Lamaze: Day One

Yesterday was the big day! I learned my first breathing techniques! I started out the day so tired because the Cowboys played a late game. I actually went to bed before the game was over and once Josh thought they might lose he came to bed too - but turned the game on in the bedroom. I was nice and cozy dreaming of sugar plums and other various fruits when Josh's cheering in the last CRAZY seconds of the game woke me up. I didn't really care about what was going on with the game; I just wanted to get back to my plums. As I fell back to sleep, Josh did also except he dreamed of field goals and Bills fans crying. So, we were very tired the next day and I just wanted to go home after work...but I had to go learn how to breathe.

Our instructor, Wendy, is a registered and/or certified everything under the sun having to do with breastfeeding, Lamaze and child birth. She is my new best friend! Wendy has been a doula for over 30 years and most recently her passion is being a lactation consultant. I soaked up her every word from the edge of my seat. She had already told me to get off her lap once. Yes, yes, such the teacher's pet, I know. Last night we had an overview of labor, roles of the coach (push 'em out, push 'em out, waaaayyy out!), comfort positions and breathing basics - including slow paced breathing - and progressive relaxation.

We timed how many breaths we take in a minute, laying down and relaxed, and everyone was around 10-12 and I sat at 17! There was also a 21 so maybe she feels my pain of not having the greatest lung capacity right now with Baby squishing everything around. She went around and showed us how we should be sleeping and where the pillows should be...and then I showed her what works for me! She assured me I would appreciate her positioning once I get further along. We all had padded tables to lay on which was really the best part. Josh and I thought we were going to be on some sorry pad on the floor. They use the tables for physical therapy during the day and they are nice and big and soft. She told us to bring 5 or 6 pillows so I had plenty to lie on and around. My most surprising discovery was the birthing ball. Tammy has told me how much she liked it with her babies but I just didn't see it. Then I mounted the big green monster last night and felt like a million bucks. If only they could guarantee that I would feel like a million bucks hours into labor. Basically it relieves pressure in all the right places and makes my tail bone feel like cottony softness. I now officially hate chairs.

Josh has to go to Houston for a day trip with work next class day so he may be a little late, but I can't wait to learn more. It has been very inspiring to me and even a little eye opening. And that was only the first class. The series is 7 weeks long and I am about 9 weeks out from my due date so hopefully we didn't time that too close! We'll see...

Oh and another fun fact: I used the restroom three times during class and two other girls used it twice. No one else used it! I was shocked. I guess I am doing a good job keeping my fluids flushed and clean and everyone else's babies are drinking dirty amniotic pee water! I am such a good mommy!