Childbirth/ Prenatal Classes

Quite a lot has happened since the last time I wrote down here. Oct29 and Oct30, 2011, we hired a certified Doula to come home and 'prepare' us with a few things before babies arrival. Debra, Deb, like she likes to be called has come home for 6 hours. She was so amazing!

http://www.concerningchildbirth.com/about.htm

One of the main reasons we hired her was because she seems to believe what we believe in regarding childbrith. Hiring her would mean our beliefs would be fine tuned to an extent where we can implement what we want and how we want. Since I am not as articulate as her, I am copying what she has written in her website, which pretty much matches what we want.

• I believe... a natural birth benefits the mother and the baby.
• I believe... in the instinctive abilities of the mother and her baby in childbirth. Trusting in these abilities enables a woman to actively plan and participate in her birth experience.
• I believe... every woman deserves to be accompanied at her births by a caring, supportive attendant who understands the childbirth process.
• I believe... the father’s presence comforts a woman and makes her feel cared for and supported in ways only he can. As your doula I coach the father in comfort techniques and help you work together as a couple to prepare for and progress through your birth experience.
• I believe... that breastfeeding is optimal for the health of the baby and the mother. Breastfeeding is a natural experience but it often requires some learning for both the mother and the baby. As your doula, I provide prenatal preparation, help you initiate breastfeeding and offer guidance during the early breastfeeding period.

She  also took us through the below topics:

• Pregnancy and nutrition information:
• discuss your concerns
• help mother and partner prepare for birth
• Pre-labour and labour signs
• Relaxation techniques and comfort measures
• What to expect in the normal course of labor
• Medications and interventions associated with childbirth
• Postpartum needs of the newborn and mother
• Preparation for infant care
• Breastfeeding preparation

Deb also gave us loads of material and had also taken us through the serious health warning signs we should watch for. She also gave us material about how Anand can help relieve a bit of pain my various massage techniques.
Most importantly she gave us both the same questioner about what we want during labor. It was the most important part of the session because it clearly showed us where we both stand and whether or not we are on the same page. Out of 10, we both had 7 in common, which was great! But like they say, there is no wrong answer. Its just a different perspective.  

Over all, we both are really happy that we have chosen her as a child birth instructor and I for one would surely recommend any expectant parent to consider getting an instructor. Reading online and through books was one thing and going over our concerns through an instructor was something else altogether.