Most definitely not Alibaby Not at all. I was so upset for the ladies who got nothing out of their class and felt let down. I want to avoid that from happening in my classes. Thank you for opening my eyes.
Thanks for all the tips ladies, keep them coming. They are fantastic!!!
I haven't been to an antenatal class before, but I guess a major thing I would want to know, is what to do after the birth, particularly with regard to looking after yourself, and also how to care for the baby- bathing, feeding, crying etc. I'd also want to know what I can expect during labour, and some tips to cope with the pain, or a long labour if it happens.
My main issue with hospital class we took was the focus on medical stuff. I do understand, though, that it needs to be included. It's good to get that side of things if you're having a hospital birth, and obviously you need to know about what is likely to happen if things go awry.
What would be useful though is to get the 'lowdown' on normal birth. I don't mean just the 3 stages (and yeah, they should include the fourth stage also) and dilating, but an explanation of what is actually happening, both physically and hormonally. We got this in the private class we did. To me it was really helpful to understand how the uterus works during labour and how the hormones interact during labour and birth. It's good to know why it's good to breathe certain ways. Why it's good to relax. Why it's good to move. Why it's good to be upright and so on. And then why stage 4 is so important, with skin to skin contact and initiating breastfeeding etc...
More info about after would also be good. I didn't know if my loss was ok either! I also didn't know ANYTHING about babies or what I was supposed to do with mine.
The focus does seem to be on labour and birth and then stops. There is a lot for you to get through in a limited time, though, so it may not be realistic to go further, but...it would be really good to include a run down of the first week or so. What's normal and what's not. Like, babies being very unsettled around day 2-3 before the milk comes in. How many wet/dirty nappies are normal for newborns (even midwives didn't get this right when I was in hospital). and so on
Maybe some words of advice about caring for your vagina/stitches etc afterwards could be good.
And what about suggesting parents line up help in the home for the first month or so so new mums and dads can concentrate on their little babies - ie, having realistic expectations.
A reading list of recommended parenting books or websites
I didn't find them that useful as most of the content was focussed on a natural birth and I ended up having a caesar. We touched on c/s delivery but there was still alot that I didn't know when time arrived. Could have done without seeing the epi/spinal needle, almost made me faint and it didn't hurt anyway. I wish I had known that day 2 after a caesar (once they take away the pca) will be extremely painful.
I guess I just wanted to know the actual facts, didn't want to be scared but if something is going to be painful I would like to know in advance then it won't be such a shock.
Well, Nurse Dan, there's another thing. Not even my fantastic ante natal classes touched much on ceasars. Hardly at all. They are extraordinarily common.
I think the key is not to mince words, or sugar coat it. If you sugar coat it, people don't get the right idea and when the pain hits (like the pain 2 days after a ceasar I have heard of) it comes as a shock - like my extraordinarily painful vagina. My DH had to go out an buy tonnes more maternity pads than I had. Of course, you don't want to tell mothers all the gorry details and have them running out of the room screaming "Get it out! Get it out! NOW!!"
It also sounds as though the dads miss out quite often. Any partners are far from superfluous. I don't know how I would have done it without my magic DH, who listened so much at the classes.
These are the things I wanted to learn but didnt because everyone else just wanted to know about epidurals.
- realistic explanation on when to come to the hospital when labout starts (ie- is it REALLY necessary to come in at the first contraction?)
- how to use natural ways of managing painful contractions like breathing techniques, massage etc
- things you can do to avoid or at least minimise tearing
- what to expect straight after and in the few days following birth. I remember also being asked if my blood loss was ok and I was just thinking umm thats something you should be assessing isnt it? How am I meant to know whats normal and what isnt. The day after Claire was born I passed a clot (or something) larger than a golf ball and I had no idea if that was normal or not.
- to encourage you to discuss with your partner (or whoever else is going to be there for the birth) about things you would like and wouldnt like to happen during labour/birth (eg I wanted to use the bath, but I forgot and he never reminded me, but I WISH he had reminded me).
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