We had our first Childbirth Ed class last night, and Z and I were bombarded with pictures of effaced cervixes, mucus plugs, birth canals, and stretched perineums. I would be lying if I didn't say there was a moment when I thought, "Umm...thanks, but I think I'll pass." I am on a one-way train here, folks, and there is no getting off.
That being said, it is kind of amazing and inspiring to think about all the things my body knows how to do without me knowing how to do a thing. It can grow a placenta, it can make my uterus expand to 40x its regular size, it can decide when contractions need to start and, completely without my help, it will push a fully-grown human being out. We didn't really do anything except sprinkle in some fertilizer. All those cells have split, all those organs have developed, all those brain synapses have formed, all those muscles have stretched without me doing a thing except eat and trying not to stress out too badly.
3 comments:
aren't the classes spooky? omg, i know what you mean. there are a number of people in our class who seem a little too into the whole process. they were very concerned about what would be available in the birthing room. as for me, i don't care if i'm in a jasmine-scented bathtub or not. just tell me how to survive the ordeal and we'll get through it.
so here's to wacky things our bodies can do without us! i'll be rooting for you all the way!
The video that got Aaron all bothered was the day they taught about breastfeeding; it was very 1970s and one woman had a foot long nipple she was trying to jam in a newborn's mouth. He will never forget the image.
I HATED OUR CHILDBIRTH CLASS.
All of my years of TA training and experience mixed with being an overacheiving book reader just made it unbearable (er, a pun?) and one time I wrote "b-o-r-e-d" on Basil's leg with my finger and then I didn't think he got it and so I whispered "I'm bored" in his ear. Plus there wasn't any of the information I wanted to be included nor anything beyond what was in the books I read.
I also spent at least 20 minutes crying in the street after one of the classes. I like to think that the people who lived in the nearby apartment buildings thought the giant pregnant lady had just been dumped by the tall skinny guy.
In other words: you totally can do it. And so can everybody else. Especially because there are no lectures once labor starts.
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