So we spent eight hours on Friday at the BC Women's and Children's Hospital, learning all the ins and... outs of what to expect in the last few months of the pregnancy. There was a lot of emphasis on labour, which was good because, to be honest, I had no idea what it would be like. I mean, I knew it was going to be bad, but I quickly realized I was basing pretty much everything on movies. One of the key things they don't tell you in the movies is that it goes on and on and on and on for hours and hours and hours. If you've ever seen Knocked Up, you'll know what I mean about false expectations. The characters have plenty of time to have long, important conversations between the contractions. In fact, the director really only illustrates "labour" by conveniently timed pangs at the beginning of each scene. The delivery looks painful, but the scene lasts all of thirty seconds. Apparently, this picture of things is a little... minimalist.
I was impressed with how pro-active and progressive they've become when it comes to pregnancy. They're aware of every potential problem, and can identify any issues early enough to give baby a way better chance than he or she would have had 35 years ago when I was born. They leave as little as possible up to chance, and yet they acknowledge that every parent will have unique expectations and demands. They try to avoid unnecessary "interventions", and encourage parents to ask questions at each stage. Vancouver is an extremely diverse place, and to fit every parent into the same box would be individually and culturally offensive for a lot of people. It's a neat hospital in that it recognizes that birth is so much more than a medical procedure. Rachel, the nurse guiding the class, was a real firecracker.
As a part of the class, we got to go on a tour of the maternity ward Lis will be delivering in. The rooms look very private and peaceful, and it seems like the hospital is really geared towards the baby (apparently it's one of the few in Canada to actually have the WHO-UNICEF "Baby Friendly" designation). They're very pro breast-feeding and pro-natural birth, because they recognize the amazing health benefits each of these has for the baby. After the delivery, it's straight to skin-to-skin time, which is supposed to be good for temperature regulation and getting the baby on board with the boob. It was all very comforting to see. I'm feeling good about this.
I managed to get choked up a few times during the class. I'm so excited and scared, and seeing several deliveries was pretty powerful. It's clearly going to take all I have to keep it together when the big day finally comes along. Anyway, we progress. We're entering the third trimester now. Ready or not, here it comes!
I was impressed with how pro-active and progressive they've become when it comes to pregnancy. They're aware of every potential problem, and can identify any issues early enough to give baby a way better chance than he or she would have had 35 years ago when I was born. They leave as little as possible up to chance, and yet they acknowledge that every parent will have unique expectations and demands. They try to avoid unnecessary "interventions", and encourage parents to ask questions at each stage. Vancouver is an extremely diverse place, and to fit every parent into the same box would be individually and culturally offensive for a lot of people. It's a neat hospital in that it recognizes that birth is so much more than a medical procedure. Rachel, the nurse guiding the class, was a real firecracker.
As a part of the class, we got to go on a tour of the maternity ward Lis will be delivering in. The rooms look very private and peaceful, and it seems like the hospital is really geared towards the baby (apparently it's one of the few in Canada to actually have the WHO-UNICEF "Baby Friendly" designation). They're very pro breast-feeding and pro-natural birth, because they recognize the amazing health benefits each of these has for the baby. After the delivery, it's straight to skin-to-skin time, which is supposed to be good for temperature regulation and getting the baby on board with the boob. It was all very comforting to see. I'm feeling good about this.
I managed to get choked up a few times during the class. I'm so excited and scared, and seeing several deliveries was pretty powerful. It's clearly going to take all I have to keep it together when the big day finally comes along. Anyway, we progress. We're entering the third trimester now. Ready or not, here it comes!
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