Attended our first birthing class today. Ugh. I wish I had listened to my gut and not gone to a birthing class. First, I am not knocking prenatal education classes. I think they are wonderful tools for those who feel like they benefit from them, and I know that is a lot of people. I am simply saying that mine scared the sh** out of me, as I thought it might...and my husband for that matter. While I did learn a few helpful hints about relaxation and what to pack in my hospital bag, the videos that they showed us were absolutely horrifying. There were several short stories about several different women and their individual birth experience and let me tell you that their birth experiences all looked exactly the same to me and my husband...like the worst experience you could ever have in your life. Yes, the part where they put the baby on your chest is of course very blissful, but WHY do they show these types of videos to first-time expectant mothers? Women are screaming and moaning and writhing in pain and sitting and squatting in the most awkward and embarrassing positions. omg. All I could think of was that I hope my labor and delivery goes NOTHING like what I am seeing here. I am now more scared and tense than ever about giving birth after attending a class. Anyone else have a similar experience???
Re: More Scared Than Ever After Childbirth Class!!
I am not kidding myself that childbirth will be roses, but my approach to life is you can psyche yourself up or psyche yourself out. I know I will be writhing in pain, but I also know enough women have found ways, like @klkonwi says, to make it through one hour at a time and stay focused on the goal.
Good luck, lady! We can do this. Our bodies were made for it.
I found the birthing class last time around really boring and not helpful enough to warrant wasting my whole weekend by sitting in a hard chair... And am completely skipping this time around ... I am sure others have better experiences than me. Believe it or not my best relaxation for labor advice came from my super hippie yoga instructor
I understand it scares you, it definitely is a scary thing. It's hard to not be in control, or know what's going to happen next and how you will respond to it. But just think, you have three more months to arm yourself with information, strategies, and tools to get through this. You can and will do it!!!
I agree with PPs. I'm a FTM and went to my child birth class last weekend. I'm glad they showed the videos. Yes it is intense but it's also important to note that the women got through it and that the pain is only temporary.
Have you considered a doula? DH and I decided to hire one so that she can help us with pain management techniques and also so we can have someone who is knowledgeable about the labor process with us since doctors and nurses will be in and out often.
I also recommend reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Birthing without Fear. Those are two good reads and it's helpful in viewing labor as just a natural process.
Good luck!
My first time I would always complain that those videos made my vagina hurt. I watched very few. They don't prepare you as much as scare you. You'll be fine once you're in there because it doesn't last forever (even the horrible part....pushing!) and the pain is immediately gone once the baby comes.
P.S. If you want the easiest, most pain free delivery possible...get an epidural! Lol
I'm not doing a birthing class for a couple reasons, 1 I have a rotating schedule that doesn't allow me the same day off each week and 2 I think it would cause more anxiety than good. I've read some books and I'll just deal with the pain when I get there hoping I have an awesome l and d nurse for support.
Edited: maybe it was mindful birthing that went on about vitamin K? I can't remember now but neither of those books were for me.
I find Ina May's books to be very anti-establishment. I love nothing more than beautiful, non-intervention birth (when appropriate), but I find many who blindly follow Ina to be anti-intervention for the sake of anti-intervention without exploring the reasons why we are telling them what they MAY need and the risks. At the end of the of the day it's your body and you can refuse anything and everything but I love to educate on the reasoning behind the intervention with research to back it up. I hate being demonized and often feel like Ina May does that to hospital births and workers
Don't let the videos (or the horror stories, or anything else) get you down. You got this.
I think it's great that Ina May cautions women about interventions for the sake of interventions. Statistics strongly support that this education is sorely needed. That shouldn't make you defensive as a medical professional - it should make you do exactly what you're doing: have clear reasons and research to back up your suggestions for interventions. Sounds like you're awesome at your job!
The medical community would be doing itself and its patients a disservice if it didn't get introspective about current practices. Every industry and working professional should be learning about alternative views and constantly readjusting itself to ensure the best possible practices are being used.
I am a big fan of Ina May but am also choosing to birth in a hospital with an NICU. It is a low intervention hospital, and I've been warned they like to use foreceps and avoid c-sections to a fault. So I will be aware of that and discussing that beforehand with my doctor. No approach is perfect for every woman. But if one approach is scaring the bejeezus out of you, then by all means, seek different ways to educate yourself. That's not wrong, that's smart. If that makes you defensive, offended, or angry, take it to a therapist because none of this should be perceived as personal.
I had two natural... Two epidural.. I'm going for meds again
2nd round exp 8/20/18.
What helped me was counting things on the wall.. Or singing a song in my head.. Anything to get my mind off of the pain. But to be honest right after the delivery you don't remember the pain.. It's weird.