Child Birth Classes... (another vent)

[OldFashionedGirl]

So Ryan decided at the last minute that he and I need to go to the hospital's "Basic Childbirth Education Classes." (Every Thurs. in Jan.) I could take it or leave it, but eh, if he wants to go, I guess it's no biggie.

So we get there, and Dr. F. is guest speaker. I decided that I am very glad that Dr. F. is not my dr.

At first, I was thinking he was okay. He started off by saying that 4 out of 5 times, you could give birth at home and everything would be okay. I nudged Ryan. Then he went on to say that those still weren't very good odds, and that's why you should have babies at a hospital. THEN he said that his favorite bumper sticker said, "Home deliveries are for pizza." : I seemed to be the only person there NOT amused.

But it only got better. He said that while full term is 40 wks, "at 42 wks, no, really it's more like 41 wks, the placenta deteriorates quickly and it becomes dangerous for the baby to remain in the womb."

I'm sorry, but am I the only one that thinks it's a little fishy that "magically," seven days after this relatively arbitrary date the dr. selected my placenta is suddenly no good? Am I the only one who thinks that maybe, just maybe, my baby and my body have some idea of what's going on in there and know the perfect time to be born? (Additionally, he pointed out that his son was born 4 wks "early"...but he really wasn't. Turns out they had the dates wrong. So let me get this straight...you'll admit that you might have the dates wrong if the baby goes "early"...but not if it goes "late"?)

There was also a nurse there who did most of the class. She announced that the reason there are so many more C/S than in the past is b/c we're healthier. Apparently, b/c we're healthier and growing larger babies, it's only natural that there are more c/s now than ever before.

During intermission, I went to the bathroom and beat my head on the stall. (Okay, not really, but I wanted to.)

All in all, I felt like it was a waste of 2 hours, and I'm not looking fwd to the next 3. (Although my darling dr. doesn't think I'll make it to the last class on the 25th, b/c I'm due on the 20th. I nearly giggled, but I managed to control myself. He's going to be in enough of a surprise when he tries to induce me at 41 wks.)

PS-->My mom and I did have an interesting discussion, though, and I've never understood this. Any time after 36 wks is "okay" but 40 wks is considered full term, correct? But 40 wks is 10 months, not 9. So if you go 40 wks, are you already 4 wks over-due? Or am I missing something here?

[JJ'sMom]

The 40 weeks EDD is the last day of the 9th month - a full term pregnancy. nine months total, not 8 months 3 weeks. blah blah blah.

EXCEPT that caucasian women tend to carry to 41 weeks on average for full term. (My girlfriend found this out in her research when she was expecting)

Average also means x-number of births before AND after the EDD are totally normal and expected. Medical practice is just not relaxed enough to accept the 'after' group as normal.:

[bleumoose]

You're definitely not alone in your thinking there! More and more I'm hearing of women whose doctors are essentially viewing 37 weeks as the due date, wanting to induce for little to no reason well before 40 weeks, never mind waiting until 41-42 weeks. Sad, sad.

[blastomom]

I just had this discussion with my little sis who is about to graduate med school and begin her OB residency. She says that much of obstetrics is all about playing the odds. OBs see data that cleary shows them that placenta and cord "accidents" dramatically increase at (or slightly before) 42 weeks gestation. They also see data telling them that virtually all babies are totally "viable" without any intervention at 38 weeks. For them, it's all about risk-management. Stalled inductions and cesarean deliveries are all manageable risks. If they can get you delivered in that "safety zone" they can sleep well at night. Plus, it's not just about the data for them. My sis has already seen first-hand how devistating it is for families to loose a baby in these circumstances, when all a doc can say is, "It just happened. You didn't do anything wrong, we didn't do anything wrong, it just happened."

But yeah, I do see how you could find it fishy that this doc would imply that there is some "magical" "arbitrary" date that dissaster will occur, but it's really not much different than the "magical" age of 35 when we are all supposed to have 6 headed babies with tails (says the 35 yo "AMA" gal ). It's all in the statistics they are given.

Of course I'm the gal who just refused to schedule my "just in case" date for my back-up repeat c-section until after I hit 42 weeks to make sure I have every opportunity to have my VBAC! I trust and respect my OB's training and experience, but I also trust that I am doing what is best for me and my baby and any future babies that will have to spend their first 40-or-so weeks in my womb. Placenta issues also increase dramatically with multiple past c-sections, so my OB couldn't argue with me over the fact that a repeat section wouldn't be more dangerous, long-term, than giving this baby a little extra time to greet the outside world.

[Shazer]

I'm surprised that you had the politeness to stay and listen to the garbage spewed by that doctor. I can't stand prima donna doctors who believe that only they have the right facts and figures and insight as to how the world works.

[mzfern]

Originally Posted by OldFashionedGirl

There was also a nurse there who did most of the class. She announced that the reason there are so many more C/S than in the past is b/c we're healthier. Apparently, b/c we're healthier and growing larger babies, it's only natural that there are more c/s now than ever before.

Are you KIDDING me?!? I don't think I could stand to go back. It sounds like a class in teaching you how to be an obedient patient.

[katie9143]

That is exactly why i DID NOT take one of these classes. I could not have dealt with that BS - ur better than me!! Even the one around here labels "natural chilbirth" class....i just had a feeling it wouldnt be quite as natural as it needed to be to satisfy me....

[annekevdbroek]

I took a hospital based birth prep class with DS#1 and honestly, I think it was worse than the class you describe. I pretty much threw in the towel when all the discussions talked about "the baby in your tummy....." (Hello? What, are we 4 years old?) and the nutritionist told us to limit our caffeine intake to no more than 6 cans of regular soda per day! There was almost no information on how normal birth occurs, etc. I just stopped going even though we had paid for the whole series because the classes were so useless.

This time I took a Bradley class and it was MUCH better.

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by mzfern

Are you KIDDING me?!? I don't think I could stand to go back. It sounds like a class in teaching you how to be an obedient patient.

We took private, small group Bradley classes in our instructor's home. They were WONDERFUL. We had our dd1 in a hospital with a midwife. Bradley classes didn't start until the last trimester, so I figured why not take the three trimester classes offered at our hospital. Not their childbirth classes but just a "what to expect each trimester" classes. Couldn't be too bad, huh? Ugh, they were awful. I didn't like what she had to say, and she wasn't too thrilled with having me there - I kept asking questions that she didn't want all the other "good patients" to hear. I quickly figured out the hospital classes (of whatever type) were just there to teach you how to be a good/obedient patient. Ick. What a waste of time and money.

I do think everyone should take out-of-hospital classes. Bradley classes are incredible IMO, and the freestanding birth center we used with dd2 (dd3 was a homebirth with the same midwives as dd2) had classes as well.