So class two is where they get to see the money shot....

The Big Hoo Hoo. The mighty V. The live birth. It always makes me laugh when my adorable couples squirm in their seats during the birth video...the dad's look pastey white and like little deer in headlights and the moms..well, it appears by the looks on their faces that they are connected to the mom on the screen and can actually feel the crowning sensation that she is.(which, if you hook your fingers into the corners of your mouth and PULL until it burns, that my friends, is similar to what the "ring of fire" feels like!)

In class two I try my best to give them an idea of what happens inside their bodies during each stage of labor and what their partners can do to provide comfort and support during each stage. It's A LOT to take in...I think many of them feel overwhelmed with the amount of responsibility that is truly put on the partners' shoulders the moment a mama's uterus begins to twinge. At the end of this class I pick the parents' chins up off the floor, wipe the sweat off their brows and I introduce the idea of hiring a doula as one of their options for pain management.

A DOULA is a greek word which translates into "woman's servant." No, really... A doula is an educated (and hopefully certified!) woman hired by an expecting couple to continuously provide emotional and physical support to them during the entire course of labor. I tell my couples that the doula bascially takes the thinking part out of the labor and delivery so the couple can focus on eachother and the doula can be the one to remember which positions help to dilate quicker, or rotate a sunny side up baby, or to slow down the delivery so she reduces tearing, etc. She encourages, massages, suggests, explains, and supports during the labor. Basically she's the walking book of knowledge that guides the couple into having the birth they've envisioned as best she can.

Here is a more detailed description of what Baby Love Birth Services doulas will do if they are hired...http://babylovebirthservices.squarespace.com/doulaomahane/

Check out this link that shows a few minutes of what a doula does!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvmB96cRnaU&playnext=1&list=PL7170BCE1586FECA3&index=55

Until next week!
K