Labor & Delivery Class

I must admit I was a little nervous about taking the labor and delivery class. I mean, afterall, it was scheduled from 9am-6pm! That alone was intimidating. But, to my suprise the class was great and we both left there feeling prepared and very excited!

There were about 15 couples in the class today and almost everyone was 35 weeks +. So as you can imagine -- lots of big prego bellies! We covered all sorts of topics from first signs of labor, to breathing techniques, to watching the infamous delivery video. Throughout the day our instructor told us some interesting facts -- I was shocked to learn that the average age of a woman who delivers at Sibley is 38 years old. And approximately 32 % of deliveries end up being c-section. This perecentage has drastically increased over the last decade. It was interesting to hear how different the birthing experience is today compared to 10 and 20 years ago. Back when my mom was pregnant the average hospital stay for vaginal birth was 5 days and c-section was 7-10 days. And now they kick you out 2 days after a vaginal birth and 3-4 days after a c-section! Another thing that has changed is that back then the babies stayed in the nursery with all the other babies. But, today the babies stay in the room with mom unless there is a particular reason to have the baby go to the nursery. And that is just fine with me-- I like the idea of having my little guy right at my side :)

Overall the class was a great experience and I'm really happy we took it. We left with a better idea of how we can better prepare and what else we can expect on our big day! At the advice of our instructor, Jeremy came straight home and put the carseat in his car, and tested out the carrier to make sure he knows how to adjust the straps. He's going to be such an awesome Daddy :) I just can't wait to see him change a diaper! Lots of excitement to come...

xoxo LaureNicole