Made To Mommy

Documenting my new mom life

MOM LIFE

MOM LIFE

TIPS & TRICKS

TIPS & TRICKS

FASHION & BEAUTY

FASHION & BEAUTY

REVIEWS

REVIEWS

What I’ve Learned About “Mom Guilt”

Mom guilt. They’re two words one may hear while pregnant, but in reality won’t ever experience until your little one arrives. Sure, you prepare your home, family, your body for your baby’s arrival. You make sure you’re nourishing yourself properly to grow that little seed into a majestic human being. You give up caffeine (or if you’re like me, switch to decaf), walk for 30-minutes every day, take your vitamins and listen to your doctor’s advice and guidance to ensure your baby is growing as they should.

But what happens when your little nugget arrives? Well, you’ll lose sleep, forget to feed yourself since you’re so consumed in your baby, basic hygiene may go out the door for a week or two (granted, at some point you have to shower), make sure your animals that shed are kept in a separate area, if you have a winter or summer baby rack up that heat/air condition bill and you figure out your rhythm when it comes to nourishing your child.

Let me be clear. Mom guilt can happen to any mom for any specific reason. Your hormones are through the roof the first two weeks postpartum (you thought pregnancy hormones were bad, guess again…) that even a Pepsi commercial can make you cry.

What I personally have learned about mom guilt is that it’s 100% in my head. I am playing the mom guilt card in many different situations, and for me, it’s been mainly associated to figuring out the best way to feed my baby.

Since birth, my little girl has had a hard time latching. Every time we’d try, she’d get frustrated that she couldn’t latch onto my boob. She has a very small mouth, which can be part of the issue, but I blame my nipples. They aren’t the most ideal for breastfeeding. At the hospital, my body had to heal itself a bit before it could really think about nourishing my child, so I was self-expressing colostrum and finger-feeding it to her. Once we arrived home, I was pumping and trying to get her to latch. I was pumping every hour and a half when I got home that I had cracked and bleeding nipples and have since discovered a bruise on my right breast from the intense suction (a hospital-grade pump will do that to you).

I try and get my little one to latch every time, but in all honesty, we’ve had to supplement her with formula. The formula I’m using is from Happy Family Brands and is the Stage 1 Happy Baby Organic Formula. The reason I love this formula so much is that it’s modeled after breast milk and doesn’t wreak havoc on my little one’s digestive system. She handles this formula really well and I feel good when I feed it to her. At this point in our breastfeeding journey, it looks like my supply is dwindling down no matter how much I pump or how much Fenugreek I take.

Enter my main “mom guilt.” I keep beating myself up that I can’t provide more of my breast milk to my child. At this point, she is a formula baby.

While I know that the first month of life is the most crucial for my little one so she receives the antibodies in my milk to help build a strong immune system, potentially having to stop because my supply is getting smaller was never part of my plan.

Society puts a lot of pressure on moms to breastfeed their child. “Breast is best” they say. True, it is, but what about those moms whose supply isn’t there, or moms who just don’t have any milk at all? They give them formula. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, I envy those moms because they never had to even go through a bout of mom guilt related to breastfeeding.

When taking my breastfeeding class prior to giving birth, the instructor mentioned that it doesn’t matter what type of nipple you have (inverted, flat or pointy), you can breastfeed. What they fail to mention every time is that it’s not easy. There are so many situations that may come up that prevent successful breastfeeding:

  • Your baby has a hard time latching due to a small mouth, lips, etc.
  • Your nipples just aren’t erect enough for them to hit the roof of your baby’s mouth in order to stimulate suction (this is my problem).
  • You have little to no milk supply (granted, you won’t know this till the time your milk is supposed to come in). This is also my problem.
  • It’s a frustrating experience trying to get your baby to latch. You get stressed out and they get stressed out, resulting in nothing.

All in all, it doesn’t matter how you feed your child––whether it’s breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding, or straight up formula––the only thing that matters is that your child is fed, growing and healthy.

If you’re happy and not stressed, your baby will be, too.

Did you have any issues in the breastfeeding department? I’d love to know which route you took for your child. Let me know in the comments!

Heading Back To Work: Bottle Feeding to the Rescue

This post originally appeared on RedTri.com.

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There is nothing in the world like the smell of a newborn baby, especially when it’s your own (and your first!). Basking in the glory of your new bundle of love never gets old and as the days turn into weeks and those weeks turn into months before you know it, you have to get ready to go back to work.

As a breastfeeding mom who also works full time, I’ve needed to figure out how I can still give my little one my milk, all while still being able to maintain a successful career.

Since bottle feeding is my only choice when it comes to feeding my child while working, I didn’t want to use a bottle that would lead to nipple confusion. I still want my baby to latch and continue feeding at the breast when possible.

Finding bottles that wouldn’t result in nipple confusion is a trial and error experience. I’ve tried so many bottles from AVENT and Dr. Brown’s to Evenflo and Tommee Tippee.

Either my little one won’t take the bottle or she mimics bottle feeding on the breast, which is somewhat unpleasant. The nipples on the bottles I’ve tried are either too short, too thick, too thin or provides so much flow that my baby can overeat.

Enter nanobébé. Not only do these bottles mimic the breast, but are the first on the market to preserve the nutrients found in breastmilk, so you know your little one is still getting everything he or she needs. It’s nice to know that I can warm up stored breastmilk and not lose any of the antibodies and nutrients. (You can learn more about nanobébé here.)

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Bottles Made for Pumping Moms Like Me

Like I said before, the shape of this bottle makes transitioning from breast to bottle and back super easy for my little one. There is little to no nipple confusion as the shape of the bottle mimics the breast.

What I also love about these bottles is that there is an attachment so you can pump directly into the bottle. Gone are the days of having to pump in separate bottles and then pour out the appropriate amount. It’s a one-stop-shop with these bottles.

Nanobébé also offers breastmilk storage bags and a little storage bin to go along with it, so keeping accurate amounts of breastmilk to then transfer to a bottle makes things easy when you’re working or on-the-go. This has been especially convenient when I’m having to have someone watch my little girl while I attend meetings or on a conference call.

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Fast Warming

I’ve noticed the nanobébé bottles warm up so fast! It’s super convenient, especially when my baby is crying at night and I can’t feed her fast enough. With the way these bottles are shaped, overheating is prevented, making sure all the nutrients are maintained.

Before using these bottles, I had no idea that when you warm up breast milk in other bottles it depletes it of its nutrients! New mom brain, for sure on that one.

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Quick Cooling

According to nanobébé, “The FDA states that bacteria in fresh breastmilk doubles every 20 minutes that it does not reach storing temperature (fridge or freeze). nanobébé’s unique surface area is geometrically designed to spread the breastmilk into a thin layer allowing it to cool twice as fast as standard bottles on the market, which prevents bacterial growth.”

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photo by Leigh Weinberg

Easy-Peezy Cleaning

You’d think that with constantly going back and forth between bottles and breastfeeding that the cleaning and sterilizing of the bottles would be a pain. I have found that the nanobébé bottles are actually really easy to clean. They come apart smoothly (and not many parts to them, thank goodness!) and fit easily on any drying rack.

I do have to say that the nanobébé Slim Drying Rack makes things even ten times easier since the bottles fit the rack like a glove. Perk: you can store it anywhere when not in use as it’s so skinny! Keeps my kitchen organized, for sure. They can also easily stack in your refrigerator or, when not in use, in your cabinet.

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My Husband Loves It, Too!

When my husband is home and I need to get some work done, all he has to do is take one of the breastmilk storage bags out and put it in a bottle, heat it up and voila! Our baby will have her meal.

If you’re like me and have already transitioned back into work after having a baby and are looking for bottles to make your life easier when you have to catch a meeting or a conference call, don’t overlook the nanobébé bottles.

Or, if you know a new mom that would greatly benefit from these bottles (and other products), nanobébé has a whole starter kit just for newborns. I know I’ll be heading to Babies”R”Us or buybuy BABY to grab some more of these to keep a constant ready-to-go stash for my little nugget!

Head to nanobébé to purchase a Newborn Starter Set or a Starter Set and receive 20% off + free shipping when you use code RedTri20 at checkout!

–all photos courtesy of nanobébé

10 New Mom Must-Haves

While I was pregnant and creating my baby registry, I was browsing a few friends old registries to see if there was anything I needed or yearned for. After being a new mom for a month, I’ve come to learn what has been super useful and what hasn’t. Here are my top 10 new mom must-haves (in no particular order).

1. Munchkin Warm Glow Wipe Warmer

I cannot rave about this product enough. I love it so much I even bought a second one to keep in our bedroom since our little nugget will sleep with us till she’s around six months old. We use Water Wipes and this warmer works wonders on a baby’s tush. No crying because of a cold wipe and it also helps get the pee and poops off her legs faster since it’s warmer.

2. Arm’s Reach Concepts Inc. Clear-Vue in Natural

This bedside bassinet is everything. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the company when I attended the ABC Kids Expo back in October for Red Tricycle and got to see this in person before someone bought it for me from my registry. One side folds down so you can keep a close eye on your little one while they’re sleeping. Perk: it’s on wheels, meaning it goes everywhere I do around my house. Also, baby can sleep in it up to six months, which is great since we’ll be transitioning her to her crib at that point.

3. Comotomo Natural Feel Baby Bottle in Green and Pink

Since our little one is having a hard time latching, I’ve been pumping and bottle feeding. Ultimately, I think this is the way we’re gonna go for a while, so I’m glad I discovered these. The slow-flow nipple is ideal so she doesn’t eat too quickly and with this bottle, she still attempts to latch to my breast, so there’s no confusion.

4. Little Martin’s Drawer Baby Nail File

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courtesy of Amazon.com

This has been a lifesaver when it comes to “clipping” our little one’s nails. Instead of using actual baby nail clippers (which can nick their skin), it’s actually a nail buffer like what you see at nail salons. It truly doesn’t damage your baby’s skin if you accidentally touch their finger instead of their nail. Our little one loves getting her weekly manicures with this item. Note: it’s easier if you attempt while they’re dozing or asleep. They’ll be less likely to move!

5. Ubbi Odor Locking Steel Diaper Pail in Mint

If I could afford–and if it wouldn’t be stupid–two of these, I would. I’d keep one in my bedroom for those late night diaper changes and the other in the nursery. This thing is truly amazing. It does such a great job of hiding the odor from those dirty diapers and is easy to throw out once the bag is full. Just tie a knot at the top and toss it in your trash bin.

6. BEABA Babycook 4 in 1 Steam Cooker and Blender in Cloud

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courtesy of Amazon.com

While I still have some time before I’ll be using this, I was able to see this product in person and get a walk through of it at the ABC Kids Expo this year. Once my little nugget will be introduced to blended solids, I’ll be using this like crazy to make my own blends.

7. Philips AVENT Microwave Steam Sterilizer

As a new mom, you hear horror stories of bottles and pacifiers and other necessities for your newborn getting bacteria and other nasty things on them because they aren’t sterilized. Instead of having to boil water multiple times a day, I wanted to find something that could be really useful for bottles, my pump equipment, pacifiers and basically anything that needs sterilizing. I just put everything in this sterilizer, put in the microwave for around 4 minutes and voila! Everything is steam sterilized and ready for use (once it dries, of course).

8. Boon Grass Counter Top Drying Rack

This goes hand-in-hand with the AVENT Microwave Steam Sterilizer. Once I’ve sterilized all my goodies, I’ll just throw them on this rack to air dry and within about a half hour, I can use what I’ve cleaned. Plus, it keeps things separate from my other dishes.

9. TaoTronics Cool Mist Humidifer

My little one is a tad bit congested, so having a cool mist humidifier in our room has been really helpful. We turn it on at night and set the timer for 10 hours and it distributes a cool mist in our room, keeping our baby’s nose from drying out (although we’ve been using saline drops in her nose, too) and keeping the air not too dry. I highly recommend getting a humidifier for your little one during the winter months.

10. Metene Medical Forehead and Ear Thermometer

Since our nugget has been congested, I’ve been checking her temperature religiously to ensure that she doesn’t have a cold. This thermometer literally takes her temp in two seconds and can be used on the forehead or in the ear. It really looks like something out of Star Trek (nerdy pun!) and is truly a lifesaver.

What were your new mom must-haves? Even if you’re a second or third time mom, what are your go-to essentials. Let me know in the comments below!

 

 

My Labor & Delivery Story: Part 2

If you read part 1 of my labor and delivery story, you’ll learn how things progressed for me during the early stages of labor.

Once I hit active labor at the hospital, everything changed. At 5.5 cm I plateaued and needed Pitocin to keep things progressing nicely. Before I had them start the drug, I asked for the epidural. The procedure to get the epidural is scarier to think about then actually experience. Since the anesthesiologist has to come in and do the procedure, you’re only allowed one other person with you, so I had Max stay with me. He had to wear a scrub cap and everything (as did I) in order for the room to be sterile enough.

I was lucky with my anesthesiologist in the sense that he was quick with the epidural procedure. We were watching (and I was feeling) my contractions on the monitor and he was able to do the procedure in between contractions, which was nice, so I didn’t have to hold too still during those times. Once the epidural catheter was in my back (yes, it’s a procedure that goes into your spine to numb the nerves from the waist down), I thought the medicine would kick in almost immediately.

This is where things took a turn for the intense in my labor. The epidural medication kicked in a first, but lasted maybe 20 minutes. I had a button I could push for more medicine every 15 minutes, but suddenly the pump administering the epidural medication started beeping with an error code. The anesthesiologist came back over and I heard him say “hmm, error code ‘air in pump'” and my eyes got wide. I asked if they were pumping air into my spine and I was reassured numerous times by the anesthesiologist and my fabulous nurse Lisa that it wasn’t the case. Still, when you’re immobile with a tube in your spine and you think air is getting pumped in there, your brain takes a turn for the worst. You don’t want to come out of a childbirth experience paralyzed!

So, they replaced the pump administering the medication. Then the other pump malfunctioned: same error.

To make a really long story short, my epidural didn’t work. It was a faulty epidural and pump (and, apparently, we can blame our President for the problem since Kaiser gets its epidural meds from Puerto Rico and they were low on supply with a lot of New Years births happening…).

I. Felt. Everything.

It got so bad that my nurse literally had to administer drugs right into my IV port so I could get some rest before having to push. That’s the whole point of having an epidural is to get ample rest before putting your body through one of the most stressful, yet magical, things ever. Having to deal with excruciating pain was not part of my birth plan once I received the epidural.

I was in so much pain that I was literally screaming every time a contraction happened. Thanks Pitocin. At around 11:45 p.m. on January 1, 2018, the doctor checked me and as she was checking me, I had a contraction at the same time, and my water broke. That was a surreal experience actually feeling my water break. Once that happened, my labor progressed a lot faster.

January 2, 2018

At around 1 a.m. the doctor came in to check me again and told me that I was 100% effaced, 10 cm dilated and 0% station, and ready to start pushing. At that point, my night nurse, Kat, started helping me with the pushing process. Eliana and Max were each at one leg holding it and she was helping me count to push. I was so exhausted and felt like I wasn’t pushing to the best of my ability through each contraction. After pushing for a little over 2 hours, the OBGYN attending (yes, residents primarily deliver you at Kaiser San Francisco, unless they need assistance from higher ups) on call came in and asked if I could continue. I vividly remember saying that I can’t push anymore, that I was getting tired.

The doctor said “before you give up…” which my quick-witted response was “really, before I give up? I’ve been pushing for 3 hours and in labor for almost 36!..” the doctor wanted to use vacuum assistance to get my little girl out. I obliged after being threatened with an emergency c-section (that would not have been fun). Both doctors told me that if I couldn’t push Jadyn out with three pushes, it’d be necessary to have a c-section.

My first two pushes were mediocre and she would come down and then go back up. My last and final push, I gave it my all and pushed for way longer than 10 seconds and then…

Instant relief.

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Jadyn Sky was born on January 2, 2018 at 3:17 a.m. She is the best New Years gift I could have ever received. After all the trauma my body went through, the end result is perfect. She’s my little angel nugget and we are so, so in love with her.

During my delivery of her I ended up getting a second degree tear and that was definitely not fun to feel the tugging of stitches down there. Also, according to my mom, husband and bestie, I lost a lot of blood. That would explain why I passed out twice about two hours after Jadyn was born when they tried to have me go pee after delivery. Thank goodness a nurse was watching the baby!

January 2-4, 2018

My hospital stay was to be expected. I ended up needing iron to help with the blood loss and nurses kept checking in on me every few hours. We attempted breastfeeding, but Jadyn is having a hard time latching, so I’ve been pumping and bottle feeding her (please no judgement. She’s getting my breast milk and it shouldn’t matter how). After a couple days of nurses and doctors checking in on me – and pressing on my uterus to expel any blood – we were able to go home. Jadyn checked out with a clean bill of health and I checked out with Motrin, Tylenol, a stool softener and iron supplements to last me a lifetime.

Let’s just say I haven’t received a solid night’s sleep since December 30, 2017. But in the end, it’s all worth it as we have the most beautiful little nugget in the entire world.

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My Labor & Delivery Story: Part 1

It has been 15 days since our little one arrived and I now feel semi-human enough to share my Labor & Delivery story with you. Since it’s a pretty intense story, I’ve decided to break it up into two parts.

Disclaimer: if you’ve spent time watching beautiful YouTube videos of labor & delivery vlogs like I did before actually going into labor, let me warn you that it definitely isn’t necessarily all like that.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

You’d think that with New Years Eve, Max and I would be with our friends at a party like we were when we rang in 2017. Nope. I was either laying on the couch trying to sleep or on my birthing ball. I was able to make it to midnight to ring in 2018 while having sporadic contractions that were about 20-30 minutes apart. The contractions didn’t hurt that bad – like my regular period cramps – but I was still uncomfortable.

Monday, January 1, 2018

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Courtesy of the BabyCenter app

From about 1 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. my contractions were about 4-7 minutes apart lasting 30-45 seconds, but the pain was surely picking up. It got so bad that I was literally moaning and crying in pain, waking up Max every few minutes. I was contracting the whole night that at around 4 a.m. I went into my mom’s in-law/studio unit (she lives with us) and continued my early labor there. I called Labor & Delivery at Kaiser (my healthcare provider) a few times during the night and the last time I called them, the nurses told me to come in when my contractions were about 3 minutes apart. Fast forward around 5 hours later and we’re heading to the hospital.

We got to the hospital at around 9 a.m. on New Years Day and immediately went up to Labor & Delivery. I checked in via security and the red phone and then immediately went to the triage room (of course, right after peeing in a cup). My entourage was my mom, Max and my best friend Eliana. She drove to the hospital the moment we told her we were on our way there. In the triage room, they immediately did what they had done at all my prenatal appointments: check my temperature, blood pressure and pulse. My blood pressure was elevated (I mean, can you blame me? I was in serious pain down there!!) so they gave me some medication to bring it down.

Next, the triage nurse put my IV port in. Unfortunately, she pierced right through one of my veins so I’ve had a gnarly bruise on my arm since then. It is almost gone, thank goodness. Once she got a good vein, everything in that department was fine. The doctor on-call came in to check me and do an ultrasound of Jadyn’s head positioning. She had been head down since 36 weeks, so I would have been surprised if she changed positions.

When the doctor checked me I was already 4 cm dilated and 90% effaced… In all honesty I can’t believe I did all that on my own at home. I had a horrific feeling that I was 2 cm and they were going to send me home. When they told me I was going to stay, I was so relieved. I was able to walk myself to my room, which actually had a very nice view of San Francisco and was incredibly spacious. There, I continued to labor on my own until I hit around 5.5 cm, yes, while listening to my playlist. Then I plateaued. I needed Oxytocin (commonly known as Pitocin).

I finally asked for the epidural before they started me on Pitocin, and then things dramatically changed.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Labor & Delivery story to see how intense things got.

 

She Has Arrived!

I am so happy to announce to you all that our little bundle is finally here!

Jadyn Sky made her debut at 3:17 a.m. on January 2, 2018.

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Labor and delivery story to come at a later date.

xoxo,

Leigh

Officially 40 Weeks Pregnant

As of today I am 40 weeks pregnant. And so far…nothing. Our little girl is cozy in there and doesn’t seem to want to leave, while I am getting more and more uncomfortable. We are so ready and excited to meet her. I want to really see who she looks like: does she have my nose or lips? What about Max’s eyes? We are so curious and so ready.

Today is also a very bittersweet day. Today marks 10 years since my father’s passing and it feels like it just happened yesterday. Here’s what I posted on my personal Facebook account that sums things up perfectly (along with two of my favorite photos of us):

“Today is always a hard day. I cannot believe it has been 10 years since this great man left this earth. This year has been a joyous one and I know it’s because of him. He has been watching over me ever since he departed and made sure, especially these last 9 months, that his little girl will have one of her own very soon.

Today is also my official due date. Crazy how the circle of life happens, right? We want to meet you Baby W, so please arrive soon!

Miss you every day, dad. I wish you were physically here to witness this magical time, but I know you are watching from above. I love you. “

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If my dad were still physically here on this earth I know he’d be so ecstatic to meet his granddaughter and be cheering me on to get her out. This time of year is always tough, but with Baby W making her debut literally at any time, this time of year will truly be joyous.

If I don’t write again before 2018, I wish you all a safe, fabulous and Happy New Year!

 

Pregnancy Update: 39 Weeks

And so it begins… I am currently 39 weeks and 2 days and let me tell you, the aches and pains of pregnancy are absolutely real at this point. I have been really lucky during this pregnancy overall, though. I hadn’t really started feeling horrible until about 38 weeks. The back pain increased, walking turned into waddling and pregnancy insomnia is now in full effect. You know it’s bad when I’m writing this blog post while currently bouncing on a birthing ball.

Here’s what’s been happening since I gave a true pregnancy update or written a pregnancy post:

  • Baby W’s nursery is done. I am currently waiting for this custom bow holder from Magnolia Sweet Things (I love Etsy) and this rug I ordered from Overstock.com as the final thing to go under my rocking chair so it stops sliding when I sit in it. I kept her nursery somewhat neutral, going for greys, whites, blush pinks and golds. I have butterfly decals on the wall where her crib is and a grey rocker custom selected for me by Curated Nest (check out my sponsored post with them here).
  • We took all our classes. Per my healthcare provider’s instruction, we completed the three classes they strongly recommend we take prior to our little one’s arrival. Those are: breastfeeding, newborn care and preparing for childbirth. The most informative and bearable was the preparing for childbirth class. We even met another couple who is due a few weeks after me, so our little one with already have a playmate around the same age!
  • Hospital bags are ready. Baby W’s bag was ready at 36 weeks and I finally finished packing mine last weekend. I know, I know… it’s just hard to truly pack when I’m still using things on a daily basis (brushes, deodorants, etc), but I bought some travel sized items to take with me and everything is packed.
  • Car seat is installed. We officially installed the car seat in my car. Thanks to my father-in-law, we got our Chicco Bravo Trio Travel System that comes with a car seat base for easy (and safe!) install. We’re surely ready to bring our little one home from the hospital once she decides she wants to make her debut.
  • Labor playlist is ready. If you didn’t read yesterday’s post, I shared my labor and delivery playlist with you! Music has always played a big part in my life, so I can’t imagine going through something so monumental without music. Here’s the post if you’d like to check it out.
  • Trying to kick-start labor. I know I really shouldn’t be trying my hardest to get this little one out, but I am just so uncomfortable at this point. I’ve been googling ways to kick-start labor and they range from nipple stimulation and lots of sex to castor oil and drinking raspberry leaf tea. At the time this post was written, lots of raspberry tea has been consumed. We’ll see which of these options helps!

How did you feel this close to delivery? I’d love to know in the comments!

 

Music: Your Labor & Delivery BFF

Music has been a big part of my life ever since I can remember. I have vivid memories of my dad turning up the radio in the car just to hear some oldies on the Bay Area’s KFRC station. This year marks 10 years since my dad’s passing (I am actually due on the same day he passed away), so I feel as though I need to pay homage to him and feel as though he’s with me during labor. What better way to do that than through music?

When it comes to genres, I love anything from Motown to Rock to modern day Pop and Hip Hop. Let’s just say my “Baby Time” Spotify playlist features a variety of genres to get me through any stage of labor that I’m in. I obviously didn’t want an entire playlist of just fist pumping, high intensity music, so I was sure to include a mixture of both.

At 39-weeks, our baby girl can arrive at any time, so I need to make sure this playlist is somewhat solid… I’m really feeling that new Imagine Dragons/Khalid mash-up of Young, Dumb & Broke and Thunder right now. >>>

Check out my playlist below to see what I’ll be listening to during labor. Note: it’s still evolving as I haven’t picked all my songs yet!

Did you play music while you were in labor? I’d love to know what your go-to songs were! Leave a note in the comments.

 

Classes During Pregnancy

One of the great things about my healthcare provider is that they encourage taking certain classes during pregnancy.

Last month, the hubby and I took a breastfeeding class, which was a little on the formal side, but super informative. It was nice to learn tips and tricks on latching and know that you can ask for help and the lactation consultants won’t make you feel silly for asking any question. The most informative, interesting and hands-on class we’ve taken so far is our preparing for childbirth class.

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We took this class this past Friday night and yesterday and, while it was definitely overwhelming, the things we learned have stuck with us and we decided to implement some of what we learned into the labor and birthing process. Since my due date is only three weeks away, we were one of two couples who were delivering in December (I do have to say that I was slightly embarrassed because I kept thinking other couples thought we were procrastinators!!).

The Friday night portion of the class was only three hours and in those hours, we learned different techniques and positions that can help with the laboring process. There were different stations and my favorite was the massage station – especially having Max learn the double hip squeeze. The amount of pressure it relieves off the hips and lower back is AMAZING. We also learned different positions such as dancing, squatting and other methods using gravity that will help ease some of the pain during labor.

Saturday’s class was more traditional in the sense that we watched movies about the different stages of labor, what the 4-1-1 rule is, when to go to the hospital, how long you can potentially be at the hospital depending on what type of birthing process you have (natural, cesarean, induction) and even had a mock labor situation. We focused a bit more on the textbook (which is like a Cliffs Notes of What to Expect When You’re Expecting), but I’m glad we did because I’ll be taking it with me to the hospital just in case!

The preparing for childbirth class was the most beneficial class we’ve taken so far and I think the most interesting for Max. As a partner, sometimes these classes can be a little nonsensical as they can think “do I need to be here?” but in reality, yes… at least for me. It’s been super helpful having Max attend these classes with me since he retains so much information and recall it almost instantly and will be a great source when I forget something I learned once we’re actually going through the motions and baby girl decides to arrive.

Next class will be newborn care which I’m actually really excited about and hoping to get some hands-on experience (of course on a doll!).

Did you take any classes while you were pregnant? I’d love to know which were most beneficial to you. Leave a note in the comments section.