Breast feeding and Hypnotics

Yet again I am slacking at my blogging duties. I hope you all will forgive as I have been very busy with work as we prepare for the inspection of inspections for the aviation maintenance world. Well now that that is done with and you have forgiven me I will continue with an update in the happenings of our little world. Well it is that time in the pregnancy where you start taking all of the classes, deciding if you want a natural childbirth or to be so hopped up on medication that the 60's start to look like a good idea or if you want to quit and go home. Well seeing a quitting and going home is out of the picture that leaves us with natural or medicated (Would you like cream and sugar?). Well all of the stars would have to align for Amanda to be able to go with the medicated route so it looks like we are preparing for the natural childbirth. So this week we began our classes, Tuesday and for the next 4 Tuesdays we will be attending Hypnobirthing. Last night we went to a breast feeding class...Yes i went too and no I do not intend to attempt it, nothing worse than a baby with a hair ball.

Now you my be thinking "Hypnobirthing? What is that? Do you need a pocket watch to take it?". I will start with the pocket watch question first, No you don't need one, but if you would like to send me a nice watch anyway I would not complain. No let's take a look at the first two questions, hypnobirthing is a birthing technique similar to Lamaze. It focuses on the relaxation of the mother to reduce the fight or flight instinct and ensure that blood flow remains in the right areas in an attempt to reduce the pain as well as speed the pregnancy along. It is thought that by being calm and relaxed the time spent in the delivery room can be reduced by being able to control the pain and needing to come to hospital only a short time before the baby is born. If anything if has helped me to relax a little easier, which the instructors say is their ultimate goal, if you do give birth naturally they at least would like everyone to walk out and be able to relax in everyday situations. I personally think that after the first class there may be something to it and I look forward to the remaining sessions.

We now come to the breast feeding class, this is by for the one of the most natural things in the world and it is healthy for the baby, but you may be asking why I was there and here is the simple answer, because it was recommended. I know why it was as well, because pregnant women cannot remember a thing, so the hope is that by having the spouse there he will be able to help remember some of the techniques taught in the class. I think this one was informative in what to watch for to help with the process and to learn that for the first two weeks Amanda is not allowed to do anything but breast feed. Every other chore imaginable will rest with me, so don't be surprised when you come over and end up scrubbing the toilet bowl. Now these are only two of the classes, we have baby boot camp in a couple of weeks, and sometime in October we will probably be be taking prepared birth...I think somewhere in there I will learn to change a diaper, it is too hard. Is it?

Now I will leave with these thoughts, whose idea was it for all of these classes, I mean you don't think that cavemen sat around watching a woman with a rubber breast attempt to teaching the group how best to get their baby to latch on do you? No they probably learned as they went or ran out screaming "I'll be right back I have to go and kill dinner!!!" only to return without dinner after the breast feeding was done. Well that is a thing of the past, my daughter and wife deserve whatever misguided help I can provide.