10 Hours of Childbirth Preparation Education...

This past weekend, Sameer and I attended our Childbirth Preparation class at the hospital where we'll be delivering the baby. It was awesome! We learned so much... I almost wish we had taken the version of the course that's spread out over several weeks rather than the fast-track weekend version, as there was just so much information to digest.

We're feeling fairly prepared mentally for the labor and delivery now. We had a tour of the facilities, which are designed like hotel rooms with jacuzzi tubs and special beds that let you assume postions to help deal with pain and facilitate labor. One of the biggest things for me was just learning about things that are routine procedures at the hospital so I know what to expect. Sameer was given a lot of information on how to be a good labor coach. He's got his work cut out for him!

One of the funniest things was when we were trying a few breathing techniques in class. The instructor demonstrated four different ways of breathing that could potentially be useful for different stages of labor, especially if you want to avoid pain medications. There was one where you focus on making different sounds in a pattern as you breathe out, to take your focus away from the pain. The instructor got us all to practice, and it was the coach's job to help us keep focused on the pattern. Didn't Sameer just start laughing uncontrollably! He thinks I'll get by with simple slow breathing the whole time, but we'll see... That did get me through the MRSA ordeal last year and other painful stuff, but I've heard childbirth is incomparable to any other pain.

Anyway, only two months to go now! We plan to set up the crib and other stuff like that in September, so we're prepared if the baby happens to make an early appearance. We already have most things we need, but it's all stuffed in the spare room closet for now.