Perspectives on Pregnancy

Last night was our first in a series of three childbirth classes where we spent three hours with about a dozen other couples. We learned about the three stages of labor, when it's time to come to the hospital and how to "relax" during contractions - yeah right!!! At one point they asked the men to go to one side of the room and the women to the other. Each team was given a notepad and asked to come up with a list of ways that both the moms and dads had changed during pregnancy. After about 15 minutes we came back together as a group and read the lists aloud. The moms started by talking all about their heartburn, constipation, swollen feet, difficulty sleeping, backaches, trouble breathing, etc. - ahhh... the joys of pregnancy. Next up were the men who explained that pregnancy made their wives shop more, clean less, cook less, talk to strangers, drive more (because they are sober) and never want to stay at a party past 9:00 pm. I found the exercise to be extremely eye-opening, yet absolutely hysterical - as if we needed more proof that "men are from mars and women are from venus." Chad's favorite part of the class was playing with the stuffed baby, stuffed pelvic bones and stuffed umbilical cord - all attached to the stuffed placenta. Tomorrow is the breastfeeding class which I'm sure will be equally as entertaining.

Enterprise surprised Chad with a baby shower today and gave him a doggie blanket and carseat. They did it over beer and chicken tenders at a nearby bar - very appropriate for the daddy to be.