Bradley Class # 2

Brandy: Last night we had our second Bradley class. We started out practicing relaxation and pain relief techniques for back labor. This included pelvic tilts and back massage with a frozen water bottle (which I loved). We also practiced assisted squatting. I am used to squatting solo in prenatal yoga, so it took a minute to adjust to getting help with this. Apparently they don't want you squatting solo in labor for safety since you are out of sorts. After that we watched a birth video of a lady with a posterior positioned baby who had bad back labor. It was nice to see the techniques and positions she used to handle her pain. We also started talking about our birthing plan. Part of our homework this week is to create the first draft, and it needs to be complete by class #6. We ended the evening by practicing mental relaxation techniques. The women got to pick out a place that would relax us and write down a bunch of details for our hubbies to walk us through visually. I chose a Buddhist temple (Wat Phrathat) located on Doi Suthep Mountain that we visited in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was such a place of peace. It is an outdoor temple with beautiful golden accents and ornate pictures carved into wood. You don't wear shoes in temples, so we were walking around barefoot, feeling the cool ground beneath our feet. There were Buddhist monks chanting, and they dipped beautiful flowers into water to splash on people kneeling in front of them. The monks take care of many homeless animals. They lie leisurely around the temple, sweet and sleeping. You are surrounded by cool mountain air, beautiful flowers and greenery. You can see the city of Chiang Mai, tiny and distant, at the bottom of the mountain. It feels like another world. It definitely did it's job to help me visualize a peaceful place and go into a deeply relaxed state. Then just like that, class was over and it was time to head home. I really enjoy class. I feel like it is helping Brian and I to become closer as we prepare for the birth of our first child.