- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
3rd Trimester
Jen&Louie
member
Childbirth class yesterday...
Jen&Louie
member
DH and I attended a full day childbirth class yesterday. While I think it was worthwhile, I found it odd that they only spent about 15 minutes on breathing techniques (of a 7 hour class). The instructors talked a lot about how the hospital staff encourage laboring moms to be up and moving around to help labor progress but then, were all very pro-epidural and basically made it sound as though any one trying to go med-free by late labor would be nuts. Contradiction?
If you've taken a childbirth class already, did you have a similar experience of interventions being pushed?
(BTW - I'm not anti-drug, whatever works for the individual. Personally, I just fear the epi more than the pain).
the boymom is expecting a girl!
big brothers 12.2009 and 02.2012
big brothers 12.2009 and 02.2012
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Childbirth class yesterday...
I didn't experience of interventions being pushed but DH and I are "childbirthing class dropouts" for the exact opposite reason.
We signed up for a 6 week course that lasts for 3.5 hrs once a week. There were only 2 other couples in our class, one of which has the same Dr. as me. So AFTER asking who our Dr.'s were and hearing our responses the instructor goes on to basically tell how pushy and horrible MY doctor is and how he has horrible bedside manner (NONE of which I have experienced). She is all water-birth and no med which is A-OK. But I think it's a little stupid to keep pushing all of her opinions on us when she already has asked and knows our preferences and also that we will be delivering in hospital! i.e. no water births.
We're taking a 6 weeks class through our hospital. Our hospital has a relatively low Csection rate and about 1/3 of the class are all using the same OB as us. There are about 17 couples in our class.
We had our first class last Monday. It was cool. She had men get on one side and women on the other then had each group match up anatomy cards with definitions (mucus plug, fundus, etc...) I was impressed, the men finished before us :-)
After our break, she had all the dads imagine they were at home (since we will all probably labor at home for several hours before going to the hospital) and then told them to assume a labor position they thought their partners would like. It was cute. Most of the guys squatted or leaned on a chair. One dad walked. She had us ladies let each dad know how he'd done. It was very positive.
Our hospital is set up a lot like a birthing center. Each room had a birth jacuzzi, labor ball, the beds all have squat bars, etc.
I'm happy that we have another class tonight ;-)
big brothers 12.2009 and 02.2012
We had our full day class yesterday too. Same thing, 7 hours and touched upon everything. We spent about 45 min going over BASIC massage and relaxation techniques, along with different positions for laboring. I found that helpful. They covered the 3 different pain mgt meds they use (IV narcotics, Epi, or Epi plus Spinal Block). Throughout this entire pregnancy I've been in the mindset that I'd like to go natural and learning yesterday the pros/CONS of the pain meds reaffrmed my decision. Our hospital offers an additional class that covers comfort measures in labor and focuses more on techniques that would be used for a natural labor. We're taking that class next week (about 4 hrs long). You might want to see if your hospital offers something like that. I'm now also considering hiring a doula for more personalized one-on-one coaching.
I disn't get the feeling that our hospital pushes for pain meds, but they said about 90% of people get something. I'm like you, I'm not anti-drugs just that I've had surgery in the past and HATE being doped up/out of it.