Making Room for Baby

Yes, I'm making room for baby's exit. I've started all my little exercises that are supposed to aide in a faster or easier delivery. I also have raspberry tea extract on hand, but can't bring myself to take it. I've also started the process of gathering items for my hospital suitcase. I'm still surprised with some of the items, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Where am I learning all of these things??

From our NCT antenatal class.

What else have I learned??

I'm not ready for this birth thing.

Our class consists of two Saturdays and one half day for the ladies. So far, we've made it through one Saturday. This is actually a neat program. The NCT (National Children's Trust) offers antenatal, postnatal and breastfeeding courses. The classes are very small and the people in the class are based on where you live and your due date. Our class is made up of six couples. Unfortunately because we were not able to sign up at the beginning of our pregnancy, we were put in a class with a group that is in a different area. It's close (by Texas standards), but they will all be delivering in a different hospital than we will. However, I hope that we will walk away with a few friends. One of the main reasons I wanted to sign up for this course versus something that was offered by the NHS.

Our instructor seems like a great lady and very familiar with practices in other countries. She has spent several years in the States and Australia, as well as other countries (you see how well I take notes in class). I was glad to have someone that was familiar with the process that we are used to - well, not from personal experience, but from what we used to as a nation and from what my friends have always told me. Also, the baby book I've been following over the course of the pregnancy is a US book.

Based on all that, this is what I would expect with a US delivery (I'm sure my friends that are mommies will step in and correct me). Labor starts, drive to hospital, get in a bed, wait for a 3cm, get an epidural, sigh of relief, stay in bed, doctor comes in and catches the baby. I know it's not easy, but very straight forward - it's the norm in the US.

Here, they really encourage you to stay on your feet or knees. They supply those giant exercise balls, birthing pools and beds that sectioned into three parts to allow your tailbone to point down. It all makes sense, really. I mean, let gravity help out, right? Plus the position of your tailbone when lying down creates a barrier for the baby to "escape."

Although I'm in total agreement with all of this, part of me wants to just be in the bed, strapped to machines. Not on all fours or on my knees.

Because they suggest you be on your knees or feet during labor, epidurals are not as common here. Less than 50% of the women in the UK have them. The main form of pain relief is happy gas and a TENS machine.

I'm sure most of you are familiar with happy gas. Should I be shocked that Scott and I were the only ones in the class that raised our hands when asked "Who here has tried it?" No, but I kind of was. Yes, happy gas the same stuff you get at the dentist. Except it's not free-flowing, it's self-administered through a tube that is breathed it in like an inhaler. And not that reassuring as a form of pain relief, if you ask me...

A TENS machine is a device that you attach on either side of your spine in various locations on you back. It sends electric signals that after about 30-minutes to an hour allows your brain to stop receiving the signal of pain from your contractions. It's very common and most pharmacies and hospitals rent them to you about 3-weeks prior to your due date. You must start these at home when your contractions begin because it can take so long to block the signal. Also, this should go without saying, but you should remove it if you plan to have a water birth.

I'm not totally convinced I want an epidural, but I am so relieved that it is an option for me. I was extremely worried that it wouldn't be offered.

Our instructor keeps mentioning how long the average labors of first time mothers are. This is also something that is stressing me out, a bit. I hope I'm as lucky as my mother and sister-in-law. Only a few hours of labor (or less) and then it's over.

Oh, yeah... the suitcase. Here are things that we are asked to bring to the hospital. I'm only going to list the things that I would have expected the hospital to provide or that I just couldn't figure out:

Comfortable clothes (that you deliver in - like a hospital gown)

ice (yes, ice), bring your own ICE.

wash cloth

bendy straws - I thought those were almost exclusive to hospitals

hot water bottle or heating pad

breast pads and other "ladies things" for after baby's birth

towels, your own towels

For baby:

diapers (errrr, nappies)

baby hat (wasn't that always a cute souvenir from the hospital??)

cotton balls (cotton wool, here)

olive oil (wth?? are we cooking up something??)

Surprising what the hospitals don't provide here. But, again... who knows what the hospitals in the US are charging insurance companies for a nappy and cotton balls. All I know is that I might have to pack TWO suitcases to hold all this crap. I take less stuff when I go on vacation!

So, I guess I'll have more to report after our next class, which I guess involves what to do after you have this little creature. And after your mother leaves you to go back home.

OH! I totally forgot to mention how surprised I am at how well Scott is doing in this class. I mean, I'm not surprised that he's doing well... but, that he actually seems glad that he's gone. This is someone that wouldn't even watch some birth show on tv. I think he's taken more away from the class than I have and I know he'll be the one to remind me of all the things we've learned. He's definitely the rock in our little family, and this is event is no exception.