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Our adventures started in amazing Alaska, but have since taken us to beautiful Spokane Valley, Washington. Our family consists of Nick (Dad), Becki (Mom), and our four boys: Alvin, Alex, Rilie, and Jackson. I enjoy homeschooling our kids and we're excited for what adventures Spokane has for us.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Last day of birthing class... sniff, sniff...

Nick and I had our last birthing class tonight. I am going to miss our instructor! She made us a huge platter of grapes and chocolate dipped strawberries (with white chocolate drizzled on top). We also got our prizes for bringing in our candle to show we did our home work (you have to light your candle while you do your birth work, and if it's half way melted by the end of class you got a prize). I received my homemade hot sack with rose oil. She fills her with flax seed, they hold heat longer and they don't grind down into powder.

Today's class focused on post-pardum, heavily geared toward dads. She had such amazing advice regarding things I struggled with when Rilie was our newest addition. Her biggest suggestion was for dad to put together a basket of things mom's need: nursing supplies, diaper supplies, high protein snacks, one handed entertainment, hair scrunchies, soothing stuff, service coupons - to hand to dad when she needs special help, etc. This helps mom sit and focus on baby (and herself) without having to get up and down a million times (especially when she's found the position that baby wants to be in). Dad's job is to keep this basket fully stocked.

Other things were acknowledging the first three months as the fourth trimester. She said the first couple days, you're pumped with hormones that make you feel so enthralled with your baby. It isn't until after then, you start to feel down and it's very common for it not to settle in until weeks 4 - 6. (For me, week 3 - 6 were the hardest). This is typically when people are done congratulating you and treating you like a new mom. They treat you like you are seasoned and know how to manage. You will still need lots of love and tender care. Dad's need to plan on keeping 1 or 2 rooms super clean for mom and baby. It might be the bathroom, the bedroom, or where she's camping out with the baby.

She listed plenty of other suggestions, but if none of these are working and/or mom is showing a disinterest in the baby, herself, etc. Have a talk about getting help, or just call the clinic and have them do a "phone check" with mom. They will encourage her to come in (if she's not listening to you). Dad's can also get post-pardum depression, so moms need to acknowledge how dad's life, feelings, etc. are changing too.

We also covered soothing techniques for fussy babies. We watched The Happiest Baby on the Block and the Dunstun approach. We talked about skin to skin, white noise, baby wearing, aroma therapy, and herbal baths together (or even a plain bath with your baby).

This meant a lot to me. We already planned on me to only tend to our baby, the first month. This validated our need to possibly extend that, depending on how we're doing as a family. Nick and I plan on doing as much as we can to have dinners, etc. taken care of. Obviously, I shouldn't ignore my other children... but we will be on a schedule that will be much easier (no therapeutic services, frozen dinners, minimal house responsibilities, etc.). We aren't going to start homeschool until October, which puts us on the new track I want to do anyways (2 months on, 1 month off... in the end, you're still doing the same amount of school, just different times. Our off months will be December, March, June, and September).

In the end, I'm so glad we took this class. I'm glad it was 4 sessions long with a week between each one to think and practice our birth work. It gave us time to see what worked, what didn't, and talk about it with our instructor. She was so open and pleasant. She was so calm and reassuring. She is very pro-natural birth and home-births, but never spoke ill of hospitals, doctors, and everything in between. We ended the class writing a letter to ourselves, encouraging ourselves. She will mail them well after our babies are born.

I'm so grateful for a husband that didn't just come with me, but actually participated and engaged in what we were learning. 

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