Week 30

 

Finally.  We are in the last ten weeks!  3/4 of the way and counting down.  My hope is that time flies from here.  My guess is that, with the holidays and the crazy year-end rush at work, it will.

This weekend's big adventure was "Prepared Childbirth Classes."  We had class from 10-4 on Sunday and then tonight from 7 to 9.  Yesterday's topic was "Prepared Birth," and for the most part, Bill and I both found this class to be informative and beneficial.  Tonight, however, was a different story. 

I think part of the problem was that I started out with a bad attitude.  It probably had something to do with the long, non-stop, 10.5-hour day at work prior to the class.  This is a pretty average day where hours are concerned, but today was especially rough because I only got to leave my desk for a total of about 15 minutes to use the bathroom and to run downstairs to grab a sandwich between conference calls.  Anyway, by the time I collected Bill from school, I was tired and not really in the mood. 

Bill was also coming off a tough day.  He was supposed to turn in a big paper.  Just prior to turning it in, he spotted a flaw in his theorem proof, and so was frustrated by the prospect of having to go back to his office and work through the problem after the 7-9 pm baby class.  It would be a late night.  Still, wanting to be responsible pre-parents, we both sucked it up and went to class.

Tonight's topic was breastfeeding.  I was informed at registration that fathers were supposed to come to this, and there was indeed a male companion with each of the very pregnant women in the room (about 30 total couples).  We spent the first 30 minutes going over the basics:  how often to feed; how do you know when to feed; practicing different feeding positions; how to know when you have a good "latch;" common problems with breastfeeding, and, of course, the LONG list of the benefits of breastfeeding.  I felt like this was all pretty good information.

Then things took a turn for the unbearable.  We spent the next 30 minutes watching the "educational breastfeeding film."  This film was essentially a narrated video of exactly the same information that we had just covered.  The difference now, however, were the many video clips of women and their heavy, leaky breasts.  Then there were animations of women and their heavy, leaky breasts.  I looked around the room, and most of the guys were squirming.  When the video started going over the important information to be gleaned from different colors of baby poop (complete with color spectrum), I took a peek at Bill.  The poor guy was whispering out loud to himself.  I listened closely and realized that he was coping by reciting parts of his Adiabatic Theorem proof .  I had to giggle a little at this, and I couldn't say that I blamed him!   

After a painfully long time, the movie ended and they offered us a break.  I used this opportunity to offer Bill (and, to be honest, me) an escape.  Although Bill insisted that he was willing to stay, I truthfully told him that I wasn't getting all that much out of this class.  In the cost/benefit analysis, the cost of the extra hour tonight was more than the benefit I was getting.  He didn't offer any argument, and so we eagerly collected our pillows and baby (read stuffed monkey) and quietly made a half-time escape. 

So . . . maybe this is the first sign that I'm not going to win any parenting awards, but the couples classroom setting just didn't seem to be the very conducive to this particular topic.  Also, in my defense, I think that if there's going to be a problem with breastfeeding, it's likely to be a problem that is pretty individual to me or our baby.  Those types of problems need to be dealt with on a one-on-one basis (with a nurse or with one of the experienced grandmas).  I don't think that making Bill sit and recite his math through videos about heavy leaky breasts and the art of deciphering baby poop is really the best use of our time. 

Bottom line -- tonight, Bill and I were baby class drop-outs.  I delivered him safely back to the UT math building and his comfortable world of the Adiabatic Theorem.  Amelia and I are now enjoying some delicious hot chocolate on this wet, cold, and dreary Monday evening.  Soon, we'll be getting the most out of one of our few remaining full nights of sleep.

Looking forward to week 31 . . .