Birthin' Babies

"I don't know nothin' about birthin' babies." Prissy in Gone With The Wind

Up until Saturday, I shared Prissy's sentiment regarding child birth. I've purposely been un-inquisitive about child birth leading up to my pregnancy, figuring that the more I knew and heard, the less likely I would be to want to birth a baby of my own. Don't get me wrong, I knew the basics, but none of the details. I have read two chapters in What to Expect When You're Expecting about labor and delivery. So I've gotten to know more about delivery. Heck, I've even memorized some of the steps should I go into labor at home by myself: my favorite being to unlock the front door so that the EMTs can get in the house when they arrive.

But all of that changed Saturday after Dave and I attended our Prepared Childbirth class. I was fine with all the talking and the diagrams, but the videos were another story. I didn't need to see all that. The emotion of watching two deliveries plus a c-section was just too much. I don't know if I'm more prepared now or more freaked out.

There are several points I use to comfort myself. First, women have been doing this for thousands of years with less medical technology than we have today. Secondly, epidural. Third, teenage girls that I work with have delivered babies. If they can do it, then I can, right? (Then I remember that I'm like twice their age.) But, I keep going back to my initial source of solace, women have been doing this for thousands of years. Surely, my independence and stubborness can be channeled for a few hours into physical strength to deliver a baby.

So, in the meantime . . . I'll practice my breathing. I'm working on packing my bag. I'll depend on Dave to keep me calm and focused. I'll take comfort in the fact that Dave would bear this burden if he could. I'll keep taking those walks to keep my blood sugar in check and to build up my endurance.

And when this is all over in eight weeks or so, I'll still declare, "I don't know nothin' about birthin' babies."