Birthing Class - Night #1

So last night was our first birthing class.

When I found out that the class was 5 nights for 3 hours a night - I thought, "What possibly can they be teaching us that will take that long?" I figured I would be bored. I mean considering the following:

*I have been reading books and articles since I found out we were expecting

*I have seen "A Baby Story" - hey it is The Learning Channel - right?

*I was in the room the entire time my close friend delivered her son

*I feel we are relatively smart people with a great education

*Michael has delivered babies and has an license and degree on how to do this

So, we get to class, and the room is SO hot. Seriously, 78 degrees and climbing. I was in a sweater. You should have seen all of the heavily pregnant ladies - I was not the only one that was thinking "Why did I think this was a good idea."

We had just rushed through dinner - lately eating has made me really uncomfortable. It feels like the food is up in my throat. Then sitting down - and it gets hard to breath. So here I am - hot, pukey and having trouble breathing, in a room full of strangers, in a class that I am pretty sure I don't even need. I was thinking on leaving - formulating an exit strategy actually.

I am glad I didn't.

I am a person that need to "do" something. When I am stressed, upset, excited - I need to "do". I plan, I prepare, I want to get started. When I can't "do" I clean. I am an angry organizer. There are nights that I would leave work, be mad or irritated about work, life or with Michael about something, and I would head to the store. A bottle of wine and a bottle of cleaner - and my evening was set. Nothing like a glass of wine and the smell of Lemon Pine Sol to make me human again.

Now, first off - I have not planned on having a natural childbirth. (I am in awe of those that do.) Not that I planned on drugging it up from start to finish either. But, I want to enjoy the moments, and take the excruciating pain down a few notches to tolerable pain/discomfort as best I can with an epidural. I thought that I show up in labor, wait around for it to progress and then had a baby. Yes, there was some pushing and work on my part there - but the rest all just "happened" during labor. All of the other tips and techniques were for dealing with the pain for those people going sans drugs.

I was wrong.

Class focused on - so here you are in labor and now here is what YOU can do. How to make labor shorter, progress faster and more effective. Michael and I have list of things that we are both supposed to do. The "doer" in me is so happy.

I have these cards I bought quite a while ago. I posted about them here.

I love lists... but I haven't used these beautiful cards - not one single card. I have been waiting on a list that would be worthy of such a pretty backdrop. I have found my worthy lists - baby lists.