Wish me luck!!! About This Page:

[Chrissi]

I'm off to the first of many prepared childbirth ed. classes! Crud! I'm gonna miss Survivor! Oh, well. I guess I'll have to give up some things to be a good mommy...

[LilMarcieMouse]

Good Luck and just tape Suvivor thats what I do when I have to work on Survivor night. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[aurora1429]

Good luck with your class, Chrissi.

I am going to start teaching childbirth classes in my area soon.!

[AKLRULZ]

Good luck and have fun! DONT READ THE "13 REMAIN" THREAD UNTIL YOU WATCH YOUR TAPE!!!!

[Chrissi]

I was just reviewing my notes from my first class and realized I forgot to update this post. I'm sure the class will eventually be fun, but Wed. night was a little stiff with everyone getting to know each other and dads gagging over birthing videos. I thought Walt might run screaming from the room when he saw the doctor in the film poking at and lifting the placenta for a better view. I'll admit, my stomach turned a little, too.

They gave us lots of freebies and baby sample products including a newborn diaper. When we got home, I opened the package with the diaper inside and burst into tears! I was instantly scared to death. If the diaper's that little - how little will the baby be? I've held a newborn before, but that's different. I held the baby for like 10 minutes and her mom was there to take her back! What am I going to do when people start searching me out at family gatherings when the baby starts crying and wants "Mommy" back? How does "Mommy" know how to stop the baby's crying? Where do I learn that? I haven't found it in my Childbirth Class workbook, that's for sure! How do moms do it?! [img]graemlins/cry2.gif[/img]

[ 03-15-2002, 10:38 AM: Message edited by: Beaner ]

[HiddenMickey]

Chrissi....I will all work out [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ...We all felt like you when we had our first! It is scary, but wait 'til you hold your own little one, it will feel right and you and the baby will figure it all out together [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] .

I remember crying and saying on the 3rd day of my son's life......"What did I get myself into, what were we thinking?". I was so tired and so overwhelmed by it all (I had a really long, arduous birth experience). A couple days later, I felt like I'd been doing this my whole life....except my breasts were killing me (but that's another story).

Pay attention in classes and...Make sure you learn those breathing techniques! I didn't practise them enough and had a hard time relaxing. For my second child, I really practised and it helped.

Best of luck to you all in this happy time!! -HiddenMickey

[September]

Good luck, Chrissi. If it makes you feel any better, I don't think my husband could make it through any of the videos. We don't have any children yet, but I know that he could probably miss the entire experience and be perfectly happy.

You'll be fine with the baby. When my sister had her first we were all worried because she had never really liked small children or spent much time around them. When she had her daughter she fell in love and now (with two small daughters) she's mother of the year.

[patty c.]

I was scared too! I'd never changed a baby's diaper and kids seemed to always cry when I'd try to hold them. I was worried I wouldn't have the "mommy instinct" everyone talked about. But you will do fine, and they survive despite all our inadequacies. Really!

We didn't do well at the birthing classes because I felt silly practicing in front of everyone, but I did practice at home and was able to use the breathing (with only a few shots of pain medicine - no epidural) to give birth to all three of our children. It's a wonderful way to handle pain - childbirth or any other. You can do this!

[TINKN]

It's instinct and getting to know your little one. Just understand that some babies cry for no apparent reason (our was colicky and lactose intolerant) and sometimes try as you might you can't stop them. It's enough to reduce an exausted Mommy to tears. So, you cry together. Just remember that it's not you and eventually the sight of you will stop the crying.

The bonding takes some time. My DD is 6 months old now and is a Mommy's girl for sure. When no one else can stop her from crying all I need to do is hold her. It took a while to get to this point though.

It's also a lot of trial and error. DH would call me at work and say the baby is crying and she won't stop, what do I do? Besides the Is she dry? When did you feed her? and maybe she's tired, suggestions I just had to tell him to try lots of different things. That's what I would do and sometimes you stumble on something that works like the way you hold them or a special song or a noise that you make.

Just keep in mind that the first 3 months are the hardest. Oh, and by the way they are pretty tuff and resilient. They may look small and at first you'll be on pins and needles with every move. Eventually you'll be carrying it around like a pro. They're also very forgiving if you don't diaper or wash or feed by the book. DH had a diaper on backwards once and Alli didn't care and sometimes he still puts her shirts on backwards!

Good luck and realize that there a lot of Mommies and Daddies here when you need advice or someone to vent at or talk to. PM or Email me anytime. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Janet 46]

Chrissi, I know what you mean about the size of the diaper! My son was 8 1/2 pounds so he wasn't so fragile but my daughter was 3 weeks early and only 5 1/2 pounds, so all the diapers and baby clothes were HUGE on her.

When we came home from the hospital with the first one, we brought him in in his carrier, set him down on the coffee table and my DH and I looked at each other and said "Now what are we supposed to do?" We had no clue what needed to be done. Luckily my Mom showed up the next morning and helped me figure out a routine for feeding and bathing and all that stuff.

The good news is that babies tend to sleep alot! 10-12 hours at night (eventually) and a couple of 2 hour naps during the day. Keep 'em dry and well fed and you'll have a very happy baby and a less stressed out Mommy!

Oh, one more thing: My son seemed to cry for no reason at times so we would turn on the dryer, put him on top where he could be lulled by the vibration and he would go right to sleep. Lots of people put the baby in the car and drive around for 15 minutes. Puts the baby to sleep evry time!

[stretch2864]

I agree with Janet44. When I brought DD home from the hospital, I remember sitting in the living room with her and wondering "Now what do I do?" Just remember it will be a learning process for both you and your baby. When people offer to help you, take them up on it! Take time to savor every moment, because they really do grow up fast. DD turned 15 this year and I'm not sure where the time went. I'm sure you will do fine and love every minute of it! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Chrissi]

It's so nice to know that everyone has that "What now?" feeling when they bring the baby home. I talked to my DH about the itty bitty diaper scaring me and he took it and all the baby powder away. He said that I can have them back after we take a few more classes and practice a little more with the breathing techniques. He says I was getting hysterical. And...maybe I was a little, but isn't a little pre-natal irrationality normal? My mom tries to comfort me, but follows it up by saying she's pretty sure I'll be fine but she just can't remember what it was like. (Mom's on some pretty dopey meds [img]graemlins/dizzy.gif[/img] right now and not terribly helpful...) Thanks again to all of you for being the voice of reason and sanity. I don't know what I'd do without you! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[DisneyNutMary]

Chrissi,
There is no need to worry, you will do fine as a mommy. The best part about being a mommy is that when everyone at a party start looking for the mommy, because the baby is crying, all mommy needs to do is hold the baby and that usually makes it all better.
And if you find your baby like to play with your hair, or touch your face, etc, while feeding...don't be surprised if, as he grows doing that one thing will usually make him feel better when he is scared or hurt.