I'm referring here mostly to the generic hospital style one day course, but also interested to know about other experiences. I'd also be super interested to hear whether people found nursing classes helpful...at my hospital, different topics (i.e. childbirth, nursing, infant care) have separate signups and fees.
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The best class we went to was a breastfeeding/birth/orientation to our peds office led by the lactation consultant they have on staff. I’m also really glad we went to the infant cpr class. We did an all day birth class one Saturday and it was really too much info to cram into one day.
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I liked my hospital birth class. It was taught by a nurse who had had 3 births, one unmedicated, one with an epi, and one with an old school saddle block, so her perspective was interesting and knowledgeable.
As a ftm it was great having some clue what was coming.
I wanted to go without meds but got an epi at 7ish cm. My birth went super smooth and I was more relaxed having some general idea of how things should go.
If you're a ftm or giving birth at a new hospital I would definitely do the class -
We attended an infant CPR class, a breastfeeding class, and a general childbirth one - the infant CPR was far and away the most useful for me (in terms of peace of mind - I haven't had to use anything I learned there, thank goodness!)
The childbirth and nursing classes were all pretty basic information, and I feel like I didn't learn much in them. I will say, however, that they were super useful to my husband, who had never really been around babies and didn't know much about the whole birthing process/newborns. Learning about the anatomical process of giving birth, different positions to labor in, how to support a breastfeeding mother, how to change a diaper, etc. were all things he found useful about the classes we attended.
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Not really but mostly because I research everything to death and already knew about most topics they discussed. There were parts that were specific to my hospital that were helpful, though.
Same as the previous poster, I attended the breastfeeding, childbirth, and CPR classes and the only one I found really useful was CPR.
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I debated taking one. I ultimately never took one and I delivered my baby just fine. I have zero regrets. I think that the "taking care of baby" class (I forget what its called) was a really good class for me to take with my husband before we had our first baby. And I think a breastfeeding class closer to your due date is immensely beneficial if you plan to breast feed.
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I delivered at 2 different hospitals. We took the general class and a breastfeeding class at the first hospital and only did a tour at the 2nd. Honestly, we really only needed the tour of the hospital so that we knew where to and what to expect. I will say that maybe DH got more out of the general class. I read a lot so I knew everything we talked about but it was pretty new to him.
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I only did the infant CPR class and I really liked it. While there they also gave us info on adult CPR and using an AED, which I think are skills everyone should have.
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We took a one day childbirth class and both my husband and I found it informative. They talked about the anatomy of a contraction, the way that labor progresses, labor positions, and went in depth about different pain management options and their effect on the mother, fetus and labor. I had done a ton of research on birth beforehand and still learned things, but it was super helpful for my husband who didn't read the baby books.
We also took a basic infant care class and a breastfeeding class that were great for my husband who had zero baby experience.
That was all for our first child, we only did a hospital tour for our second.
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Infant CPR is a must. We did an online breastfeeding class. I really could not stand the instructor of the in person class- it was interactive but her teaching “style” (potty humor and what felt like a comedy routine) felt like a middle school sex ex class so we ended up dropping out
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Not particularly since I ended up having an emergency c-section. But we did stay in touch with several of the couples and now they and their LOs are good friends!
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The birth class was pretty much useless except for the tour and the covering of logistics. Plus it was nice being forced to do two trial runs to the hospital. There breastfeeding class was not terribly helpful either but the instructor had some out dated information and I had already done a ton of reading so she didn't really offer anything new.
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I would recommend taking the infant cpr class and hospital tour.
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I went to a labor/delivery class and breastfeeding class. I had read books about both topics so I felt like it was a waste of time. Just heard things I already had heard.
The only thing I found really helpful was asking logistical questions about the hospital: how long they keep you, what toiletries they provide, where to park, etc. Thibgs that are specific to your hospital and you can't necessarily find the answer to online.
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The hospital birth class was helpful to DH to learn the birth process and vocab, and helpful to me marginally for logistics. I had a horrible instructor though, I almost dropped out after the first of 3 sessions.
The breastfeeding class was very, very helpful to DH, and probably would have been for me if I hadn't been such a voracious reader of Hellobee haha. I also read pretty much ALL of Kellymom.com just for educational purposes.
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My hospital had a super sibling class for siblings to be (ages 3 and up). It was super helpful for my daughter and made her feel very special. She learned how to swaddle, how to shhh the baby, etc. They also gave a mini hospital tour to show where the moms will be when baby is born. She left with some swag items including big sister button, coloring books on being a big sister, and a little plastic cup. It ended with a gift card for ice cream at McDonald’s that was part of the hospital
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i did a few classes that i found useful, but was very glad i didn't pay the fee to do classes at my hospital or through my ob practice. they were so expensive! i watched videos on childbirth that a friend recommended that cost like $30 to download, and took a few baby care classes at the local prenatal yoga place that were about a third of the price as the ones at the hospital.
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CPR was very helpful and a must to me. Childbirth was ok but we learned most of it in books or online as well. I wish we did a bringing home baby class more. DW had our son at 35 weeks and everything moved so fast that none of the things we did in the midwife directed birth class were useful or even thought about.
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Thank you everyone, this is super helpful!
@misolee: I still remember my parents sending me to a big sibling class like this before my brother was born. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and remember it better than most of my brother's babyhood - I'm sure the swag played a role in that
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@misolee: I’m glad you posted about the sibling class. Just signed my LO up for one at our hospital. Thanks for the idea!
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@periwinklebee: if you don't take a childbirth class, another HB-er, I think it was Silva, recommended a book to me called The Birth Partner, which is actually written for doulas and partners/spouses, but I liked it. I read maybe 2/3 of it and my husband skimmed it ("yeah I got the gist"); it just helped me to know what to expect as my entire knowledge base was basically from what I'd seen in movies and from reading people's birth stories on this forum. it was nice that I just read it on the subway and it didn't take up one of my precious last remaining weekends
breastfeeding class I took in the hospital was invaluable. also strongly recommend consulting with a private LC a few days after the birth if you find you're having trouble--they are amazing. -
@LCTBQE: I started reading exactly that book on my subway commute this week - hah hah great minds think alike
That's great to know about the breastfeeding class, and I'm going to look for the name of a private lactation consultant so I know who to call if needed...
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We did not take a class but our maternity ward nurses were great and I felt they let me know everything I needed to know through labor and delivery. If anything I would recommend a breastfeeding class if you can find one!
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I took a multi evening course at the hospital that went over several topics including nutrition, breathing techniques, pain management etc. I found some of it reinforcement to the care I was already receiving. I am glad I took the course because I ended up having a cesarean and that class was really my only preparation for what that delivery would be like.
I relied on the hospital tour to visual my delivery in my hypnobirth prep. The tour was a separate event from the birth classes.
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My doc told me if I was planning an epidural to not worry about the birth class, so I skipped it lol. I have had three easy births, and no regrets on skipping it. I am glad I did the cpr and breastfeeding classes though. The life with baby class was pretty basic and not all that helpful since I’ve been around lots of babies.
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I found a few things interesting. It was mainly helpful for DH who didn't know as much as I did.
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The newborn care class, including cpr/heimlich was good. The breastfeeding class was meh. We did a Bradley class for birth which was an investment (of time and $$) but I felt like it forced my husband to dedicate a few hours a week to learning stuff that pregnant women mostly know or are told, but expectant dad don’t. I was worried if he would be a good birth partner and I credit that class with making him a great one. I also worry about women who don’t prepare in any way for the pain of birth, since even if you get an epi, there will be pain at some point. I think it’s helpful to learn strategies for coping with it even if you plan on an epi, since you never know.
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I think the classes were a lot more informative for my husband than they were for me, but I'm glad we attended them together. I had done a lot of reading and research ahead of time, but he hadn't, so most of the information was brand new to him. I also appreciated the opportunity to actively practice different birthing techniques (although I was induced and eventually had a c-section, so we didn't get to use many of them). They did talk about inductions and c-sections in the childbirth class also, so that when those things came up we were both familiar with what was happening. We attended the basic childbirth class, a breastfeeding class, and the infant care class. I found all of them helpful.
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I took infant CPR and a "caring for your newborn" class, but no actual birthing class. Zero regrets. I was planning on getting an epidural, so I figured I didn't need a birthing class. I ended up NOT being able to get an epidural, which kind of forced me to just go with the flow. It was a great experience and I'm kind of glad I didn't have any expectations going in to labor.
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I voted somewhat. I loved having the hospital tour the first time around. But the actual class of like breathing techniques and all that... Eh. It scared me lol. I think I learned more with my time on HB! And the breastfeeding class I took was a joke.
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@MrsBucky: we also did Bradley and I agree the best thing was what it did for us as a couple. Really normalized everything for dh and made us talk about things a lot and focus on each other.
At the hospital we did the tour and the cpr class, both of which were useful. The main thing I learned at the tour was which elevator goes directly to L&D which was great to know when I came later in a lot of pain! -
We did a caring for your newborn class a couple which did cover some of the birth, just enough that I felt more at ease. I was someone that I knew I was getting an epidural and I did not have a formal birth plan, other than healthy baby and mama. Also the labor and delivery nurses are amazing and they will help you through it all.
I would recommend a class like that, my husband had not spent any time with infants so it was good. They did cover some breastfeeding in that class. I also did a class by myself on breastfeeding and then ended up needing an at home lactation consultation due to engorgement/latching issues on one side. I would recommend the breastfeeding class if it is important to you and also having a lactation consultant on speed dial.
I can remember being at the pediatrician's office and saying how my son wouldn't nurse on one side. She immediately said ok, you are calling the consultant and getting right on that. I just weaned my son at almost 21 months and I credit our longevity with investing time early on.
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Thank you everyone, this is super helpful! And good to know how useful a private lactation consultant can be as well - just asked a local friend for a recommendation and have her # in my phone now should I end up needing it...
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I did the BFing class through my hospital and it was very informative. Didn't do anything else except the hospital tour which was also helpful. Didn't take any classes the second time around and the hospital I was at then didn't do yours because they were too busy.
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I think that the childbirth classes, while not helpful to me, were a part of being a first time parent that was fun and sort of a rite of passage. My husband and I giggled our way through and I never even thought of the class when I was actually in labor.
I did take a breastfeeding class that was pretty helpful. DH learned more than I did and remembered more and that was helpful for the first week because he was really good at suggesting changes in position and encouraged me to try different things.
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I don't do a birthing class per se but I took a 1-2 hour "comfort measures for labor" class with a doula that was helpful.
The Birth Partner is excellent.
For breastfeeding I mostly winged it but i did read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. It is peppered with some anti-formula nonsense though, which is disappointing because it was otherwise a good resource.
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It was all very vague now, but I remember we took CPR, a basic child birth and baby care class. Each class was 45 minute tops.
They are somewhat helpful. CPR is just for peace of mind, which I highly doubt I'd remember what to do if God forbid something happened (DS fainted in a park when he was 2, all I remember was he needed to be laid down on a flat hard surface, and thank God he woke up after I laid him flat on the ground). The child birth class I remember basically they really pushed us to do epidural, which I knew that's what I wanted to do anyway, but it was nice to hear them explain exactly what will happen and how much experience they have in that area. It was also nice to get reconfirmed that we should not go to the hospital unless the contractions were x minutes apart (3? 5? i actually forgot how long, hahaha!) The basic baby care class was, well, basic - changing diapers, taking a bath, which I believe we would have figured it out anyway... it was nice to hear and get confirmed that it is OK to not have a bath every day for a newborn infant and what to expect with the belly button / circumcised privates...etc.
I think I'd still survive had I not take these classes. They were extremely basic... I wish that in one of these classes, someone would actually give us an idea of how it would be so much more helpful to put a baby on a schedule, the eat, play, sleep routine; The "hair-dryer" sound that puts them into a calm / sleepy state. All these were tricky to figure out and I learned by frantically finishing the Baby Whisperer book in 2 days. No classes had taught me any of that. Breastfeeding was also very tricky to figure out, and I thought I was prepared (went to talks, watched videos, read books...etc). It was a lactation consultant that DH found AFTER childbirth that saved my life. The nurses from the hospital were pretty much useless (to me).
Funny to say, what helped me for child birth was the weekly prenatal yoga classes I went to. They had this pose that we had to do for 1.5 minutes without stopping. They reminded us that when we go into labor, the pain will be severe but will stop by 1.5 minutes, very similar to this annoying pose we had to do. When I was in labor at home for the entire day, that's all I could think about, and it was so helpful.
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@periwinklebee: we didn’t take the hospital class but we did take a natural childbirth class that we both found extremely helpful. I was set on a med-free delivery and I doubt I would’ve been able to do it if I hadn’t gone to this class. I also took a breastfeeding class and read Ina Mays books about childbirth and breastfeeding. I thought they were all great!
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Thank you all!
@bushelandapeck: That's awesome - how did you find the class?
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Granted, it was about 7 (!!) years ago, but I did like my hospital birth class. It was taught by a doula and she was very thorough with info for non medicated and medicated births as well as interventions, c-sections, etc. I ended up with an epi with my first so I didn’t really use any of the pain relief and breathing techniques, but I didn’t have time for an epi with my second and was able to remember and use the techniques from the class. I thought it was very worthwhile.
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