We went to our first childbirth preparation class this week. It’s a four-class program that we have to go to every Thursday evening in the month of February, and this past Thursday was our first. Each class is two and a half hours long, for four weeks, for a total of ten hours! It seems like an awful lot of things to learn and it’s pretty tiring to have to go to a class right after we get off of work; but at the same time, we’re lucky that the class is offered during the evening, after work hours during a time when we can both make it.
This week, we learned about the basics — the early signs of labor to watch out for, and when to call labor and delivery and get yourself over to the hospital. We also practiced a lot of hands-on exercises — prenatal exercises and moves that are helpful to know to help relieve contractions. We of course learned some essential Lamaze breathing patterns and techniques, but the teacher also threw in a broad mix of exercises that incorporated yoga, some new age relaxing exercises, and even a little bit of hula and belly-dancing moves! Some of the more subtle movements from hula and belly-dancing actually are known to help center your baby and calm him/her with the rocking motion. Almost all of the exercises taught require partner involvement, and it was fun watching the husbands get really involved and participating. And during the informative sessions, they seemed to be asking more questions than the pregnant women themselves!
Next week, we’ve been asked to bring our favorite lotions, a pillow, and an exercise ball if possible. I’m curious about what we’re going to learn!
We’re grateful that Kaiser offers such an extensive childbirth preparation course to help us learn and prepare for labor and delivery. There’s only so much I can learn from reading a bunch of pregnancy books!
I’ve been taking on some prenatal yoga on my own as well, and since I’ve heard a lot of other moms point it out as the single most effective thing they did to prepare for labor and delivery (in terms of pain management) — I hope it will help me too, when the time comes. π
In other news, Happy Lunar New Year! This year is the Year of the Rabbit. Dan and I were both born in the Year of the Dog, but since our daughter will be a Rabbit, I did some research on typical traits associated with The Rabbit and found this:
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper.
They are clever at business and, being conscientious, never back out of a contract. They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise.
The rabbit is believed to be one of the happiest signs, with people born in that year renowned for their kindness, reliability and loyalty, though with an air of mystery and propensity to cry.
Another article also cited the following characteristics:
The Rabbit is a symbol of sensitivity, compassion and creativity. Rabbit-born people thrive on business dealings… A person born this year will be born in the Year of the Metal Rabbit. Rabbit-born people are charismatic, thoughtful, calm, gentle, sympathetic, fashionable, persistent and extremely shrewd in business dealings.
For the most part, all admirable traits! π The propensity of cry sounds like an attribute that comes from me… haha* Hope our baby girl is not too much of a crybaby like mommy! And since both Dan and I both work in creative fields, I do hope that our child will be a little artist, too — or at least be able to appreciate art.
As mentioned above, this year is not just any Year of the Rabbit, but the Year of the Metal Rabbit — also known as the Year of the Golden Rabbit — which is said to be a particularly auspicious year, and children born this year are supposed to enjoy much wealth and prosperity in their lives. My hope is that our daughter will enjoy a lifetime that is rich in not only financial wealth, but in family, friendships, love, achievement, wisdom, and in her compassion for others.
My mother was actually also born in the Year of the Rabbit (the same Year of the Metal Rabbit, actually!), and in Japanese culture, it is believed to be extremely lucky to have one of the signs repeat themselves within the direct family line — so perhaps our baby will bring good fortune to the entire family, too!