Antenatal #3

Last night was our third night of free antenatal classes held at Burwood Hospital. All the couples were there and it was a great time (for us, anyway). I always imagined antenatal classes to be a very serious and awkward business but its really not at all. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that Graeme is my husband and has the ability to turn any situation around or maybe its just the dynamic of the group. I don't know.

Last night we focussed on the third stage of labour (pushing, birth and placenta). We also went early to watch an optional birth video and then went through all the pain management options available to us.

The birth video was so easy to watch. Honestly. You couldn't see anything, and the focus of it was more on the managing of labour - positions, massage, encouragement etc. It was nothing like the video they force you to watch in 4th form science - where you had a direct view up the ladies legs and could see the head coming out, then the whole body slithered out covered in blood. Shock factor 5000! 90% of the class probably swore off sex in that moment. They should replay it again in 6th and 7th form ;)

Anyway. After that we watched a video of a baby making its way up the mums chest to find her breast. It was frustrating to watch a baby having to work for its food, but also completely amazing and mind blowing to see that a brand new baby has such instinctive reflexed and can find and work towards its own food. Even though its never breastfed before, it knows exactly what it wants and needs. Seriously. Amazing stuff!! Even now my mind feels like exploding from the thought of it. Can you tell?

The pain medication and management I had heard all before. You can read about any of that stuff in books, and they make it very clear that the less you have to have, the better off you are. Obviously emergencies are a different story and you will do whatever you can to save you and your baby.

I'm still thankful for our choice to homebirth and I am super thankful that Graeme is also 100% behind our decision and even encourages it when he talks to people about it.