Getting an education

Well, we’re half way through our four-week long birthing classes now. So far I have to highly recommend them to any parents-to-be. Now others may not have the same exact experience and be fortunate enough to have a light-hearted instructor eager share her expertise and plenty of funny anecdotes too, but the content alone is still worth the money.

Granted, there was the stereotypical gritty video of women actually giving birth. The sweat and anguish was notable, but not nearly as glaring though as the full frontal nudity. As we go from one mother to another on the video I’m thinking to myself: Is it really hot in that room? Does giving birth raise body temperature so high that women have to be in their birthday suit too? The looks of shocked faces around the room confirmed that I wasn’t alone in my puzzlement.

Later in the video we hear one couple share how wonderful the early labor stages were as they spent time going on nature walks, and chatting and napping together in between the excruciating contractions. What no hugging trees or trying to commune with fish? Afterwards our instructor offered a succinct explanation to everything by admitting she should have prefaced the whole video by saying it was made in Boulder.

Recently we covered the breathing techniques and they made sense to me. Then again, I’m not the one pushing a watermelon through a nostril. I’m just the Coach in all of this, which the instructor maintains is a vital support role for the moms. That’s kind of hard to grasp as I’m kneeling on the floor mat going through the breathing exercises with my wife and we’re both trying to keep a straight face. Nevertheless, I stay tuned (hoping neither of us hyperventilate) because I know being there for any kind of support will make a difference in the delivery room.

Speaking of which we got the grand tour of the maternity floor and that was also very helpful in visualizing where we go and how this will all play out when our little girl arrives. We were first shown the enormous delivery room, which felt very much like center stage of the action complete with spotlights on the bed. I suppose all that room is needed for all doctors, nurses, and equipment that will be trafficking in and out. Still, the size and atmosphere was daunting even now with the room empty.

Down the hall was the nursery, and as our instructor explained the arm bands and the security alarm system in place, the entire class kept looking back at the two little infants on the other side of the glass getting attention from the nurse. Even though we plan to keep our daughter in the room with us, at some point she will have to be in there undergoing post delivery tests. And when that happens, I’ll be firmly rooted outside these windows not wanting to let her out of my sight.

So dads, in the end, keep in mind that when going through these classes to try to absorb as much as you can. For me, since I have an inquisitive mind that was relatively easy. Going in, there was so much of this process that was shrouded in mystery, and now a lot of those details have been filled in.