MSE Pregnancy Club XII

newmoneysaver_2

I'll be 36 weeks when I come to do my labour workshop and tour of the hosp. TBH - I'm not that confident around people I don't know, and I doubt I would answer many questions, even if I did know the answers, so I would probably come across that I don't know very much, just like the other ladies in your groups

I'll also admit to not having read very much, but I have gain so much just from reading these threads - for some strange reason not everyone is aware of MSE!

jennynoo

He he! Lots of reading to do Should probably wait until after work as I haven't done any in the last hour

skintchick

honeypop wrote: »

Sounds exactly like my classes, they were late on and I couldn't believe how little everyone else seemed to know about labour, the birth, and babies in general. How do people let themselves get to 30+ weeks and not know the signs of labour or what essentials you need to buy for the baby?? Like you say, I know the classes are to teach things but honestly, the rest of our group knew nothing from doing their own reading, they hadn't even read that NHS Pregnancy book they give you at the booking in appointment which tells you EVERYTHING you need to know. DH was pleased he knew more than the other dads (and mums) and I had to stop putting my hand up and answering all the questions.

I didn't learn anything new from any of the 4 classes, but enjoyed the tour of the hospital wards and demo's of the equipment etc, because that's better in real life than reading about it.

I was most disappointed I didn't make friends either, that was the 1 thing I really wanted from attending the classes, but we didn't seem to have anything in common (apart from pregnancy) with anyone there.

I'm hoping that as the classes go on, people will realise I'm just anal and like to read! I did try and keep my mouth shut a lot because I realised I was in danger of sounding like a know-it-all.

I do hope I can make some friends but if not I guess I can join the local NCT group?

I thought the same as you though - how can you be over 30 weeks and not even have read the NHS book?! How can you not know that the cervix dilates? Or that the baby works just as hard as you during birth? Or - and this one shocked me - that lying on your back is NOT the best position for labour?

One guy said 'well why do doctors use it then if it's not best' and I couldn;t stop myself saying 'because it makes their life easier and they can always hurry you along with drugs when the position delays your labour'.

I'm sure they are all lovely people but they need to get clued up! And fast!

tarajayne

SM, sent you a PM!

skintchick

newmoneysaver wrote: »

I'll be 36 weeks when I come to do my labour workshop and tour of the hosp. TBH - I'm not that confident around people I don't know, and I doubt I would answer many questions, even if I did know the answers, so I would probably come across that I don't know very much, just like the other ladies in your groups

I'll also admit to not having read very much, but I have gain so much just from reading these threads - for some strange reason not everyone is aware of MSE!

But you'll know loads from here!

THese people really didn;t know stuff. It wasn;t that they were being quiet cos they were asking questions which showed they hadn;t read a thing.

honeypop

skintchick wrote: »

But our Mw was very encouraging of Bf at birth so I imagine it's pretty mainstream now.

I don't know why, but I always thought BF at birth was the normal thing to do, I didn't know there were people who didn't do it (apart from those who can't obviously). I wonder if this is because by chance anything I've read spoke about it as being the thing to do, I don't know, but anyway somehow it had planted itself in my brain as the norm!

tarajayne

Right, I'm off for the school run and as bubs is now engaged I've decided to be brave and walk that hill!!! :eek:

newmoneysaver_2

Tara - are you trying some gentle encouragement? lol

Searching - have you got the bank thing sorted?

Nicki

Skintchick may be right about the peeps in her ante-natal classes, but its not safe to assume that just because people don't answer questions in the first class, or ask questions about the delivery itself, that they haven't read anything or aren't clued up at all. I did both the hospital and NCT classes when I was expecting my first, and although I had read a fair amount beforehand I went along with the mindset that I wanted to learn what their thoughts were about everything not to show them what I knew already. So neither me nor hubby were particularly forthcoming about what we knew, and most of the other couples weren't either, with the exception of one woman in the hospital class, who seemed to think she was leading it rather than the midwives!

I don't think we ended up learning a huge deal from the classes as such, but hearing the issues discussed rather than simply reading them on the page was hugely reassuring, and we did make some very good friends at the NCT class in particular. In fact my DS is off for a sleepover this weekend at the house of one couple we met there nearly 10 years ago now!

I would therefore say for those thinking of doing the classes, not to write them, or their participants off, just because you've done some reading in advance and feel mentally prepared yourself.

skintchick

Nicki wrote: »

Skintchick may be right about the peeps in her ante-natal classes, but its not safe to assume that just because people don't answer questions in the first class, or ask questions about the delivery itself, that they haven't read anything or aren't clued up at all. I did both the hospital and NCT classes when I was expecting my first, and although I had read a fair amount beforehand I went along with the mindset that I wanted to learn what their thoughts were about everything not to show them what I knew already. So neither me nor hubby were particularly forthcoming about what we knew, and most of the other couples weren't either, with the exception of one woman in the hospital class, who seemed to think she was leading it rather than the midwives!

I don't think we ended up learning a huge deal from the classes as such, but hearing the issues discussed rather than simply reading them on the page was hugely reassuring, and we did make some very good friends at the NCT class in particular. In fact my DS is off for a sleepover this weekend at the house of one couple we met there nearly 10 years ago now!

I would therefore say for those thinking of doing the classes, not to write them, or their participants off, just because you've done some reading in advance and feel mentally prepared yourself.

I'm still hoping to get stuff out of them, Nicki, it's just they were asking really basic questions and I was very surprised. I honestly thought people would know more than they did cos on here we seem to know quite a lot!

We have only had the one class so far so hopefully at the long session tomorrow people will be more forthcoming and it will start to liven up a bit.