Childbirthing Classes: 1 and 2

Class 1:
Our first class, held at Memorial Mission Hospital, was less intimidating than I thought it would be. There were seven other couples and two motherly teachers along with us. Matt knew one of the other couple's members, which was refreshing - I wasn't sure if there would be any other young, unmarried couples there besides us.
After introductions, during which I learned all of the other mothers were between 29 and 34 weeks, we started the "educational" part of the class. The instructor used a baby doll in a fake uteran sack to talk about anatomy, which felt a bit like being in school again! We also talked about the signs of pre-term labor, since we were all far along enough to start having some of the symptoms. At the end, we did a relaxation/breathing exercise.
All in all, it helped me feel like I was getting prepared for the big day.

Class 2:
This class really focused on the stages of labor. Because I had so many misconceptions ( due mostly to television and movies) about the process, this was a very reassuring class. The main things I got were:

1.When you begin feeling contractions that are regular and about five minutes apart, it's time to call the doctor and possibly go to the hospital. But it's not a rushed, sudden event. Contractions may happen long before that, as the first stage of active labor can take many hours. I always imagined birth beginning with a woman's water breaking dramatically and the mother and father hurrying to the hospital. I learned instead that a woman can relax, even have fun during the first part before calmly going to the hospital (unless there are any risk factors of course). The water may break, may gush or trickle, or the membranes may have to be broken in the hospital.
2.I found out that most of the pain comes from the cervix effacing and dilating. The toughest pain to deal with occurs when a woman is around 7 centimeters dilated. And the worst of that pain occurs painly during the peak of a contraction, which can be counted in seconds. After full dilation is reached, the pain becomes strain. When the head crowns, a stinging or burning can be felt, but it is closer to the end. This eased my fears about knowing if or when I would need an epidural and how to cope with the pain.
3.I was reassured that the best way to deal with labor is to be active with positioning and decision making. This means I don't have to be passive the whole time or feel railroaded while a wave of medical staff takes over around me.

After learning a great deal about the stages of labor (the physical and emotional descriptions were explained together), we practiced patterned-breathing and relaxation in the dim classroom on the floor. Deep breathing, according to the instructor, can be used during most of the contractions, but patterned-breathing can help during stronger contractions or if hyper-ventilation becomes a problem. Though I am not anxiety-free and frightened still about the upcoming labor experience, I feel much more knowledgable. Hopefully Matt's feeling the same way!