Family Health Birthing class WORT H IT for first-time mothers

BY ADELLE WHITEFOOT

This is my first child. It’s a boy. We do have a name picked out, but I can’t tell you what it is. We’re not telling anyone, actually. It’ll be a surprise.

When my husband told me he wanted to take a baby class, I was a little apprehensive. The first reason was, I graduated from college only five years ago, and going to “class” sounded awful. The second reason was that I didn’t know what I would learn from going to a baby class that I didn’t already know from experience with babies or from my pregnancy books.

But he really wanted to go to one, because as he put it, he didn’t know what he needed to know. So I googled baby classes in Duluth and found that St. Luke’s hospital had quite a few options. My doctor is at St. Luke’s, and I plan on delivering there, so I figured that would be the best option. We signed up for the birthing and labor class.

The class was two nights for three and a half hours each. I felt better about the class when I walked in and saw two fairly young women who had children in the past decade at the front of the room. Also, they both work in the birthing center.

The presenters used a PowerPoint presentation with images and videos to help teach the class. Though most of the stuff they went over was things I read in my pregnancy book already, my husband said he found those items helpful. Apparently, new dad books don’t go into as much detail about labor and birth.

What I did find helpful was learning about St. Luke’s policies and how they handle things. For instance, I can give birth in any position I want, whether that means on all fours, standing up, on my side or crouched at the end of the bed. “Whatever feels best and gets that baby out,” they said they’re willing to try. my doctor there.” But I don’t told them I really didn’t care, and plus I know many people who have had planned inductions for that reason, and something happened and their doctor wasn’t there for the delivery of their baby, my sister-in-law included.

There is one exception. In the tub. All of the remodeled birthing suites at St. Luke’s have very deep tubs for mothers to labor in. But before you get in, you have to sign a waiver that you won’t deliver in the tub, and when you’re told to get out, you will. Water births at St. Luke’s are not an option.

Anyways, in Minnesota, it is now the law that you cannot have a planned induction except for a medical reason or if you are one to two weeks past your due date. This was news to me and something I obviously wouldn’t have learned in any pregnancy book. The law apparently changed back in 2012, and I’ve only lived in Minnesota for four years.

As for medicine, I’m planning on not using any of it. Well, more like hoping to do this naturally. Though there is one new technique that I may consider using first before giving in to an epidural — if it comes to that — because it doesn’t affect the baby and is out of your system in minutes.

I also learned about changes made over the years when it comes to giving birth to a child. These changes make a lot of things completely different from when my mother gave birth to me and even when my sister gave birth to my nephew just three years ago.

As any woman who has ever been pregnant knows, with that bump and beautiful baby — or babies if your body is working overtime — comes the unsolicited and, almost always, unwanted advice. The biggest unwanted advice that I was nagged about by my sister and sister-in-law was about having a planned induction.

I told them I plan on waiting for my baby. When he comes out, he comes out. I have no problem winging it. But they tried to convince me I was wrong because “I’m going to want

In 2016, St. Luke’s started offering nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to patients to help them get through contractions. Again, there is a waiver you have to sign saying that you won’t share it with anyone, and you can use it only as long as you are capable of holding it to your own face.

Before I took the birthing class, I was pretty terrified of labor and giving birth. One woman once told me that she would rather go through labor again than have another ovarian cyst rupture, which I’ve had. But that didn’t comfort me. This class did. I definitely feel more confident and even a little excited for it to come because I can’t wait to meet my son. — MDT