Hospital tour

Last night our childbirth class met at the hospital to get a tour of the Maternity-Child Health Unit.

At one end of the hall are a handful of labor / delivery rooms. Each is private, with a bathroom including a shower, a very adjustable bed, a rocking chair, a squatting bar, and a baby warmer. There are also a few birthing balls available. All the equipment the midwives, nurses, and doctors might need is hidden in homey-looking cabinets.

In the middle of the hall is the nursery; a small kitchen where patients can use the fridge, freezer, microwave, or toaster oven, stocked with some basic snacks; and a tub room containing a jacuzzi big enough for two. There’s only one, but the nurse said it’s rare to have two people wanting it at once.

At the other end are the post-partum rooms. All except one have two beds, ready for two patients, but most of the time they’re able to just have one mom and let dad have the other bed.

There were lots of questions asked; all I remember offhand is that they use disposable diapers and wipes (we might bring some cloth ones just to get a little help learning to use them), if you’re hungry in labor they will most likely let you eat something, and no matter how planned or comfortable our arrival is, we’re to check in through the emergency room.

Childbirth class #4

Our final childbirth class was last night. Next week is the hospital tour.

This time the handouts talked about caring for oneself post partum — from physical symptoms to post partum depression. Even though we’ve talked about it, I can imagine it’s going to be a shock to both of us — even if I don’t get the depression, I’m likely going to be very sleep-deprived, and who knows how all that will effect me, and how much more stuff Mark will have to do to pick up the slack as I’m recovering, while he’s also dealing with the stress of job searching.

The video covered diapering — helpful to see pictures of normal baby poop and how to wipe and how to pin and all that sort of thing (and for Mark, surprising to learn how many diapers a baby will go through in a week) — bathing, likewise helpful in the visuals — dealing with crying and sleeping — less helpful than the book my mom sent about colic — and common illnesses and when to call the pediatrician.

I think we’ll take the baby tub and tubside kneeler off the registry. Our kitchen sink is divided, so a baby tub won’t really fit, but a plastic dish tub will, or else a towel folded in the bottom, and that just seems easier.

On the way home we talked more about labor.

I’ve been feeling somewhat unsupported in my desire to go natural if possible. I don’t feel that I’m being adamant or close-minded about it, but if it’s possible, it just seems to me it would be best. And I want to do everything possible beforehand to make it more likely to be successful — any exercises I can be doing, for example, or knowing more about alternatives to medicine, such as counterpressure, birthing positions, and so on.

It seems I hear about meds every childbirth class and every midwife visit, but have received no coaching in the other stuff except the breathing patterns and silly guided relaxation. I understand everyone wants me to have the option of medicine, but sometimes it has felt like everyone expects me to have to use it, which makes me feel like no one thinks it’s possible to have an unmedicated birth the first time.

Mark clarified that he doesn’t expect me to use meds, but just wants me to feel okay about having that option, and that if I use them it doesn’t mean I’m a failure. That was nice to hear.

But I wish we had been able to find a class that did coaching designed to prepare for natural birth, instead of one that has been 90% information through handouts and videos.

Childbirth class #3

Last night was our third childbirth class. Just one more, and then the group hospital tour.

We watched a video about breastfeeding, took a break, then watched another video about comfort measures for labor, including relaxation, visualization, and various labor positions.

Did you know a breastfed baby doesn’t need to be burped as often — just once a feeding — because they don’t suck down as much air? And while they used to tell people to use both breasts in each feeding, now they say you should let the baby empty one before trying the other, because the milk is different at the beginning and end of a feeding and baby benefits most from getting both kinds.

The other video covered two types of relaxation. One is the kind that makes me laugh, where you’re supposed to tell yourself or be told that, for example, “your right arm is heavy and warm.” The other kind makes more sense to me — if I’ve tensed up something, Mark is supposed to notice and massage that area, calling my attention to it and helping me release the tension. You’re supposed to practice by tensing up deliberately so your partner learns how to recognize tension in different places.

The visualization techniques in this second video were just silly. Maybe it works for some people, but neither of us plans to imagine we’re in the womb talking to the baby.

The labor positions part was very helpful, but it would have been nice to get to try them all instead of just watching other people do them. Some of the ones I remember thinking might work for me are hands-and-knees or variations like leaning on Mark’s lap, the raised head of the bed, or a birthing ball; various supported squats; and what they called the ’slow dance’ — basically upright but supported by your partner, and swaying to the rhythm of your breathing pattern.

Once again we closed with practicing the breathing patterns and then the guided relaxation.

By the way, I have a cold. Mark got it first and then kindly passed it on. He’s still stuffy and coughing but otherwise feels better. I have a history of getting bronchitis from colds, and I was also anxious because it could be one more thing to make it hard to sleep. But fortunately it’s already quite a bit better, thanks to hot salt water gargles, iced orange juice, keeping my head tilted forward, and lots of rest.

And now, some soup, I think.

Lunch with Tamara

Yesterday I had lunch with Tamara, a friend from church who has a boy and two girls, who I got to know a bit through the choir.

We had tuna and tomato sandwiches on her homemade wheat bread, then chatted while the two older kids had their nap and the baby woke up to be fed.

She sent me home with another big bag of clothes (on top of the box she’d previously given us) ranging in size from 3 months to 3T. I’ve listed some of them in the stuff list already, and should finish up by the end of the week. One of my favorites so far is what looks like a hand-knit white lace dress with a drawstring neck and a few embroidered flowers.

And some other little things, including a Bradley method book. The What to Expect book talks a bit about the various childbirth methods or philosophies, and I remembered thinking that the Bradley method appealed to me — if I remember right, it said this method emphasizes working with contractions rather than distracting oneself from them, and uses deep breathing throughout.

This book particularly focuses on the husband’s coaching role; I’m hoping that it will give us more practical ways the two of us can prepare to work together during labor and delivery.

Childbirth class #2 and more

First of all, I’ve moved the “Guessing Game” to a page instead of a post — pages are listed in the right sidebar — so it’ll stay current up until the baby arrives. I know there are more of you reading than have commented with your guesses so far, and I’d love to hear from y’all!

Secondly, Ann at church took these pictures of us on the lobby couch to add to the church scrapbook for Greg and Camille who are moving; that was last Sunday, September 17.

And Sarah at church gave us a cute diaper stacker she’s no longer using.

And now, the second childbirth class.

Last night we learned about cesarean section births, including what circumstances make them necessary and how they’re done. We also talked about the various medications available for regular labor and delivery; I’m allergic to Demerol, and it looks like all the medications have similar side effects so I may react the same way to all of them. Not a fun prospect. Fortunately we’d be monitored and they’d have other drugs to counteract any negative reactions, but still.

Next we practiced the various breathing patterns and then took a break.

The video showed three birth stories, including such details as when they left for the hospital, how their labor progressed, what comfort measures they found effective, and so on. The video then discussed cesareans, medications, and other interventions, and then “showed” a cesarean being performed. Actually all the footage was of doctors or the husband and wife’s heads, and the baby at the end.

Afterward we did the relaxation thing again; this time I just paid attention to the music and I was less tempted to burst out laughing.

Childbirth classes begin

Last night was the first of five sessions of a childbirth class taught by a nurse practitioner at the office where we have our prenatal visits.

There were six couples attending, with one or two due before we are and two not due until January and February.

We spent the first hour reviewing a packet about labor and delivery — various symptoms we might experience during the third trimester and what we could do about them, symptoms that might signal the start of labor, differences between true and false labor, and the stages of labor.

We also learned some basic breathing patterns. I couldn’t really do any of the shallow, fast patterns — made me feel too light-headed. Perhaps with practice that will ease up, or I might be one of those people who prefers long deep breaths throughout labor.

After a short break, we watched a video that was supposed to be about baby’s first few days. It didn’t seem all that informative. Basically just showed several families with their newborns and talked about things like their changing appearance and the various stages of alertness.

After reviewing the breathing patterns again, we closed with guided relaxation.

I admit I have a hard time with guided relaxation. It makes me want to laugh. It reminds me of those childhood sleepover games of trying to hypnotize one another and that sort of thing. Hearing someone say “My left arm is heavy and warm” with Pachelbel’s Canon playing in the background — with ocean waves — just sounds silly to me.

I think I can help myself to relax if I think about it more scientifically — systematically noticing each body part from feet to head, relaxing anything that has tensed up.

We were sent home with some gifts from Enfamil, a maker of formula: a diaper bag and a little cosmetics bag, each containing coupons, booklets, magazines, and so on. Most are baby-related, like portrait packages, book clubs, baby product coupons and such, but there’s also offers for satellite TV and designer checks. There’s also a CD of classical music. The diaper bag is pretty nice; it has an inner insulated compartment with ice packs, two outer pockets, and two bottle pockets.