A What?

a=Lots of people have babies.
b=Babies are cute.

I am a person, and I think babies are cute, therefore I should have a baby.

What I did not consider until about a week ago was that babies have to be born.
They are inside of the mother, and they have to come out, one of two ways.

Last week when my doctor asked if I had any questions, I asked if he knew of any Lamaze or Bradley classes around. Not because I'm necessarily opposed to drugs, but because I want to be well-prepared, because I don't want to have a longer-than-necessary labor, because I want to breastfeed the baby in the first hour after birth. He said I would have to find those on my own, but the hospital offers a childbirth education class.

Childbirth Education Class

Description:

CHILDBIRTH CLASSES IN 4 SESSIONS, BREASTFEEDING AND BABY CARE CLASSES ARE INCLUDED IN ONE OF THE SESSIONS.

Apparently, they don't go too in-depth at the hospital about the birthing process.

My doctor expressed fears of women who try to have babies naturally. He said they put so much pressure on themselves that in a moment which should be cause for celebration, they are down on themselves for not delivering without drugs.

It seems like doctors are used to giving epidurals.
And I'm not against it. Less pain sounds good.
But prolonging the labor doesn't. And neither do the complications that come from not being in control of the labor--i.e. tearing.

So, I did a little online childbirth class research. The only Bradley class is in Morristown--2 hours round trip for 12 weeks. I found 2 phone numbers for women who are supposed to be Lamaze instructors, called them, and haven't heard back yet. What's a girl to do?

My friend Adriel, who has the same doctor and hospital as me, who delivered (drug-free) a gorgeous little girl last May, recommended a doula. Her husband even recommended the doula. So yesterday, I called the doula.

Here's what the doula does: meets at our home twice before the baby is born to coach us on pain management and breathing techniques. When I go into labor, she meets us at the hospital and continues to coach us. She also helps massage the back, and works as a liason between us and the hospital staff to help the labor go as naturally as possible. Then, the week after the baby is born, she checks in on us to see how breastfeeding is going. Okay. So, we're going to meet with her next month.

If Brandon and I can't take a Lamaze or Bradley class, then my plan B for the moment is to use the doula and take the childbirth classes the hospital offers, and to read everything I can.