The Last Birth Class

Last night was our last birth class with our wonderful doula, Erin. This class really focused on nursing and baby care. I have to be honest. I haven't really thought ahead that much. Is that bad? I do have quite a few books on baby care and on nursing that friends have given us, but I haven't read any of them. I'm still not finished with the ones on pregnancy and childbirth!

It's funny because I know that this pregnancy thing is only 9 months and childbirth will only be a few hours, God willing, but they have consumed most of my attention. I guess I don't worry too much about what it will be like because there is really no way to know or prepare.It was interesting, however, to discuss some different theories about nursing and soothing/sleeping. Last night I started seriously thinking about what it's going to be like once she is here. It's really quite exciting.

We watched a video called "The Happiest Baby on the Block" about how to soothe a fussy baby. A friend gave us this book, which we haven't read, but the video was interesting. That guy seemed like a miracle worker and my skeptical brain was questioning if it would really work. His theory is that the first three months of life are really the fourth trimester and your baby is still like a fetus and needs comforting like a fetus. Thus, he employs the 5 S's to soothe a baby. Swaddle, Side/Stomach Position, Shushing (for some reason this one is really funny in the video...much louder than you would expect), Swinging, and Sucking. While it seems a bit too easy to really work, I am hopeful, and, if it means a happy sleepy baby, you better believe I'll try it!

We also talked about infant led nursing, where the baby is allowed to find the best position to nurse in rather than put in the "correct" position. The video of this was amazing as a newborn would squirm it's way down and onto the breast just like little kittens. If you are interested, you can check it out on YouTube (beware, it is a bit graphic...it is breast feeding after all). It was fascinating and sort of went against my desire to control. But, if it means a well fed baby and less sore nipples, you better believe I'll try it!

Overall, I have a feeling that those first few weeks will be a lot of trial and error, but I do feel fairly confident that Josh and I can figure it out without doing too much harm. I'm really sort of looking forward to that family building time.