36 Weeks
So this is probably one of my less inspired outfits, but John and I had an 8-hour birthing class yesterday and I wanted to be as comfy as possible.
What I'm Wearing:
Shirt from Gap Maternity
Seven For All Mankind maternity jeans from A Pea In The Pod
Scarf from Banana Republic
My feet have become so swollen that I find it difficult to wear shoes now. I wore these slippers to my class so I could easily slip them off.
Slippers by Allihop
Yesterday, John and I took a birthing class at the hospital where I will be delivering. When we first signed up for this class about a month ago, they told us that we were really pushing it and waiting last minute and that we probably should have signed up for it a long time ago. A part of me did agree with this and think, "Why didn't we take this class over the summer when we were on break?!" but John pointed out that it's probably best to take the class closer to our due date so it's fresher in our minds. Plus, every other couple there was also due in about three weeks, so we were all in the same boat.
We were instructed to bring a couple pillows with us for our comfort since we would be sitting on bean bag chairs all day. We also brought snacks with us, which was such a great idea since it was an all-day class and our lunch break wasn't until 1:30 pm. The class consisted largely of watching a PowerPoint Presentation and some video clips on labor. I mentally prepared myself for a very long, boring day so I think that somehow helped the time go a little faster. It honestly wasn't all that bad and I felt I learned a few things:
1. Swaddling is no longer recommended.
What?! Everyone has been telling me to swaddle my baby and now doctors are saying not to? The instructor told us that swaddling should only be used as a last resort, after trying to feed them, changing their diaper, or soothing them others ways have failed. I mentioned that a lot of people I know swaddle their babies when they put them to bed, and she said that is no longer recommended and that we should just put the baby in some pajamas with feet and hand covers. Oh boy, this gives me a lot to think about now...
2. There are many positions for giving birth.
I always thought that you just lay back on the bed, have your legs propped up, and you just push. Apparently, there are several ways you can give birth and we watched (in graphic detail) all of them. You can squat, stand on all fours like a dog, or lean forward on a bar that's attached to the bed. None of these looked particularly comfortable to me, but it's up to each individual woman what feels most comfortable to her.
3. Labor looks awful.
So this is not something I just learned from my class yesterday, but I still feel the need to reiterate it here. It looks horrible, painful, and gross. Yes, I know this is supposed to be beautiful, the miracle of life, yadda yadda yadda, but I'm still completely disturbed by all the fluids and unflattering shots of women in these videos that we had to watch yesterday. I told myself that I wasn't going to watch, but it was like a train wreck - I just couldn't look away (John, on the other hand, had NO problem looking away. In fact, he was the only one that didn't watch). By watching the videos, I do feel more informed on what giving birth is like, but at the same time, I often find that I'm better off just not knowing. For example, every time I get a shot or have my blood drawn, I always look away because if I watch them put the needle in, then I will anticipate the pain and therefore feel that it's more painful than what it really is. I feel the same way about giving birth - better left in the dark and go in not knowing (ignorance is bliss right?)
4. Labor is looooong.
I knew before that labor would take several hours. I also already knew that having an epidural would make it even longer. But I didn't realize just how long it could go. We watched a video on this woman who decided to get an epidural at 3 cm, but she ended up being in labor for about 48 hours before she could start pushing. I always thought I would just go ahead and get the epidural right away. I have no desire to know what labor feels like and I was perfectly content waiting things out. But now I'm starting to change my mind. I'm going to try to rough it out for as long as I can (they recommend at least 5 cm) before I get the epidural. Yes, I understand this will be painful and difficult, but there's a tradeoff - pain for seeing your baby sooner. In fact, the instructor had a good analogy - if you do one sit up, there's no payoff, but if you do 50 "Rocky" sit ups in a row, you start to feel pain, but you start to see results. Same idea here - "no pain, no gain."
We learned other miscellaneous things in the class such as breathing exercises, different birthing plans, and how to change a diaper. The instructor gave us a doll to practice on and I kept laughing at how John was handling it - he was treating the doll as, well, a doll - throwing it around, dropping it on the floor, holding it by its leg. I kept telling him that he was supposed to pretend it was the real thing :)
Overall, it was an informative class. I'm just glad I was able to take it before the baby came. I've actually been worried this whole time that I might go into labor early and not be able to take the birthing class. Now, the only other thing we have to get done is get our carseat installed, which we will be doing on Tuesday. I also have a prenatal massage scheduled for next weekend that I'm really looking forward to, so I hope I'm still pregnant by then :) Only three more weeks to go!
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