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You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Havin’ A {Birthing} Ball

May 18, 2012

Havin’ A {Birthing} Ball

Turns out Friday night at childbirth class wasn’t so bad!

Except for the figuring out dinner part. Luckily at 5pm I was ready for a snack, so I made a dinner-sized snack instead.

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Cheese n jam n lettuce {from the garden!!!!} sandwich on High Five

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Plus a glass of milk

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Seems simple, but was pretty filling amount of food. Matt packed a PB&Banana sandwich and ate it during class.

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The hospital campus is absolutely gorgeous – views of the mountains and rolling hills!

Padres

I’m going to go into detail on things I learned on BERF, but I really enjoyed tonight’s class. I just like talking about all things pregnancy and labor : ) Matt seemed to have a good time too and although we both couldn’t stop cracking jokes during the role playing, I think deep down we really did learn things about how we interact.

I spent most of my “labor” tonight on the ball. I think I’m going to love a ball when the time comes! Sitting on it, draped over it, rolling with it. Probably won’t be smiling so much though…

2012-05-18 20.20.32

Did you notice the clothespin on the ear? That was contraction practice. I actually joked with the teacher when the exercise was over: “Whew I’m glad we didn’t have to do ice cubes!”

And what does she bring out not a minute later with a big smile directed at me!?

ICE!!

2012-05-18 20.37.57

However, I took on the challenge and actually did pretty well with the ice squeezed in my palm (because of the ball – and Matt’s gentle massage on my back!)

We enjoyed some juicy watermelon during our break while watching the sunset. And I just had a tiny mug of cereal as a bedtime snack.

2012-05-18 19.56.04

Tomorrow we practice pushing techniques and talk about some of the interventions and things that can happen if things don’t go swimmingly along. Gulp.

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Comments

  1. Anjali @ The Picky Eater says

    May 18, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    I actually never thought to put cheese, jam and lettuce together on a sandwich, but that looks incredibly good!! 🙂

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 18, 2012 at 8:58 pm

      It’s one of my favorite sandwiches and so easy to throw together!

      Reply
  2. Sana says

    May 18, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    Yay for baby BERF!!!

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 18, 2012 at 8:58 pm

      :mrgreen:

      Reply
  3. Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    Ooooh a close pin on the ear sound SO painful! Definitely would not have enjoyed that!

    Reply
  4. Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:06 pm

    sounds like an interesting class, and I’m always up for fun on stability balls! haha

    Reply
  5. Carrie says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:14 pm

    Yes, yes, yes to the birthing ball!! I used one with all three of my labors and it was awesome. Sitting on the ball during the contractions is the best. I tell everyone who is pregnant to get on the ball. Good luck to you!

    Reply
  6. Erin Motz says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:17 pm

    Love love love to hear the class details! Can’t wait for the BERF post 😀 And seriously, how bad is it that I look at that clothespin and think, “OMG HOW AWFUL?!?” How on earth will I ever have a baby?! hahaha, ridiculous. Give me the ice any day!

    Reply
  7. Anna @ On Anna's Plate says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    Haha…we had to do the “ice holding” trick too. Not exactly on par with labor, I have to say 🙂

    I used my birthing ball some in the weeks leading up to labor, but never used it in actual labor (I pretty much curled up in the fetal position for that, ha). BUT– baby LOVES being bounced on the ball in my arms now, so it definitely was money well spent!

    Reply
  8. lindsay says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    The ball is also great for bouncing with newborns! I’ve had a few friends tell me that bouncing with their baby was a sure way to get them to sleep or settle down from crying.

    Reply
  9. [email protected] says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:32 pm

    I love your shirt–where’d ya get it?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 18, 2012 at 9:33 pm

      Motherhood maternity… lol!

      Reply
      • Liz says

        May 18, 2012 at 11:36 pm

        That color is beautiful on you & the bump is looking so cute 😉

        Reply
  10. kristen @ verbs and vignettes says

    May 18, 2012 at 9:54 pm

    haha that looks very intense for practice! cheese and jam still intrigues me though. sounds crazy enough to work. a friend told me her grandmom always used to make grape jelly and american cheese sandwiches. she must’ve known what she was doing!

    Reply
  11. Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See says

    May 18, 2012 at 10:56 pm

    Ice? Hahaha you know you’re a newb, when you don’t get that 😉

    Reply
  12. Sarah says

    May 18, 2012 at 11:04 pm

    I have one word for you: EPIDURAL.

    (but mad respect for whatever road you choose!)

    Reply
  13. Heather @ Fit Mama Real Food says

    May 18, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    Hooray for birth class! I have a feeling I’m going to like the birthing ball too, just cause I already love sitting and bouncing on it. Makes moving easy. Our last Bradley method class is on Tuesday… kinda sad they’ll be over then!

    Reply
  14. j3nn says

    May 18, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    Lettuce on cheese and jam is a new one! Sweet and savory is usually a hit, though.

    Reply
  15. Casey says

    May 18, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    This was a cute post. 🙂 And you have a cute belly!

    Reply
  16. Jen says

    May 18, 2012 at 11:52 pm

    You, and all moms. are so brave. I feel queasy just thinking of giving birth…oh dear…

    Reply
  17. jojo says

    May 19, 2012 at 12:41 am

    I love the thick slice of cheese in the sandwich! 🙂
    Are you thinking of going through labor without any meds?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 19, 2012 at 5:44 am

      That’s my wish

      Reply
  18. Khushboo says

    May 19, 2012 at 12:46 am

    I just saw the movie “What to Expect When Expecting” last night with Cameron Diaz & Jlo..I really enjoyed it and I think you would too (and probably be able to relate to some scenes :))!

    Reply
  19. Averie @ Averie Cooks says

    May 19, 2012 at 1:12 am

    Pushing techniques…the urge to push will likely be so overwhelming at a certain point, you will just…do it! The ball was my chair for the second half of my pregnancy…loved my ball!

    Reply
  20. Roxanne says

    May 19, 2012 at 2:48 am

    I never went to a birthing class but I wish I did! I did everything wrong, and just growled and yelled at everybody until it was time for the “emergency” cesarean 18 hours later… Then, it was like finally it’s going to be OVER! LOL

    Reply
  21. kate says

    May 19, 2012 at 5:55 am

    Is this going to be your only birthing class? Are you going to do anything else closer to your due date?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 19, 2012 at 7:43 am

      Yes, but we have a doula we’re working one on one with too. Plus lots of reading.

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        May 19, 2012 at 9:41 am

        You can also get hypnobirthing relaxation exercises for your MP3 player that will help a lot with preparing for labor! I did this with my third in preparation for my homebirth—listened to a script every night before going to bed so that it was easy for me to recall that feeling of relaxation when the real thing started.

        Reply
  22. [email protected] Broken Cookies Don't Count says

    May 19, 2012 at 6:19 am

    I’ve never heard of a birthing ball. What d’ya know!

    Reply
  23. ~liz says

    May 19, 2012 at 6:29 am

    oh my! i remember the clothespin on the ear contraction practice!!!

    Reply
  24. Alyssa (pb and oatmeal) says

    May 19, 2012 at 7:27 am

    Ouch a clothespin on the ear sounds painful!

    Reply
  25. Nicole says

    May 19, 2012 at 9:37 am

    I had to do the clothespin on the ear when I took my hospital class with my first but I’ll tell you what’s even better for practice (to have to have something to relax “through”)–with my childbirth students I have them pick up a plastic baggie filled with ice. They hold it lightly as the “contraction” begins and then as we get to 30 seconds in (the peak), they hold it tight and then as the contraction starts to ease away, they loosen their grip on it. I find the building discomfort of the ice simulates contractions a lot better than the clothespin since the pin is an acute pain that doesn’t ease in or out like a real contraction does. I have my couples use the ice while they practice relaxation techniques at least 3 times week but more would be better so it’s second nature to you in labor 🙂

    Reply
  26. Nicole says

    May 19, 2012 at 9:42 am

    Totally didn’t read the last part of your post before I posted LOL Well, at least you’re well-versed in all kinds of pain now 🙂

    Reply
  27. Cait's Plate says

    May 19, 2012 at 10:35 am

    Ah! So exciting you got to use lettuce from the garden!

    And haha – I’ve never heard of the clothespin-for-contractions technique but that’s actually really clever!

    Reply
  28. Angel7 says

    May 19, 2012 at 11:37 am

    I did not use a ball during my first pregnancy, but I may for the second.

    http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  29. Tiffany says

    May 19, 2012 at 7:57 pm

    yum! I need to try a cheese, jam and lettuce sandwich soon! What kind of cheese did you use for your lunch?

    Reply
    • KathEats says

      May 19, 2012 at 7:57 pm

      Sharp cheddar!

      Reply
  30. Kori says

    May 20, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Long time lurker…love your blog! 3 babies here: 2 epidurals (both inductions, boo), and one all natural (came on his own and fast), and I MUCH preferred the drug-free experience. Good luck!

    Reply
  31. Melissa @ HerGreenLife says

    May 21, 2012 at 9:35 am

    The clothespin on the ear is a new one to me — we used ice in my class. I’m pretty impressed with what they covered for a hospital-based class. The main thing now is continuing to practice (yes, WITH the ice and/or clothespin) — my childbirth instructor, also a doula, really stressed practicing a few times every week up until the birth so the pain-coping skills are second nature. Sure, the pain simulation sucks, but you can have Matt give you a back massage every time 🙂

    Reply

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    hi! Im Kath.

    I'm a Registered Dietitian, healthy eater, and mom of two from Charlottesville, Virginia. Here you’ll find a healthy mix of real-life meals made from whole ingredients balanced with the pleasures of life, including buttercream frosting and good wine. Plus a sprinkle of nutrition, home life, beauty, parenting, and travel.
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