December 2011 Moms
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Childbirth classes- who's taking what?
I'm sure this has been covered before, but I was just curious as to what childbirth classes, if any, you all are taking? I just signed up for the 1-Day Childbirth Prep class and the Hospital Tour. I am on the fence about the Breastfeeding Basics class, and maybe the First Time Parents Baby Care class? It's really hard to schedule any of this with my husband's schedule (he's a firefighter), so I just signed up for the two classes that fell on the dates he could go.
Any advice from already-moms?? Did you take any of these classes, and were they helpful? I think the Breastfeeding class would be good, but also I know that there are lactation consultants at the hospital who will tell/show you the same things, for free!
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Re: Childbirth classes- who's taking what?
We pay $60 for our childbirth class, which is 9 hours and includes the hospital tour.
With that class registration, we get Taking Care of Baby (sleep basics, feeding, diapering, infant CPR), Breastfeeding Intro and Breastfeeding for Working Moms for free.
I'm taking the Midwife centering pregnancy group class in place of the monthly appointment. I'm also doing the Bradley Birth class and Bringing Baby Home class through our hospital. It's basically a marriage/relationship class that gives you skills to deal with being a new parent, how to communicate when your exhausted and stressed and incorporating intimacy and keeping both a marriage and family happy.
Cooper: 11/20/11
Julian: EDD 8/1/16
PCOS & Endo. w/ DOR
I took a BFing class last time, and I found it immensely helpful. DH is a cop and couldn't go, so I took my mom.
This time I'm going for a natural birth so DH and I are taking Bradley classes.
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Wow- that's a good deal! Our Childbirth Prep class is $95 for the all-day class. The hospital tour is free, but then the Breastfeeding class is $30, Basic Baby Care is $30 and Infant Safety/CPR is $75...
I don't like the hospital ones around here, so I didn't take them.
With DD, we took a prenatal class that covered everything from BFP to birth, and also included a full class on breastfeeding, swaddling, and diapering. We had to bring in dolls to practice on (I found this really helpful for breastfeeding positions). After DD was born, we met with the hospital's LC, and then a nurse from our local health unit stopped by within 48 hours of being home to check on the BF again. It was awesome. I also joined a post-partum group of moms who all had their babies within a month of each other. It was great to get opinions, new ideas, and for reassurance that I wasn't alone in dealing with things (baby or DH related lol). The group was faciliated by a nurse so there was access to post-partum medical advice as well (for me and baby). All of us ladies are still friends 5 years later.
With this one, I'm doing Hypnobirthing but I'm not taking a class. My doula is a certified Hypnobirthing instructor so she is giving me private lessons during her visits. They are amazing.
*TW loss and children mentioned*
Apr 17: IUI #1 = BFN
May 17: IUI #2 = BFN
Jun 17: IUI #3 = Late BFP (18 DPO) | NMC 17Jul17 @ ~6w
Aug 17: IUI #4 = Cancelled due to premature ovulation | TI = BFN
Sep 17: IUI #5 = Cancelled due to overstimulation (10+ follies)
Nov 17: IVF #1 = Cancelled due to non-IF related health issue | TI = BFN
Dec 17: IVF #1 = Puregon 200, Menopur 75, Orgalutran, Suprefact trigger due to OHSS risk | 22R, 18M, 16F, 10B frozen
Feb 18: FET #1 (medicated) = BFN
Mar 18: FET #2 (natural cycle) = CP (beta 1: 54; beta 2: 0)
EDD: 07Jan2019 Team Green
My Rainbow Baby Boy born 03Jan2019
We're actually taking ours right now. It's called the Childbirth Preparation Series and is four 2 1/2 hour classes over five weeks. It is offered by the healthcare provider system my doctor is part of. It costs $80 and includes written materials and a tour of the hospital where it is held (which is not the hospital I will be delivering in, incidentally).
It's actually been very informative, although we are taking it a touch early. They really want you to wait until your 7th month, but I wanted to get it out of the way and it fit into our schedules.
I'm also taking a BF class, which is scheduled for later this month, although I may delay that until the beginning of November.
Im taking a 12 week Bradley Course (but we really wanted to do a natural birth so I felt like the more prepared I was, the better). I highly reccomend it if you want to have a natural L&D, if not itll just be a long waste of time.
Im also taking the 2 week series breastfeeding class offered by the Le Leche Instructor in my area as the hospital lactation consultant is a ding bat here. I have inverted nipples so I already have a lot going against me with BFing. I feel like it will be HUGELY benneficial to take a BFing class before hand (but not too far in advance so you remember the material) because how you START BFing can really affect on how well it works for you. If you start off doing all the wrong things youre teaching your baby bad habbits that might be hard to break once you realize it isnt working. Also the Le Leche League is big on advocating skin to skin contact and BFing imediately after birth if the baby and mom are healthy and able to do this and they talk about WHY this is important and how to make sure it happens for you in your hospital delivery even though that might not be the protocol in that hospital. All of these are things you wouldnt really know about or understand the importance of *(if you agree with it) if you hadnt gone to classes before hand.
The lactation class here is only $25 so it's definitely worth it!
I took Bradley classes the first time around & found them EXTREMELY helpful with trying for a med-free birth. It was a 12-week class & one class was completely BFing. I also went to a few La Lech League meetings. Yes, the lactation consultants in the hospital are free but I believe the more you know going in the better. Even with all the pre & seeing 3 LCs in the hospital, I still called another LC once I got home because of the problems I had.
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When pregnant with DD, we didn't take any classes and even after going through the experience, I didn't regret not taking a class. For me personally, a lot of it is common sense; you know what to do with your body, and your body knows what to do with itself.
With that being said, I do think that a Bradley class that focuses mostly on breathing exercises is a good class to take, just for the matter of staying focused if you are a person who can get flustered and overwhelmed.
We will be taking a breastfeeding class just because I want to BF longer this time, and I think a class will help me and DH support that and work together as a team to be successful. DD will also go to a "Siblings are Special" class that just encourages kids in being an older sibling. Other than that, we are just doing a hospital tour.
I am in the wrong part of the country! Our hospital childbirth class is $185 (it's 1 1/2 days), including a hospital tour (which you can do for free on your own) Breastfeeding class is $50, infant care is $50, but I guess our infant CPR class is the deal at $45..
We're taking the one day "marathon crash-course" childbirth class in October. It focuses on the birthing process and labor relaxation/management techniques. I feel like I know a ton about childbirth, but DH is totally clueless ("you mean when women say they labored for 15 hours they weren't pushing the whole time? then what's the big fuss?!"). I'm more interested in the labor relaxation part of it, and I feel like if it ends up being a bust, there will still be time to do research/read more.
We're also doing a hospital tour in early November. We're skipping the baby basics class since I'm pretty sure I know how to change and bathe a baby, and DH can learn through trial by fire.
Ella born 12/21/11
DH and I are just working through the free on on babycenter.com. So far we like it! I don't feel like I would get any new different info from attending a $100 class at the hospital (our original plan).
In September we are taking a 1 day Baby Basics class at the hospital.
BFP #2: 8.31.16 Dx w/ GD @ 28w DD Born @ 36w: 4.21.17
Im taking a 5 week course at the hospital that covers everything, 5 classes at 3 hours each. It cost me $75 but I think my benefits will cover the cost. I would take them all but i like to be overprepared
Started TTC 2009
03/2010 Exploratory Laparoscopy, Hysteroscopy, D&C, HSG and Ovarian Drilling - All clear, except blocked Fallopian Tubes?
02/2011 HSG - All clear!
03/2011 Diagnosed Annovulatory
03/2011 Prometrium 200mg then Clomid 50mg - BFP!!
DD born 12/15/2011
11/2012-12/1012 Prometrium 200mg then Clomid 50mg - BFP!!
How'd that statement go over? LOL.
We are taking all the classes at the hospital (Lamaze childbirth, save a baby, baby care basics and breastfeeding), for around $100. A lot of it I may not need, but I wanted to take everything available....mostly because I really enjoy workshop type settings and feel like they enhance things....even if I've read it a million times over.
I'm taking one called Birthing from Within, the only English-language offering available before EDD. It's a full weekend workshop that covers pain management, labor positions, massage, communicating with hospital staff.
There's a second weekend that covers baby care, post-natal care, BFing and I think they do belly casts or something, but DH will be travelling that weekend, so I'm not sure if I'll go. I'm pretty sure I know how to put on a diaper, while he's never held a baby, and I feel like a belly cast is just clutter and I'm trying to cut down on that...
Anyway, it's a bit of a battle convincing DH about the classes, because my doctor downplayed the neccessity (oh, you don't need to learn all that breathing stuff, we'll tell you what to do when the time comes) and DH spoke with some random friend of his who had done birthing classes and didn't find them helpful. Plus, it's a lot more expensive here than what you ladies are discussing (something like $250 for the first weekend and additional $100 if I do the second - insurance does not cover!). So he's trying to be frugal and tell me I will be fine with the hospital staff helping me, and I feel like the more prepared I am the less nervous/stressed I will feel when the time comes.
I'm also thinking about seeing if my school nurse will come over one night and teach us infant CPR and first aid (I don't think the Turkish red cross offers those types of courses...), or see if she can recommend someone to teach us (ie DH