On Saturday Carolyn and I had the first of our three childbirth classes. This one was held in Salisbury, and the next two will be at a church that’s right across the street from our neighborhood (that’ll be nice!).
The class was from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and there were seven other couples there. Well, one young lady was with her sister and another was with her mom, while the rest were with their husbands. It was pretty interesting!
We learned about how the baby is developing and what changes are taking place in Carolyn (translated: we saw pictures of how her guts are getting all squished up). We learned what will happen when it’s time for the baby to arrive. I’d always wondered just what exactly it meant for a woman having contractions to be “dilated”–now I know a little more than I actually wanted to.
A nurse came in and talked about child safety, then gave a quick crash course on infant CPR. It made us nervous to hear about all the creative ways that kids find to get hurt, but it also helped us feel a little more confident to be aware of some of these schemes.
Then we learned some relaxation exercises to use during labor. I just hope we can remember this stuff! The giant bouncy ball things were amazingly comfortable. I think I might have to get one to use for an office chair.
One of the best parts was the last hour when we went over to the hospital (PRMC) and actually toured the maternity ward. Our instructor, Diana (who was really good, by the way), showed us where we’ll come in the hospital, which elevator to take, and exactly where to go. We went to the labor & delivery room and she showed us some of the equipment that the doctors will use. It’s very comforting to have seen that room, because it’s helpful to fight anxiety when we don’t have to imagine what the place might look like. She showed us the waiting room where family and friends can go, then showed us how to navigate the maze to the parking lot where we’ll all go to take our newborns home. Oh yes–she also showed us where the operating room is where they do C-sections, and the NICU area, but of course we didn’t go in there.
It was cool getting to meet some other people in our same situation–it’s a first baby for everyone, and all the women are due right around the same time. One of the moms-to-be is carrying twins! It’s also neat that the other couples probably live nearby, since everyone signed up for a Berlin class instead of a Salisbury class. We may have some future Training Station children inside the wombs in that class!
Diana gave us some helpful materials to take with us until next week. She even gave us homework! Of course, that homework is watching some videos online, and that’s my kind of homework.
Surfing the Inner N8 
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