Hello everyone!!
We recently took a birth education class to help us prepare for what lies ahead. Talk about an interesting experience. We learned a lot to be sure, but the real fun came from observing our classmates and teacher (as teachers ourselves, we couldn't help but notice all the classroom dynamics).
Our instructor, Nurse Julie, was wonderful. We described her as a Mid-Western super friendly "air-hostess from the 1960's." She was quick with a smile and a wink, and often said "mmmm 'kay". But all joking aside, she was quite knowledgeable and really calming.
Our classmates were a diverse group. First of all, there were the brown nosers. These couple had done their homework and answered every question as though they had written the What to Expect series. "Our research shows...." and "Well, I've heard...." were common words coming from these camps. Then there were the "I don't want to be here dads." These guys sat quietly beside their very sweet wives and acted tough. Will calls it the thousand mile stare. No comments from these guys. There was the older couple who were very excited to be having a child; in fact, they will apparently have a documentary film crew following them around the hospital during the birth (yes, they asked about this during the hospital visit). For the most part, the "students" were similar to Jessica and me....students who sit in the back and listen, trying to learn how to be that perfect parent. (Ok, sometimes we quietly made jokes...sue us!)
The best part of the class was how it made the upcoming birth much more "real." We had a great hospital tour and saw videos of all we can expect to endure...gruesome and not so gruesome.
We've got 2 more weeks until the due date. Leo is on the way!
