Antenatal Class 1

Yesterday afternoon, Mark and I attended our very first antenatal class. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting but we both had a good time. First off was the ease of parking. Normally parking at Inverclyde Royal Hospital is pure chaos- cars parked at jaunty angles, double parking ... I wouldn't even be surprised if one morning we pulled up and there was a car parked on top of another car. It really is that bad. Saturday however, there were lots of spaces! Magic. Excellent start.

We go up to the maternity level, the doors are locked and all the lights are out. I'm beginning to doubt that I have the correct date or that I'm in the right place, but we push the button and sure enough someone buzzes us in. We go to a large room where there are chairs and lumpy pink beanbags. Mark's allowed a chair but apparently I'm supposed to sit in the beanbag. I look at it with apprehension. I have no idea how to get into it, and supposing I manage that task, I have no clue how I get out of it. I choose the jump straight in approach and kinda throw myself at it. Thunk. Okay I'm not moving anywhere for a while. That would be impossible.

There are about 4 other couples there. I feel like the most pregnant one in the room. (Which is unusual. Normally in situations with other pregnant ladies I always look the least pregnant. I must have really gotten booked into these classes late.) The midwife is very friendly. I like her. (No I don't know her name either. I think I need to start listening better.) Most of the things she goes over I've already read about but it's really nice for Mark to be able to hear it. He seemed a bit surprised at the size of the baby doll they demonstrated going through a plastic pelvis. I calmly explained that yeah... this is the same stuff I've been reading about for the past 36 weeks. It's no longer a shock to me. I'm in the 'just bear down and get through it' mindset now. (But it's super sweet how worried about me he is.)

Midway through the class she lets us have a break for drinks and the such. I of course have to pee. But how do I get out of this beanbag?? Somehow I manage to flop out of the beanbag and am on all fours on the mat in front of me, completely unable to get myself up. Like a dork I don't wait for Mark to come around to help and just try to get myself up. I stumble like a newborn horse. Both midwife and Mark rush to help the stupid pregnant lady.

Class resumes. My absolute favourite part? At the end she tells us we're going to do some guided relaxation. Have you ever been to a yoga class where they spend the last 15 minutes telling you to tense your head then untense, tense your eyes, untense etc.. and then let you lay there completely relaxed for a while? That's what she did. It was lovely and I didn't want to get up. Time to get out of the beanbag again. This time I'm smart enough to wait for Mark's help. Time to pee again. (There was a bit during the class where the midwife explained that they try to get you pee as much as possible during labour because they don't like the extra space that an inflated bladder takes up.) So Mark tells me they're going to absolutely love me.

So now I'm 40 minutes into my 'fasting' for tomorrow morning's blood test. Ever notice how much hungrier you are when someone tells you that you're not allowed to eat? I really hope everything goes okay tomorrow.