Antenatal classes and that terrible 80s video....

[CinderToriella]

Im no where near far along to go to the classes yet but i booked mine the other day and was thinking if i really want to go or not

and i dont want to see the video, i watched a few births ages ago on utube and some of them made me feel quite scared and freaked out .. i dont think for ME it would be a good idea to watch any more births as i feel it would make me scared which could make my labour harder make me not comfortable and relaxed

[Winter]

Sign yourselves up for an empowering Birth Skills class rather than the hossy run ones. They teach you about how your body works and how to work with it and not fight it.

[Lulu]

Yeah, don't be stuck with what the hospital offers you.

Does anyone have any links to a good birthing U tube?

[soulful]

I too found the hospital classes preety useless, mind you DP and I were quite educated leading up to it.

[Lolli]

Those videos are seriously awful. Pay no attention to them Even the bfing ones they showed at my an class was way out of date and nearly turned me off the whole thing.

FWIW, I find I just can't watch videos of women in labour, even after having a really good birth the second timje round. They just make me uncomfortable and scared. Actually doing it yourself, it feels completly different to what you think it would, after watching those clips, iykwim?

And seconds after having the baby, the pain is almost forgetten. It's replaced with an immense satisfaction and relief. The hormobes your body produces are amazing things

[first_time_mummy]

I never got booked into any antenatal classes. I was worried at first, but have been reading a lot of books, and watched a lot of birthing videos on youtube, to prepare myself.
Im just hoping thatll be enough to get me through lol

[nattyfred]

Thanks for your replies

Eluned, I think Ill have a look at some of those you suggested, I know there must be better Imagery out there for me lol..Thanks I hope to not even think about those other ones at all at crunch time...lol

Shell1, thats how I feel, like I maybe should have looked at something more modern not outdated, scary footage. Even the medical equipment looked dodgy....As for not knowing if you want to go, I felt the same as I have read a lot but DH really benefited and now I think he is realising he needs to know stuff...

Winter that sounds good, Id like to just go with it iykwim, not fight those images and scenarios I have seen.

Lulu Ill let you know if I get brave or more lol...

Soulful, same here but as I said, DH found it useful. I was bored.

LoriRae, Thats what I thought that there is no way watching it can reflect the actual situation also for the fact that unless you use a mirror, most women even though they may have given birth may not have even seen a head crown etc so I dont think its necessary for me to have actually seen it..Thats me though and maybe some would find it useful...All the women in the class were shocked for various reasons lol...

first_time_mummy our midwife who s running the class is retired and looooves to tell a story so gets sidetracked and doesnt really explain anything fully. Thank god I read alot so I think you will be ok. In some instances I couldnt believe she didnt know some stuff,,,wtf?

Thanks everyone, I just think they should update the educational materials and actually reflect the modern age at least in their videos..By the way I am soooo glad we are not wearing what we were in the 90s