Are classes worth it?

mhickey426 · September 2012

I guess this is a question for those of you who are not ftm. Did you take any classes about labor and/or Lamaze. If you did which one did you take and did you feel that it was worth it in the end? Did it help? Was it a waste of time?

I do not plan on going natural but I was wondering if the breathing or focusing techniques help. The hospital offers a course that is 4 classes at $100 a pop which is a lot of money. I do not want to waste that money unless I am really going to get something out of it. I plan on attending their breastfeeding class and taking care of baby (teaches infant cpr and other other important things for first time parents which I think can be very helpful especially for my dh)

ann_jeremiah · September 2012

We took a childbirth class... I didn't think it was beneficial to me... But thought it could be enlightening to DH. I wish I would have paid more attention to the vaccum to assist delivery instead of assuming I wouldn't need it.

covertxxamour · September 2012

I didn't take any classes. I don't feel as though I missed anything too important. I breathed in a way that helped me, and pushed in a way I felt progress. Lol. I don't know if I would have thought about anything I learned while giving birth...

candreco · September 2012

The class I took the first time around was useful, but mostly because it was offered by the OB/MW practice I go to, and was tailored to how they handle different situations and the hospital they deliver at. The pain management stuff was interesting, but I got an epidural at about 6cm and didn't really ever need to use it.

frecks2112 · September 2012

I think the almost 8 hours of classes didn't help at all. I got an Epidural and my nurse told me when and how to push.

I think if you are thinking of going natural, it might be worth it so your DH can learn how to support you.

I REALLY recommend both baby safety and breastfeeding. The baby safety (CPR) saved my LOs life. I would make DH go to breastfeeding because when you want to quit, maybe your DH can offer a tidbit from the class that will help.

kateryna72 · September 2012

OMG DH and I were just talking about this the other day. DH's schedule is very challenging, but we are also clueless first time parents. Most of our knowledge of childbirth comes from the Cosby Show in the form of the ubiquitous pregnant woman, Lamaze class scene.

DH feels like we'll be missing out on part of the whole experience by skipping the class, but I'm working under the assumption that I won't be giving birth alone in a field, so it probably isn't necessary. I was also turned off when I found out that many birth classes include a video of a live birth. Neither of us are planning on delivering the baby, so I don't feel like it will be helpful to scare ourselves by watching everything happen from the business end.

However, I am kind of considering putting the Hypnobabies tracks on my iPod. Has anyone else used this before? What did you think? Was it helpful at all?

SarahRae85 · September 2012

I didn't bother with classes my first time around, figuring I wouldn't need it.

In hindsight, I wish I had. I went to the hospital for non-labor reasons and realized, when they finally got me in a bed, that I was in full-blown labor. For an entire hour, I was left alone in the hospital room (DH wasn't allowed back and the hospital was swamped in L&D so they took forever getting me admitted) with contractions and no idea what to do. I laid there and cried.

Then, once DH was with me, he didn't have a clue what to do and I was so tired I couldn't even think straight. Thank goodness my mother arrived and coached me through it. DH was so clueless all he could do was pat my hand and repeat what my mom said.

Mostly, I would suggest the classes so you have some coping strategies and so your DH has an idea of how to coach you through it.

BriDaily · October 2012

I took Hypnobabies and loved it! Yes, it really helped! Not only did I use it during labor, I have used it since... plus I thought it was overall educational on a variety of baby related topics. Definitely check it out... I seriously feel it is the best one and really encourages partner participation and support.

mhickey426 · October 2012

Thank you for all of the feedback.

Sarai28 · October 2012

DH and I took a 4 week (1 her each week) Lamaze series class. It wasn't old school Lamaze, but included all kinds of things about childbirth. I was glad we took it, especially for DH. I knew a lot from reading, but if we hadn't taken the classes, DH wouldn't have known much of anything. He was even glad we took it. I did get an epidural, but I still labored some before and used the breathing. We just really learned a lot about what to expect. It wasn't nearly as expensive as yours though. We also took the breastfeeding class, which was ok. I think maybe this time I should look into the child first aid- just good info to have. I would rather have taken the childbirth class and felt that we didn't use it that much, than have felt lost when labor kicked in and wished we'd taken a class.

Sarai28 · October 2012

Oh, I also think it gave DH a lot of info on how to be a good coach, which is priceless!

happy_un-bride · October 2012

I'm taking classes from my county (basically through hospital). I'm lucky though, they are free. Its 2 Saturdays, first one covers pregnancy through birth, and the second one covers after the fact. My hospital also offers free breastfeeding classes and clinics.

So, I have no idea if its worth it. I probably wouldn't have paid to do a course, personally.

PippaLee33 · October 2012

We took a Childbirthing class, a BF class, and a baby care class and I thought they were all extremely helpful. It sounds silly, but I honestly did not know how to do little things like give a newborn baby a bath, so information like that was helpful for DH and I. It also got us extremely comfortable in the hospital where I delivered, which helped when the big day finally came.

Yes, they will tell you everything in the hospital but most of the time I was either in too much pain, exhausted, or just too overwhelmed to process what they were saying and was glad I had all the information ahead of time.

LJM0521 · October 2012

I learned a lot from my classes, but I had med-free labors. I'm not sure if it would have helped me if I wanted an epi. It was really good for DH, though! He was against me trying for a natural birth (med-free) until we went to those classes, but he was the one encouraging me the whole way after that.

Shoshie · October 2012

We're taking lamaze in january -- they don't offer a class on "Drugs and You" or I TOTALLY would have signed up for that one.

I have to get through a 35 minute car ride to the hospital, so I figured it would help in that regard.

We are are also taking Breastfeeding and Baby Care Basics - DH will be at both.

lalaland526 · October 2012

What does dh mean? My only thought is dumb husband, but I'm sure that can't be it lol

monicapearia · October 2012

My husband and I both have schedules that didn't allow an actual class. We downloaded some birthing class videos online instead. We now feel more prepared, but didn't have to spend any money or a bunch of time missing work to make it to class. It'd recommend looking at other options. There are some great DVDs out there.

Shoshie · October 2012

lalaland526:
What does dh mean? My only thought is dumb husband, but I'm sure that can't be it lol

Darling/Dear Husband

aygr050313 · October 2012

lalaland526:
What does dh mean? My only thought is dumb husband, but I'm sure that can't be it lol

Thank you so much for asking...lol... I was thinking the same exact thing...

Are classes worth it?

Re: Are classes worth it?

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