Was your hospital birthing class helpful?

amwenz · May 2014

My husband and I are headed to our birthing class tmrw from 9-5. For anyone that did the long day did it move a long well and was it helpful?

blushingbride_08 · May 2014

I thought mine was helpful in me meeting other new parents. The actual content was not practical for labor.

jcartz · May 2014

Ditto @emotionlotion ... Skeptical going in but found a lot of it helpful. For me, breathing techniques and different positions made a huge difference during labor, and I also think the class helped DH be better informed and prepared for what to expect.

Lisasugar · May 2014

My doctor talked me out of going. He said the class was "dumbed down" and I could find all of the same information on the internet. He said our time was better spent going on dates with each other. I am content with that and for us it actually fits.

amwenz · May 2014

Thanks ladies. We went and found much of it useful and reassuring. I was thinking about trying to go natural and I learned many ways to attempt yo get through it that way. Even with all of the reading I was still unaware that I will give birth most likely in a birthing room and not an OR. I just assumed everyone went to OR regardless of a c-section. So, all in all more prepared and wish it was July!

ElTrain5 · May 2014

Mine was taught by a doula and not a nurse, so the medical information was not that accurate. Labor support stuff was good and good general information. they also played really out dated videos. All in all, I think DH got a lot more information than me, so not a total loss, but I didn't get much out of it.

mysticl · May 2014

Mine was useless. No one told me it wasn't actually a child birth class. They showed a bunch of movies of women giving birth, explained induction (lied about one of the drugs they use), explained epidurals, explained c-sections. When they got to natural childbirth they listed a bunch of techniques and said "If you plan to use these you better have been practicing them all along". Never mind it was the only child birth class in the area so I'm not sure where they expected us to learn these techniques if they didn't teach them.

xinightingale · May 2014

I found it to be extremely helpful. I was terrified of the pain associated with L&D, and have been dreading the big day. I'm still nervous about it, but I learned so many relaxation techniques that will help me manage. I even hope to deliver naturally if possible, which is something I never considered before, but if I need an epidural, I'm ok with that too. My instructor explained the difference between a lot of myths and reality, which made me much more comfortable. I feel like it also brought my husband and I a bit closer together, since we did a lot of relaxation techniques and positions together. I feel a lot more confident going into this thing having a better understanding of what to expect, and knowing that I can rely entirely on my husband for support. It helped him a lot as well to know what to expect from me and what not to get freaked out about. I recommend it if you can. Also, many insurance providers pay for some or all of the cost.

Pepper6 · May 2014

Even though I knew a lot of the information they went over, I still found it helpful in that it was specific to the hospital I'll be delivering at, but most especially, helpful for my H to have all the info too.

ADC1979 · May 2014

My hospital's birthing class description seems to mostly be about teaching Lamaze and to tell you more about the process and what drugs are used when. I'm already taking Hypnobirthing classes, and because our instructor is familiar with the hospital we'll be at, we're learning lots of good info. I think the hospital birthing class would freak me out more than help at this point.

Nekotaru · May 2014

We did the long day, so glad we did. It was extremely helpful. They went over specifics for our exact hospital, even had samples of everything the gives you to pass around/touch and hold from a sample of the epidural catheter (to show the size), to the types of underwear and pads they would provide, to the literal paperwork they would have you sign, and much more. It covered breathing, labor positions, and information on all the types of birth they offer (with/out drugs, water births at the hospital, induction information, and c-section procedures). I felt a lot better and very informed afterwards.

MrsGillen29 · May 2014

Husband found it helpful, I on the other hand did not. Such a waste of a day. I didn't learn anything I hadn't already found on Pintrest with blogs about different techniques to use. They didn't teach us how to install a carseat (I know that may vary among different vehicles, but still). No knowledge of the applicable laws for carseats in our province, nothing about what we are required to bring to the hospital vs what the hospital supplies (all hospitals are different).. I was disappointed to say the least. The county charges $50 for the course, but upon assessment of our financial situation, we were able to do it free of charge. I would be asking for my money back if I did have to pay. Guess the classes depend on the area you're in..

RebekahP14 · May 2014

I am fortunate in that my city offers a free online course. They sent a package with the webcode about a week after I called and gave them the necessary info. Overall the course is 6 to 7 hours, at your own pace with videos and couple exercises to practice. I happened to stumble on it by accident. My advice would be to check your city's homepage if you don't want to do a group class or leave the house for that matter.

vixey · May 2014

Our class was two Saturday afternoons for a few hours each taught by a L&D nurse. Some of the content was more helpful than others. We watched a lot of videos, practiced different relaxation positions and breathing techniques, and the "coaches" practiced giving the moms massages.

The best part was the classes took place in a room in the maternity ward, so now we know exactly where we're going when the time comes and can tell our families what to expect. They took us on a tour and showed us the different rooms we would be in. During the class they passed around equipment that might be used during labor and brought in a person who does epidurals to answer questions.

jbethp · May 2014

I work a lot, like a lot a lot, and despite buying baby books and swearing to read that article I downloaded a month ago, I don't really have time at the end of the day. I'm too tired and just want to eat and sleep. While the classes were extra time, I learned SO much that, at least now, pre-delivery, I think will be helpful.

mysticl · May 2014

MrsGillen29 said:

Husband found it helpful, I on the other hand did not. Such a waste of a day. I didn't learn anything I hadn't already found on Pintrest with blogs about different techniques to use. They didn't teach us how to install a carseat (I know that may vary among different vehicles, but still). No knowledge of the applicable laws for carseats in our province, nothing about what we are required to bring to the hospital vs what the hospital supplies (all hospitals are different).. I was disappointed to say the least. The county charges $50 for the course, but upon assessment of our financial situation, we were able to do it free of charge. I would be asking for my money back if I did have to pay. Guess the classes depend on the area you're in..

Most hospitals don't employ carseat technicians so having a random birthing instructor teach you how to instal a carseat could actually have put your child's life at risk.

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