- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
Mamasaurus
member
childbirth class vent
Mamasaurus
member
Over in the second trimester group, there's a thread about whether childbirth classes are a waste of time. OH MY GOD. The stuff people are saying! Things like, "I'm just going to do whatever the nurses say," "It's pointless because labor is never like what they tell you anyways," "I don't need to learn how to manage my pain because I'm getting an epidural," "My husband doesn't need to have an opinion; he had just better do what I say, and I know what to do because my sister told me all about her baby," and, "I didn't need a class because I had a voluntary c-section so I wouldn't have do all that pushing stuff." There is even stuff like, "Why do I need to spend six whole hours at the hospital wasting my time talking about childbirth?" and "$70 is too much to spend on this."
Granted I am pretty biased because I think the 10-week Bradley class that I am taking is totally necessary, but OMG. Do you guys ever see stuff like this on other boards or in daily interactions and have to bite your tongue so hard you're surprised it's still attached? I almost had an aneurism. Last week, on another similar thread, somebody dismissed Bradley couples as "a bunch of sweaty hippies" and my head almost exploded. What do you do to keep from going all Momzilla on people who talk to you this way in person?
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
This discussion has been closed.
Re: childbirth class vent
Just breathe.
Opinions are like bumholes... everyone has them and they all stink.
Remember that what's most important is what works for you and your family, not what everyone else thinks, which at the end of the day is completely irrelevant.
Most hospital birth classes are a waste of time and honestly if you are planing to get an epidural, you are not overly concerned about interventions so you can just do what the nurses tell you.
For someone planning to go med-free, it is an entirely different story but I would still opt for a "method-based" course over the hospital course.
I had to go over & read it after your post. I'm amazed so many say they didn't take one but for those who say they did & it was pointless, they seem to be talking exclusively about hospital childbirth classes. I can't really blame them - if all you're going to do is follow the standard procedures of the hospital, then what is there to study/learn? Hopefully they go over relaxation techniques but I guess you could study that at home.
Those I know who took Lamaze & Bradley generally have very positive things to say and feel like the relaxation prep helped them get through labor and develop their own informed opinions about what they want to accept & decline at the hospital. We took Bradley and we want a natural birth but even if complications arise, I feel so informed about my options even when it comes to c-sections so I trust that my experience will benefit from the knowledge I gained in the course, regardless of whether it all goes according to plan or not.
Yeah, it's annoying... IF I get stuck in the mindset that everyone should think like I do.
Honestly, if you don't want anything outside of the hospital "norm", plan to get an epidural ASAP, and are fine with doing whatever the nurses/OBs say, then you probably don't need a childbirth class. You would be wasting your time and money. I personally can't imagine wanting that, but many women do and that's fine. Different =/= wrong. I keep from "going Momzilla" on people by completely separating their opinion from my experience. Their opinions and experiences are their own, and have no bearing on mine.
I'm lol-ing at "a bunch of sweaty hippies." There was not a single couple in our Bradley class that fit that profile.
I was totally that person when I was pregnant with DS. I didn't educate myself, didn't take classes except for a BFing class, my plan (or lack of one, I should say) was to get the epi ASAP and go with whatever the doctors and nurses thought was best because they were professionals so I'd just let them handle it.
I paid for it with a not so great experience and a TERRIBLE recovery. It wasn't until I could look back on that and say, "wow, I really don't want to do that again" that I even started researching my options and considering a NB.
What do I do to keep from going "momzilla?"
I smile, nod, and make some smart a$$ comment about how CS rates are more than double the international average... And I dont want to be some stupid statistic.