30w+0d: Express Birthing Class Experience

I had my all-day Express Birthing class yesterday. It was easier for me to do a one-day course vs. doing a 4-week course during the work week.

I was extremely anxious for the birthing class! I was a little concerned about going by myself and doing the "partner" exercises solo. But I needn't have worried as they skipped all partner exercises since we were short on time. Yay for small concessions.

There were 10 couples, 1 lady who attended alone (her husband was sick), and me. It's interesting because they had a dentist hygienist come and visit the class. Also, they had someone from the library come and talk to us about the importance of reading to your child.

The Good:

• I really liked that experienced nurses taught the course. They shared a lot of their own personal experiences which was nice to hear. 
• I liked that they provided what will happen at the hospital I was delivering at. 
• I feel like I understand the medical interventions better. 
• I feel like I understand how the different types of births work. 
• They passed around examples of everything that is used during birth. 
• They went over how to care for your privates after a vaginal birth. 

The Bad: 

• I knew most of what they went over and maybe knew more than what they even covered. 
• They basically covered everything in the book, which I could've just read on my own instead of spending all day there. 

Here is the book that they went over. What's nice about this book is that you can go online and download forms and look at the videos on your own. There was a lot that they skimmed over and didn't go through in details, so I'm looking forward to being able to browse on my own. 

I cried when they showed births. I tried not to... but it was just so beautiful watching these little babies come into the world. I couldn't help but think that my baby boy would be entering this world in 7-8 weeks when I'll get to see him for the very first time and hear his sweet cry. Luckily, I wasn't the only one crying! LOL. 

Some things I didn't like: 

• They referred to the support person as the "husband." You'd think in this day and age that they would just refer to the support person in general terms. They really made a big fuss about the husband's role. They also made a big deal about the role of the "father" -- which again, you'd think they'd be sensitive to those that do not have a father involved in the pregnancy. 
• They also referred to the vagina as "this is how you got here." But they didn't take into account those that had to do fertility treatments to get pregnant. I met another couple that got pregnant through fertility treatments and actually used my RE! I think they should be sensitive to these types of things. 

Maybe these aren't the "norms," but there are so many types of families out there these days and it can be isolating by only referring to traditional families, especially if you have families in the class that don't fit that mold. 

Types of Births and My Thoughts:

Natural Birth. I may not get to have a natural birth... If I end up having to deliver between 37 and 38 weeks, I may not be a good candidate for induction. First time pregnancies normally take longer to go into labor naturally. This makes me really sad... I would love to go into labor naturally and go through all the stages of labor. I just don't really see that happening for me. Then there's induction. If things don't look good, an induction may not work. Which I've heard before, but now I totally understand the process better and if things don't line-up properly, I'll end up with a C-Section in the end anyways. 

The one thing that scared me about a Natural Birth was dealing with the labor pains. I was thinking I wanted to read more on relaxation techniques and breathing exercises... but knowing what I know now -- it might just be a waste of time since I may not be able to experience this type of birth in the end. I have to see how things play out in the next few weeks with my growth ultrasounds and NSTs, to see what my OB/MFM will suggest for birth. But a scheduled C-Section, due to medical needs, might be the best route for me and my baby. 

Medicated Birth. The epidural isn't so scary anymore. I still wouldn't prefer one, but it's good to know it's available if needed. I also liked that they covered other types of pain management medication. 

C-Section. I wish I knew LESS about C-Sections at this point... They scare the crap out of me. But this is my most likely route to giving birth at this point. I'm going to try not to think about it too much and just do as my doctors suggest and hope for no huge complications. I want what's best for my baby and if a C-Section will be healthiest for both of us -- so be it. But if things line up to avoid it, I will definitely try! 

All of this to know that I may not have the birth I desire. I'm back and forth on whether to even do a birthing plan, as I feel like it might not even matter. 

Anyways. I am glad I took the class and received more information my hospital and more information on types of births. I'm also excited at the idea that I'm going to meet my baby boy really soon....!!!!