Our first class
Jen & I went to our first birthing class last night. It went well but there was the dreaded moment where you have to get involved and participate. It wasn’t too bad – it could have been a lot worse.
Anyway we are enrolled in a 6 week course and this first week was a gentle introduction. We learnt that a woman’s hips (in fact all her joints) move, which helps explain why Jen is currently waddling like a duck. We also learnt some basic relaxation techniques, although we forgot to take a pillow or a cushion so it wasn’t so relaxing for us more incredibly uncomfortable. I have heard other fathers say that these classes can be embarrassing, but they took them in the UK – just imagine how much worse they are in California where everyone all day wants to tell you about their therapy sessions.
I think we are going to learn some useful things and techniques, but my big concern is how am I going to react when Jen is in pain? I think I display the normal protective instinct with her, in that whenever she is in pain, or upset I immediately want to resolve the problem, but during child birth how am I going to do that. I also want to have the confidence to tell the doctors and nurses what we want. Now we aren’t having any weird birthing technique, but Jen is adamant that she does not want a caesarean unless hers or the baby’s life is at stake. Becky, Jen’s sister, was basically forced to have a caesarean because the doctor couldn’t be bothered to wait around. They also made Becky lie down which from what I saw last night is probably one of the hardest ways to give birth.
So the class is all good and interesting, which is more than can be said for some of our fellow class mates. There were 2 couples who knew each other and proceeded to spend all of last nights class giggling and talking while the instructor was speaking to us. They were acting like Jen’s kids at school. The main difference being that Jen’s kids are 7 or 8 – not 27 or 28. I don’t think I have heard someone laugh at the word vagina since I was 14, unless it was the punch line to a joke. But last night one of the blokes kept laughing when the instructor said vagina.
We were given some homework at the end, and the tutor told us we were going to watch a video next week of the birth. I think its going to be like the 2000 Presidential election all Bush and Gore.
Anyway we are enrolled in a 6 week course and this first week was a gentle introduction. We learnt that a woman’s hips (in fact all her joints) move, which helps explain why Jen is currently waddling like a duck. We also learnt some basic relaxation techniques, although we forgot to take a pillow or a cushion so it wasn’t so relaxing for us more incredibly uncomfortable. I have heard other fathers say that these classes can be embarrassing, but they took them in the UK – just imagine how much worse they are in California where everyone all day wants to tell you about their therapy sessions.
I think we are going to learn some useful things and techniques, but my big concern is how am I going to react when Jen is in pain? I think I display the normal protective instinct with her, in that whenever she is in pain, or upset I immediately want to resolve the problem, but during child birth how am I going to do that. I also want to have the confidence to tell the doctors and nurses what we want. Now we aren’t having any weird birthing technique, but Jen is adamant that she does not want a caesarean unless hers or the baby’s life is at stake. Becky, Jen’s sister, was basically forced to have a caesarean because the doctor couldn’t be bothered to wait around. They also made Becky lie down which from what I saw last night is probably one of the hardest ways to give birth.
So the class is all good and interesting, which is more than can be said for some of our fellow class mates. There were 2 couples who knew each other and proceeded to spend all of last nights class giggling and talking while the instructor was speaking to us. They were acting like Jen’s kids at school. The main difference being that Jen’s kids are 7 or 8 – not 27 or 28. I don’t think I have heard someone laugh at the word vagina since I was 14, unless it was the punch line to a joke. But last night one of the blokes kept laughing when the instructor said vagina.
We were given some homework at the end, and the tutor told us we were going to watch a video next week of the birth. I think its going to be like the 2000 Presidential election all Bush and Gore.
posted by Nick at 9:25 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home