Why Pregnant Women Should Attend Antenatal Classes?

On my 9th month of pregnancy , I attended the ante natal class conducted by the hospital we had chosen for my delivery. I knew nothing about it , but my Amma was so sure that it would help me in boosting my confidence. This post tells you why every pregnant women should attend antenatal classes.

We arrived early , grabbed our seats and waited for the class to start. There was a huge projector screen and doctors , head nurses and supervisors arrived with laptops. I met many large tummied anytime-I can deliver-preggus, the tensed , the concerned mother in-laws and moms there. The 1 and a half hour session was just unique .. As a first time to-be-mom I had so many doubts and my Amma too cleared hers as well 🙂

WHY PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ATTEND ANTENATAL CLASSES?

1. To get off the scary labour room scene from your mind

I needed this one . I was pretty confident when I was admitted . But as and when time passed by , I grew tensed and my BP shot up. It was then the breathing and calming exercises and thoughts helped me . The class gave me an idea of what to expect in a labour room, a one kind of counselling.  Now are you scared ? Don’t be 🙂

2. To know about the dos and dont’s when pregnant

An important topic discussed was the dos and dont’s while pregnant . I remember every person in the class was given a notepad, pen and asked to write 2 questions they do have in their mind without mentioning their name. The chits were then put into a box and the doctor answered to the questions one by one.

Sleeping position while pregnant , what to wear when getting admitted , why no gold ornaments and even nail polishes in the last trimester were described with reasons. Everyone in the room was quite satisfied with the replies and people came up with lot many questions for the next hour 🙂

3. To know about the exercises you could benefit from

Pregnant women should exercise , or can exercise .. One point gynos and obstetrician stressed upon was light and mild exercises like walking and other floor exercises.

Even household chores like sweeping , brooming and cleaning provide exercise to the hip bone and spine. We were asked to use Indian toilets as the posture of sitting on legs was found to be beneficial for pregnant women , amazing isn’t ?

4. Knowledge about symptoms of baby birth and even early labour

You ask me or any other mom about labour pain, how was it and how does it feel like ? I am sure you wouldn’t get a proper answer , because it differs from person to person. Some have strong back pain as if a metal rod is continuously thrashed against your back , some feel whole body pain with unbearable pain in the thighs with cramps.

I never knew that there was something called ‘fake labour pain’ too , it was mentioned there. Symptoms of baby birth and early labour and what steps to follow even if your water breaks at midnight etc were of great help

5. Brushing off the superstitions and stories related to baby birth

I am glad this topic was included . Pregnancy is often associated with superstitions and many of them were cleared by the experts there

6. Nutrition requirements and ‘eating for two ‘ strategy

You might have heard about the ” Eating for two “. Gynos there stressed the importance of quality and nutrition required for a pregnant lady and not upon eating for two strategy.

7. Solution for the common discomforts during pregnancy

Morning sickness , leg cramps , body pain, backache etc are the common discomforts associated with pregnancy. How to tackle it and the precautionary measures were also discussed

8. Facilities available in the hospital in terms of painless delivery / epidural if they have

Many hospitals these days have facilities for painless delivery / epidural . The formalities and admission processes were also made clear . I believe many hospitals do support the entry of husband and mom of the pregnant lady to be with her at the time of baby birth .

• Read  : 9th month of pregnancy

9. Getting admitted on the date instructed by the gyno

Getting admitted on the date given by the gyno is must . Whys and whens were explained with examples.

10. Maternity bag essentials

I am sure that all moms get tensed when they see their daughter being taken to labour room. Must haves in maternity bag and importance of keeping it ready in advance was a key takeaway from this session

Overall , I felt good and much more confident post the antenatal session. So if you are pregnant / a dad to be please make sure you enroll for the session if there is one, though it’s not compulsory. Most hospitals conduct it for FREE , so all you need is to contribute just 1.30 hrs.

Have you attended antental classes during pregnancy ?