We decided to start full-throttle and had our all-day Childbirth class on Saturday; Breastfeeding and Baby Care Basics are in two weeks and Infant CPR is at the end of April. Overall we had a great day and really enjoyed the class, and, yes, the fact that we adjourned a two hours early on a gorgeous Saturday helped a bit : )
Our class started with an overview of late pregnancy and symptoms of labor, the stages of labor, what to expect during labor (including the epidural process), the infamous "video" (three live births), a Labor and Delivery wing tour and practicing the breathing and realization techniques discussed.
The hospital tour and video were definitely my favorite parts as I'm a very visual learner and need to see what I can expect for it to really sink in. We'll deliver at a hospital close to downtown, about 20 minutes away from our home and we were both very pleased with the facilities. The Labor and Delivery floor is VERY nice with all private rooms that are good in size, recently updated and with great views of the city (probably the last thing on my mind as I'm delivering, but I'll take it for before then and during recovery). Although I don't think I'll be requesting one, they even have two feng shui rooms available. I was very impressed with the security for both the delivery and post-partum units as well as the waiting rooms available for family and friends. Although the hospital has an open visitation policy, I plan to limit the birth attendees to Mike and my Mom, so it's important that the rest of our entourage be comfortable : ) (Speaking of, I may or may not be a *tad* jealous that Mike will get to announce Baby Kelly to our entourage after delivery ...)
The most surprising part, to me, of what we learned is the fact that a first labor, on average, lasts between 16 and 20 hours! Now, that includes the time you spend at home counting down contractions until it's time to head to the hospital, but still, my, oh, my, that's almost an entire day! We talked a lot about relaxation and breathing techniques and although I will definitely put those to good use, but, I'm pretty sure that I'll be asking for an epidural come game-time. I'm not saying I won't rule out natural childbirth, but I think I need to be realistic and don't want to set myself up to feel as though I failed if I go in saying I don't want one and then decide ask for medication.
After getting ourselves mentally prepared for the delivery and becoming a family of three, it was important that Baby Kelly be ready as well ... at least from a fashion perspective. So, my Mom and I did a little "going home" outfit shopping on Sunday. These are the only gender-specific outfits I'll purchase before the birth, the rest will be onesies or neutral sleepers (I actually love all of the yellow options out there!). I still need to buy a headband bow to complete the girl ensemble and a blue cap to complete the boy ensemble, but just seeing these laid out gets the waterworks going every time I pop into the nursery to take a peek. I just absolutely cannot wait to meet our little one!!!
1 comments:
The hospital tour made it VERY real for me. I thought I'd be super nervous, given my fear of needles, but I was actually ok. I'm not sure if your hospital has them, but you should at least inquire if they have any rooms with double beds. Trust me, Mike will thank you for it! Central Bap didn't have them the first go round but they did the second and it was heavenly. Surely if yours has 2 feng shui rooms, they'll have double beds!
How was Jag's?
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