Last week I toured the maternity unit of our new hospital. It seems very nice. There's an early labor waiting room with heated, vibrating chairs, which I quite like (if they give me a satisfaction survey to fill out, I will suggest that they add a masseuse to that room). There are popsicles in the freezer. Thank you. The room in which someone delivers is the same private room where she recuperates, which is new to our town. So, that's all good. Except, I really, really loved our set up in Scotland. When the nurse giving me the tour kept talking about a doctor, I kept thinking that really I just wanted to be surrounded by the nice, calm, female midwives who delivered The Bairn. And when she showed me how the bottom of the bed comes off for delivery and told me that some doctors prefer to use stirrups, I was actually distressed. There was no bed in The Bairn's birthing suite and the idea of stirrups during delivery would have made our prenatal midwife cry tears. And me too.
Everything about giving birth in Canada, so far, is just a bit worse than giving birth in Scotland.
Even our prenatal companion book in Scotland was rock star awesome--short and professionally graphic designed and modern. The book I was given at the hospital here is full of creepy cherubim and other unfortunate clipart AND it advises me to pack my camera and film and music cassettes and tape player for labor. Hmph.
So, people who have done hypnobirthing. Did you take a class? Do you think the class was essential or would the book/CD combo have been sufficient to train you?
8 comments:
Do they not have birth centers there? That seems to be what gals in the know are turning to here. Away with the 'something could go wrong!' model of labor and delivery, and in with the calm, confident, smiling, female faces.
If they do, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be covered by free health care. We have 3 doulas in the area and I know one of the major home birth advocates here, but it seems like most people not delivering in the hospital are delivering at home. It was very recently that midwifery even became officially recognized and regulated here, so alternative birth options are limited. Boo.
I asked my daughter who had her first baby in January. She says.... "Definitely go to classes cos her partner needs to be totally on board too otherwise it's a waste of time. Also the book is really American and you need something to prepare you for having a baby where you are - different drugs and procedures etc."
Oh, too bad. We don't have classes available anywhere reasonably near us, so I was hoping we could get by without them. The Bairn was born naturally, so it's not like we're hoping to drastically change my labor experience, but I'm hoping for a bit more calm (from myself) this time.
DD obviously had a choice as there were classes available in Edin, doesn't mean book no use at all. I'll email you her fb contact and you can message her direct if you like.
I know people who have done the home study Hypnobabies class with success, so that might be an option!
(Most of the class consisted of the instructor just reading aloud from the manual--all the real practicing & visualization with the CDs you do on your own.)
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