Class Act

Terrified of looking like some slack babymother, I made a point of signing up for three classes (Child Birth, Baby Care and Breast Feeding). I actually found them more useful than my partner — he'd already read widely on the subject, while I sat there like an eager schoolgirl soaking up all this new information.

I found myself crossing my legs and wincing in unison with the other women in the class when the nurse discussed vaginal tearing, and contorting in horror when we were given the brutal details of a dilation.

I found it useful to ask plenty of questions. What books can't tell you about is the specifics of your locality — when is the best time to go to the hospital, when you need to call your doctor, what additional classes they offer. Remember to take note when they give details of breathing through the contractions — you can actually be quite useful here.