Last Saturday D and I took a childbirth class at the hospital, called the “Super Saturday” class. It lasted from 9-5 and is designed for those who cannot or do not want to take the class on a weeknight for three weeks. Since it would have been a challenge to get D to the classes after work, we opted for the all-day version. There were 11 couples total, and 8 couples were expecting girls! (2 couples were expecting boys, and 1 couple was leaving the gender a surprise). The class was a nice mixture of lecture, movies, and exercises. I was a bit apprehensive about the graphic “movies”, but they were ok. However, I did cheat by closing my eyes for parts, especially of the C-section. I was surprised that the breathing techniques were not that technical–they are more designed to make you concentrate on breathing instead of the pain. I feel a little more prepared, but thinking about the actual labor is still very daunting. Hopefully having D by my side will make it more bearable. One prospective dad 1/2 joked about wishing it could be like the good ol’ days where the dad just sat in the waiting room until the whole thing is over. I think having D being involved in the process will be a good thing for both D and me. I don’t expect D to cut the umbillical cord, though–ew!
It was a long day, but we made it through. One good thing about taking the Super Saturday class is that they provide breakfast and lunch! I liked the turkey sandwich on jalapeno cheese bread–D couldn’t even finish his. Hopefully the food they serve to the patients is just as tasty.