"The video" @ birthing class

So the week of Thanksgiving brought week 3 of our birthing class. We covered such fun topics as medication, drugs during delivery, nausea, spinal taps, and birthing balls. As exciting as all of those wonderful conversations were (especially the nausea discussion) the best part of class was watching "the video". Hopefully you all know what I mean by "the video". It's the no holds bared, graphic, realistic video making you understand that yes, a baby that big can actually fit out of there.

I was giving the advice from my mother ahead of time to not scream out loud in class while watching "the movie"...just to scream in my head. Well interestingly enough I didn't have to scream at all (out loud or in my noggin). The video wasn't as bad or as graphic as I remember from sophomore year of high school biology class, or from the recent baby birthing documentary Meggan and I watched the other day. I'm not saying that the video we watching in birthing class wasn't good, it just wasn't as scary as all the hype everyone seems to give it. Probably it also helps that my perspective while watching the video has changed a lot since high school too. No longer is it the scary "don't get anybody pregnant" scared straight type of video, instead it is the WOW what a beautiful miracle of life.

Isn't if funny how a couple years, tons of life lessons, and marrying the right person puts thing even as crazy as becoming parents into perspective?

Cheers,
~Keith

My first Birthing class...WOW!!!

So today makes 32 weeks along, only 8 left to go. Instead of one of those fun flash back stories, I've been asked to post about my first birthing class. As you saw below I was out of town for the first class to technically my first class was week 2 of the class. I'll start by saying I've probably never been that intimidated in my life as I was in that class. I felt like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Just think about it for a minute...who ever thought it would be a good idea to cram 14 pregnant women into one tight conference room should have been fired right then and there.

So while trying not to make a noise and upset any of the pregnant women in our class, I did learn a couple of useful things. The biggest thing I got out of the class is how well prepared Meggan is for all of this fun medical stuff. I do love that about her. I guess you never realize just how much you understand until you see others who are A LOT less prepared. One of the fun facts I learned in our class is that screaming just tenses the body and doesn't actually help during labor, while moaning is a more calming and relaxing way to vent the pain. Of course our instructor told us to try that one out at home later and I commented to Meggan, "Isn't that what got us here in the first place?"

Next week in class we get to watch THE video...instead of the doll and plastic pelvic bone we saw this week. Although I'm not worried about it, I am def. interested to see how some of our classmates handle the REALITY of the video.

On another fun note, laying in bed last night trying to fall asleep, Meggan says, "I could really go for some smarties." I think to myself, this is it, the first random pregnancy craving and I'm going to have to go get smarties? Where am I going to find smarties at 1215am? Luckily for me Meggan didn't want me to go out and get them - thank the lord! 8 weeks left and I'm wondering when will I find myself in the supermarket randomly trying to find peanut butter and a grapefruit?

Cheers,

~Keith