Baby School - Part One

On Saturday Debbie and I went to the first session of what I am calling Baby School. It's actually a labor and Delivery/Lamaz class.

I was a little reluctant to go, thinking that the whole thing would be silly, but I never mentioned this to Debbie because it was really important to her. As it turns out I think the class will be a good thing for both of us and I would recomend that first time fathers should just suck up their fears and go.

The reason that I think the class is good is that it really covers the whole process from how labor begins to deciding when to go to the hospital to what happens when the baby is born. I am a little squeamish about these things, but it is really going to make a difference when the day finaly arrives. Most importantly, I understand more of what will be happening to Debbie and what the doctors will be talking about in the delivery room.

Part of the class is designed to teach fathers how to help get mom through the delivery. This is such a stressful process, and it lasts so long, that she really needs support and encouragement to manage it without coming unglued. The baby is coming whether I help or not, but if I support Debbie and help her through this it will make things easier for her.

I also had the idea that when you get to the hospital and the baby would come and we would stay for a while and go home. A one level it's that simple. However, the details are much more complex. I won't go into what acually happens, but suffice it to say it is quite a process. After all of the build up of the last few months it will be quite a relief to have the baby born.

This is sort of the ulitmate story. Introduction, character development, plot development, climax, catharsis and resolution. All of the pieces are there.