Prenatal sessions on time? What's that?

On Sunday we had our first of two prenatal sessions. Last time around we never got the advantage of them as Jordan came just one week before I had booked Chris and I for them.

My friend Angie is a Doula so I arranged through her for private sessions, this way she came to our place and the sessions are 2 days each three hrs long instead of two full days at her place in a group. The biggest thing I want to take away from this is how to breathe and get my mind through labour. With Jordan I was basically hyperventilating since I had no training nor anyone at the hospital willing to tell me how to deal with it until our final nurse came in. At that point I was finally able to tolerate the contractions better and then he came!

I won't go into all the details of the session but I will tell you how she had us work through different breathing and techniques because part of it was comical. She put a few ice cubes in two bowls and gave Chris and I each one. Then without any advice on how to "deal" she had us each pick up and squeeze an ice cube in one hand for a full minute. This was of course to best mimick the discomfort of a contraction (we know its not even close). So of course our first reaction is to giggle at the freezing ice burning our hands. Then I am watching Chris grimace and squirm and try to maintain composure. Then I had to block him out because I realized he was messing up my mojo and concentration! I closed my eyes and tried to ignore his whimpering. Yes, Chris! You were whimpering. When the minute was done Angie asked us how we felt about it... Chris says, "I'm glad I'm not having the baby!" I burst out laughing.

After that Angie went through it with me many more times in various positions and with Chris coaching me to breathe through them I was able to feel that minute get shorter and shorter.

To jump to the end of session one to another slightly comical moment; Angie had us 'visualize' what we would need to help us feel safe during labour. She had us list words and then put them to paper with an illustration of what we visualized as "opening" up to the situation. With much respect to Angie, this was a bit "hippy" for us but we did it and here's our pieces... Mine first (boring), then Chris'. Read Chris' carefully! And if you know your Dan Brown novels...

Our next and final session is the last weekend of March. I spaced them apart for a reason! One early and then one later so we can remember.