Help Me - What DID you want to learn in antenatal Classes??

[Liviam]

Hi everyone,
I'm an antenatal class educator and was so upset for the people who took the class when I read a thread where all the posts where really negative about their classes and how they didnt learn anything useful. You are supposed to learn from your classes not coming out feeling like you got nothing out of them. It got me thinking and I was so upset at the thought that people have left my classes feeling like this and I hate that thought.

So help me out. What did you want to learn in your classes?? My classes are held for 2 hours one night a week for 5 weeks. So I have 10 hours to fit in as much as I can. What would have been most beneficial and would could you have done without.

Thanks everyone,
Dan.

[Olive]

i would have loved some more insight to the AFTER pains!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the pain associated with epsiotomy's, tears etc...how best to care for the perinium, roids, fissures etc.. i felt this was the one thing that really needed more discussion.
helpfull tips such as frozen condoms of water for icepacks

[PlonkeeMumma]

I wish i was told a few things.

Like breastfeeding will hurt A LOT at the start and that is normal and to be expected but that it will pass within a few weeks and then not hurt at all.

That if you have an epidural then it will be turned off when you have to push the baby out - i had no idea about that and was in total shock and disbelief when my ob told me this with my first.

might have to come back to this with some more - brain not working very well at the mo but i know there were quite a few things that i wish i'd been told before hand.

Julie x

[kitten2b]

I was so glad to know how to best use the gas. We were taught to breath it in just before the contraction hit so that it took the edge of the top of the contraction - best knowledge I had and gas was my friend

[Maruschke]

I haven't been to a class yet, but I am hoping to learn...

X please show me some positions that are not lying flat on my back
X please give me some insight about what might happen the first hour or two after the birth
X educate me about some pain relief options, should I choose to use them
X show my husband how he can be involved in the birth

hmm... having not given birth yet, I don't really know what I don't know. Sorry I haven't been much help!

[Evie76]

Our classes were very good and really helped when Daniel was born. My DH was a picture of calmness and wouldn't have been so if he hadn't attended the classes. He also asked all of the questions that popped in to his head. People might have thought they were weird questions, but he asked them anyway and some of the dads probably were thinking them anyway. Maybe a 'dad's night' would be good.

We were taken on a tour of the labour wards (which may be easier because we're in the country) and one of the class members was connected to the fetal heart monitor. So when I was having Daniel we knew exactly what the machine was and what the noises meant.

We also simulated stuff like anaesthetics. The nurses always picked the men to be connected up (using sticky tape and the catheters etc). Someone would hold a drip and someone would be taking a pulse. It was to show all the sorts of people you could be expecting in a room during birth. The victim was surrounded by people doing this that and the other.

The one thing that wasn't mentioned was the pain of the uterus shrinking (Or even that it would so dramatically). After I had Daniel I was also asked if my "loss" was OK. What was OK? I was bleeding like a stuck pig as far as I was concerned. Maybe need to go in to the loss after birth and the potential mess this causes. That was a surprise to me. It felt like my DS had clawed his way out when I was weeing, I wasn't expecting that either.

If I think of anything else I'll reply again. I could probably go all day.

[Evie76]

Oh yeah. The nurses really stipulated to the blokes that during birth they were their partners' voice and that they remain calm, talk about options prior to birth with their partner, so any decisions were known.

The only thing I had time for was gas, and my DH managed that for me calmly and spurred me on. I think this was mostly because of what the nurses had said. He was assured of his obligation to be an active part of the birth and that he would be asked to undertake tasks to assist anyone in the room.

[LaDeeDa]

Hmmm I only finished my last class last night and I think my biggest complaint was we had a couple of MW's who just waffled on and on and on - even though the class stopped responding a long time ago....

There were heaps of things I wanted to know like... If you have to have an episiotomy do they numb the area first
I thought they could have spent more time on how Dad can help in labour as my DF felt that the Dad's were treated like they were superflous to the whole thing.
More about whats going to happen after bubs is out, especially things like pain or being uncomfortable when you get home....
Ummm..... More time spent showing you how to wrap bub and things like that - I think our class spent about 5 mins.

Something about birth plans as we didn't touch on this at all and definately some time going through what to pack for a hospital stay....

If I think of anything else I'll let you know