Nothing Like a Good Birth Class to Shove You Back Into Reality!

So the much awaited birth classes happened over the last two weekends. I needed this much time to actually settle my thoughts enough to sit and write this post. And whoever said that the woman does all the work during the birthing process? They should attend one of these classes. I am already stressed out thinking of all the functions I need to perform – need to get the breathing right, need to suggest laboring positions, need to make sure Dineli is well hydrated, need to be saying comforting, motivating, loving things and God help me if I get any of those things wrong. I know a few friends who didn’t do things exactly as they should have and their wives still scold them in public for their inadequacies as labor coaches! And their kids are almost 10 years old!

Seriously, the birth classes were very educational, particularly for me as I haven’t done as much reading as Dineli has done. For Dineli it was a little scary and stressful. The fairly graphic video of a natural birth process was particularly freaky. It was good to sit with 10-12 equally nervous couples and go through the options that budding parents have and the motions of the actual delivery process. Now that I have been through that class and received all this information, I can’t imagine just checking into the hospital cold and winging it. Being in that class also fostered discussions between Dineli and me that we may not have otherwise had. I am not the type of guy to suggest we talk about natural birth versus taking an epidural over a nice dinner. The most interesting part for me (not useful, just interesting) was the tour of the hospital. It was cool to learn exactly where to come, what to do and where we will be on that day. I am sure I will still be stressed out when it comes to the actual situation. The viewing of the nursery was unbeatable. There were crusty, little guys barely a few hours old getting heated up under a lamp. To think that those kids were inside a uterus just a short while back was just unbelievable.

Ok, so back to the useful stuff. I think Dineli found the information very useful, particularly because it gives her enough time between now and the actual delivery date to make a few key decisions. Even more importantly, I think it was good for her to sit in that room with 10-12 other women going through the same process and experiencing the same nervousness. Having watched Dineli go through pregnancy over the last 8 months or so and having had a unique insight into her frame of mind and attitude, with God’s grace, I have no doubt that she will make the best possible decisions for her and the baby and come through as the trooper that she is.

As for me, I now feel like I have obtained my license to become a father. Can’t wait for the next 6 weeks or so to pass so that I can get some hands on experience.