Birthing class recs? (Alex./Arl.)

Re: Birthing class recs? (Alex./Arl.)

• Artslvr

  September 2009

  I took INOVA classes.  The actual classes were both at Alexandria and at Fairfax hospitals.  I don't think you have to sign up by 20 weeks, I think that's just a guideline.  As in, try to register when you're 20 weeks, so if the classes are all full, then you have time to try again.

  Wife, Musician, Fed, WW-er, and Mom of three little kids - not necessarily in that order.

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• CrysR

  September 2009

  I can recommend Bradley Method classes. My husband and I currently in our 4th week of class there are 12 classes total. I know it seems like a lot but if its something your interested in you get your monies worth. Bradley classes focuses mainly on natural child birth (unmedicated)  and the coach usually the husband training. How exactly can a coach benefit during birth because going through natural child birth I am assuming you need a good support structure. Bradley classes are instructed by private teachers all over the States. The website is https://www.bradleybirth.com/ there you can find a teacher if interested. Good Luck.  

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• LMH1209 member

  September 2009

  I did the Childbirth Express class through Inova.  We took the class at Inova Alexandria, but I delivered at Inova Fairfax.  I signed up around 22 or 23 weeks, and we took the class when I was around 29 or 30 weeks along.

  The one-day class was enough for us.  I knew that, unless I had some kind of crazy fast delivery, I would probably get an epidural, so I didn't need a multi-week class with natural birth techniques.  I also knew that neither of us was particularly interested in doing a lot of practicing breathing techniques, etc. in the class itself.  We preferred getting info. from a class and then talking through our concerns, plans, coping techniques, etc. on our own time. 

  My husband probably got more out of the class than I did.  I had read just about every pregnancy and childbirth class I could get my hands on, but he had been sort of in "I'll learn about that later" mode   The class came at a good time for him to shift into learning about what to expect from childbirth.  (He apparently paid extremely close attention to the part where the nurse talked about emergency deliveries - what to do if the dad has to deliver the baby in the car.  I was out of the room during that part, but DH later asked me to include a shoe string and a plastic bag in our hospital bag so he could tie off the umbilical cord and have a place to put the placenta!)

  I'm glad we did the class because it was a good jumping off point for after-class discussions, but we also would have been fine without it, if necessary, because we had great nurses (and a great doctor) at the hospital who walked us through everything.  (And, after a day of labor, I ended up having a c-section anyway.)  For us, the maternity ward tour was probably the most important thing we did because we learned about how the labor and delivery room would be set up and saw what the room would look like where we would stay after the delivery.

  

  

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