Childbirth class worth it?

[FM_DJ]

Hubby and I were thinking about taking a childbirth class, but a friend of mine who recently gave birth told me it was a waste of money. Your thoughts? Have you taken a course or gone through labor without? It is our first, so I think the class could be beneficial overall. Especially for hubby. Poor guy is clueless.

 

[FM_DJ]

Anyone??

 

[babybaker2011]

My husband and I just rented a childbirth & Lamaaze(sp?) video from our local library. They told you all the same information and we got to take breaks and enjoy it from the privacy of our own home and it was FREE - it would've cost us $75 and we had to go to the hospital 4 Thursdays or Saturdays in a row...it just was something that we didn't want. Hopefully you'll get other responses. Good luck!!

 

[babybaker2011]

Oh and my hubby was clueless as well, now he swears he's a semi- expert after watching the video - it was really helpful.

 

[Pocketmonster]

In the UK we have NCT classes, which you pay for the course.

They were amazing and worth every penny. We are BOTH a lot wiser and going in far more confident about things etc. X x x

 

[DaisyBee]

I think the classes were helpful. They weren't all that fun, and dh hated them. But we learned a lot. It was helpful in different ways. My labor was much different than what they described because I was induced. So the patterns and breaks they described weren't what I experienced. But they discussed pain relief, my specific hospital rules as far as visitors, eating during labor, baby being in with you in the room vs nursery, aids that the hospital encourages during labor, a look at the hospital suites and what specific things in the room were for, what to expect after delivery and what the hospital provided for us.

I'm not doing them with this baby since we have been through it now. But as a first time mom and having a husband who didn't have a clue about the labor and delivery part I was glad we spent the time and money.

 

[JackiePed]

I doubt it would be a 'waste of money'... but I think you'd be fine without it, too. I have a friend on here who just recently did hers and seemed really glad she did. With our first, hubby was really resistant to doing it (or reading anything about it... or watching any videos...) and I'm pretty laid-back, so I just read up alot throughout pregnancy and decided we'd wing it.
I think we were completely fine without the class.

Well... I was.
...
Hubby didn't know about the placenta...so there he was, holding and cooing at our newborn baby girl off in the corner of the delivery room, and doc murmured to me that I'd need to push again to deliver the placenta. Well... umm... I pushed really hard. And it sort, came out really fast, with lots of blood, and a big SPLAT!

DH jumped back and uttered a cry of horror, "Ohh!!! WHAT THE???"

I still laugh about it 6 years later.... that's whatcha' get honey if you don't do your hommmmmeworrrrrrk....

 

[BrittneyMom]

I felt like it was a waste of money... They tought one thing and than when we got to the hospital the nurses and drs instructed us on how to do things alot differently. Being a 1st time mom, that confused the heck out of me!

 

[FarmGirl1212]

I just finished mine. They weren't what I expected, but I expected to learn breathing techniques, etc. It wasn't horribly expensive, but I did get a lot of very good information from the sessions, and there was a lot of time to ask questions. I am very glad I decided to take them.

I will say I did see some graphic things....but who am I kidding? Did I think this was going to be some easy peasy "here's your baby!" kind of thing? No....but seeing that myself for the first time was very eye-opening and I think in the long run it helped me be more in tune with what to (typically) expect. If you think you could use some more knowledge about labor, delivery, the baby, etc....I say go for it!

 

[jenniferttc1]

I think i've decided not to do it. I've researched birth and everything while ttc, and while pregannt. I know exactly what I want, and know the other options and the pros and cons of those. I don't think there is anything I could learn that I don't already know. I also like to watch documentarys and stuff about it and learn that way also. I watch the business of being born the other day, and it was actually pretty good and eye opening. Even my husband was into it. I just think it would be trouble going 4 weeks and hour away and dragging my husband to a late night class that neither of us really want to do.