Let’s face it – classes or not, you’re giving birth to that baby no matter what. But why do first-time moms take classes if childbirth is going to happen anyway? One way of looking childbirth classes is that it is one way to prepare yourself for the unexpected. No amount of advice from your family and friends can substitute experts who have handled and seen countless births. It helps take the mystery out of childbirth, and if you want all bases covered, it might be good idea to sign up for classes.
Information and knowledge are power, and childbirth classes are still important and relevant to this day because going into something life-changing blindly can be a rude awakening. You can end up slighly traumatized or, worse, with postpartum depression. Being equipped with education may be the difference between life and death, too.
Here are reasons to take up childbirth classes, ideally on your 6th to 7th month of pregnancy
1. Preparation is key
While nobody can really be 100% prepared for childbirth, classes can be helpful not just for first-timers, but for experienced moms, too. It can provide you with solid footing to achieve your planned birth plan.
Childbirth classes can also be extra helpful if you’ve previously had a difficult labor and delivery. It can help you gain confidence and feel better prepared for childbirth this time around. It can also help you avoid shocks and surprises that may occur along the way – and believe us, anything can happen during childbirth.
2. Connect with other moms who are near your due date
Isn’t it comforting to know that you’ll know other moms that will go through the same thing at around the same time? Think of it as having a support group. Plus, a lot of moms make lifelong friends out of the parents they meet here. This also means your kids will be the same age and they can be lifelong friends, too. Instant play dates! It ‘s never too early to start.
Imagine having a shoulder to cry on or people to hold your hand during difficult zombie moments. You can discuss birth stories, exchange notes on how to handle difficult situations, sicknesses, and even how to discipline your kids. You can be comforted with the fact that you parents are along the same phases together, and you can check on your kids’ progress developmentally.
3. Dads can join
If you’re struggling with how to involve your husband more in your pregnancy, childbirth classes is one way to solve this. It can also be the outlet for enthusiastic dads to voice out their opinions on childbirth and parenting in general. Plus, your hubby can make lifelong friends, too!
Your husband may be too busy to read those fatherhood books you bought him but little do they know that they have so much to learn, and not even a book is enough to cover everything they need to brush up on. Attending a childbirth class with you can help prepare them to start getting in to parent mode.
The last thing you need is a helpless or frustrated dad who has no idea what to do in the middle of the night while your newborn is wailing. Including your partners in childbirth classes helps build confidence in the fathers (and your confidence in them, too). The classes can actually make childbirth and parenting fun for the fathers-to-be. Most of all, having him involved will bring you closer as a couple or co-parents, which is vital for your baby.
4. Inside information
What if you have trouble breastfeeding? Who do you call? Childbirth classes will give you resources you didn’t know you’d need. What if you experience postpartum depression, who do you call? Whatever questions you have about pregnancy, parenting and postpartum anything can be answered in childbirth classes. We’re pretty sure the childbirth experts can answer 99 percent of all your questions. Since classes are not conducted by doctors but by childbirth experts, a lot of whom are moms themselves, you can be assured that all the information you will gain will be practical and experience-based.
5. Get practical tips
Most first-time moms are afraid of labor. They’re afraid they won’t know what to do and they may not know if they are already in labor. You’ll learn in childbirth classes the many stages of labor you will go through. It’s only in the movies (or in very rare cases) that people need to be rushed to the hospital and give birth right when they get to the hospital. Just ask your mommy friends how long they were in labor. Chances are, none of them will answer that they gave birth immediately. The chances of spending many hours (or days) in labor is much higher than a too-fast labor and delivery. Knowing what to do when you encounter certain sensations like labor pains, always helps. It will also help avoid panic and paranoia, which are pretty common with first-time moms.
We hope we’ve helped you decide whether to take childbirth classes or not. If you have the time, money, and energy to spare to take the classes, go ahead. You won’t lose anything by attending them. On the other hand, if you decide not to, your baby will still come out, one way or another. J Have a safe and happy delivery! - Aimee Morales Chan
Don’t know where to sign up for childbirth classes? Try these:
- Rome Kanapi – 436-1757 or 0917-541-5114
- Conchita Ragrario – 721-8370 or 0920-913-8126
- Aurelin Fernando – 951-9661 or 0918-927-1729
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