Ignorance is Bliss

Last night we had our second (and final) labor and birth class.  It's amazing how 6 hours can make you feel completely prepared for giving birth (yeah, right!).  In all honesty, though, the classes were very good and I did learn a few things. Including things that I would rather not have known. Last night, our main topics of discussion were C-sections, epidurals/pain relief options, and labor positions.  The C-section portion involved a nice little video giving an animation and explanation of the C-section process.  This made me decide that, if I am going to have an operation, I would really rather not know the details of exactly what is going to happen in the operation.  And since you're conscious for a C-section (unless it's an emergency one and they have to knock you out completely), you're lying there awake and just thinking about exactly everything that is happening on the other side of that little curtain barrier, even though you can't feel it.  The part that never occurred to me before is the part where, after they slice through the layer of skin and fat and before they slice open your uterus, they have to take their hands and pull your abdominal muscles apart so they can get to the uterus.  Ewww.  The whole thing is just kind of disturbing. Let's change the subject. We're delivering at the county hospital, Hendricks Regional Health.  It's about 10-15 minutes west of our house.  (The other hospital in our county is 5-10 minutes east of our house.  We're smack dab in the middle, very conveniently situated if we ever need to rush to a hospital!). It's a good hospital and has some nice amenities like free massage therapists and whirlpool tubs in some of the labor rooms.  Plus, all the rooms are private and they don't feel as hospital-y as they do some places.  I think (hope) we're going to have a good experience there. Hopefully without the C-section.  Although, at that point, I'd probably be so ready to have the baby out that I wouldn't care what was happening on the other side of that screen!

From Loving the Life We Live