The Privilege of Teaching Childbirth Classes
I finished teaching a set of childbirth classes this evening; the first in quite some time. But the privilege and awe that I feel in being able to somehow intersect with these families is something I hold very close to my heart. I love being able to spend time with expectant families, preparing them for one of life's most incredible events. I think I taught my first class in 1984...Matt was a baby. I remember nursing him, running out the door, teaching and then hustling back as quickly as I could, inevitably to a crying baby. But I loved interacting with the families. And I still do.
I hope I do a good job with the classes I teach...I want to strike a balance of preparing families for the miracle and joy of birth, while addressing concerns and unexpected outcomes. My goal is to eliminate as many surprises as I can, and infuse them with confidence as they await the birth of their child.
I always feel sad when I hear people comment that the childbirth classes they went to were worthless and a waste of time. After all, that was how I felt and it was what motivated me to become a childbirth educator. And now to write a book.
I spent some time linking to different blogs (this is addicting, dangerous and time consuming...) through some of the women who have responded to my request for stories and experiences to share.
I'm not sure when I teach again. January? But I am grateful to be a part of the ongoing story of life for the families that I meet.
I hope I do a good job with the classes I teach...I want to strike a balance of preparing families for the miracle and joy of birth, while addressing concerns and unexpected outcomes. My goal is to eliminate as many surprises as I can, and infuse them with confidence as they await the birth of their child.
I always feel sad when I hear people comment that the childbirth classes they went to were worthless and a waste of time. After all, that was how I felt and it was what motivated me to become a childbirth educator. And now to write a book.
I spent some time linking to different blogs (this is addicting, dangerous and time consuming...) through some of the women who have responded to my request for stories and experiences to share.
I'm not sure when I teach again. January? But I am grateful to be a part of the ongoing story of life for the families that I meet.
Labels: Childbirth Classes
posted by www.kathypride.com at
10:39 PM
5 Comments:
Did I ever tell you about one experience I had in my first child-birth class, when I was pregnant with Josh & Ben? Towards the end of the class, while we were waiting for the instructor, one mom-to-be said, "We ARE all over 30, right?" I said, "I'm not." ALL of the other 5 women turned and looked at me with the most incredulous look. It was palpable, so much so, that I responded to what they didn't say outloud but were clearly thinking: "It's okay! I'm 26 and We've been married for 4 years and we did it on purpose!" I think I know how an unwed teenage mother must feel when people look at her.
Then, during our refresher course, when I was pregnant with Gregory, one woman was going on and on about her privacy during the actual birth. She had a million little niggling questions, which the childbirth teacher patiently tried to answer. After wards, both Jeff and I laughed and I said, "I didn't care if the whole Mormon Tabernacle Choir was in there with me."
I actually had had 17 people in the OR with me when I gave birth to my twins (it was a teaching hospital, so there was a resident alongside every doctor). AND my legs were open and spread FACING the doors. And believe me, I couldn't have cared less.
Love,
Katy
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I was 21 and unmarried. My mom went with me to the childbirth classes. I was also the first one in the class to give birth (if you don't count the missionaries who just got back from Kenya and rushed through ALL the groups because they were due ANY DAY--later to become my best friend....). I showed up one week at class with my baby and the childbirth teachers were shocked, "You didn't even call us!" I didn't know I was supposed to!
My mom always told me I wouldn't have any modesty left and I could not picture that, but I did try to believe her. Both my kids took an hour to push out. My obstetrician just sat on a bench at the end of my bed staring at my privates between contractions. Of course, I realized he was sleeping with his eyes open when the nurse would have to nudge him and say "contraction". Then I didn't care much.
But the real story is that several hours after her birth, at shift change, when I was alone in the room with my baby, and my mom and best friend had gone home, old Sargeant General nurse comes into my room, doesn't introduce herself and says, "This baby has not been bathed yet!" and grabs her and takes off down the hall. I was hooked up to an IV, had about 45 minutes' worth of stitches and the anesthetic was wearing off, and my abdomen felt like it was going to fall on the floor in front of me with every step, but I was 100 feet behind that nurse, waddling as fast as I cold waddle, leaning on my IV stand for support, bleating, "Wait! My Baby! Come back!"
Years later, when we visited the sheep barns in Corvallis and saw a man carrying off twin lambs and the ewe waddling behind him, "Baaaa! Wait! Come Back! My babies!", I totally realized I was not alone!!
Thanks for sharing some more...I love the sheep bleating story...I am collecting stories for my book. I just got a copy of my book contract; I can't figure out what half of it means, which is why I have an agent and he will go over all of it with me Friday. But I guess I need to get written permissions from everyone whose story I include, so that will add a bit of leg work...
Still looking for a more funky subtitle. The title is Expecting My Baby (Preparing for the Miracle of Your Child's Birth) and while it certainly is that, it is more than that; preparing for surprises and things noone talks about...any ideas? Katy, I think you had one, but I didn't write it down!
My kids are almost 16 years apart. When I was in labor with my daughter, the mood was so somber (my doctor was dozing!) and I kept trying to lighten the mood and at one point i commented, "It's sure easier to get them in than get them out!" The next morning a nurse came in and she was chuckling and I asked about what. She said she was still laughing at my comment from the previous night.
SO, when my son was being born, and absolutely everything was going wrong (after 16 years and 2 miscarriages) I commented to my husband, "Still, this one was easier to get OUT than to get in." My college roommate, who had been present at my daughter's birth, was standing there and she started snorting. Gary was too stressed and worried to laugh, but my roommate got the irony!!
you could always use my line....though I doubt the editors would go for it... It's easier to get them in than get them out, and other myths (or surprises or whatever).
I picked up an article the other day, "Preparing for Birth Abroad." I laughed! My firstborn was part Greek tragedy and Roman drama--Sicilian style. On the tiny island of Sicily, my water broke at midnight and our Jeremy was born at 3:05 a.m. We took a Lamaze class at Sigonella Air Base, but I didn't get to use any of my breathing techniques. I fell asleep during childbirth (with no meds), and woke up pushing. I cried because I missed my labor! I practiced all that time and didn't even get to use my transition breathing. None of the Italian nurses could figure out what my problem was, and I guess they never will.
I'm the woman that everyone hates to hear about (3 hour labors--both times) that felt more like a toothache. That's okay, you can hate me too.
Hey, Kathy, how fun you get to teach childbirth classes again. I will always remember my Lamaze instructor at Sigonella. Her husband was the dentist on base, so all her examples were about "teeth." LOL!
Oh, I did get a real shock! I asked if my stretch marks would fade away and she said, "No!" Guess what? She was right!
HUGS!
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