When do you sign up for classes?

[may07wedding]

I'll be 7 months next week and I'm not sure when to sign up for birthing classes. And are they held at the hospital?

[aegis2005]

I'm delivering at St. Joe's and am taking their 3 week prepared childbirth class. I signed up for a class in November - which feels early to me. That said, I know December is going to be crazy for my husband and I, and I'm a worrier, and feel like doing it in January would be cutting it too close for my comfort.

I'll also be doing a breastfeeding and infant care class - at some point after I take the childbirth class.

[loskadoodle]

We did them in the 7 and 8th months and yes I took them at my hospital. Call them and ask if they have any, if they don't they can usually recommend some!

[amellis2]

Oh, if anyone else delivers at St. Joe's take the infant massage class, too. It's free to NICU parents (which I hope none of you are!) and it is a wonderful way to bond with baby and help him (in the case it seems to be these days!) relax, too!

[mrsshawanab]

I guess I'm in the minority here but we did not take any child birthing classes. I was very scared of child birth so I just wanted to go in blind because I knew they would tell me what to do. And they did, and everything was awesome. You know they don't even tell you to do that breathing stuff in labor anymore - they just put a little oxygen mask on me between pushing. I really don't know what they teach you in a birthing class that you really need to know before going into labor.
We did, however, take a baby safety class at St. Joe's. It taught us baby cpr, stuff about SIDS and crib safety, car safety and they checked to make sure our car seat was in our car safely, etc. We found it very helpful and it was only a 3 hour class.
We also did a hospital tour class. This class told us where to go in the hospital, what to expect when you arrive and are in labor, etc. This was a great class as well because then we weren't freaking out where to go when my water broke at 3am.
We did both of these classes when I was around 7 months pregnant.

[amellis2]

I should have answered the question: I signed up for a prepared childbirth, but then got a refund because I birthed before I could take the class. I don't think 7 months is too early (I was scheduled to take mine at 8, and then delivered 5-6 weeks early.)

They told the lady who teaches the class is kind of crunchy, too, so that made me feel better knowing that it wouldn't be just hospital protocol and I would get information on drug-free birth, pitocin augementations, etc.

[sara76]

I'd just go ahead and take them now. Why not? Its not like there's a test or anything. (Or is there? Hehehe). There were all kinds of due dates in my classes at St Joes.

[may07wedding]

Thanks Ladies, now I just have to convince the hubbub to go He definitely didn't want to do a breast feeding class, so we'll see about the others.

[may07wedding]

Oct 11, 2012 11:40:42 GMT -5 may07wedding said:

Thanks Ladies, now I just have to convince the hubbub to go He definitely didn't want to do a breast feeding class, so we'll see about the others.

I obviously meant hubby, not hubbub....whatever that is.

[loskadoodle]

Oct 11, 2012 11:43:35 GMT -5 may07wedding said:

Oct 11, 2012 11:40:42 GMT -5 may07wedding said:

Thanks Ladies, now I just have to convince the hubbub to go He definitely didn't want to do a breast feeding class, so we'll see about the others.

I obviously meant hubby, not hubbub....whatever that is.

Every dad was at the breastfeeding class I went to, except maybe 2. The LC said its helpful for dad's to go because they can see things from the front and help with positioning, etc.

[melis74]

H & I did not go to CB classes. My sister and a good friend said I would probably feel like they didn't tell me a whole lot I didn't know...I read a TON of books. However, H & I did go to a breastfeeding class and Infant CPR class(there was a woman there who was due the next day!) at our hospital...and take a tour.

[sara76]

Oh yeah, the classes were cool because they included a tour. Although for me, I ended up a scheduled C section so after the 9 hours I spent in the birth class, I went to check in and went right to pre-op, got on a bed, and was wheeled out 3 days later and never stepped one foot outside of my room during my stay. I thought it was crazy when they wheeled me out through the maze of corridors, I was like "how did I get all the way in here???" Odd. The tour did nothing for me, lol.

[mrsjenrn]

I was about 6.5 months when I took the class and I didn't think it was too early. I would encourage your H to go to the BFing class, too. My H has been my biggester supporter and helper throughout this whole BFing journey. It was hard in those early weeks and he even sometimes reminded me of things from the class and stuff I had told him prior to getting Zoe. And of course I highly recommend attending La Leche League meetings even before giving birth. The evening meeting is at 7pm on the second Wednesday of every month in the Oakfield Plaza right next to Brandon Hospital. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is a great book, too. I read it cover to cover before ever going to a LLL meeting (and I wish I had started going before Zoe was born). It was right by my side the first few weeks of Zoe's life, and I even still refer to it.

[tashaandsage]

I kind of waited till I was getting down to the wire and was having a heard time getting anyone to call me back from the hospital. I would not reccomend being a procrastintor! It worked out alright for me, though. By accident, I met a woman in a bookstore that did private child birth classes, so she came to us. We missed the experience of meeting other couples and touring the hospital, but we were able to knock through it 3 nights since it was just us. Honestly, there wasn't a ton I learned that I didn't know, but it gave me an immense amount of comfort that I would know how to to do my breathing and relaxation if for some reason I couldn't get the epidural I was planning. Since I had several hours of serious contractions each time before I got my epidural, those breathing exercises came in very handy. I didn't take breast feeding class, which I probably should've. Luckily I had no issues.

I've given birth twice, and neither time was an oxygen mask put on me during pushing as mrsshawana had. I'm very curious if that is a typical thing done, because I've never heard of that before.

[mrsshawanab]

I have no idea why an oxygen mask was put on me.. lol. Since I didn't go to a cb class, I just went with the flow. I know I was shaking a lot when I got to the hospital and they said it was because of hormones and I needed to take bigger breaths.. so maybe that's why? Who knows.

[sara76]

Mrsshawna, you got sick right? (I remember that part because I have a slightly unreasonable fear of throwing up). That may be why they gave you oxygen? Because during my c section (at the end) I mentioned that I felt I might get sick and they put oxygen near my face. Not right on it, but resting on my chest facing me so I was getting a little bit but could still talk. It helped.