10 Jan 2004 - 7:30pm - Childbirth Class & Baby Shower!

So this morning was our second Childbirth Class - which of course meant not only getting up early, but also going out into the freezing sub-zero temperatures. Brrrr!

We talked about Labor, different Positions and different methods for dealing with the pain. We talked about the stages of labor, and what happens in the first hour after the baby is born. We did breathing exercises as well, and then our instructor showed us some hand massage techniques. The guys were given their homework: to practice these massages on us soon-to-be mommies. Can't go wrong with that. ;)

We toured the maternity ward after that, and I must say that I am very happy with it. They don't have a large intensive care unit, in case something goes horribly awry, but they are affiliated with Women & Infant's in Providence, which is less than 15 minutes away by ambulance, and I'm not a high-risk pregnancy, so I am not concerned - they are equipped for just about everything else.

I really like the decor of the rooms; very "homey" feeling with wood panelling and soft wallpapers. More like a hotel room than a hospital room, which I like. And most have gliders (those that do not have rockers) and these neat "Daddy Chairs" as they called them - cushiony chairs that can be converted to a bed so daddy can stay at the hospital as well.

After Childbirth Class, we headed over to Kingston for the "Cook Family After Christmas Party" which of course was really my baby shower in disguise. :)

Family from all four sides - both of mine and both of John's - were there, which was wonderful and surprising (we really hadn't expected his mom to come, and it meant so much that she did). Lots of friends of the family were there, too. We arrived earlier than people expected, so the surprise didn't quite go off as they had planned, but we had a fun day regardless. Lots of gifts for JAM (a few necessities we still need to acquire, like Infant Car Seat - legally, we cannot bring JAM home without one - and mattress & bedding for the crib), and just a delightful time all told. My mom really went out of her way to make the day special and memorable, and I know how much it pains her to be so far away right now, unable to have gone through our pregnancies with me and my sister, and unable to be there the moment we go into the hospitals (though she intends on flying up as soon as she gets word).

It was a wonderful day, though by the end of the Shower, I was exhausted and aching, and glad to be going home.

Of course, once we got home, there was nothing to do but go through the baby stuff. ;)

There are pictures, lots of pictures, of both baby showers up on under "Baby Showers" if you'd like to take a look.