Hubby and I attended our first baby preparation class last night called "Baby 101" since neither of us has much experience with babies. We've both changed one diaper in our LIVES, so we thought this class would be beneficial and ease some of our worries and fears of the unknown.
It started at 6:30 p.m. last night, so we met right after work and lasted until 9:30 - a little long if you ask me. Especially if you consider about half of it was filled with videos from 1982, and I'm not over exaggerating the outdatedness. One of the videos even mentioned using a mercury thermometer, which the "live" nurse/teacher said was a big no-no (remember those things?).
Within the first ten minutes of the teacher's lecture focusing on the reality of how newborns look, my husband began laughing uncontrollably, causing me to do the same. Apparently, we could be handed a cone-shaped, hairy, bluish purple, pimpled little monster in the delivery room! The class also had more right-after birth photos than I anticipated - the hubby doesn't seem to handle this very well. His eyes were very wide and the most uncomfortable look crossed over his face. Plus there were more breast shots than viewed in a late-night HBO movie; thought hubby would actually enjoy that but when it includes a suckling baby, I guess it ruins the fun of it. I was already a bit concerned about how hub is going to handle the one-day childbirth class we're signed up for in mid April, but now I am almost afraid.
On the plus side, we learned how to swaddle, which is the first step in Dr. Harvey Karp's "Five S" system. The nurse teacher swore by this with her 10-month old. I'm going to see if Netflix has his DVD or if the library has his book about this. We also changed a diaper on the little doll baby, how to give a sponge bath and how to clip it's tiny fingernails.
I actually walked out of the classroom feeling more confident about handling a newborn. Taking care of baby is definitely not rocket science, and now I feel like I have some good step-by-step information on how to handle the whole thing. One step closer to being a new mom.
Inhale, exhale! :)
Pregnancy yoga for the day: Arm exercises for pregnancy (almost 6 minutes)
5 comments:
No baby classes for us. We signed up for 1 and we went to it and couldn't find the building. So we call them and they tell us the class is now in Lee's Summit.
We did fine. I have never changed one diaper before they came, I really never even held one. I somehow figured out to burp them and everything. We even had our first baby came before the hospital tour and somehow we still found our way to the right room.
I saw a video box and got really excited for a minute that you taped last night's session with the dolls! :-)
Oh my gosh - I started laughing as I was picturing you & Brady laughing uncontrollably about picturing what you are going to be handed in the delivery room - thanks for that blog, it made my day!
Thanks friends for the comments...
Clint, my husband will have to meet you some day to alleviate his fears!
Maria, I was too chicken to take live video footage, especially since we were the immature, giggly ones in the back.
And Libby, glad I made your day! I was hoping someone would find humor in it! ;)
I have a breastfeeding class tonight and it's 7-9:30 pm! I don't understand why they're so long and late -- esp for us pregnant folks!
We take our childbirth class in April too and it's 8:30am-5:30pm!! (Only 45 mins lunch.)
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