Birthing 101

Next week Alan and I "graduate" from our 4-week Birthing Class series. We watched birthing videos from the 80s, learned about narcotics and the "cain" family of drugs soon to be at my disposal (no cocaine, Alan!), and witnessed the nurse, Marydee, push a baby doll out of the bottom of a bucket with a styrafoam slit. Things we learned:

• I'm looking forward to making Alan get down onto all fours to assume the shape of a "table" in any hospital hallway.
• Pee smells like alcohol, amniotic fluid does not.
• How to "hee hee" breathe.
• Tennis balls really do make good massage tools.
• Do not wear heavy eyeliner during the birthing process like the lady in the video. She looked like a drowned raccoon after 3 hours of contractions.
• Alan is a great partner. Beth is scared shitless.

We're getting excited to meet the Bean! Check out month 8 videos of real 3D ultra sounds here: http://www.ehd.org/science_imagegal_4.php