3rd Antenatal Class

Lesson 3 - Labour

• Instructional Video
The instructor, Rosalind, started the class with a very scary video on REAL BIRTHS. The video showed mothers who went through different types of birth with different pain relief methods.

I tell you, that was some SCARY video footage! Screaming mothers, squirming in pain, and slowly you see the baby being pushed out from her vagina, all bloody and covered in mucus. I think most people in the room went pale just looking at the video...

Cobby said that he really felt painful for the mothers in the video... I personally wanted to run out of the room screaming. Erm, is it too late to get out of this whole pregnancy thingy now? No? Too late? Oh... shit...

• Physiological Approach to Breathing Relaxation
We did this last week, but I guess everybody was pretty freaked out by the video, so we practiced breathing again to remind ourselves how to cope with the pain and stress.

• Husband’s Role
Rosalind then taught the Daddies how to give relief massages to their queens...
- Massaging the neck with the thumb and 2nd finger
- Shoulder massage
- 'Let the fingers do the walking' down the back
- Using the palm to rub the lower back
- Arm / Fingers massage - But I like to call it the manicurist massage, which was usually given to customers after each session. Shiok!

• Learning to Cope in Labour
'dos' and 'don'ts' during labour:
- Only push when the Doctor / Nurse say push
- Only push when there's pain - if not, it would only be a waste of energy
- Sit in a semi upright position
- Hold the railings at the side of the bed (Hubby can place hand on top of wife's where it's safer)
- When pushing, hold on breath, press chin onto chest, and give a good, long, downward push
- If run out of breath, take a quick breath and give another good, long, downward push
- If doctor say "Don't push!", control by taking short breaths.

• Mechanisms of Normal Childbirth
Stage 1: Dilation of the cervix
Mummy would go through painful Contractions until the cervix is 10cm

Stage 2: Pushing and Childbirth
PUSH PUSH PUSH!!!!

Stage 3: Delivering of the Placenta
Ta-bao home to make soup... (Eww... Just kidding) But hey, it's a fact that the placenta is VERY nutritious!

We also discussed what we should bring to the hospital.
This is my list:

Hospital documents (Doctor's Letter)
Purse (ID)
dressing gown, cosy socks and slippers.
Jacket for me and Cobby
Contact lenses and spare glasses
Magazines
Music player - They say the room has one, so bring CDs instead.
Poker cards - Rosalind suggested it, she added that the only thing that we can't play there was probably mahjong! Haha... Pity!
DS Lite
A watch - This one use Cobby's one
Hair tie/band
Toiletries
Lip balm
Make up pouch
A camera and/or video camera
A towel and 2 cloths
Maxi sanitary pads
Nursing bras and breast pads
Essentials for your baby - Hospital provide, but I wanna bring my own leh~
A laundry bag
Comfy clothes and flat shoes to go home in

Snacks - CANNOT BRING - SO SAD! Rosalind says mummies cannot eat or drink in case there's any emergency need to operate...

Rosalind also went through the procedures when we decided it's time to check into the hospital:
- When enter hospital, Hubby would register while Mummy goes to ward and change into gowns
- Nurse would "inject" a type of fluid into Mummy's erm... rectum to help the mother pass out any poo poo later, before labour. (Hey, did wonder about this before, but I thought that the body would naturally NOT poo during labour! Hahaha...)
- Mummy would be strapped on to monitors, given body check up
- Waiting game!

• Antenatal Exercise
Another round of silly exercises...

• Hospital Tour - Strange... I thought we're supposed to have the hospital tour, but it wasn't mentioned... Probably ask her next week...

Class dismissed! Next week we'll be learning about baby care!