Should You Bother Taking Childbirth/Lamaze Classes?
- Posted By Owner, Amanda Reid
- Jul 21, 2017
- 3 min read
For all new moms who are interested in gaining additional insight on giving birth and parenting, I encourage you to look into some local childbirth classes. Birth and parenting classes are awesome and very informational. You are able to open up, learn, hear the opinions of others and gain encouraging feed back on baby delivery and beyond. I even encourage experienced mother's to join in and gain insight.
I found a local non profit who offers FREE birth and parenting classes. The best thing about it was that the class was offered right up the street from my house and the instructor was an experienced certified doula. She was very positive about natural births and she even brought us helpful post labor gifts. She showed us calming activities, breathing techniques, belly dancing and more!
My Personal Experience:
Taking the birth class for me was fulfilling, but it wouldn’t be right if there wasn’t a bit of dramatics involved. First, let me start by saying that the course allows you and your partner to attend the class. Keith was trying out for a team in Canada at the time, so he was not able to attend. Just as a side note, you don’t have to have a partner to attend the class. The support is just good especially if you are a first time parent. My mom (who I can never repay for everything she has done for us), committed two of her Saturday’s to be with me during the class. I am sure now she regrets it. I know I embarrassed her to no end.
The setting was very intimate, close spaced and small. There were four other expecting parents in the class. While small spaces have never been an issue for me, I think being pregnant made it that way. Pregnancy hormones brings out a lot of your emotions and unfamiliar issues. I never realized how much anxiety I had until I became pregnant. That’s mainly because I am good at balancing out my thoughts and feelings when I am regular. As the instructor got into the graphic details of giving birth I pretty much lost it. I had to excuse myself from the class room of expecting parents to go and vomit. I know I have never been a fan of birth, blood, surgery and whatever else, but this lady’s description of what is supposed to be so beautiful had me on complete edge. I quickly made a FaceTime call to Keith so he can get in on some of the sick action. He talked me down and helped me to relax before I started to collect my thoughts and head back in.
My mom and the instructor came out to check on me. How humiliating? I stopped class for one of my dramatic episodes. But what’s sad is I honestly felt sick to my stomach. Finally, I got myself together to go back into the class. After, our lunch hour I started feeling hot and sick again. Instead I instructed my mom to fan me as I laid my head down on the table. It was better then leaving back out. Besides, the instructor wasn’t talking about anything nasty, I just think my body started to become overwhelmed (again with the dramatics). I felt so bad but I couldn’t care because I really just felt horrible. Needless to say, I stuck it out and made it through the first class.
The information was so helpful and I learned a lot I didn’t know such as the need for a birth plan. Even the internet research and apps had nothing on this class. Thank goodness the next week was a lot better and I completed the course feeling more confident and aware of my delivery options.
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