Hi Amberdee

Our classes covered things like what a "normal" birth process is like, then pain relief options, then "unexpected outcomes" (which was things like c-sections, forceps, vacuums), then what the baby will look like/behave like in the first day or so after birth, some breastfeeding info, some support info (like the ABA, post natal depression help, MCHN's), then general safety & coping ideas. This was over 5 weeks, so not everything at once thank goodness.

But, the things that I found most useful (cos I'm a first timer) were:

- take the big surfboard pads to hospital, and probably a couple of packs of pads.
- expect to be teary on the third day or so
- try to get some frozen meals stored up in the freezer for when you get home - eg soups, quiches, spag bol. THings that are really quick & easy for you (or DH) to prepare when you're first at home, cos you'll be exhausted
- don't worry about doing everything in the first couple of weeks - take care of yourself as well as taking care of the baby, and don't worry about housework (particularly like this one myself )
- my DH says that he found it useful finding out about what the baby would look like eg - and I quote - he's now not going to be quite so freaked out by the size of the baby's genitalia, cos now he knows that it's likely that they'll be swollen, he's not going to worry about the rashes, or milia that baby might have, or if the skin is dry & flakey if bubs is a bit overcooked, or the shape of its head, cos these things will generally resolve in a day or so. He does tell me that he is still a little bit freaked by how they measure dilation when we're in first stage of labour....
- to expect that different midwives will probably have different ways of helping you with breastfeeding, but to try to find one that works the best for you & to persist, persist, persist. My Sister had her bubs just last week & this is one of the things that she has really struggled with - she'd be trying out something that one had suggested that she thought was working, but then the next one would come in & tell her something completely different. It's knocked her confidence a bit, so my take out from that is to try to stand up for myself a bit more than she did if I get a bossy midwife that I don't like so much.
- and finally, that they can come out pretty sleepy for a couple of days & you'll think that maybe you've got a "good" one....then they start to wake up a bit more, which apparently involves crying, and being harder to settle. So not to stress if this happens to you (ha - easier said than done I think!)

Anyway, don't know if this is of any use, it was just stuff that I could remember off the top of my head. Good luck!!