Baby class...#1 of 4

1/29/13

Tonight was our first baby class...and I'm looking forward to hearing "vagina" another million times next Tuesday night too!!!

There are about 20 couples and a single, young mom in the group ( more on her later). We meet at United Hospital, where we will give birth, for a few hours and learn about the apparent horrors of childbirth and how I can support my amazing wife while simultaneously focusing on not passing out myself. We learned about what signs to look for when labor is starting and what sort of things we can do to prepare for heading to the hospital. We also spent sometime relieving some stress/nerves by writing questions in a small group and having the instructor answer the questions quickly and also telling us she would be going more in depth in the upcoming classes. I was comforted to know that other dads are just as nervous as I am, and are potentially huge wimps with a similar likelihood of passing out as I have!!!

We watched a short video...which she referred to as "the birthing video." This title scares the crap out of me...the last time I watched a video that was referred to in such a tone was in the 4th grade when the boys and girls watched their separate videos in different rooms!!! Needless to say, some colleagues have told me about this video...I don't plan on being down on the business end for my child's birth, so why do I want to see someone else's business?!?! Sorry, but I'll just walk out next week while that part is being shown!!! On a related, and much more of a judgmental note, why does this particular video choose such an unattractive couple to follow through the birthing process!?!? I'm not asking for much, but come on...make it somewhat of a decision for a hesitant guy to want to watch this movie!!!

And of course, a room/classroom full of people isn't complete without having "that guy/girl" in the audience!!! You know who I'm talking about...the one that knows all the answers, asks ridiculous questions, and is never satisfied by the answers they get!!! As if we hadn't realized this chick was already more special than everyone else in the first 2 hours, she had to state that her body temp is 2 degrees lower than others, so if she has a fever at a lower temp than the one described by the instructor, should she call in as directed, or should she wait until her fever reaches the specified temp... Seriously...I thought she already knew all the answers!!!!

Lastly, a few thoughts about the single girl in the group. I know nothing about her, and this may seem judgmental again, but hear me out. Perhaps her boyfriend is overseas or was working, but she was really young...maybe a teen. First, I have a lot of respect for her for just being there and wanting to be a good mom...regardless of where dad is. But I am also scared for her...Laura and I are still really nervous and feel we are not ready for such awesome responsibility that comes with a baby...but she is doing this much younger than us!!! I sincerely wish her and her baby the best I hope it works out for her if the odds are indeed stacked against her.

And with that, I'll wrap up this entry. I hope I have not offended any of my handful of readers with my thoughts and snap judgements tonight. Until the next post, thanks for reading my Daddy Diary and we appreciate your best thoughts/wishes and/or prayers you send our way. Take care!!!