Lamaze Class

Last Tuesday was our first of 6 Lamaze classes. We are taking them at St. Johns. I have to admit I was really nervous about taking them and wasn't sure if they were just a ploy to get our money. After taking one of the classes I am interested. We are not only taking Lamaze but Infant Care at the same time. The class is from 6-9 which makes me wonder why they would make something so late for pregnant women that can't stay up that late.

In any case, I am going to try to document some of the things I found useful about the class in hopes it might help others. It also helps me remember what we talked about. =) Ann ran the class last Tues although she won't be our normal instructor. That will be Judy. In any case, here are some of the things we learned from the class.

• We complained about our pregnancies (significant others did too =)). The woman in charge, Ann, explained why things happened and why we felt the way we did. She also gave suggestions on how to relieve the discomfort.
• Back Pain - Pregnant woman have a strain on the backs because there is so much weight in the front. Our spinal cords are not even straight. She suggested we stand against a wall and stretch our backs backwards toward the wall.
• Charley Horse - While I had these at the beginning, a lot of people in my class are getting these in the morning. Ann suggested that before we get out of bed each morning to stretch our legs but before we fully extend our legs to stretch our toes towards our knees, stretching them. Apparently that is the trick to prevent or stop the charley horse from fully coming on. If you just merely stretch w/o flexing your foot, it won't do any good.
  
• Feet Swelling - No surprise that people in the class have this. Ann suggested just to drink lots of water, lay down when you can, and finally to keep your feet propped up as much as possible
  
• Braxton Hicks -These are false contractions. I haven't experienced these but a lot of people in the class have. Ann said that if you have more than 6 of these false contractions before you are 36 weeks you need to notify your doctor. She said that sometimes you can't tell if these are braxton hicks contractions or just the baby moving. The major difference is that if you can make an indentation on your stomach, they are not contractions. If you cannot, then they are contractions.
  
• Rib Pain - Ann explained that there is a nerve that the baby can hit while moving around that can cause this pain in your ribs. She said that really all you can do is try to move the baby away from the nerve but it can be sore for awhile.
  
• Tendons - There are 2 tendons connecting your uterus to another point on your body. If you feel sharp jabbing pains or discomfort after getting up from laying down, the tendons are stretching and moving the uterus back in place. Their sole purpose is to keep the uterus in the proper place. It was suggested to hold your belly as you are moving or roll off where ever you are sitting/laying to prevent this discomfort.

• We also talked about infant care and things that are 'must haves'. Most people didn't have a lot to add since we are all first timers but here are the things mentioned:
• Pack 'n Plays
• Miracle Blanket
• Day Care - Lots of people are either choosing the in home or facilities or in home nannies. They are bringing websites they have used to find which ones they are choosing next week so I will share those when I get them.
• Pediatricians - Ann passed out 10 questions to ask potential pediatricians.
• One thing I didn't know is once the baby can move around, the bumpers and blankets from the bed should be removed. The only thing that should be in the crib is the sheet around the mattress and the baby by him or herself.

That's all I can think of at the moment. More to come in the up coming weeks!