I hate to cram so much into one post...but time has officially gotten away from me! Here I am almost 37 weeks pregnant, and I'm still rushing to prepare for this child's arrival (which could be any day now, thank you very much)!!!
The second and third birth classes were much like the first; hilarious, packed with info, and overall, a lot of fun. I was actually a little sad that the classes had to end.
The topics we covered during the second class included: epidurals, postpartum recovery, cesarean births, what-to-pack, and the role of the support person. After hearing the instructor's spiel on epidurals, I realized they weren't nearly as awful as I imagined, and that the research and feedback I had received prior to the class was slightly biased. Not to say that I'm suddenly in favor of pain meds, I just appreciate the different perspective. The what-to-pack portion was especially beneficial. The instructor recommended a few items that never would've crossed my mind. For example, rice bags. What the hell is a rice bag, you say? Its a GENIUS, homemade massage device. You fill a sock with rice, tie it off, and your partner can use it to rub your back. It feels absolutely heavenly; it can be used at room temp, chilled, and even warmed. Example number two, ice packs. At any point during labor, hold the ice pack until your hands start to hurt. The pain in your hands will distract you from the labor pain you are feeling. Other items that I never would've thought of include racquet balls, popsicles, electric handheld massagers, and the birthing ball (as the hospital only has two birthing balls on hand, and if they are in use at the time, you're out of luck chuck).
The third class focused mainly on breathing and massage techniques, as well as positions for laboring and delivering. We spent the last hour of class on the floor getting massaged by our hubbys; I thoroughly enjoyed this portion of the class. I've got a few hand outs that I need to copy down on to notecards for the hospital bag, as there is A LOT to remember! One thing to remember: "BURP'EM". This acronym stands for Breathe, Urinate, Rest/Relaxation, Position, Encouragement/Enviornment, and Massage. The support person needs to coach your breathing, remind you to use the bathroom every half hour, remind you to rest between the contractions, remind you to change your laboring position every half hour, offer encouraging words and keep the room neat, and massage you like there's no tomorrow.
I absolutely loved this class, and I loved the instructor; I highly recommend anyone planning on delivering at Scottsdale Healthcare on Shea OR Osborn take this class. Unfortunately, our wonderful teacher is retired from nursing. I asked her (lol) in hopes of having her present for my L & D.
Just a quick blurb about the tour: it was not nearly as exciting as I expected it to be. The tour was something I had been looking forward to from very early in my pregnancy. Well after our amazing birthing class, we had already heard all the pertinent information about the hospital lay out and procedures. It was nice to do a physical walk through and to familarize ourselves with where to go when its time, and of course, it was very exciting to realize I'd be in one of those hospital beds in a few short weeks (hopefully A LOT sooner)! The rooms are very spacious and clean; they have a refrigerator, microwave, tv, cd player, dvd player, jacuzzi tub, and private bathroom in every room. I plan on LIVING in the shower while I'm in labor, but all that other stuff is nice too, I guess. LOL
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