Canada Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Prenatal/Lamaze Classes
Did you attend any?
What are your thoughts on it?
Was any of the info useful?
Was it useful for DH?
Where did you go?
I?ve been thinking about it a lot recently.
DH doesn?t think we ?need? it because I?m comfortable handling and being around babies but I?m not to sure about the ?HAVING ONE? part?LOL 
I?ve looked into a few places ? Markham Prenatal and The Mom & Baby Depot?I?d rather go somewhere that I?ve heard good things about, KWIM?
Got any advice or tips?
Thanks so much in advance!!!
Warning
No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
Re: Prenatal/Lamaze Classes
We did a full day prenatal session (instead of the weekly sessions). It was 9 hours on a Saturday. It was useful for both of us (not sure why you just asked if it was useful to DH). The class we took was through a doula that our midwife recommended.
We learned about pain management techniques, different phases of labour, breastfeeding, signs of labour. We also watched videos of births and learned about the different types of births (planned epi, natural, natural turned medicated, emergency c/s, planned c/s, home birth). It was very interesting to see all of these scenarios play out. We also learned about the options available to your during labour/delivery and if you ask for one thing what else is required (ie: epi = cathedar).
Our class had nothing to do with being around babies or handling babies. I think those are more the parenting classes you can take. Have you read about any of the courses offered and what they cover? This could help you determine what type of class you want to take and when you should start (depending on how long they are).
I would pick one soon, some places fill up very fast (limited number of spots). Some places also include a hospital tour so if that is important to you then you could do the class through your hospital. I think I was around 24-25 weeks when we did our session. I like going at that time because it gave us time to practice what we had learned.
We spoke with 4 couples this past weekend and 2 of the husbands said it was a waste of time and it's more for just the 'moms'...not ever being to a class before, I wasn't sure.
Again I guess it depends on where I end up going. What I was told from those 4 women who all took classes in Toronto varied from talking about finaces, run throughs on how to change the baby's diaper, bath time, blanket wraping (these they obviously did with dolls) to breathing excersises and massage tips for the dads etc.
I'm not too sure what's offered. I'll have to ask more questions I guess...I just thought that I'd get some info here before I called the centers.
I guess I don't understand that kind of thinking that is all. Dad's do all that stuff too. Even with breastfeeding it may not be their boob but it is important that they are on board with it and understand how it all works. But I also realize that not every couple parents in a 50/50 situation so I can see how some would see some things as more of a "mom" thing.
I totally agree with you here - I made DH come to a specific breast feeding class which he thought was silly. After DS was born, it was a huge help to have DH on board with nursing - it was his job to be non-hormonal when it wasn't going well. He also helped by pulling DS's bottom lip out when he was first learning to latch.
I'm not sure the prenatal classes were as helpful as I'd hoped - it was nice to have some idea what the birth could be like, but I think I got as much out of reading WTEWYE and other pregnancy books.
Oh - the classes we went to were offered by the health unit here in London.
Did you attend any? Yes. We did a several week long class based on the book _Birthing from Within_
What are your thoughts on it? It was *incredible*. A definite highlight of my pregnancy.
Was any of the info useful? All of it was useful. And I'd read a whole pile of books. (a couple of dozen at least.) Our mentor was fantastic. It was mainly focused on non-medicated birth, (breathing, non-focused awareness, fears, hopes, etc. But no Lamaze. It's actually the joke of the natural birth world. Virtually useless.) Even though the class did have it's focus - it didn't skip over pain relief (pros AND cons) or cesarians. (For which I am thankful - as I ended up with an emergency C. She didn't just go through the mechanics of it, but all of the emotional aspects. And taught us how to be present and mindful during surgery if it was to come up.) We also spent time preparing for life as parents - expectations, baby care, how our relationships with our partners will change, etc etc.)
Was it useful for DH? Incredibly. He learned how to be my biggest ally in birth. My advocate. My "doula". We went through a pile of labour positions. He was actually studying Penny Simkin on the train to work. He also really appreciated when our mentor's husband whisked them away to the local pub for beer to tell them what life after baby was *really* like for a new dad. (Yes, they talked quite a lot about sex -- or lack thereof! lol.)
Where did you go? Dancing Star Birth here in BC. It looked a bit too 'crunchy' for me at first, but my midwives RAVED about it (and said the hospital classes would be the biggest waste of money ever) so that's the one I signed up for. So very thankful I listened.
I even joined one of their new moms groups after DD was born. A life saver. If we have another baby, I'll sign up for their "Birthing Again" class as soon as I get my BFP. We still keep in contact with some of the couples in our group. Spent Christmas with one family last year and everything!
A good prenatal class is worth it's weight in diamonds. Truly can be a life changing experience.
Did you attend any? yes, prenatal classes
What are your thoughts on it? they were a helpful starting point.
Was any of the info useful? yes. they gave us a hospital tour, info and practical pain management techniques etc
Was it useful for DH? yes
Where did you go? the only one we have locally is offered by our public health nurses out of our college (Okanagan College).
We've signed up for a course that was recommended by our midwife clinic
The lady who runs them is a doula, so I expect it may focus on the more natural side of things. Our classes are once a week for 6 weeks I think and they don't start until November!
I hope they are as good as the positive rewviews some of you ladies are posting here, those classes sound excellent.
Our hospital tour is done separately, arranged through the hospital.