Antenatal Classes

!±8± Antenatal Classes

One of the best ways to get ready for birth is taking antenatal classes. Whenever you are about to embark on a new physical challenge, you prepare first by taking some kind of course. Birth is no different. Before you take one of the most meaningful physical challenges of your life, you need to find a class that suits you.

When to Start Antenatal Classes

So when do you start class? Obviously, you don't begin the moment that you conceive, but you need some time to learn the exercises and absorb the knowledge that is necessary for making informed choices about your birth.

For this reason, it is a good idea to book into a course around the 20th week of your pregnancy, which is about halfway through. That way, you also don't run the risk of losing an opportunity if the classes are booked up because you still have time to look elsewhere.

Different Kinds of Antenatal Classes

There are various types of prenatal classes available, ranging from antenatal exercise classes to antenatal swimming classes. The best types of courses are those that teach as many aspects as possible of your upcoming birth. Even if this is not your first birth, you want to gain information and find the most productive ways to make your labour work for you.

At childbirth classes, you can learn exercises to strengthen and prepare your body for labour, natural ways to hasten labour and prevent an induction, methods of pain relief, and how to relax during the end of pregnancy and when you are giving birth. You will learn about the process of birth and what will be happening to your body and your baby at that time. Some classes will also give you an introduction to breastfeeding and basic baby care.

By looking into all of the options that you will learn about, this will help you when it comes to writing your birth plan. You will also feel a lot more comfortable during the whole birthing process because you will be more focused and prepared. The different experiences of labour will not feel so strange or overwhelming to you because you will at least understand what is going on.

Furthermore, there are different types of birthing classes depending on what you are interested in. For example, if you want a home birth, the private midwife that you hire may offer you a course of classes in which you will learn her techniques. If you want a water birth, you would probably take antenatal aqua classes to understand this concept a little better. There are also maternity classes for teenage and first-time mums, refresher classes for older mothers, and antenatal yoga classes for those who prefer that sort of approach.

Some women would prefer not to use pain relief such as epidurals or pethidine during childbirth. Their way of coping is to ride out the contractions with breathing exercises. These women would probably attend Lamaze classes, where they learn a specific way to breathe during labour, effectively dealing with the pain.

If you are interested in a hospital birth, it is worth finding out if there are hospital classes and if they are either subsidised or even free. Others may prefer private classes, which are a little smaller and more individual, or to go to an antenatal clinic.

Another viable option is to take classes on line. If you are very busy, and you really don't have the time to go to classes out of the house, or if you are on bed rest and all you can do is look at a computer screen, this might be a good option for you.

Who Will Go With You?

Before booking your class, you should really work out who will be with you when you have the baby. Then you should arrange going to the classes together.

Some partners would like nothing better than to attend the birth of their child. They learn all the exercises and will even breathe along with their Significant Other during her labour. At the end, some of them are only too happy to cut the umbilical cord.

However, not all partners are like that. Some are rather squeamish and cannot bring themselves to even stand outside the door of the labour room. Others may be there, but their role is more passive.. And then there are the fathers who would genuinely love to be there but whose work constraints would not allow it, apart from which they may need to stay home with the other children. Or maybe the father is no longer on the scene.

In such cases, your options are usually your mother, sister, or a very good friend. And if you can't find anyone else, there are always doulas. A doula is a professionally trained birth partner who can accompany a woman through labour.

So once you have found the best antenatal classes for you and someone to go with you, you will be prepared and feel suitably relaxed for the next stage.

Antenatal Classes

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From Hollywood to the Hospital: Learn from the Best in the Biz!

!±8± From Hollywood to the Hospital: Learn from the Best in the Biz!

Pregnancy and childbirth classes: Enroll at www.zenbirthcoach.com for free webinar. Curious about how to avoid the top 3 mistakes 1st-time moms make that keep them worried and scared about their due date? The 1st of a 4-part video series covers an overview and my personal history.

From Hollywood to the Hospital: Learn from the Best in the Biz!

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Job-Hunting While Pregnant

!±8± Job-Hunting While Pregnant

It's happening all over: A woman is laid off while she's pregnant and finds herself job-hunting as her due date approaches. Another woman's organization tanks, and she finds herself out of work just as she realizes that that she's expecting. A third finds her consulting business too slow to sustain her financially, so she starts a job search during her second trimester.

The important thing to know about pursuing a job search during pregnancy is that it can be done. While your pregnancy is a factor in your job search -- and more of a factor if your due date is coming up quickly or if, for instance, you're expecting more than one baby -- being pregnant is no reason to put off a job search. You will need to incorporate your post-baby plans into your interview conversation, so that you're ready to answer questions about your return to work, your ability to manage your job with a newborn, and so on. But the fact that you're expecting shouldn't be the primary, or even a major, focus of your discussions during interviews.

If you're not "out" with your pregnancy -- if you haven't reached the point where you're generally letting people know about your condition -- it's not necessary or appropriate to say anything about it during an interview or when you're considering a job offer. Would you tell a relative stranger something you haven't told your best friends yet? Some women worry that if they keep quiet about their pregnancy, later they'll get sideways looks from the boss, who will never trust them again. Don't put that pressure on yourself. When the day comes to share your good news, after a month or two of productive employment at your new company, you'll say, "Sally, I wanted to let you know that Jack and I are expecting! The baby is due in February, and I feel great." That's the whole message; you don't need to get into who knew what when, and no one will be likely to be so tacky as to inquire. If anyone does ask, "Didn't you know this when you were interviewing here?" you can smile and say, "We're just official as of this week, and we're so excited."

If your pregnancy is well established, you should be prepared to discuss the logistics of your maternity leave and return to work during the job interview. Most of us in the business world are well trained (sometimes by unhappy experience) not to ask a woman if she's pregnant, so don't be self-conscious about your growing tummy. You should bring up the topic, well into the interview (don't even bother if you're completely uninterested in the job). You say to the interviewer, "Henry, may I ask you a few specific questions? Great. First, I'm curious about the relationship between the business development group and the sales organization here at XYZ Association. Oh, really? Terrific. Thanks. Secondly, I'm expecting a baby in September. I have some ideas about maternity leave and how I will manage things while away from the office, and I'd love to touch on that today. Excellent. The third is ...." This way, you get the information out and let the organization know that you're not planning to fake your way through this big life change, that you have a plan, and that you'll be extremely responsible when it comes to managing your job through the new-baby time.

Is there a danger that you'll be passed over as a candidate simply because of your condition? Frankly, yes. If the organization has two excellent candidates, and you are one, and the other one is not expecting, you could lose out. But if you are the right person for the job and seem well prepared for both the new job and your other life changes, many employers will take the correct long view -- what's three months of maternity leave out of a long and successful relationship?

In your confidence-inspiring remarks about your plans, you don't need to go into exhaustive detail. Your prospective employer doesn't need to know who will be watching the baby or whether or not you'll be nursing, for instance. But it might be helpful to throw in facts that will show you're not going to fall apart upon baby's arrival. For example, if this is your second child, you could mention that your past maternity leave went smoothly. One caution: Be sure to guard against the natural impulse to oversell your flexibility. Don't say, "I'll only take two weeks maternity leave!" It's more important to focus on your skills, your experience, and your enthusiasm for the job and the organization than to feel you have to apologize for or explain away your wonderful expectant state.

It doesn't hurt to look for family-friendly organizations when you're a pregnant job seeker. Ask your friends (or use a friendly, free, women-focused e-mail discussion group such as http://www.worldwit.org) who these employers are in your city. Ask the moms in your Lamaze class or ask your doctor which employers are known for family flexibility.

Do invest in a professional interviewing wardrobe. Remember what they say: Pregnancy makes you radiant. Let yourself shine with confidence and delight in your wonderful situation and remember that you're a terrific job candidate. The squirmer in your belly doesn't take anything away from that; if anything, he or she adds to it.

Job-Hunting While Pregnant

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