https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:39:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116843 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 12:07:08 +0000 lovehoneybee 1116843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't learn anything I didn't know, but DH found it very informative, and I don't regret taking them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116796 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:51:32 +0000 edelweiss 1116796@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we took one 90-minute class, so nothing in-depth. it was worth it mostly because i think DH benefited from the info. i had done a bunch of research already but if he hadn't taken the class i don't think he would have had any idea what was happening with my body, the 5-1-1 rule, the different stages of labor, what a mucus plug is, possible interventions...</p> <p>i don't think either of us could have handled a longer class. i don't have the patience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116790 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:48:49 +0000 shellio 1116790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did the short version and just took a 4 hour class at the hospital. I'm actually a physician and have seen/participated in many births and I still found it useful. Mostly we attended for my husband, who does not work in medicine and I wanted him to get a better idea what to expect. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116783 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:47:36 +0000 babycanuck 1116783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't think I would go to one - but I will for my DH when the time comes. I have plenty of exposure to lil ones and being "back up partner" for some friends in their birthing classes, he has none. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116779 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:45:37 +0000 mediagirl 1116779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was more helpful for my husband than me. I found they spent half the class pushing breathing techniques...something you would only need if you were going for a natural birth. The teacher was a doula. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116775 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:44:38 +0000 Mrs. Oatmeal 1116775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took a six week class taught by our doula, and it was incredibly helpful. It gave us SO much great information, and we ended up hiring our doula for the birth after that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116751 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:37:50 +0000 Boheme 1116751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@bhbee: I met one of the ladies who gave birth in the awkward Bradley videos and couldn't help but giggle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116641 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:09:25 +0000 PurplePeony 1116641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We haven't started ours yet, but we're signed up for a 5-week hypnobirthing class. It's not affiliated with the hospital, but the hospital does offer one so I know they're supportive of it (that one didn't fit into our schedules -- unfortunately, as it was quite a bit cheaper). We should be able to get all the info we need about hospital policies from the tour and our midwives, since they exclusively deliver there. We're also signed up for a one-morning breastfeeding and newborn care class at the hospital.</p> <p>I won't know for another 3 months how helpful the childbirth class will end up being, but I'm hoping some of the techniques will be helpful to both me and DH in our daily lives, as well...we can always use a little help relaxing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116614 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 11:03:51 +0000 Smurfette 1116614@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We took a class and honestly DH and I bought that it was a waste of time. The lady was great but it was more about what to do when in laboring at home, and my water broke, so the doctor had my come straight to the hospital. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116585 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:54:12 +0000 emg86 1116585@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another Bradley girl over here! We loved our class &amp; our instructor. It was worth the time &amp; $$. It definitely helped us...we wanted a med free birth at home. We learned a ton of great ideas to help manage pain. I think the best part was knowing what my body would be doing during labor and how everything worked...that really helped me stay calm and helped me just give in to the pain to speed up things. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116552 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:44:34 +0000 creativemomma15 1116552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We took our hospital's online version of childbirth class. I liked it much more than going in. We went at our own pace and it was nice to be able to focus on what you needed/wanted to know. We got a book with all the info from it and could also get a hospital tour, but we never made it to the tour because we delivered early. I just really didn't want or have the time to go for a long class there and I didn't really want to sit through it with a bunch of strangers. Much nicer to be in PJs and joke around with my hubby through it :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116551 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:44:19 +0000 bhbee 1116551@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>also I loved watching the birth videos . . . most of the Bradley videos are hilariously 80s, but it really made the whole process seem normal and got us used to what would happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116545 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:42:45 +0000 bhbee 1116545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we took Bradley before our LO was born and while it is a big commitment, we loved it. part of that is probably finding a good instructor since you devote so much time. we had a long drive (for us, since we live in the city and had to drive to the suburbs) and we found that really useful too - it was time we devoted just to thinking about the process of birth and becoming a parent. we had so many great conversations in the car! I love information and wanted a natural birth so it was a good fit. I think the whole thing would have been so much more scary without that class - we felt totally prepared and although we didn't have to do it, I think we would have been calmer if something had gone wrong. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116454 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:12:48 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1116454@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did the hospital's 6 week class over a weekend. I really liked it. Most information I knew from reading &amp; techniques I knew from prenatal yoga, but it was great to know our hospital's policies &amp; expectations. Also, it was the only place I saw videos of women giving birth that weren't depicting it as a terrifying, pain-riddled experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116436 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:08:56 +0000 MapleMoose 1116436@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We took a one day childbirth class and toured the facility. I thought it was helpful and answered a lot of my questions. DH said he liked that he got some idea of his role during labor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116422 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:04:33 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1116422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just took a basic hospital class which was cheap and didn't take much time. It was good to force my husband to learn some of the information (he wouldn't read a book). I don't think I really learned anything new from the class though. </p> <p>What made the class really invaluable though was that you got a tour of the L&amp;D. It was great to know where we were going and where it all was. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116410 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:00:29 +0000 boots 1116410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I never took a birthing class, had a great labor, and had no regrets. I did research a TON online, read countless birth stories, and watched a lot of birth videos though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116408 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 10:00:21 +0000 Mrs. Blue 1116408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We took the course offered by the hospital and it wasn't super helpful because it was not very detailed. They gave a few tips on getting through contractions, etc., but it wasn't more than what I had already read here and other places. I wish we would have had a chance to take some of the birthing classes that are more detailed, like Bradley, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116375 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:49:29 +0000 kjpugs 1116375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wish we were able to take a class :( No classes fit into our schedule (my husband works nights and up until very recently his days off were not set,... even now, they're only a little more predictible.) So unfortunately we didn't have a choice, I could probably have gone alone but didn't feel comfortable. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116359 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:44:56 +0000 LomaLinda 1116359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I took the Bradley birthing class and it made all the difference in our birth experience. I felt very educated, empowered and prepared and used a TON of the stuff I learned in class during my pain-med free birth. (However, even if I had ended up getting an epidural/c-section/something other than a med free birth, the class would have been worth it! We learned SO much.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116336 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:39:52 +0000 LuLu Mom 1116336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I gave a birth and took the class, however I didn't really think it helped that much, although it did get me in the right mindset. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116319 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:34:34 +0000 2PeasinaPod 1116319@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I took it, and didn't find it helpful. I was open to an epidural if I thought I needed one and it was very natural birth focused. I ended up having to have an emergency c-section, so a ton of what I "learned" in the class went out the window pretty quickly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116306 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:30:07 +0000 ShootingStar 1116306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We take our class next weekend and I'm curious to see if I find value in spending 8 hours in one day dedicated to this. But I haven't read much up on the birthing process itself, and DH knows nothing, so I'm gonna suck it up and go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116293 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:27:23 +0000 brownie 1116293@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I did a Bradley method class and the hospital class. I personally didn't use any of the techniques. What was the most helpful was understanding the stages of labor and knowing that transition is shortest. Having an idea of what pushing would entail. So I took what I needed and disregarded the rest. </p> <p>I am a classroom learner so just reading a book on it would be useless to me. A book may work if you learn well that way </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116250 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:18:43 +0000 swurlygurl 1116250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have given birth and did not take a class - no regrets at all.<br /> However, I have watched a live birth (my sister giving birth to my nephew), and spent a lot of time reading boards (like HB), so I knew what to expect (more importantly, to not EXPECT anything!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116237 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:16:49 +0000 Beebug 1116237@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It sounds silly, but I wish just DH went, and not me. While I did find it helpful, I also found it really freaked me out. Some stuff I would have rather been in the dark about, but having the confidence DH knew would have been sufficient for me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116203 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:12:31 +0000 Mrs. Train 1116203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a one day course and I had already known I would deliver via c section but learning about the stages of labor and signs to look for were helpful. If I had any signs of labor I was supposed to go straight to the hospital so it was good info. The breathing and birthing part I didn't need but I don't regret taking the class. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116194 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:10:52 +0000 MamaBehr 1116194@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I got a lot out of it. I took a child birth class and a breastfeeding class with DD. Unfortunately I decided not to pay attention to the c-section stuff, and ended up with a c-section, so with DS I took the c-section class. I just liked knowing what was going on, what to expect next, what the hospitals protocol was, and where exactly to go. I found it diminished a lot of anxiety for me. </p> <p>(ps all the things I remember thinking "I won't need that;" I needed ie the fetal heartrate monitor that goes in the baby's head, the giant knitting needle that breaks your water etc) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116186 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:08:56 +0000 rachiecakes 1116186@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took a class and attended a few 'workshops' before giving birth. To be honest, I didn't find them very helpful. I had pre-eclampsia and was induced at 40w. My labor was nothing like anything they described. I never felt contractions in my abdomen. I was told I was having back labor but there was nothing consistent about the contractions, it felt like I was being electrocuted through the spine, no pattern or rhythm at all. I was never told anything about this in my birth classes.<br /> My recovery was nothing at all like I had learned in the classes, and because of that I felt very isolated and depressed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-you-find-childbirth-class-useful#post-1116178 Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:07:07 +0000 MrsTiz 1116178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We took one, I didn't find it overly helpful. It was nice for DH to get some information though, so I don't regret it. If I had taken the class alone it would have been a huge waste of time. </p>