There are many courses for preparing for childbirth and parenting - there are paid and free, at clinics, antenatal clinics and in private centers. There is also a different focus of the courses:
- for pregnant women in the early stages, where they talk about what awaits them;
- for pregnant women at a later date, where they prepare for childbirth;
- about caring for a newborn.
Advantages of courses for future parents:
1. They are often free. Not all and not always, but antenatal clinics are usually free. So if you have free time, you can go to a trial lesson and understand how comfortable and interesting you are there.
2. You can ask questions to a specialist. Everything that worried you about childbirth and childcare can be asked and learned not from Google, but from an experienced doctor. Such information instills more confidence.
3. You see pregnant women who are afraid, worried and know less about childbirth and parenting than you do. it gives hope that you are well prepared to future changes in life.
4. There really is useful information. Especially if your older relatives have intimidated you with all sorts of myths and stereotypes, it is useful to go to modern courses and find out an adequate medical point of view.5. Attending courses is reassuring. You know that you do not sit back, but are diligently preparing to become a diligent mother: you swaddle and put on a nappy on the baby doll, which symbolizes the unborn child, learn to hold him, bathe, do massage, breathe on a fitball, teach which rash is dangerous and which is normal, etc.
6. The dad-to-be feels involved. A man "participates" in pregnancy only as an accompaniment and assistance to a woman. Therefore, the courses are an excellent opportunity for him to learn more about changes in the body of a pregnant woman, about childbirth, about caring for a child. Moreover, fathers rarely read the necessary literature for parents in advance.
Cons of such courses:
1. They are often not worth the money and time spent. Unambiguously choose courses closer to home, so as not to travel to the other end of the city, even if there are highly advertised specialists. No matter how much money they take, they will not give birth for you, so you should not place high hopes on the courses.
2. They give information "late". For example, at some clinics, pregnant women are invited to courses literally a month and a half before giving birth. And they begin to talk about toxicosis, about varicose veins - when the woman has already felt all this information on herself, and she needed advice a few months ago.
3. Theory is not equal to practice. Swaddling a rubber baby doll or watching a breastfeeding master class is still a theory. As well as learning to breathe in advance in childbirth. In practice, there will be many accompanying factors that will greatly change the situation. You don't learn to breastfeed until you pick up your baby and attach him. The theory of how to do this is important here, but it is described in any book and on posters in every ward in the hospital. How to put on a diaper - the nurse will show you after giving birth too. And you will still have your hands shaking for the first time, because in front of you is not a rubber doll, but a small living man.
In general, it is important to know only three things about breathing in childbirth:1. You must breathe constantly, without holding your breath (this is often done in a fight). It is important that oxygen is constantly supplied to the baby.
2. At the moment of attempts, you do not need to breathe - just work. Do not be afraid that you will "run out of breath". That's definitely enough.
3. When pushing, you may be asked to breathe quickly and not deeply, like a dog. You do not need to train in this, it is enough to know that at some point it will be required.
Outcome: 90% of the information that the courses can give you - you can easily learn from books or our articles. But if you need inner confidence that you have done everything to become an ideal mom, or there are simply no other ways to involve your husband in the process, of course, go to the courses. For a man there will definitely be a lot of new things.
You will also be interested to read:
- List of must-have purchases for the birth of a baby
- 8 most important parameters when choosing a stroller
- First aid kit for a baby - which you can't do without
