Don't be like me! (Birth classes)

hiketheworld · July 2014

I went to check out what birthing classes were available at my hospital. Surprise! the next available course was after my due date. So, word to the wise- if you haven't registered for a class and intend to, get on it because that ship may sail before you even know it.

That said, I'm going to find one somewhere. What classes are you planning to take pre-baby? STM+ what classes have you taken that you liked?

mamatohne · July 2014

This happened with my first as well, the hospital I delivered at only offered a 8 week course and it lasted 4 weeks after my scs. We never went to one.

marajay6 · July 2014

My hospital does a 7 week series. Ours starts right after Labor Day and finishes mid-October. Already paid and signed up!

uncharted01 · July 2014

Bummer! Yesterday, I registered for Lamaze, Newborn Care, Infant & Child Safety, and Baby ER. But the baby ER class is like 10 days before my due date because the August class was full. We'll see if I actually make it to that one! I couldn't believe how fast the classes were filling up.

moroccojade · July 2014

Not sure if this will make you feel better... but some hospital classes aren't known to be all that great anyway. It is just the default class that everyone signs up for as they aren't sure of their other options.

I did Birthing from Within last time and loved it. (Will do a Birthing Again class next month!) It is steered toward a more intervention-free birth, but that isn't a bad thing... there are times when it's too late for an epi... or when the epi doesn't work so well. So it is good to have some natural coping techniques up your sleeve. Of course, they do discuss your options with medical pain relief... and we learned enough about a C section to make me and my husband feel comfortable during our horribly emergent one...

Anyway, you should have a few options in your city... read some websites, call around... you might hit on something wonderful!

Jpinky9 · July 2014

I am doing a breastfeeding class, parenting class and the labor and delivery class. I hope I get something out of them.

AnnieRoo13 · July 2014

Good reminder! I was looking at my local classes yesterday and I need to get signed up soon. I will stop putting it off.

BuffaloGal75 · July 2014

Our hospital has day-long classes on Saturdays. Of course, every one conflicted with my husband's school schedule so we are attending a 3-week class. Most people who have gone to this particular hospital said the best part is the hospital tour. We also signed up for a breastfeeding class and are on the waiting list for a Happiest Baby on the Block class. My insurance pays for each of those as well as a Returning to Work Breastfeeding class which I will take a few weeks after Baby Boy arrives!

PineApple85 · July 2014

I did Bradley last time and would like to do Infant CPR this time. I plan to do the Hypnobabies homestudy as well.

@BuffaloGal75 I'm so jealous of the classes available in your area.

xiaopeapod · July 2014

I'm with Kaiser and I signed up for four classes last week:
1. Birthing
2. Newborn care
3. Late Pregnancy and Hospital Tour
4. Breastfeeding

Except for Birthing, the other classes are free. I' a FTM so not sure what the classes will be like. Good luck with everyone's classes!

ccam · July 2014

DH and I will be taking a CPR class this time. We didn't take any classes besides the hospital tour with DS. I heard the local birthing classes were not very helpful. The hospital tour was actually pretty great because we got to speak to some of the nurses who worked in L&D and ask questions.

brichar31 · July 2014

DH and I signed up for an all day class and left at lunch! Watching videos of women in Labor wasn't my thing and then they had DH squeeze my knee as hard as he could so I could practice breathing through pain, yeah no thanks.

Melissa2216 · July 2014

Last time I took a breastfeeding intro class and a "first experience class" that covered labor and infant care. This time I plan to take an infant CPR class and we will also take DS to a siblings class that my hospital offers for kids age 3-8. They teach the kids how to help take care of the babies, they use dolls to teach the kids how to hold the babies, etc. I think DS will love it.

scarlet3egonias · July 2014

Eeek. I just signed up. Mine were getting full too. I hope that doing these all in October is soon enough.

I signed up for Prepared Childbirth (10hr), Baby Care Basics (2.5hr) and the L&D Tour.

TeeJ526 · July 2014

Holy crap! That stinks but thanks for the reminder. I'm going to look into class options between today and the weekend.

carafern · July 2014

We already took a class! We are moving this month and I knew classes would be much less expensive here than in San Francisco so we signed up for the one offered at our OB's office. I know it was super early (and we missed 2 out of the 6 classes) but it was really helpful it covered a lot, including newborn care and some breastfeeding info as well as c-secs and some relaxation techniques.

I'd like to do another class but time and cost is a deterrent. We have a doula so I hope that she'll teach us some things and she pointed us in the direction of a partner prenatal yoga and massage class, which I'm really excited about.

JSwinford · July 2014

We're doing the prepping for childbirth class which is a 12 hour weekend thing. I think I'm going to do the breastfeeding class too. If there were any others that looked good, I'd probably take those too, since I'm entering "OMG I don't know what I'm doing" FTM mode.

runningmama14 · July 2014

We are doing Bradley classes, which start next week. I know our class had been full for awhile, but I think she may be one of only two instructors in our area.

We've already done infant cpr, so it's nice we don't have to cram that in. I do need to look into a breastfeeding class still.

Kehlepop · July 2014

The 8 week class I intended to take was full. There was availability only for the class I'm in now which is 4 weeks. I feel it's so early that we won't remember any of it, lol! This one is for labor and delivery, I really like the instructor. We are also signed up for an all day Saturday seminar on newborn basics.

scarlet3egonias · July 2014

I can't believe that CPR isn't covered in any of the classes I signed up for! I just had to register for another 3 hour class and it was $50 -twice as much as the other classes! Of all classes you'd think that one would be cheap (or free).

Apparently my entire month of October will be spent in classes. At least I'll be (sorta) prepared.

highbornhunter · July 2014

We just did our hospital classes weekend seminar, which I came away from feeling pretty good. The most important thing for me she taught us how to be an advocate for our own best care in the hospital setting and emphasized natural birthing techniques. I feel pretty good about the hospital we've chosen as a result.

They also offer a free breastfeeding class, and a newborn care class, which I would like to sign us up for PDQ.

Love4Science · July 2014

I broached the subject of classes with DH and he basically said "nope, not going, don't need them". He's been incredibly supportive of everything through this pregnancy (and the 2 years spent trying to get pregnant) but he's a doctor and thinks he knows it all. I know I DO want an epi and DON'T want IV pain meds. I know how to balance breathing with pain (thanks yoga and athletics). I know I'll do anything to avoid a C-section or an induction. They'll teach breastfeeding at the hospital and there are LCs available for afterward. And everything else (early labor, tearing, etc.) is out of my control. So he thinks we're ready. But after reading everything you ladies are taking, I'm like "maybe I'm not...".

I just don't want to go to one by myself.

Irishprncss19 · July 2014

Thanks for the reminder! Now signed up!

MmmPopcorn · July 2014

We're attending the 6-week course offered by the hospital where I will deliver. We were encouraged to register at 14 weeks (which we did), and we got one of the last spots. The course starts next month. Our hospital is fairly progressive. They encourage lots of different labor and pushing positions, are doula-friendly, and have a 98% lactation success rate. I initially wanted to take a course other than the hospital course, but this one seemed to be a better option than I had anticipated.

kkewhitney · July 2014

Thank you so much for the reminder! I signed up for a weekend class offered by a local hospital back in March and don't even remember now if it's in August or September! I wanted to check other classes too, I better put the ice cream down and focus!

babysis013 · July 2014

We have taken 2 classes so far: Baby Basics 1 (about baby right after birth and the first couple of days) and Baby Basics 2 (about taking baby home and the first couple months). The next class is Daddy Bootcamp just for the dads so my husband is going to that. And we are signed up for a birthing class and breastfeeding class closer to the due date. The hospital also offers a grandparents class that my in-laws are taking and asked if we'd go with them so we are (expectant parents are welcome). I'm going to try to convince my parents to go. They are not first time grandparents so they don't think they need to go. The class is designed to update the grandparents on what has changed since they became parents and what has changed even in the last year or two.

MrsTuna08 · July 2014

Thanks for the reminder! I just checked my hospital website and was able to get into the time we wanted!

moroccojade · July 2014

WildFlower810 said:

I'm trying to figure out how to do all of the birthing classes on my own. My midwifes teach one once a month that we'll be going to (possibly next month) but it's a two hour deal and that's it. I wish I could do a Bradley class but the nearest one is 2 hours away so that's not happening!

@Moroccojade, what was the feel from Birthing From Within? My ideal birth is a natural, med-free, husband-coached/supported possible home birth. So I'm on the crunchy side to start with. I looked into the Hypnobabies self-study and decided against it because the idea of hypnosis weirds me out. BFW looks interesting but it looks like it might get all weird with inner discovery and etc. I'm more of a cut-and-dry, give-me-the-facts kinda girl.

WildFlower810

BFW is pretty crunchy. Lots of good concrete info. Some of the "homework" you get and some of the things you do in class seem a little odd at first. But they really make a point. So it sounds like you might be out of your comfort zone a tiny bit... but, well, birth takes us all out of our comfort zones, so it is good practice.

During my first pregnancy I asked my MW what class she thought were the best. (I was actually really interested in hypnobirthing.) And this is the one she said she saw the best results from by far. The couples were prepared, ready for anything, had good pain coping techniques and were realistic. She was pretty ambivalent about a lot of other classes, and spoke quite frankly against a few classes, too. I am really glad I took her advice and can't wait for the refresher next month.

gldnbearz · July 2014

Thanks for the reminder. I had looked at the schedule but hadn't paid/checked out yet.

LMM1215 · July 2014

We plan on taking a Newborn Care class but I am little nervous about taking a birthing class. I'm worried it will send me into a panic.

jessa1228 · July 2014

My OB's office does classes once a month and suggests you take them when you're about 30 weeks. I signed up a month ago at my last appointment for the August classes. I'm taking a childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant CPR class.

Carebella · July 2014

Our midwifery center requires first time parents to take three classes with them between 32-36 weeks, Natural Childbirth Preparation, Birth Recovery and Newborn Care, and Breastfeeding for Parents-To-Be. I'll probably ask them if CPR is covered because after reading through here I think that's a class I'd really like to take. We will be learning a lot between August 31st and September 21st!

FishyMom · July 2014

All of my classes seem to be expensive at my hospital, does anywhere else offer classes?

lizgrace03 · July 2014

I'm signed up for childbirth prep, breastfeeding, infant care and the car seat class at the hospital. DH will come to all of them. I'm still trying to talk him into Boot Camp for Dads, haha.

PineApple85 · July 2014

Ashris13 said:
All of my classes seem to be expensive at my hospital, does anywhere else offer classes?

It's my personal experience that the out-of-hospital classes are more expensive. Maybe someone else has seen differently? :-/

runningmama14 · July 2014

lissydee said:

runningmama14 said:

We are doing Bradley classes, which start next week. I know our class had been full for awhile, but I think she may be one of only two instructors in our area.

We've already done infant cpr, so it's nice we don't have to cram that in. I do need to look into a breastfeeding class still.

@runningmama14, you may not need a breastfeeding class if you are taking Bradley. The go over that as well.

Thanks @lissydee‌! Good to know!

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