Photo: iStockphoto
Prenatal class. Just the idea of it sent my mind reeling through a crazy collage of images ? largely gleaned from B-grade films and sitcom television ? involving panting women, lurid leggings and flummoxed dads-to-be trying not to faint. I had no idea what to expect, but seeing as I also have no idea what to expect of childbirth, I figured it was a good idea to go.
As we headed to our local college campus this past weekend to attend two six-hour classes, my curiosity ran high. Would we sit in a circle “hee-hee”-ing and “hoo-hoo”-ing" Would someone faint during a birthing video" Would we get to fondle knitted boobs and diaper dolls"
As it turns out: no, maybe, and kind of (we had the dolls, but sadly no knitted boobs). We only devoted an hour or so to relaxation positions, swaddling and those other things movies tell us to expect. Instead, we learned about delayed cord clamping, the stages of labour and how to cope with them, what it really means to have an epidural and Caesarian section, and when to recognize the baby blues in both moms and dads. Read more: Should you have an epidural">
While a lot of the information was familiar, much of the detail was new, or from a slightly different perspective. And there was another huge benefit: When I’m lying in hospital recovering from whatever method we end up using to get the twins out, it will be great to have a better understanding of what the other mums in ...