding.  While tailored towards natural birth they help really just make you as informed as you can possibly be so that way, especially in a hospital environment, you can make the best choices for YOU, especially if the need or request for an intervention does arise.  They are about $250 but in my opinion completely worth it. you can submit the receipt to your insurance.   The classes are small and more intimate than the hospital classes (and I have been to hospital classes too).   So much more personal and more detail than hospital classes.  HTH.

jmknox

And ditto what @1faceinacrowd said!

caleykernan

I took one with my first, and it was VERY helpful. I avoided the one at the hospital because I had heard it was very medical-based and like a hospital/amenities tour that just went over what to expect during your stay and how they could help with pain (rather than anything practical to have a med-free birth, which is what I wanted). I went with a more "holistic" program at a local baby supply store that also offers classes and groups. This was led by a doula, and was a great balance between medical and holistic birth. We were prepared for what to expect for stages of labour, given advice on natural ways to labour as comfortably as possible, as well as with medical intervention should that be our choice. We were advised of our local hospital's amenities, scheduled for a tour and preregistration, and informed of what certain medical interventions could mean (both pros and cons). We also were able to discuss concerns/fears, etc., which was absolutely wonderful because it really made you realize your "irrational" fears really are not irrational and was a great opportunity for alleviating some of that built up anxiety when you hear others share their own experiences or those of others they know. It made us think of things we hadn't considered. It explained the pros and cons, benefits and risks of home birth, hospital birth, med-free, medicated, the medication types, how they are administered, and the benefits and risks of everything. We were advised of questions to ask should medical interventions be recommended, to ensure we would be equipped to make informed decisions, as it can be easy to become overwhelmed in such a situation. It even went into discussions about postnatal care for mum, ideas on how to prepare in advance, and tips for baby once he/she arrives (like swaddling, diaper changing, various rocking techniques to calm a fussy baby, colic, cradle cap, baby poo changes, breastfeeding, kegels, etc.) I felt like I had a huge arsenal of wonderful little tips and tricks in my back pocket and pulled from it frequently during the first few weeks until we figured out what worked for us. I say if you can find the right course, absolutely, it is worth it.  As someone above mentioned, I believe it is most important to prepare for a med-free birth first and foremost in any way you possibly can because you cannot guarantee that the meds you may have planned for will be a viable option when the time comes.

whataboutscience

We did Bradley Method and I thought it was very valuable. It really helped me mentally prepare for labor and delivery.