Heartfealt Thank You!

Tonite was our final Bradley Method child birth class. We have been going to these classes for the past 12 weeks and have got to know the other two couples and our mentor quite well. I will definately miss going every Monday nite, now that it's over. On the good side of that, it means that we are now prepared and time is getting close.

I must admit, at first, I was a bit skeptical of everything, not just the "Natural childbirth" part. It's not what I grew up knowing. I grew up thinking Doctors know best, Lamaze was the only child birth method, and things were just going to happen the way they do on TV. Now I feel much better knowing that we have the power and knowledge to make those decisions for ourselves and this birth will turn out the way we want it to. Regardless of what ends up happening, we will be making informed decisions about the wellfare of both Karen and our child.

Looking back, it just amazes me how much we actually learned over the course of 12 weeks. I feel really bad for the people whom either don't take any class, or just take the one day, cram course offered by the hospital. There is just too much to learn, and the consequences are just too great to either make decisions uninformed, or just not make them for yourself. So far, that has got to be the best thing we have done in her pregenancy by far.

One of the couples had their baby early and came back tonite to share their experience with the two remaining couples. Just hearing them describe everything and knowing that they also went to the same hospital eases my mind. I know now that the hospital is definately open to the methods we want to use, and everything can go the way we want it to. That is now 2 couples that we know that have had their kid there, and both have shared the same outcome. It was also tough seeing them with their baby. I know now, that it could be any day, and that is really hard on me. I'm not a patient person, especially when I know the goal is near. I've been really excited throughout the whole pregenancy, but now I can hardly contain it. I just can't wait to hold my child for the first time and know that we both created that life and did everythign we could to make it's entry the best possible.

Thank you Rhonda for everything you have done for us, for the knowledge you have given us, and for the empowerment you have bestowed upon us. We owe you a great debt of gratitude!