by K L Arena

Created on: August 17, 2008

Two little pink lines. They're unmistakable. And in my case, unexpected! Children were a plan for the future, something I looked forward to, but not something I expected to be preparing for quite yet. The thought of what was happening inside my body itself was mysterious and a little overwhelming. How on earth was I going to manage to endure labor and delivery? How would I know what to do? What would it feel like? How could I brace myself for this amazing, wholly life-altering event that I couldn't begin to wrap my brain around, even as I felt the tiny pulsing kicks from the baby growing within me?

A close friend suggested childbirth classes to ease my fears. At first I was skeptical. I worried that I'd wind up with more horror stories of emergency C-sections and near-deadly complications. And I'd done a fair amount of reading on my own about the stages of labor and what they look like and how to recognize them. I wasn't sure that hearing it all again would necessarily make it more clear to me. I still simply couldn't wrap my little pregnant brain around what I read.

When I went to the first class, sat down at a table with a dozen other moms-to-be, and looked into the smiling face of our instructor, I have to admit, I did feel better. Here was a live group of people, many of whom were in the same situation as I was, and an instructor who had not only had children of her own, but had medical expertise to help her explain the profound mysteries of childbirth to us all... and answer our questions as well!

The childbirth class provided me with more information than simply cataloging the perils of labor and delivery as well as my options for pain management. We also learned helpful exercises and positions to sit in to encourage the baby to turn prior to delivery. Other moms shared experiences they'd had during their pregnancies. We learned about breastfeeding. Partners and husbands learned about coaching. We learned techniques for pain management and using activities or objects to distract and comfort us during the labor and delivery process. We learned how to recognize signs of labor and when to call the doctor or go to the hospital.

All in all, my experience in the childbirth class was overwhelmingly positive. I left the class feeling equipped with information and strategies that would help me through the labor and delivery of my child. I now recommend classes to friends and family, and especially to any first-time moms-to-be.

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