any class for #2, etc?

[melamama]

During my first pg I took Bradley classes, read Birthing from Within, and tons more. Had a good homebirth, but used nothing from Bradley.

Question: when you are pg with #2,3,4 do you do any childbirth prep? Last time I felt like I was so focused on being pg and preparing for birth--this time I'm mostly chasing my dd everywhere. Have thought of finding pregnancy yoga class, but would actually prefer to do yoga at home.

any experiences, suggestions would be welcome. Thank you

[cottonwood]

I did go to one childbirth class at the hospital (enough to make clear to me how worthless it would be to continue) and several with my midwife. The information my midwife presented was nothing that I didn't already know, but I enjoyed seeing the other couples, it felt like we were getting together to celebrate birth. And then we'd have a potluck afterwards. It was fun.

But my actual prep consisted of reading, reading, reading, watching videos, reveling in my pregnant body, and visualizing the birth.

Amended to say: part of the reason I haven't taken traditional childbirth classes is because dictates for how one should cope with labor have never made much sense to me. I breathe how I feel like breathing, I get in the position I feel like getting in, I make the sounds I feel like making, I do whatever feels like it alleviates the pain. I do NOT appreciate coaching. My personal approach to birth is that it happens most normally when spontaneous and instinctual, rather than saying to myself constantly, "okay, I'm at this stage, so I need to do this," or, "okay, what do I do now, someone remind me!" Traditional birth classes seem to focus on the latter approach.

[lisamarie]

With this second baby, I too feel like I'm much busier this time. The first time I did focus alot on the pregnancy too. Even though I became a doula before my 1st baby was born, my 1st dh and I did a one-on-one class with our doula who is also a friend of mine and is a childbirth instructor. It was o.k., but didn't help much in ways to prepare my dh and I to go through labor as a couple.

This time, because I it is my dh's first time going through labor and because I think it would be a good way to connect with one another as a coule and the baby, we are taking a "Birthing from Within" one day refresher course. I really love the book because it doesn't teach breathing techniques, etc. Those techniques never worked for me at all! But I like the way it celebrates motherhood and the labor process and it is seen very naturally.

My ds is also going to take a sibling class to help him prepare for the arrival of his baby sister/brother.

Warmly~

Lisa

[clevah girl]

I don't know if we are going to take any classes this time or not. I enjoyed the classes we took last time, in that I like discussing birth and being around other expecting couples. I feel a lot the same way that blueviolet, does, though. All the breathing exercises and practice pushing were useless and I always feel really stupid doing them! What I'd like to find is a prenatal discussion group or something instead of a "class." But I've never heard of one.