Amy and I spent almost the entire day yesterday at our American Red Cross Birthing Class, part one of two. We did not think it could possibly be seven hours long, but it was…and I was not bored for one minute. This is a great class to take if you have the chance (and are expecting). We learned:
- what to call the doctor for
- when to call the doctor once the contractions begin
- where to go within the hospital (and where to park)
- what to expect once you get to the hospital
- the advantages and disadvantages to epidurals
- how to relax (no problem for me since I am always relaxed)
- other miscellaneous information
The class was given by a nurse on staff at the hospital Amy will give birth at and it was great to see that she truly loved what she did and that she really enjoyed working at this particular hospital. We watched several actual births, both “regular” and C-sections and learned multiple coping techniques to get through the contractions. We have a second class to attend next week and I look forward to that as well. By going to the class, not only will we be certified via the Red Cross (helpful when/if Amy needs a C-section…this will allow me to be present), but we also will have all of our pre-admission paperwork taken care of so we will have one less thing to worry about.